STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Wood River Orchestra will perform works by 19^th Century Austrian composer Franz Schubert on Sunday.

The free concert will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theatre at Hailey’s Community Campus. The concert will include a solo piano and a string quintet in addition to the orchestra.

Schubert, born in 1797 in Vienna to a parish schoolmaster, lived just 31 years but left behind a vast treasure trove of 1,500 pieces of music, including seven symphonies, operas, sacred music and more than 600 secular vocal works.

Richard Inouye introduces Alxander Borodin’s piece to the audience as Stephen McDougall Graham and Andrew Moffat look on.

His major works include “Ave Maria,” the unfinished “Symphony No. 8” and “Death and the Maiden.” While his music was not widely known before his death, it was championed by Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahams and others following his death.

Violinist Janice Moulton, the orchestra’s longtime manager, will take the reins of the presidency from fellow violinist Lynne Heidel at the concert. Flautist Robyn Enders will take over Moulton’s work as orchestra manager.

Eight members of the Wood River Orchestra performed Mendelssohn’s “Octet for Strings” this past Monday for a packed house at the new Wood River Jewish Community synagogue. The synagogue proved a delightful venue for the orchestra’s first official Evening of Chamber Music concert, given its intimacy. And the musicians—Andrew Moffat, Stephen McDougall Graham, Heidi Bynum, Lynne Heidel, Rudy Kremer, Carlos Konstanski, Richard Inouye and Brad Hershey--played their hearts out, many times with eight different parts weaving their way through the piece at once.

Stephen McDougall Graham, Andrew Moffat and Richard Inouye also performed an engaging piece by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.

Brad Hershey and Richard Inouye played the cello during Monday’s chamber music concert.

Heidel offered an invitation to the audience to join the orchestra.

“If you think you’re too good for us, come play with us and make us better,” she told the audience. “If you don’t think you’re good enough for us, come and we’ll make you better.”

The Wood River Orchestra hopes to add more young instrumentalists this year.

“We have some very talented young players in the valley and many of them are eager to be challenged and are interested in playing symphony repertoire,” said Music Director Brad Hershey. “The Wood River Orchestra is a great opportunity for these musicians to play more advanced music and alongside some professional level players.

Viola player Carlos Konstanski performed “Octet in E flat Maor” Monday night.

“Aside from the handful of my students at the high school that are selected to travel and play with Idaho All-State Orchestra each year, there is not another opportunity nearby for these string players to play with wind, brass and percussionists,” he added. “It's very thrilling to play in a larger group and to hear all of the different timbres of all the different instruments. As we work to create more and better opportunities for music education in the valley, I am thrilled to see more young players discover this opportunity each year.”

COMING UP:

Sunday, Dec. 10—the Orchestra’s Holiday Fundraiser will take place at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum. It will include holiday favorites and there will be a silent audtion of donated items and cabaret tables available for purchase  to help pay for sheet music, rent and other expenses incurred by the orchestra.

Sunday, March 10—Concert at a venue to be announced.

Violinist Stephen McDougall Graham performed Alexander Borodin’s “Trio in G Maor for Two Violins and Cello Monday night.

Sunday, May 12—Concert at a venue to be announced.