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Henderson Symphony Orchestra tunes up to celebrate 25 years

Henderson Symphony Orchestra Rehearsal

Steve Marcus

Zack McBride and Jennifer Clemons rehearse with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra at the Henderson Pavilion on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. The symphony will perform “A Celebration of Liszt” at the pavilion at 8 p.m. today.

Henderson Symphony Orchestra Rehearsal

Taras Krysa, Henderson Symphony Orchestra conductor and music director, leads a rehearsal at the Henderson Pavilion on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. The symphony will perform Launch slideshow »

Tonight's performance

The Henderson Symphony Orchestra will be performing F Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 and J Sibelius — Symphony No. 1 at the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway, at 8 p.m. tonight.

A silent auction will take place at 7 p.m. to benefit the orchestra. The event is free and open to the public.

Standing near the lighted steps of the Henderson Pavilion, Alan Cates takes a deep breath and exhales.

A booming note comes out the other end of his yellow brass bass trombone. The music fills the stairwell with a sound fit for a climatic scene in a movie. He breathes life into the instrument, checking to see if he’s hitting the right notes.

It’s 30 minutes before the Henderson Symphony Orchestra practices, and the

Las Vegas lawyer is making sure he’s ready for rehearsal this Wednesday night.

Cates is a two-year member of the volunteer orchestra, which is celebrating its 25th year in the valley.

For the last two weeks, orchestra members have been preparing for their second show of the season on Friday at the Henderson Pavilion.

“I do it because you don’t have the opportunity to play this kind of music very much,” said Cates, who studied music through most of his college years before, he said, he found a practical career plan.

“We do have a couple of community bands in town but in terms of orchestras, this is the only opportunity we get as a non-professional player,” he said.

The community orchestra started out in 1987 as the Henderson Civic Symphony with just four members. In 25 years, the group has matured into a 65-piece ensemble, with members from across the valley. It includes more than 25 violinists, 12 viola players and eight cello players.

The members include music professionals, amateurs, teachers and lifelong orchestra students.

“In the five years that I’ve been here, we have grown into a pretty high-level, music-making, cultural institution,” said Musical Director and Conductor Taras Krysa, who is also the director of orchestra at UNLV. “Our audience has grown from 150 people in my first year to about 1,000 people per concert. We are serving this community and educating them about the music.”

Krysa said the group performs 10 shows a season, including five master works. When

Krysa joined the orchestra, there was no formal try-out. But as the group has grown, he has implemented auditions for any new seats, he said.

“The way community orchestra was created, people just get together and play, and now it has grown to the full symphony orchestra,” Krysa said. “(Our) programming can be a little more adventurous than other orchestras. As the artistic level grows, we need to make sure a musical level is maintained.”

Most members of the orchestra, like Cates, have full-time commitments outside of the group’s practices and shows, which sometimes makes it difficult to stay dedicated. But playing an instrument in the ensemble can provide much-needed relaxation, Cates said.

“It helps keep that sense of normalcy,” he said. “It lets you remember

that there are brighter days ahead.”

Executive Director Molly Madison said that without the enthusiasm of the volunteers, the nonprofit orchestra could not exist. The group is funded by a

$25,000 grant from the city of Henderson — roughly half its yearly operating budget — and corporate sponsors. The city also provides a venue, as well as facility and technical support.

Orchestra shows are free to the public but $10 donations are appreciated, Madison said.

She said the orchestra, unlike many symphony orchestras, is unique because it welcomes families to attend with children.

“We encourage families to bring their children, which is unusual because concert halls don’t like having children running around,” Madison said. “There is diversity within our crowd. It’s a free event, but it’s a quality event.”

Krysa said the group is always striving to improve. “We have incredible spirit that unites us together, and somehow it helps us to achieve something that might seem at the first rehearsal is unachievable. They always surprise me.”

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