The Lone Star Youth Orchestra will open its 28th season on October 21st with a concert titled “Encore! Encore!”  The hour-long program features Johannes Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Op. 81, Maurice Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte, Joseph Brackett’s Simple Gifts, the first movement of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 in Bb Major, D. 485, and Richard Meyer’s Millennium.

 

Brahms’ powerful and dramatic Tragic Overture opens the program with intensity and grandeur, capturing the emotional depth of the Romantic era.  From brooding opening statements to moments of soaring lyricism, the music takes listeners through a wide range of emotions.  The overture was coined as “tragic” by the composer for the turbulent, tormented character of the piece.

 

Ravel’s elegant and deeply expressive Pavane transports listeners into a world of graceful melodies and delicate orchestral colors.  Its unhurried pace allows each phrase to unfold with warmth, beauty, and nostalgia.  Ravel’s masterful orchestration gives winds, strings, and harp opportunities to create a remarkably rich palette of sound.  The result is one of Ravel’s most beloved and atmospheric orchestral works.

 

The traditional Shaker melody Simple Gifts celebrates the beauty that can be found in simplicity.  This selection is warm, engaging, familiar, heartfelt, and joyful.

 

The opening movement of Schubert’s Fifth Symphony is bright and full of youthful energy.  Written when Schubert was only nineteen years old, the symphony reflects the Classical influence of composers such as Mozart while revealing Schubert’s own unmistakable melodic voice.  This piece showcases the composer at his most graceful.  Beneath its effortless charm, the music is filled with optimism and elegance.

 

Meyer’s Millennium won the 1998 N.S.O.A. composition contest.  With its powerful finish and infectious energy, this contemporary-sounding overture brings the program to an exhilarating conclusion.  

 

Single tickets are available by visiting IrvingArtsCenter.com, by calling (972) 252-2787, or by purchase at the door.  Ticket prices are $7.50 per student and $14.50 for adults. 

 

“Encore! Encore!” will take place on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Irving Arts Center’s Carpenter Hall.  The Arts Center address is 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX  75062.  Please note the new 7:30 p.m. concert start time this season.