MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The Penn State Harrisburg orchestra, concert band, campus choir, and chamber singers will host the winter music program concert “Hope and Remembrance” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, and Thursday, Nov. 18, in the Kulkarni Theatre.
As the first performance since November 2019, the concert will use music to reflect on some of the challenges of the past year and to offer hope for a brighter future. For the past three semesters, all four ensembles have been canceled due to COVID-19. This concert will mark the return of student-based music performance on campus.
“We wanted to put together a concert that kind of took stock of the last couple of years and just how crazy things have been, but that also sort of presented hope for where we’re moving,” said Adam Gustafson, associate teaching professor of music in the School of Humanities. “Just being able to make music in front of people again was just an amazing feeling.”
The songs that will be performed range from holiday classics to jazz to popular music. Each ensemble will perform with their respective director. Gustafson directs both the campus choir and chamber singers, Jill Graybill directs the band, and Julia Adams directs the orchestra.
The concert is free and open to the public. No registration is required.