The Butte Symphony opens its 70th anniversary season Oct. 26 with the dramatic Lalo Cello Concerto in D Minor, featuring cellist Adam Collins.
The Butte Symphony opens its 70th anniversary season Oct. 26 with the dramatic Lalo Cello Concerto in D Minor, featuring cellist Adam Collins of the University of Montana in a program titled “An Evening of Cello, Fire and Dances.”
As Montana’s original and oldest symphony, the community orchestra continues its mission to provide music to southwest Montana under the baton of Luis Millan, serving his 10th season as musical director.
The concert, held at the elegant Mother Lode Theatre, also features Hungarian Dances by Kodaly, the Ritual Fire Dance by De Falla, and Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky.
Other concerts for the season include “Holidays with the Symphony” on Dec. 14, and “Silent Films and their Music” on Feb. 22. The season ends April 11 with “The Unfinished Symphonies of Great Composers.” The symphony also plays a free concert each summer at the Original Headframe featuring silent films with the orchestra providing the musical thrills.
The Butte Symphony is made up of volunteer musicians who continue their musical careers with a mission of providing classical music to all of southwest Montana through its concerts, outreach programs to area schools and rural areas, as well as special events. A chamber music concert will be held in the spring and a series of recitals are planned for the Clark Chateau, a historical mansion in uptown Butte.
For information and tickets, visit www.buttesymphony.org, email [email protected] or call 406-723-5590.
Butte Symphony’s new Executive Director
New to the orchestra this season is Lowell Stuck, who was named new executive director of the Butte Symphony following the retirement of Mark Hayden, who served the symphony for 13 years. Stuck comes to Butte from Portland, OR, and brings experience in business and the arts, a passion for Butte and the symphony, and a strong vision for its future.
Recently retired from the commercial printing industry, he has been active in music and the arts throughout his life. Stuck attended the University of Michigan where he was business manager and student conductor of the Men’s Glee Club, and performed in The Friars, the university’s longstanding a cappella performance group; he also attended further music classes at Portland State University.
From his first visit to Butte seven years ago, Stuck says he “just plain fell in love with the city, its history and that ‘Butte Pride’.” He and his partner, who hails from Whitehall, made three or four trips a year before settling in the Mining City in April.