Cd'A Symphony Orchestra returns for 44th season

The Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra has announced the start of its 44th season.

Maestro Danh Pham said what audiences will enjoy most about this season is the variety.

"We have so many new voices we are featuring," Pham told The Press. "From Omar Thomas to our 'South of the Border' concert, we will see more composers that are not of the traditional canon of composers. Don't worry, we will have plenty of favorites to perform, but this diversifies our musical palette a bit."

New to leading the orchestra, Pham said he is excited for the amazing people and music this season will bring.

"What's not to like?" he said. "New relationships with new ideas. I'm ecstatic."

The season's opening concert, “Welcome to (New) America," will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Schuler Performing Arts Center at the North Idaho College campus.

Under Pham's direction, the orchestra will perform music from select composers from different backgrounds and history that contribute to the richness of the American cultural experience.

The evening will begin with Dudley Buck’s “Festival Overture on the American National Air.” Few people realize it was Buck who brought Frances Scott Key’s poem into national awareness, eventually becoming the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner."

The evening will move to Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story: Selections for Orchestra,” which includes "I Feel Pretty," "Maria," "Something’s Coming," "Tonight," "Somewhere," "One Hand One Heart," "Cool" and "America."

This will be followed by Omar Thomas’ “Our New Day Begun” — a moving tribute to the victims and the families of the Bible study group shot and killed at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015.

The music will conclude with a fiery performance of “The Firebird Suite," a ballet by Igor Stravinsky. Although born in Russia, Stravinsky eventually migrated to the United States and became an American citizen. He composed many orchestra and jazz pieces that received wide recognition.

Pham comes with an impressive background. He serves as conductor of the Washington State University Symphony Orchestra and director of bands at WSU. Pham directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and conducts the WSU Opera and Musical Theatre, not to mention the many other orchestras, bands and musical ensembles that he has conducted or directed on the national and international scene.

He said to experience a symphony orchestra live is a truly different thing to do.

"Seeing a group live, in one take, has an electricity that recorded shows — that you can click the pause button — doesn't," he said. "A live audience, with live musicians, has the attraction of interaction — we can feed off of each other's reactions and mannerisms. It all makes the difference in making a night at the symphony super.

"Every performer wants to perform for people," Pham continued. "Every audience wants their best from those they came to see/hear. This is a marriage of those two needs."

Tickets to “Welcome to (New) America" are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for youth/vet/military and may be purchased at www.cdasymphony.org, or by calling the symphony office at 208-765-3833.

Season tickets are also available until Saturday.

"Support your symphony," Pham said.

"These are some of the finest musicians and people I know," he said. "It's an honor to be with them on stage. I want the community to see, hear and experience how amazing this group is when experiencing them face to face. There is so much heart in this group that it can't be taken for granted."