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Northwest Festival Orchestra, symphony team for concert

The Palatine-based Northwest Festival Orchestra will team with the Northwest Chicago Symphony at Wright College Friday, May 31, to present a special concert featuring the music of Aaron Copland and Howard Hanson.

The performance, titled 20th Century Masters of American Music" and conducted by Dr. Verne Schwager, is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday in the theater at Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave., in Chicago.

Schwager is resident conductor of the Northwest Festival Orchestra and associate conductor of the Wright College ensemble.

The program includes popular works by Copland, such as "Fanfare for the Common Man," "Outdoor Overture," "Billy the Kid," and Ballet Suite, and Hanson, including Symphony No. 2 in D-flat Major, Op. 30 and "Romantic."

"What's so noteworthy here is that this is a fusion concert and truly a celebratory experience," Schwager said.

Headquartered at Harper College, the Northwest Festival Orchestra is comprised of Chicago's finest younger professional musicians who share a common passion for creating and sharing music at the highest level.

The ensemble's programs are devoted to both classical and contemporary repertoire spanning the orchestral spectrum, and also frequently include opera/operetta excerpts, as well as music from the American Musical Theater.

The orchestra also champions talented younger vocalists, drawn chiefly from leading Chicago-area universities, who appear regularly with the ensemble.

The Northwest Chicago Symphony, based at the college, arose in the fall of 1979 as a result of the efforts of its long-term music director Michael Holian who, in response to numerous inquiries from Wright College graduates seeking performance outlets in the Northwest Chicago area, firmly established the orchestra into a permanent and successful entity.

Since its inaugural performance by nearly 40 players, this ensemble has grown to more than 50 musicians who give four performances each season.

Admission to the concert is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. For information, email festorch@aol.com or call (847) 392-9003.

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