Symphony Arlington

News Release:

Symphony Arlington celebrates its 2016-2017 Season, “Symphony Goes Wild!!” at the Arlington Music Hall. The season continues on March 16, 2017 and all performances are at 7:30PM!

Arlington, TX; (February 21, 2017) Symphony Arlington continues its 2016-2017 “Symphony Goes Wild!!” on March 16, 2017 at 7:30PM at the Arlington Music Hall, Arlington, TX.

Composers have always taken inspiration from nature, so it is no surprise that many have picked up their pens to give us musical depictions of the fascinating creatures with whom we share the planet. Throughout the 2016-17 Season, the talented musicians of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra will offer our audience the most delightful and entertaining of these philharmonic fauna, from the smallest (Shostakovich’s gadfly) to the largest (Saint-Saëns’ elephants). Our musical zoo will include bears (Haydn and Bartók), horses (Auber), penguins (Scott), and even a cow (Milhaud). A few mythical animals will come to musical life as well, including Stravinsky’s Firebird and Debussy’s Faun. It’s a symphonic safari not to be missed!

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This concert will feature brothers Robert and Alex McDonald performing Carnival of the Animals with Symphony Arlington!

Since his orchestral debut at age 11, pianist Alex McDonald has soloed with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Mexico, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has performed across the United States as well as in Israel, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and South Korea; additionally, he has been a featured performer on PBS, WRR (Dallas/Ft. Worth), KUHA and KUHF (Houston), NPR, and WQXR (New York City). Awards and fellowships include second prize at the 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition and second prize at the 2001 Gina Bachauer International Young Artist Piano Competition. In 2008, he was named a Harvey Fellow by the Mustard Seed Foundation. In 2013, he was a competitor in the 2013 Van Cliburn Competition.

Dr. McDonald has taught at Texas Woman’s University, Richland College as well as at the Julliard School. Additionally, his private piano students have been admitted to Juilliard, Eastman and New England Conservatory, and have performed at

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Carnegie’s Weill Hall and on WRR. Deeply concerned about a healthy integration of life with music, he has actively pursued community formation both as an R.A. in the Juilliard residence hall and as president of Juilliard Christian Fellowship.

Robert McDonald received his formal musical training at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin, studying with Dr. Doug Humphreys and Anton Nel respectively. He has spent his summers at the Banff Summer Keyboard Master Classes and the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Robert is a strong advocate of multiple forms of classical keyboard performance, including solo repertoire ranging from Bach to Messiaen, chamber music, vocal collaborating and new works. He recently gave the Texas premiere of Zack Stanton’s Concerto for Piano and Wind Ensemble (2012) with the UT Wind Symphony. Robert has performed in recent master classes with John Perry, Menahem Pressler, John O’Conor and Pulitzer-prize winning composer Caroline Shaw.

Symphony Arlington credits its Music Director, Robert Carter Austin, for its continued outstanding and diverse orchestral programming. Maestro Austin’s background encompasses over 30 years of professional music experience and includes degrees from MIT, Cambridge University, and Stanford University. Maestro Austin’s musical experience includes conducting

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performances in many countries including: Korea, Ukraine, Canada, Italy, Spain, China, France, Germany, Mexico, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Colombia, Philippines, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and the United States.

Season tickets as low as $60! Single tickets are priced at $16.50, $26.50, $36.50 and $46.50. All are available by telephone (817.385.0484), fax (817.274.3593), or email (info@symphonyarlington.org). Group discounts are available; please call the Symphony Arlington office for more information (817.385.0484).