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KC Symphony to make 2nd appearance here
Fort Scott Community College is bringing the renowned Kansas City Symphony for an encore performance next month.
The symphony, which consists of 80 full-time musicians, will play at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, in the theater of the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the FSCC campus, 2108 S. Horton.
The symphony first performed in the fine arts center in April 2009 as part of the building's grand opening. That concert sold out, drawing more than 600 people from the community and across the country and globe, including FSCC officials and members of the Ellis family.
"The first time they (the symphony) were here, they were received real well," FSCC spokeswoman Jill Warford said. "It's only natural they would come back."
Warford said tickets for the concert will be available for sale starting next week, and organizers anticipate another large crowd.
"We think we'll have another big turnout," she said. "There are a lot of people in Fort Scott who really enjoy a symphony orchestra ... To have them perform in Fort Scott, it's really great."
The symphony's performance last year was directed by Associate Conductor Steven Jarvi.
This performance will be under the direction of guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, and feature guest cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Guerrero is the music director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and holds degrees from Baylor and Northwestern universities. He was most recently the music director of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon.
From 1999 to 2004, Guerrero served as associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra and prior to that, he served as music director of the Tachira Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela.
The performance is underwritten by The Ellis Foundation. Local philanthropists Danny and Willa Ellis, and their son, Chris, currently operate the foundation from their headquarters in Fort Scott and an office in Overland Park. The foundation provides scholarship assistance to more than 600 full-time college students in 11 states.
"They (the Ellises) are the sponsors," Warford said. "When people like the Ellises step up, it's great for the community."
The foundation funded the symphony's performance last year at FSCC as a gift to the community. The organization was able to book the symphony to appear in Fort Scott through its business partners who serve on the symphony's board of directors.
Chris Ellis, executive director of the foundation, said a deal was negotiated last year to bring the symphony to Fort Scott once a year for the next three years.
"I feel very strongly that it's a very strong thing for the culture of the community," he said.
The Ellises donated $1 million to the fine arts center in 2006, one year before construction of the 44,000-square-foot facility began.
The program will consist of the classical selections, "Interlude from La boda de Luis Alonso" by Giménez, "Sinfonia No. 4" by Roberto Sierra, "Concerto No. 2 for Cello and Orchestra, op. 126" by Shostakovich, and "Rapsodie Espagnole" by Ravel.
The Kansas City Symphony was founded by businessman and philanthropist R. Crosby Kemper Jr., in 1982, just months after the dissolution of the Kansas Philharmonic. Under Kemper's leadership, the founding trustees of the symphony created a sound structure for the board and established the initial endowment. Today, the symphony is a major force in the cultural life of Kansas City and the region.
The symphony is now under the direction of acclaimed music director and conductor Michael Stern and has experienced impressive artistic growth. During its 42-week season, the symphony performs a wide variety of subscription, educational, touring and outreach concerts. The symphony also performs with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Kansas City Ballet.
Tickets for the performance cost $30 for adults and $25 for students. Only reserved seating will be available. Tickets will go on sale starting Monday, Dec. 13, and may be purchased at the Gordon Parks Museum at FSCC, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St., and Country Cupboard, 12 N. Main St.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call FSCC at (620) 223-2700, ext. 515.