Mobile Symphony Orchestra’s growth over the recent decade has transformed their performances, creating captivating concerts for those in the Mobile area.
Mobile Symphony Orchestra is home to a wide range of gifted musicians who put on a colorful, classical concert each month. By bringing their skills and past experiences from across the nation, and even around the globe for some, Mobile Symphony musicians work as one to execute stunning pieces for the audience.
“Mobile Symphony is very cohesive, so the performances are very high energy and very connected with the audience. I feel that’s what really sets Mobile apart,” explained bassoonist and contra-bassoonist of Mobile Symphony, Richard Hopkins.
Hopkin's began his professional career with Mobile Symphony in 2010 and has been playing with them ever since, along with the Pensacola Symphony and Sinfonia Gulf Coast. Alongside Hopkins, Bret Heim, violinist for the Mobile Symphony, expressed his admiration for the Mobile Symphony, saying, “This is an extraordinarily fine regional orchestra.” While Heim performs with other talented regional orchestras on occasion, he commends the “high caliber of artistry” that the Mobile Symphony has to offer.
After welcoming conductor Scott Speck to the Mobile Symphony in 2000, Mobile has witnessed an elevation in the artistic product of the orchestra, from both on-stage and within the audience. Being there since 1995, Heim has seen the growth of the symphony. While he believes the musical talent has always been present in the Mobile orchestra community, Speck’s leadership played a large role in the advancement of skill level that the orchestra showcases.
“He set out from the beginning to raise the level of artistic product of the symphony and he has done that,” Heim explained how Speck has contributed to the symphony's growth. “He is very systematic about doing that through the choices of repertoire that he uses to build certain orchestral playing habits to build the sound, to build the technique, to improve the caliber of the player in the orchestra.”
Along with the development of their skill and talent across the stage and atop the podium, the orchestra strives to incorporate new and modern aspects in their performances. Today, their programs typically begin with an overture, followed by a concerto, then ends with a soloist performance (or vice versa).
"We've been doing some different things with that sort-of traditional three-piece program to try to keep things fresh," explained Heim. "Having the choir join us, having the vocal soloists join us, that's pretty unusual." By performing programs with diverse elements, the orchestra is able to add more color to the flow of their concerts and appeal to the members of the audience in a variety of ways.
While in-house conductor and music director Scott Speck steps aside for the weekend, the Mobile Symphony welcomes their first-ever female guest-conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya as the symphony performs Carmina Burana alongside the University of South Alabama's choir.
This weekend (3/30-3/31), the symphony will be performing Christopher Theofanidis' Rainbow Body and Maurice Ravel's Introduction and Allegro featuring solo harpist Katie Ott, alongside Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Saturday's concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday's matineé begins at 2:30 p.m. in Room 1927 of the Saenger Theatre.
To learn more about Mobile Symphony Orchestra and their upcoming shows you can visit their website, https://mobilesymphony.org/.
Click the link below to view Mobile Symphony Orchestra's Facebook page and explore photos, videos and announcements from the Mobile Symphony.
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