Be prepared to lose yourself in beautifully crafted musical pieces from Russia by composers such as Alexander Borodin, Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky.
After trying to collaborate for more than a year, the Cal Poly Symphony and the Youth Symphony will finally join forces under conductors Nancy Nagano and David Arrivée at 7 p.m.
What really sets this concert apart from others is that “each orchestra has its strengths, and putting them together evens out the sections and makes a stronger whole,” Arrivée said.
He added that the idea for the collaboration was formed last year, “but our respective repertoire wasn’t conducive to getting together.” He said things were able to work out this year.
The original idea came about because conductors wanted to give their students varied experiences, Arrivée said.
“Socially, it can be great for younger students to meet university students and see where they could be in a few years,” he said. “For the Cal Poly Symphony students, it is a chance to relive their youth orchestra days and feel connected to their own past and the local community.”
Patty Thayer, who works at the San Luis Obispo Symphony, said there will probably be more than 100 musicians on the stage at some point during the night.
“They are all mixing and mingling,” she said.
Thayer said the two conductors worked together to choose the music for the night. The repertoire will include Borodin’s “In the Steppes of Central Asia,” which blends Russian songs and Asiatic melodies; Prokofiev’s “Montagues and Capulets” from “Romeo and Juliet;” and Stravinsky’s “Berceuse and Finale” from “The Firebird, which highlights bassoonists in the youth symphony “taking turns on one of the most famous bassoon solos in history,” Arrivée said.
In this last piece, the entire combined orchestra will play what Arrivée describes as an “exhilarating, joyous finale.”
Arrivée will conduct the Borodin and Prokofiev pieces, while Nagano will conduct the Stravinsky piece, Thayer said.
Thayer also stressed that people shouldn’t be put off by the fact that children will be playing.
“Sometimes people think that because it is the Youth Symphony that it’s not a wonderful concert…but it is,” she said. “They are very talented musicians, and the Cal Poly Symphony being on stage brings it up a notch as well.”
Arrivée hopes every individual who attends the concert will see “what tremendous work and discipline these students have brought to their art for years. . It takes a very long time to master an instrument, and these students are off to a great start.”
The concert will take place at the Christopher Cohan Center. Tickets are $8.