CONWAY — The Conway Symphony Orchestra is teaming up with others in the community to present what conductor Israel Getzov described as an “out-of-this world” event.
Getzov will direct the orchestra’s presentation of Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets at
7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. During the performance, Scott Austin, director of astronomical facilities and associate professor of astronomy and physics at UCA, will offer narration about the planets and provide images of the heavenly bodies.
Other things will be happening before and after the concert that may attract attention.
Prior to the concert, beginning at 6, patrons are invited to a STEAM Fair, where interactive information tables will be set up in the Reynolds lobby. Local organizations, including groups from UCA, Hendrix College and others that are involved in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM), will be represented.
Following the concert, at approximately 9:30, guests will be invited to head across the UCA campus to enjoy cookies and punch and a tour of the night sky at the UCA observatory (weather permitting) in the Lewis Science Center. Guests will also have an opportunity to view a showcase of the constellations in the Edmond E. Griffin Planetarium in the new Conway Corp. Center for the Sciences, at the corner of Bruce Street and Western Avenue.
Austin said the planetarium will be open from 8-9 p.m. for the weekly Friday planetarium show.
“Beginning at 9:30, refreshments will be served in the connector between the Conway Corp. Center for the Sciences and the Lewis Science Center,” Austin said, noting that both facilities are on the same side of Bruce Street. “There will be a short, 15-minute demonstration in the planetarium. Then, if clear, the observatory in the Lewis Science Center will be open; the stairs to the observatory are located in the front lobby of the Lewis Science Center.”
Getzov said members of the Conway Symphony Orchestra are “excited to be partnering with the UCA Department of Physics and Astronomy for this event.
“This experience will bring together science and mythology, music and space, with several activities surrounding the concert,” he said.
Also featured at the concert will be a performance by Yu-Hsuan “Vivian” Chang, winner of the 2017 UCA Concerto Competition sponsored by the Conway Symphony Orchestra on Jan. 21. Chang, who is from Taipei, Taiwan, is from the horn studio of Brent Shires at UCA and is working on her graduate certificate in performance; she was an exchange student at UCA in 2014. Chang will perform the third movement of Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1.
Getzov said that in keeping with the “otherworldly focus” of the concert, the symphony will perform the opening theme of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey to begin the concert.
Getzov said this piece of music, also written by Strauss, is not about the planets or outer space, but “it sounds outer-spacey.”
As a grand finale, the musicians will compose a new piece of music, in real time, in response to recent evidence that there may be another planet in our solar system orbiting beyond Neptune.
The CSO has asked schoolchildren to come up with a new name and characteristics of this mystery planet, currently nicknamed “Planet Nine.” Getzov will select from the submitted entries to name the music created onstage that night.
“We can’t wait to see the creativity of our community,” Getzov said.
All activities are included in the concert ticket price.
Concert tickets are $5 for children and students, $20 to $38 for adults and $15 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available through the Reynolds Box Office, (501) 450-3265 or www.uca.edu/tickets. First Security Bank sponsors the concert, with hospitality support from Julie’s Sweet Shoppe.