Fifty Years And Counting

I can personally attest to the importance and influence of the community symphony orchestra. We were fortunate to have one in the town where I grew up, led by a short and energetic conductor who needed several extra platforms to be seen by his players.   That orchestra still exists today, albeit under a different maestro. But in my childhood it certainly fed my interest in classical music. My parents took me to every concert. Later, as a semi-decent high school trombonist, I joined the orchestra as one of its more youthful members. We were pretty good, and we played some of the staples of the repertoire. It was a thrilling experience that I couldn’t have gotten any other way.  How lucky are we, then, to have a similar institution in our neck of the woods. The Torrington Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary next weekend, May 7, with a concert of American classics by Ferde Grofé, Richard Rogers, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, and others.  The very fact that this ensemble has made it to the half-century mark is further testament to the vitality of community orchestras, even as their high-powered professional counterparts struggle to survive.  The Torrington Symphony, conducted by Maurice Steinberg, a retired Litchfield public school music teacher, has continued to offer reasonably-priced concerts performed by a mix of amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, while also providing that wonderful artistic outlet for talented young instrumentalists (and some talented, not-so-young instrumentalists), just as my hometown orchestra did so many years ago.  “A Salute to American Composers,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Torrington Symphony Orchestra, will take place at the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre on the Warner Theatre Campus in Torrington, on Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m.  Guest soloists include Mark McNally, baritone, Fran Wall, mezzo-soprano, John DelVento, euphonium, Joy Zublena, piano, and Michael John Valenti, narration.  For reservations and information, call the Warner Box Office, 860-489-7180, or go to www.warnertheatre.org.