APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence Academy of Music String Orchestra (ASTRO) along with the Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings present their spring concert at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and will be available beginning Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.
This concert features a varied and appealing program for the young and old alike. Of note on the program for ASTRO is “Follow the Drinking Gourd” arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle, the lead teacher of the Academy’s String Project. A composer and arranger of international reputation, Gruselle’s compositions have been featured in national conventions and played by honors orchestras across the nation. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings program includes music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Duke Ellington.
ASTRO, an auditioned ensemble for talented and highly motivated string players, includes 63 young musicians in grades four though eight. The ensemble is conducted by Linda Calhan, who currently teaches orchestra at Madison Middle School in Appleton, teaches strings techniques classes at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, and has a private cello studio.
The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings are conducted by Greg Austin, who teaches orchestra at Roosevelt Middle School, and Edison, Columbus, and Franklin elementary schools in Appleton. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings provide music education for children in grades seven through 10. The group offers young musicians the opportunity to perform with other top players from the Fox Cities area, such as ASTRO.
