Western Piedmont Symphony Announce Innovative Events for Fall 2020

HICKORY, NC (September 8 2020) — The Western Piedmont Symphony and Music Director & Conductor Matthew Troy keep the music playing on in innovative and exciting ways.

Earlier this year, Maestro Troy announced the #PlayOn online video initiative, where WPS, local and out-of-state musicians record their own at-home performances to be shared on the Symphony’s social media. This virtual series will continue every week with new episodes released on Wednesdays. In addition, the WPS At Home series, “Meals & Music with the Maestro” will continue, with new curated recipes and playlist packages being released on the first Friday of each month.

Other events for the next several months include four more Watch Parties hosted by Matthew Troy, starting with Beethoven’s 250th Celebration on Thursday, September 10th. All watch parties are free to the public and will be live via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. Other Watch Parties include Pops: From Berlin to Broadway on October 8th, Composer Focus on November 12th and Home for the Holidays on December 10th. Watch Parties hosted by Matthew Troy are sponsored by von Drehle Corporation in memory of Pat and Frank von Drehle, and by an Anonymous Sponsor in honor of Ingrid Keller and Matthew Troy.

The Western Piedmont Symphony presents Side/Show, a unique performance format featuring live WPS musicians, on October 17th, 2020 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. in various venues in Downtown Hickory. Performers and audiences will be socially distanced and broken up over three hours. This event is free of charge courtesy of the City of Hickory. Venue information and sign-ups will be available at WPSymphony.org on October 1st.

2020: A Musical Response will be released via WPS’ YouTube channel on October 22nd. This stunning video collaboration features the Western Piedmont Symphony string section, performing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. For this video, WPS partners with Hickory Museum of Art and Lenoir-Rhyne University Multicultural Affairs.

Roundtable: Race in Classical Music will be a virtual discussion on the persistent issues of race in classical music on November 7th via Zoom hosted by Maestro Troy.

Maestro’s Quintet, on November 21st, will livestream Maestro Troy’s string quartet and pianist Gregory Knight in a performance featuring Faure’s Piano Quintet in D minor. Tickets to this virtual event will be available at WPSymphony.org/Tickets on October 1st.

Western Piedmont Symphony is a grant recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council and a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Office hours are 10:00 am until 4:00 pm daily.          

For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit www.WPSymphony.org, or email info@WPSymphony.org.