The Skagit Symphony is pleased to welcome bassoonist Graham Logan performing Mozart's Bassoon Concerto for the Masterpiece Concert scheduled for Saturday, March 20th at 7:30pm at McIntyre Hall.

During the pre-concert lecture beginning at 6:45 p.m., Maestro Shakarian will discuss the evening's repertoire which includes Brahm's Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven's Lenora Overture No. 3.

For tickets call McIntyre Hall at 866.624.6897 or visit www.McIntyreHall.org.

For more information contact the Skagit Symphony at 360.848.9336.

The Skagit Symphony Presents: Gardens of Note
A tour featuring private Samish Island gardens with live musical entertainment.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
10 am to 5 pm

Tickets: $25

Advance ticket purchase recommended due to limited availability.

For more information: (360) 848-9336

The Skagit Symphony welcomes soprano Diane Johnson, the Skagit Valley College Choir and Cantabile of Skagit Valley for the orchestra’s Holidays Concerts on Sunday, December 16th at 2 p.m. at the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center and on Saturday, December 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at McIntyre Hall. Soprano Diane Johnson is the soloist for these performances. The music repertoire for these festive concerts includes John Rutter’s (1945-) Magnificat (My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord) which will be performed by both choirs and the orchestra, as well as some wonderful orchestral Christmas works including Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. The Holiday Concerts are sponsored by the Bank of the Pacific and Ms. Johnson’s performance is sponsored b y the Skagit Community Foundation.

The Skagit Symphony is a community orchestra made up of volunteer musicians from Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom and Island Counties. The orchestra performs a four concerts series each season as well as School Concerts for fifth graders and Family Concerts suitable for children age 3 and older. Cantabile of Skagit Valley, under the direction of David Cross, is an auditioned non-professional ensemble of 20 balanced voices founded in the fall of 2006. Cantabile is an adjective meaning songlike, or in a smooth, flowing, lyrical style. It is usually used as a musical direction for musicians to play or sing in a “cantabile” style. Cantabile performs with warmth, flexibility and an added extra element of energy and dynamism. The Skagit Valley College Choir is directed by Diane Johnson. The choir has received critical acclaim and recently returned from a summer concert in Carnegie Hall.

The Skagit Symphony’s Board of Directors and Orchestra Members would like to thank the ladies of the Soroptimist International Club of Burlington for their generous $750 pledge over the next three years towards the Skagit Symphony’s Youth Program. The Youth Program has three components; a Family Concert scheduled for January 28th at 2 p.m. at McIntyre Hall; a Young Soloist Concert scheduled for May 19th, at 7:30 p.m. at McIntyre; and a pilot School Concert for third through fifth graders, planned for January of 2008. The Soroptimist International Club of Burlington’s generous donation will help make it possible for children in our community to experience the beauty of a live classical music concert. For more information about the Skagit Symphony’s Youth Program, please contact Linda Alvarado at 360.848.9336 or execdir@skagitsymphony.com.

On Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th, the Skagit Valley Chorale joins forces with the Skagit Symphony for three special Holiday Concerts which include repertoire from Handel’s Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. The concerts, including two matinees at 2:00pm, and one evening concert at 7:30pm, will take place in McIntyre Hall and are the first collaboration between the music directors, Janet Hill and Roupen Shakarian. Tickets ($20-35) are on sale now and available through the McIntyre Hall box office. For the Holiday Concerts, Maestros Hitt and Shakarian have selected Mozart’s revision of Handel’s Messiah. Alto LuAnne Hargis, baritone Donovan Salt, tenor Phil Trautman and soprano Lynne Rheinhardt will be the featured soloists. In addition to enjoying the Messiah and the Nutcracker pieces, the audience is encouraged to accompany the performers singing traditional holiday favorites. For more information about the Holiday Concerts please contact the Skagit Symphony at 360.848.9336. To purchase tickets contact the McIntyre Hall box office at 866.624.6897 (toll free) or online at www.McIntyreHall.org. Ticket prices range from $22-$35, with discounts available for seniors (65+), students and groups.

The Skagit Symphony's collaborative concerts with the Skagit Opera were enthusiastically received by the 900 concert attendees. The blending of the chorus (including members of the SVC choir) and the orchestra was seamless and the audience appreciated the repertoire and musicale. A special moment occurred when Maestro Shakarian presented a commemorative plaque to the orchestra's founder, Vickie Archer, with the audience granting her a standing ovation. And On a lighter note, the audience erupted with laughter during the "Cat Duet" performed by sopranos, Gwendolyn Lytle and Diane Johnson. The concert ended in an upbeat manner as Ms. Johnson was joined by mezzo-soprano Kathryn Weld and tenor Edward Cook for a the rousing rendition of Strauss Jr.'s Champagne Song (Die Fledermasus - Im Feuerstrom der Reben).

On Saturday, December 19th at 7:30 PM at McIntyre Hall, the Skagit Symphony continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary season by performing J. S. Bach’s The Magnificat. Inspired by text from the gospel of Luke, “My soul doth magnify the Lord,” The Magnificat is traditionally presented at Christmas. The piece contains parts for orchestra, choir and five soloists. Soloists for the symphony’s Holiday Concert are soprano Diane Johnson, mezzo-soprano Betsy Senff, alto Kathryn Weld, tenor Gregory Carroll and baritone David Cross. In addition the orchestra will perform pieces from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet and Handel’s Messiah. Tickets are available through the McIntyre Hall box by calling 866.624.6897 or online at www.McIntyreHall.org. Prices range from $22-35 with discounts for seniors, students and military personnel. For more information call 360.848.9336 or visit www.SkagitSymphony.com.

