The Catskill Symphony Orchestra (CSO) invites the community to its grand finale of the 2024-2025 season with “A Night at the Movies: Celebrating the Works of John Williams” Saturday, May 10, at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center in Oneonta. The evening serves as the annual Wendy Brown Memorial Fundraiser and hosts the annual guest conductor competition.
The evening begins with a gala dinner and silent auction in the atrium at 6:30 p.m., followed by the concert in the Bettiol Theater at 7:30 p.m. CSO Artistic Director Glen Cortese will lead the orchestra through compositions from films including Harry Potter, Star Wars, Superman, Lincoln, The Cowboys, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Williams, one of the most influential film composers in Hollywood history, has created over 100 film scores and received 53 Academy Award nominations, winning five. His distinctive orchestral style has helped define modern cinema’s sound. His collaboration with director Steven Spielberg formed one of the most notable director-composer partnerships in film history, producing soundtracks that have become inseparable from American cinema’s identity.
An evening highlight will be the popular guest conductor competition featuring three distinguished community leaders:
Molly Hernandez, co-founder of Cooperstown Coworks. From childhood performances to singing in the Fly Creek Philharmonic, to raising her own young music enthusiast, Molly hopes to add guest conductor to her artistic accomplishments.
Sean Lewis, president and CEO of Otsego County Chamber of Commerce, has deep roots in Oneonta and the region. Known as the region’s only fan of Cincinnati sports franchises, he is a music enthusiast who has attended over 75 concerts in 50 years, and in a change will step on stage on May 10.
Ray Pucci, president of Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, has spent over 30 years working with the region’s nonprofit, education, government, and business groups. Ray is ready to ensure the Catskills are “alive with the sound of its symphony!”
Each candidate will make a five-minute appeal from the stage, with audience members voting through donations ($1 equals one vote). The winner will conduct the orchestra in a performance of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” to close the evening.
The CSO reminds concertgoers that students always attend free, and up to two accompanying parents or guardians pay only $10 each through the Wendy Brown Student Ticket Fund. More information can be found at www.catskillsymphony.org or by calling 607-269-7501.
