Symphony of the Hills launches season with noted pianist, all-Russian program

With well-known organist and pianist Dr. Sabrina Adrian as soloist and an all-Russian music program, the Symphony of the Hills will launch its most ambitious season yet with concerts at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4. The symphony’s conductor and artistic director is Dr. Jay Dunnahoo, a member of Schreiner University’s music faculty.

For the first time, the 75-member orchestra will present two performances of each program, doubling the number of seats available to 1,650. All performances will be in the Cailloux Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Kerrville, under direction of Dr. Dunnahoo.

Based at Schreiner University in Kerrville, the orchestra includes professional musicians from throughout the Hill Country and the Austin and San Antonio areas, plus faculty and advanced music students from Schreiner.

Season tickets for $100 and single-admissions at $25 are still available for these performances and for subsequent concerts on Nov. 29, Dec. 2, Feb. 28, March 2, May 1 and May 4. All seats are reserved. However, if there are seats available, students with a student ID can get in free just before the performance.

A Grand Symphony Chorus, directed by Michael Kahl, assistant professor of music at Schreiner, will join the orchestra for the Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 performances.

If funding is obtained, a children’s concert will be added to the season, making Symphony of the Hills music available to Hill Country elementary school students on the afternoon of Feb. 28.

Dr. Adrian, organist and principal pianist at the 2,300-member Kerrville First United Methodist Church, will be the soloist at the concert grand piano as the orchestra opens the program with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s famed “Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 8.”

A student of the piano since she was seven, Dr. Adrian has an undergraduate degree in piano performance from Southwestern University in Georgetown, master’s degrees in organ and piano performance from the University of Texas in San Antonio and a Doctor of Music Arts from the University of Texas in Austin.

As organist at the First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio since moving to Kerrville First UMC in 2002, she has played in multiple Sunday worship and special services and concerts at two of the area’s largest congregations. Other church positions included Coker and Travis Park Methodist Churches in San Antonio and Westlake Presbyterian and Bethany UMC in Austin. She began playing at age 13 in her home church, the First UMC in Boerne.

Other works on the programs for Sept. 30 and Oct 4 are by Russian composers as well: the Adagio from the ballet “Spartacus” by Aram Katchaturian and the five-part suite from “Lieutenant Kije” by Sergey Prokofieff.

Symphony of the Hills musicians include violinists Eric Bowser of Center Point; Gerry Payne of Bandera; Patricia Lee, Brad Lee, Sue Moss, Aleta Domingue Ed Wallace and Ralph Chalfant of Kerrville; violist Karen Billingsley of Kerrville; cellist Basil Sarweh, Mark Nugent and Laura Emmons of Kerrville; flautists Michelle Adam, Katy Jones and Susan Love of Kerrville; bassoonists Jan Schmidt and Sandy Fusilier of Kerrville; clarinetists Tom Terrell and Margie Schwartz of Kerrville; French horn player Bonnie Rockey of Kerrville; trumpeters George Eychner and Fred Klaemer of Kerrville; trombonist Jim Abbatiello of Kerrville; pianist Don Crandall of Kerrville and percussionist Rick Burgess of Kerrville; percussionist David Evans of Comfort; and bass trombonist Joseph Allen and tuba player Charles Sander of Harper.

Schreiner members include violinist Katie Beth lane of Mexia, violist Mari Van Dusan of Odessa, cellists Graham Low of Spring and Ashley Moore of San Antonio, double bassist Ryan Guerra of San Antonio and French Horn player Brett Rozek of Lake Jackson.

Concerts are funded by sales of tickets and program advertising, plus additional donations from individuals, professionals and corporations that are supportive of the arts.

Symphony of the Hills Assn. has 501(c)3 standing with the Internal Revenue Service, making donations in excess of $100 for season tickets or $25 for single admissions deductible from federal income tax.

The Symphony of the Hills receives no state or federal funding. Logistical support comes from Culligan, HEB and Playhouse 2000, which manages the Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts for the City of Kerrville.

Program notes by Mollie Ables are posted on the symphony Web site at www.symphonyofthehills.com prior to each concert.  Information also is available from the Symphony of the Hills Assn. offices at 830-792-7469.

Contacts:
Dr. Jay Dunnahoo, Conductor and Artistic Director: 830-896-5636 or tmaa@ktc.com
Cailloux Performing Arts Center Box Office: 830-896-9393, Ext 2
Joseph Benham, President, Symphony of the Hills Assn., 830-896-6323 or jove@ktc.com