University Orchestra Performs at Historic Opera House

The University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra will travel to Geneva, N.Y., to perform at the historic Smith Opera House at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27.

The program, which is free and open to the public, will feature such notable works as Ravel's Bolero, Smetana's "The Moldau" from Ma Vlast, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6.

The University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra, featuring 100 talented undergraduates and members of the Rochester area, presents four concerts a year on campus and also has appeared in community venues. In March 2004, the ensemble performed at St. Andrew's Church in Rochester; it marked its 50th anniversary in 2005 with a free performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in front of a standing-room-only audience at the Eastman Theatre. The orchestra is directed by David Harman, professor of music and director of orchestral activities. Harman has served as a guest conductor and music educator with orchestras across the country and internationally. He is the music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and of the Penfield Symphony.

The Smith Opera House has served as a cultural center of the Geneva community for more than 100 years. Built in 1894 by philanthropist William Smith, "The Smith" has served the region over the decades as a movie palace, opera house, vaudeville venue, and performing arts center. As one of the oldest operating theatres in the United States, it has been recognized by the Smithsonian and the National Register of Historic Places. The Smith has hosted some of the world's most famous performers and musicians, including John Philip Sousa, George M. Cohan, Itzhak Perlman, Bruce Springsteen, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Billy Joel, and Jay Leno.