Spokane Symphony kicks off its season in grand fashion - two outdoor concerts and Yo-Yo Ma
It’s quite an adjustment for the members of the Spokane Symphony, who have essentially been on hiatus since early July. After a nearly two-month break, it will be a very busy week for the classical musicians.
The season kicks off Saturday with the Lud Kramer Memorial Concert in Liberty Lake. The show will comprise of popular classics and favorites from Hollywood and Broadway.
It’ll be a similar show Monday at Comstock Park. The climax of the week occurs Wednesday when world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will make his Spokane debut at the Fox.
“Talk about jumping right into it,” Spokane Symphony conductor James Lowe said while calling from his home in Scotland. “Our first week is about as big a first week as you can have. When we played our Labor Day show last year we had 5,000 people, which is a huge event for us. We have a show before that event this year in Liberty Lake and then we follow with Yo-Yo Ma, which is an extraordinary way to kick things off. We have our work cut out for us but we’ll be fine. It’s a challenge that we’re excited about.”
Lowe said it won’t be a big deal getting back into the swing of things at Liberty Lake. “It’s been quite a hiatus for us but we’ll shake the rust off. It really doesn’t take very long. But we’ll also have to work with some new players, who will be playing with the orchestra for the first time. I’m sure they’ll catch on pretty quickly.”
Fans can expect bits and pieces of what will be presented during the season at the Liberty Lake and Comstock events. “What people will experience will be like a trailer for films,” Lowe said. “It will be like a coming attractions, what to expect this season.”
There will be some Antonin Dvorak and Pytor Ilyich Tschaikovsky, which means the 1812 Overture will be performed. “”We always have to do 1812,” Lowe said. “We enjoy playing it.”
The Spokane Symphony will play material from “Star Trek” to “Star Wars” and toss in some Looney Tunes for good measure. “We’re going to have a great deal of fun with some diverse material,” Lowe said. “It’ll be great way to start the season. I’ve been waiting all summer to come back to Spokane and kick off the season. It doesn’t get any more exciting for me.”
Editor’s note: This report was changed on Sept. 1, 2023 to correct the name of the Lud Kramer Memorial Concert. The factbox also was changed to correct the date of the Memorial Concert in Liberty Lake. It will be at 6 p.m. Saturday.