The Skagit Symphony’s orchestra and board members travel to picturesque LaConner for the 11th Annual Smelt Run on February 23rd. This fundraiser includes a 5/10 K USATF certified road race through the Skagit Flats. The event also features a refreshing 2K Family Walk through downtown LaConner and the marina and, new this year, a Kid’s Dash for children 18 months to 6 years old. Proceeds from the event are used to offset the expenses of the symphony’s Family Concert which takes place on January 28th at 2 p.m. at McIntyre Hall. The symphony is grateful to the support of Sportsman's Warehouse, Erin Baker's, Tercero Insurance Agency, Inc of Nationwide Insurance, Evergreen Physical Therapy, Northwest Physical Therapy, Samish Point by the Bay, Haggen, and Mr. T's Awards & Trophy's who are sponsoring the event.

Schools to the Symphony
The Skagit Symphony recently welcomed over 1200 local fifth-grade students and their chaperones to McIntyre Hall for two school concerts featuring music from Verdi, Humperdinck, Rossini and Wagner. In addition to enjoying the music, the students learned about the various orchestra instruments from the musicians themselves. Education committee members were impressed with the students’ response to the performance and encouraged to see many ‘junior conductors’ in the audience waving their hands along with the music. Also encouraging was the number of students who indicated that they too played instruments or were hoping to in the future.

A Concert for Families
The orchestra’s recent Family Concert was enjoyed by over 500 adults and children. This concert featured the same repertoire and discussion components as the school concert. Attendees ranged from newborns to seniors with many in the audience ‘conducting’ and even ‘dancing’ with the music. Once again, the children were able to experience instrument making itself first-hand in lobby activities provided by the Skagit County Children’s Museum and Kindermusik with Maura. The orchestra was also pleased to partner this year with the Skagit County Libraries for this successful intergenerational event.

The Skagit Symphony Board has selected retired orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Chaplin to be the board chairman for the orchestra's 30th anniversary season. Also elected were Kathleen Kollmar as Vice Chairperson, Kyle Wright as Treasurer, and Dr. John Boyes as Secretary. Joining the board are Carrie Tisinger, Vice-President of the Bank of the Pacific and Mark Lione owner of the Cap Sante Inn in Anacortes. Retiring from the board are Past-President Jim Glackin, former Treasurer Dennis Carman, board-orchestra Liaison Doris Medlicott, former board Secretary Flora Adams, Gala Chairperson Joyce Rozendaal, Smelt Run Co-chairman Ron Koepp and Multi-committee Member Suzanne Luther.

The Skagit Symphony is pleased to announce that tickets for its 30th anniversary season, Bach to Classics, will be available from the McIntyre Hall box office beginning at noon on July 15th. Ticket prices range from $68 - $140 for the four concert series that includes a Light Classics performance in October, a Holiday Concert in December, a Masterpiece Concert in March and the Young Soloist performance in May. Individual tickets for these performances will be available beginning September 10th. For tickets call 360.416.7727 or 866.624-6897. For more information about the orchestra's 30th Anniversary Season call 360.848.9336 or e-mail execdir@skagitsymphony.com.

Local author Marty Wingate will be our guest speaker for the 'Gardens of Note' Skagit Symphony Tour as she presents her program on perennials for Northwest Gardens. Marty's love of perennials is reflected in the books she has authored and her longtime affiliation with the Bellevue Botanical garden known for its award-winning perennial border. Marty's recent appearance at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show was devoted to "color matters" a topic she deftly covers in her books and which she will share with us in person. Join us for an afternoon in the garden as Marty inspires us with her enthusiasm as she describes her favorite perennials and instructs amateur and seasoned gardeners alike on the relationship of plants and color in the garden.

Christiansen's Nursery at 1p
15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
(360)466-3821

Please join us for Gardens of Note, a private garden tour presented by the Skagit Symphony. This tour features seven unique gardens with historical character reflective of Skagit Valley's agricultural origin. Several important first-time garden openings will be featured on this exclusive tour.

Save the Date!

Dr. John and Kristin Boyes are hosting an end of the summer benefit party for the Skagit Symphony at their beautiful home on Samish Island on Saturday, August 30th at 3:00p.m.

The party will begin with wine and elegant hors d-oeuvres followed by a late afternoon Baroque concert of Vivaldi, Handel and Corelli pieces ex­quisitely performed by Bonnie and Randal Wilkens.* Coffee and dessert will follow.

We hope you can join us for a wonder­ful party and help support the Skagit Symphony.

Tickets: $100/person
Attire: Dressy Casual
RSVP: Linda Alvarado
360.848.9336
symphonyed@comcast.net

Please note that your attendance to this event will automatically make you a Score patron of the symphony. If you wish to upgrade your membership to a higher level, this will be possible during the afternoon. Attendance is limited to 75 people, so call today to make your reservation.

*Bonnie Wilkens is the concert master for the Skagit Symphony.