Spokane Symphony’s own Julia Pyke to be featured soloist as part of ‘Scotland the Brave’; guest conductor Darko Butorac brought in as James Lowe tests positive for COVID-19

The Spokane Symphony’s own flutist Julia Pyke will be the featured soloist for “Masterworks 2: Scotland the Brave,” guest conducted by Darko Butorac, as the symphony’s music director James Lowe has tested positive for COVID-19.

“We wish James a speedy recovery!” the Fox website says.

Masterworks 2 will feature Aileen Sweeney’s “Glisk,” Christopher Rouse’s “Flute Concerto,” for which Pyke will perform, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56.

The guest conductor, Butorac, serves as the music director of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Asheville Symphony.

Lowe’s preconcert talk, the LoweDown, usually hosted by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture the Thursday prior to every Masterworks concert, is also canceled.

The Friday before the symphony performances, Pyke will be leading a flute master class, in which four previously auditioned music students get the chance to learn skills, techniques, artistic interpretation of works, and insight into the business of professional musicmaking. Pyke’s workshop, while directed toward the students, is free and open to the public.

Saturday’s show begins at 7:30 p.m., with a preconcert lecture at 6:30. Doors open at 6. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Sunday for the 3 p.m. matinee show, which will also have a preconcert lecture at 2. Tickets are available online at foxtheaterspokane.org, at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox box office, at 1001 W. Sprague Ave., or by calling (509) 624-1200.