Laredo Phil Performs Oct. 28 at TAMIU

The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 33rd concert season, "Celebrations" with a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2012 at the TAMIU Center for the Fine & Performing Arts Recital Hall.

The concert opens a season of celebratory events with each concert having a different focus for celebration: Partnership/Christmas /Diversity /Youth/Achievement.

With the opening of the season, the organization is also going through a period of change and in particular is rebranding itself to better reflect its purpose and focus. 

"People are often confused about the word Philharmonic," said Music Director Brendan Townsend. "Many mistakenly assume that a Philharmonic is a large symphonic orchestra, but in fact the word originated as ‘lovers of music,’ and that was why the original name of the organization was The Laredo Philharmonic, indicating a group of music lovers who would sponsor performances,” Townsend said.

Over the years the organization has become popularly known locally as "the LPO" and for many years used this acronym as its logo, he noted.

"Returning to our original mission and purpose, and not focusing solely on the ‘Philharmonic Orchestra,’ we encompass a wider possibility for engaging with the community," Townsend explained.

With the enthusiastic approval of its Board of Directors, Townsend contracted with a new web-host to provide an easy, interactive platform for a new website.

Most appealing to Townsend was the fact that this platform also came with the possibility of having an App for iPhone and Android. After much reformatting of content, the App was launched quietly over the summer and has been in testing over the past months.

Now the App and the organization’s website - www.laredophil.com - are both up and running. Fans can download the App by searching for Laredo Philharmonic at the Apple App Store or Google Market. With the launch of the new website and App, the organization also debuted a new logo, changing the focus from LPO to Laredo Phil.

"With a focus on Philharmonic and Laredo, we become less about the Orchestra and more about the love of music," said long-time board member Hortense Offerle, "Brendan has made a solid effort to reach out to all facets of the community, and has some wonderful, fresh ideas."

Along with its regular series of concerts, the Laredo Phil sponsors a Youth Orchestra under the direction of Guillermo Teniente, introduces thousands of young musicians annually to music through its Rising Stars Concerts, and plans to expand into sponsoring chamber ensemble concerts in various locations besides TAMIU and LCC.

“The Laredo Phil sets its core values as Enrichment, Engagement, Education and Entertainment and the concert season and plans that are being worked on reflect these. The new ‘look,’ website and App all serve to highlight a new approach to reaching out to the community and making our concerts something for the entire community to embrace,” Townsend concluded.

For more information about upcoming events sponsored by the Laredo Phil, visit www.laredophil.com or contact Brendan Townsend at 956.326.3039 or email lpobren@gmail.com.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu