Overland Park Orchestra's 50th Anniversary Celebration

We hope you'll join us for our season finale and celebration of the Overland Park Orchestra's 50th season bringing music to the community of Overland Park. This concert will be a momentous occasion, and the works throughout the concert will be truly fitting. We look forward to celebrating this historic season through a concert filled with festive and celebratory pieces from American composers. The overture to Leonard Bernstein's operetta - Candide will take you on a journey through a bombastic parade of brass and percussion, light-hearted woodwind melodies, beautiful lyrical passages from the strings, and a triumphant finale. This all happens in just about 5 minutes, and it is the perfect way to kick this concert off! We'll showcase Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, which showcases the ability of every common person in the world to have a positive impact. We will honor one of the key figures who contributed greatly to the success of the orchestra for many years, Jim Funkhouser, the long time music director for the Overland Park Orchestra. We'll feature his piece - Centennial Overture. 

The concert will feature music from Copland's cowboy ballet Billy the Kid. The music perfectly portrays the sounds and emotions of the Wild West. We'll take an adventure with Billy through his many escapades. The music from Billy the Kid is a true American musical masterpiece, and it is one of the works that has cemented Aaron Copland in classical music history. We'll feature several other American masterworks throughout the concert, and it will truly be a celebration of the history of the orchestra and the power that music can have on a community. You certainly won't want to miss this occassion!

Concert Program to Include:

Overture to Candide   –––––   Leonard Bernstein

Fanfare for the Common Man   –––––   Aaron Copland

Centennial Overture   –––––   James Funkhouser

Bal Masqué   –––––   Amy Beach

Billy the Kid Suite   –––––   Aaron Copland