And the Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra will play the whole of this well-known symphony at its next concert on August 24 at the Mansfield Performing Arts Centre.
Each section gets to play some of the main themes, and it is fascinating to hear how melodies move from one orchestra section to another.
Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, The New World, was a new challenge for the composer.
Although well-known and respected in his home country of Czechoslovakia, he was interested in exploring new ideas in music, and so travelled to the US in 1892 to become the director of the National Conservatory of Music.
When Aaron Wardle, resident conductor of the Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra, expressed a desire to play his French horn rather than conduct Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, it set about the task of finding a guest conductor.
Craig Fullerton, head of music at Catholic College Wodonga, was appointed as guest conductor with WSO in April 2025 to lead the orchestra through this concert.
Mr Fullerton comes with a broad range of experiences in conducting, including in Europe, the Philippines and China.
“Passion and a desire to play with others and to play well is what drives most community orchestra members,” he said.
The Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra will perform this concert at Mansfield Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, August 24 at 2.30pm. Soloists are Emma Lang (Rayner) on cello and Timothy Wong on piano.
Tickets are available from events.humanitix.com/wso-presents-images-of-the-new-world/
5°C