LV Philharmonic players headline concert at UNLV

Friday, Nov. 16, 2001 | 9:59 a.m.

The second concert in the Las Vegas Philharmonic's "Classical Series" has special meaning for the symphony's musical director, Harold Weller.

The three featured soloists who will perform at Saturday's concert are members of the philharmonic.

"The public will be rather astounded by the degree of talent we have," Weller said. "The three soloists are among the most outstanding musicians in the country."

Performing at the front of the orchestra, rather than just with it, will be oboist Stephen Caplan, harpist Kim DeLibero and violinist De Ann Letourneau.

"I am so pleased we have members of the orchestra we can spotlight front and center," Weller said.

Caplan is the philharmonic's principal oboist. A member of the faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he also is director of the Sierra Winds, one of the top wind quintets in the nation, Weller noted.

Caplan, who has a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan, has performed with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe.

"He is really one of the finest oboe players in the Southwest," Weller said. "He has recorded often, both as a soloist and with the Sierra Wind at (UNLV)."

DeLibero began playing the harp at age 10. After graduating from Indiana University in 1981 she was hired by Wayne Newton's orchestra in Las Vegas and has been here ever since. DeLibero teaches harp at UNLV.

Letourneau, a native of Superior, Wis., moved to Las Vegas in 1995 and opened her own music studio. In addition to teaching violin privately, she is an adjunct faculty member of the Community College of Southern Nevada.

This weekend's concert will have a distinctive French flair, with selections from such composers as Claude Debussy ("Danse Sacre et Profane"), Maurice Ravel ("Tzigane" and "Daphnis and Chloe, Suite No. 2") and Hector Berlioz ("Overture to Benvenuto Cellini").

Also on the program will be a selection by Italian composer Allesandro Marcello ("Concerto in D Minor for Oboe, Strings and Continuo").

"We haven't performed all that much French music," said Weller, founding director of the orchestra, "so I wanted to create a French concert."

Weller said timing was an issue in choosing the pieces that will be performed.

"We didn't want to make (the concert) overly long. Each (solo) piece lasts about 12 minutes, but it is a power-packed repertoire," he said.

Weller said Ravel's "Tzigane," which will be performed by Letourneau, is one of the most difficult classical pieces there is to play.

In other philharmonic news, the orchestra will perform Dec. 29 at Mandalay Bay with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. When the Philharmonic completes its performance at Mandalay Bay it will travel to Phoenix for a concert on Dec. 30 and then to Denver for a concert on Jan. 1.

"Hopefully, the rest of the country will start to get the idea that we have culture in Las Vegas," Weller said.