LPO 25th Silver Anniversary Season

The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra Board celebrates its 25th Silver Anniversary Season, "Silver Memories/Golden Dreams" this year with four concerts. The next concert will be Sunday, November 7 at 4 p.m. in the Texas A&M International University Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.

Tickets are $20 per adult and $12 for senior citizens. All TAMIU and LCC students will be admitted free with student ID, as will local high school and elementary students. Season tickets are available for $75 per person. Tickets are available at LCC and TAMIU business offices, Elmo Lopez Music Company, The Jardiniere, Foster's, Starbucks at the corner of Del Mar and McPherson and Picarillos.

Sunday's performance is entitled "Silvery Shadows," and features the comic work for actors and orchestra called "Phantom of the Orchestra." With a seasonal theme of "Spooks, Phantoms, Dreams and More," the performance is a musical play, where the "Phantom," tiring of hearing the orchestra rehearse and decides if he can make the orchestra play badly, then the audience will cancel their subscriptions and he can finally get some peace and quiet.

Musical works will include Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," the "Meditation from Thais" and the Bach "Air on the G String."

The remaining performance schedule is as follows:

Sunday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. - LCC.

"From the Stage and Silver Screen" featuring music made popular both on the opera stage and through movies.

Sunday, April 17 at 4:00 p.m. at TAMIU.

This concert, entitled "Golden Ages" will bring forth beautiful works from the "Golden Ages" of music from the baroque to modern. This concert will feature the brilliant young pianist Adam Jackson from Fort Worth, winner of the 2004 Young Texas Artists Competition.

On Friday, November 5 at the Laredo Country Club the LPO will host a Gala fundraiser that will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group and recognize the efforts of 25 patrons of the arts whose vision and leadership helped create and nurture the LPO. Chair of the event is Ramon Zertuche. Tickets will be $75 per person and seating is limited, so early ticket purchase is recommended, said Zertuche.

Ticket reservations for the Gala are available by calling 721.5812.

"We are looking forward to a memorable evening of fine food and music as well as the honorary awards to the 25 patrons of the arts," Zertuche said.

In addition to the season, in early January 2005 the LPO plans to collaborate with the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale and United High School Choir to perform Beethoven's "9th Symphony" both as a celebration of the organization's 25th Silver Anniversary Season and the City of Laredo's 250th Anniversary.

For additional information, please contact Brendan Townsend, LPO director, at 326.3039 or 721.5258.