Concerts
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I: October 2025
Heroes: Common and Uncommon
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program:
Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Giuseppe Verdi: Overture to Vespri Siciliani
Lee Hoiby: I have a DreamSpirituals
-- featuring Philip Lima, baritone soloist
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"
Performances:
Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in Lewiston
Sunday, October 26, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham -
II: January 2026
Myths and Magic
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Magic Flute Overture
Jean Sibelius: Swan of Tuonela
Tan Dun: Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds
Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel Overture
Paul Dukas: Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Howard Shore: Selections from "Lord of the Rings"
Performances:
Saturday, January 17, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in Lewiston
Sunday, October 18, 2026- 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham -
III: March 2026
Myths and Magic
Jinwook Park, Guest Conductor
Program:
Carl Maria von Weber: "Oberon" Overture
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4-- featuring Morgan Lee, piano soloist
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
Performances:
Saturday, March 21, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in Lewiston
Sunday, March 22, 2026 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham -
IV: May 2026
"Resurrection"
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program:Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection"
Performances:
Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. - Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center in Auburn
Sunday, May 17, 2026 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham -
Recap I: October 2024
Majestic Earth Movements
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program:
Courtney Bryan: Bridges
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major, K. 364
-- featuring Robert Lehmann, violinist, and Kim Lehmann, violist
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 82
Performances:
Saturday, October 26, 2024 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in Lewistonintermission entertainment: 15-year-old singer Isla Shovilin, accompanied by pianist Ryan Sweet, in the Heritage Hall downstairs from the main concert hall
Sunday, October 27, 2024 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham
One hour before each October concert, audience members are invited to arrive early for an informal conversation on the concert stage, to learn more about the Lehmanns’ background and connection to the Mozart piece they will perform. Admission to the pre-concert interviews is included in the ticket price.
Concert length approximately 2 hours including intermission
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Recap II: January 2025
Invigorating Water Music
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program (NOTE: not in playing order)
George Frederic Handel: Water Music Suite, Allegro and Hornpipe
Duke Ellington: "The Spring” and “The Meander” from The River Suite
Charles Ives: “The Housatonic at Stockbridge” from Three Places in New England
Bedřich Smetana: “The Moldau” from Má Vlast
Henri Tomasi: Trombone Concerto
-- featuring Joshua Zhang, trombone soloist
Alan Hovhaness: And God Created Great Whales
Felix Mendelssohn: The Hebrides (overture)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Swan Theme from Swan Lake, Op. 20
-- featuring Guest Conductor Kyle Almquist (MSO silent auction winner)
Concert length approximately 2 hours including intermissionPerformances:
Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in LewistonFREE pre-concert event: "Meet the Instruments", 6:00 p.m. in the Heritage Hall (downstairs), where MSO musicians will provide instruction and guidance on how to play their instruments
Intermission event: Buckfield High School student Noah Smith will perform on the clarinet in Heritage Hall
Sunday, January 19, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in TopshamFREE pre-concert event: "Meet the Instruments", 1:30 p.m. in the gym, where MSO musicians will provide instruction and guidance on how to play their instruments
Artwork created by students from Connors Elementary in Lewiston, Bowdoinham Community School, Brunswick Junior High, Mt. Ararat Middle School, and the Portland Arts and Technology High School will be shown during several of the pieces. Check out the trailer videos below for a preview of this exciting additional component of this concert!
Student artwork Clip #1
Student artwork Clip #2
Student artwork Clip #3 -
Recap III: March 2025
Passionate and Fiery Compositions
Hiroya Miura, Guest Conductor
Program:
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Ballade, Op. 33
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 2, Op. 61
Franz Liszt: Prometheus
Igor Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (1919 Version)
Concert length with intermission: approximately 2 hours
Performance Dates:
Saturday, March 22, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in Lewiston.Intermission entertainment: Jazz band from Edward Little High School, in the Heritage Hall downstairs from the main concert hall
Sunday, March 23, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in TopshamOne hour before each March concert: Get to know guest conductor Hiroya Miura as he chats with Caroline Cornish, former television news anchor and reporter, about his career and the pieces he chose for our March concert. Admission to the pre-concert interviews is included in the ticket price.
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Recap IV: May 2025
Ethereal Weaves of Air
Rohan Smith, Conductor
Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, second movement (note program change*)
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 83 “La Poule”
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B flat, Op. 100
Concert length with intermission: approximately 2 hours
Read about the music
* This piece will be played to honor the memory of John Teller, MSO's first Executive Director
Performance Dates:
Saturday, May 17, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. - Franco Center in LewistonPre-concert event at 6:15 in the Franco’s Heritage Hall, Mt. Ararat High School student Ryan Sweet performs several of his original solo piano compositions
Intermission entertainment in Heritage Hall: prize-winning high school musicians, cellist Ronan Sands and violinist Linnea Turesson, will perform music by Handel and Piazzolla
Sunday, May 18, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. - Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham
Pre-concert event at 1:30: Maestro Smith and a section of the orchestra will demonstrate some of their rehearsal strategies in preparing for this concert
