Savannah Philharmonic takes to the road and heads to Bryan County
The melodies of the Savannah Philharmonic are making its way to Bryan County.
They are gearing up for the On the Road Series across multiple counties and will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Richmond Hill. The orchestra will feature 30 musicians.
Concert Violinist Rubén Rengel will be a guest artist on the tour, performing Mozart's "Turkish" Violin Concerto No. 5 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2.
Under the direction of Artistic and Music Director Keitaro Harada, the orchestra will perform in Bulloch County Friday before finishing their road trip Sunday in Savannah.
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The COVID-19pandemic gave the Savannah Philharmonic a chance to perform outside the Lucas Theater. In doing so, the orchestra was introduced to a new fan base as ticket sales rose 65%.
Last September, the orchestra performed in nine different venues and 20,000 people came out to the Forsyth Park concert. Harada said symphonies bring a different element versus listening to music in your headphones.
“It's been a great opportunity to meet new people and perform in different venues,” said Harada. “I think we live in this world of 2023, where everything is so convenient. You have Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube but there's an aesthetic that is missing which is the essence and experience that you gain from listening and watching music being performed right in front of you live. I think that essence of being able to experience that is still missing in our daily lives.”
Executive Director Amy Williams grew up outside of Boston and recalled hoping the Boston Symphony would make its way to her neighborhood. Now she has a chance to fulfill the hopes of those who have the same wish.
“For us, it's really exciting,” said Williams. “It's something that we've not seen before and it’s definitely proof of this feeling that music is a universal language. We can come together when we go to new neighborhoods, meet people where they live and it breaks down that barrier of classical music that I think can exist very easily. If you've never been to a Savannah Philharmonic event, this is a great opportunity to catch us in your neighborhood.”
IF YOU GO
Tickets are on sale now. Call 912-232-6002 or visit savannahphilharmonic.org to learn more.
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Philharmonic is traveling to Richmond Hill GA Saturday
