Orlando's Valencia College Kicks Off Lineup of Free Fall Concerts Tonight

Looking for free entertainment? Want to get in the holiday spirit? Check out the lineup of fall concerts coming up at Valencia College.

Fall String Ensemble Concert

Tonight, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m., Valencia’s String Ensemble will collaborate with Dr. Troy Gifford, performing his concerto for guitar and strings, in addition to Peter Warlock’s “Capriol Suite,” a set of dances composed in 1926. In addition, this concert will feature the Valencia Singers and the String Ensemble performing a Christmas medley arranged by Valencia professor Alan Gerber.

The free concert will be held in the Building 3 atrium on Valencia’s East Campus, 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando.

Winter Choral Concert

The Valencia Singers, in conjunction with Valencia’s Contemporary Ensemble and the Valencia String Ensemble, will present the college’s annual Winter Choral Concert on Nov. 29. The concert will feature a variety of Christmas music and carols, plus show tunes and a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch. In addition, the Valencia Singers will pay tribute to U.S. troops and veterans by singing "In My Dreams," written by British composer Paul Mealor for the Military Wives Choir, and "Song for the Unsung Hero," written by Joseph Martin, with a special narration by Wendy Givoglu, Valencia’s dean of arts and entertainment.

The Winter Choral Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center on Valencia’s East Campus, 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando. Admission is free.

Fall Band Concert

On Dec. 4, the Valencia Symphonic Band will perform “An Evening of Marches,” highlighting a variety of marches. Selections will feature marches both common and obscure, including works by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Jose Padilla, Percy Grainger, Leroy Anderson and the “March King” himself, John Phillips Sousa. The concert will also feature David Soto, Valencia’s student conductor.

Warning: A sense of gleeful euphoria and uncontrollable toe-tapping may result after experiencing this event. The free concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center on Valencia’s East Campus, 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando.

Opera Theatre Workshop

On Dec. 7 and 8, Valencia College will present “Hear My Song!” featuring scenes and music from “The Book of Mormon,” “Little Women,” “In the Heights,” “The Addams Family,” “The Wild Party,” “Songs for a New World” and “Lestat,” the Broadway musical inspired by Anne Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles.” The concert, which will be directed by Carla DelVillaggio, will open with scenes from Gian Carlo Menotti’s comic opera, “The Old Maid and the Thief.”

The shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Black Box Theater on Valencia’s East Campus. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so please arrive early. (Warning: Some material may not be suitable for young children.)

Valencia at St. Mark’s Concert

On Dec. 9, the Valencia Singers and the Valencia String Ensemble will present their annual Christmas concert at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Altamonte Springs.

This concert features a combined program with the String Ensemble and Valencia Singers, including a rousing arrangement of beloved carols. The String Ensemble will also perform Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite, and a guitar concerto featuring Valencia faculty member Dr. Troy Gifford as the featured soloist. In addition, the Valencia Singers will pay tribute to U.S. troops and veterans by singing "In My Dreams," written by British composer Paul Mealor for the Military Wives Choir, and "Song for the Unsung Hero," written by Joseph Martin, with flute soloist Susan Pezzone Andrews.

The concert begins at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 1021 Palm Springs Drive, Altamonte Springs.

For more news about Valencia, go visit www.valenciacollege.edu/news.

To post a comment, you must register and login.