UW Symphony to tour Spain later this month

The Symphony Orchestra is preparing for a 13-day tour of Spain, departing Monday, May 21, and returning Saturday, June 2. The orchestra, under the direction of professor David E. Becker, will perform in Madrid, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Valencia/Liria, Barcelona and San Feliu de Guixols.

This will be only the second international tour for the orchestra; in the spring of 1998, it toured central and eastern Europe, performing in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech and Slovak republics.

The 100 musicians on the current tour are drawn from the Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. They include undergraduate and graduate students, and music majors and nonmajors. Each student must bear the tour’s cost of $1,275, covering flights, lodging and two meals per day.

Vartan Manoogian, professor of violin at the School of Music, will accompany the orchestra on tour and perform with them in each concert. Graduate assistant conductors James Hannon and Michael Alexander will conduct one work each, with the balance under the direction of Becker.

The program offers a significant representation of American works, featuring the “Violin Concerto” by Samuel Barber, with Manoogian; “Short Ride on a Fast Machine,” by John Adams, conducted by James Hannon; and selections from “Porgy and Bess” by Gershwin. The remaining repertoire includes “Rienzi Overture,” by Richard Wagner, with Michael Alexander conducting; and “Symphony No. 2,” by Johannes Brahms.

The tour has been organized by Perform America Management Co. of New York, the same firm that handled the orchestra’s tour to central Europe. After arriving in Spain via an Iberia Airlines flight from O’Hare International Airport, the orchestra will travel by two motor coaches, each with its own guide.

Four Spanish students in Manoogian’s studio will be touring their own country with the orchestra, undoubtedly assisting with communications.

The orchestra received substantial financial support from the Chancellor’s Office and School of Music. Additional contributions from individuals and organizations are welcome and will directly offset the expenses of the tour. Checks may be written to the School of Music and sent to the Orchestra Office, 4511 Mosse Humanities, 455 N. Park St., Madison, WI 53706. Contact the orchestra office, 263-1891, for details.