Henderson orchestra opens season with familiar tunes

Old friends - onstage and on the program - key the Henderson Symphony Orchestra's 26th-season opener Friday night at the Henderson Pavilion.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor may be the main attraction, but Rossini's "La Gazza Ladre " Overture and Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4 round out a program that provides an opportunity for the orchestra members - and musical director Taras Krysa - to reunite following summer break.

"We don't see each other" during the summer months, notes Krysa, who also is director of orchestras at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

So he "chose a little bit more conservative" program for Friday's concert to provide "a chance for us to simply get back together."

And while the program's centerpiece may be familiar, that doesn't mean it's not worth revisiting.

The Henderson Symphony last played Beethoven's instantly familiar fifth symphony in 2003.

And "despite its popularity," Krysa describes it as "a phenomenal work," one that represents "a perfect union of the intellectual side of music and the emotional side of music."

Besides, he adds, "it's fun to play!"

Beethoven may be the star of Friday's season opener. But Mozart's horn concerto is "a real pleasure - and a very difficult piece," according to Krysa. Bill Bernatis , a principal with the Las Vegas Symphony and a colleague of Krysa's at UNLV, will perform the concerto's French horn solos.

Leading off the program: the Rossini overture, which Krysa terms "a good crowd-pleaser" and "a nice appetizer."

More than 80 musicians play in the all-volunteer ensemble, which means "people who are members of this orchestra, they want to be there," says Krysa, who became the symphony's musical director in 2007. And that, he adds, "makes a huge difference in the spiritual aspect of the performance."

But the musicians aren't the only ones who want to be there, the conductor suggests.

He remembers when the free performances - which are supported by Henderson's cultural arts department - attracted a few hundred concertgoers.

Now, the concerts routinely bring almost a thousand audience members to the outdoor Henderson Pavilion.

"It's not a popularity contest, as far as I know," Krysa says, noting the appeal of "sitting outside, hearing great music done by locals."

Upcoming concerts include an Oct. 12 program featuring Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5; a February "Made in the U.S.A." program spotlighting Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland; and a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, which Krysa describes as the "most challenging" work of the season.

But "it's not elite art; it's high art. There's a big difference," Krysa contends. As such, "you can't put a price on it for what it does for somebody's soul."

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.