PORT TOWNSEND — The Seattle Symphony’s upcoming Port Townsend appearance will be a very special occasion, said Centrum’s Executive Director John MacElwee, and will be made more so by its use of two Port Townsend High School students as guest musicians.
Cellist Sam Gordon, an 18-year-old senior, and violinist Rinnah Becker, a 15-year-old sophomore, will sit in with the symphony during its Friday, June 17, performance of Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
The performance will be at 7 p.m. in McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden State Park.
The Seattle Symphony’s performance will be preceded by a free preview of the evening’s program at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 16, in Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden, when Centrum artistic director Lucinda Carver will play some of the selections both live and recorded and provide background on the pieces.
Aside from the local connection, the symphony’s performance is special in several ways, MacElwee said.
“This is a huge event, and we are very lucky this is happening,” he said.
Having the symphony, which MacElwee termed one of the most versatile large orchestras in the nation, play Port Townsend is itself a treat and has not happened in nearly 10 years.
The performance also is the second-to-last appearance of the Seattle Symphony’s music director, Gerard Schwarz, who is retiring from the position he has held since 1985.
The two aspiring student musicians who will play with the symphony were recommended by Port Townsend High School music teacher Barbara Henry.
“I don’t think we are actually better than a lot of the other kids in the orchestra,” Gordon said.
“I think we were chosen because we could benefit the most.”
Said Henry: “That’s a really nice way to put it.
“It was not an easy choice, but these two are very dedicated.”
Henry said the students will get gold medals to commemorate their performing with the symphony.
They also get bragging rights.
“In the future, we can say we performed with the Seattle Symphony, although that’s less impressive when you add the right context,” Gordon said.
Gordon and Becker are excited about the opportunity, though Gordon called it “terrifying.”
They won’t get to actually rehearse with the orchestra and only had a short session earlier this month, though with a different conductor.
“With each conductor, things change, so we really don’t know what to expect,” Gordon said.
The two have practiced the music for 20 hours and will show up before their performance with their instruments ready.
During the short rehearsal, both Gordon and Becker found the orchestra members welcoming and helpful.
“During practice, I apologized to the person next to me for any mistakes I would make, and he said, ‘Don’t worry. I make mistakes all the time, and no one notices,’” Gordon said.
The Port Townsend performance will be sandwiched between a Thursday night gala and a Saturday night finale in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.
The logistics are quite challenging, MacElwee said.
The orchestra will arrive by bus at McCurdy Pavilion at about 5:30 p.m., setting up and doing a quick rehearsal prior to the 7 p.m. performance.
In addition to Dvorak’s symphony, the evening’s program includes Franz Schubert’s “Rosamunde Overture,” Philip Glass’ “Harmonium Mountain” and Samuel Jones’ “Reflections: Songs of Fathers and Daughters.”
The Glass and Jones selections are world premiere performances, according to the program.
Immediately after the show, the orchestra will pile back on the bus bound for the Bainbridge-Seattle ferry.
McCurdy Pavilion holds about 1,000 people, though a few more seats can be added.
The stage is of variable size and is composed of 4-foot-by-8-foot platforms that can be added or removed to suit different uses.
For the symphony, the stage will be configured in its maximum 40-foot-by-56-foot size, removing the curtain that bisects the stage when it accommodates smaller musical groups.
Tickets range from $35 to $75, with the most expensive seats in the middle where the acoustics are the best, MacElwee said.
About half the tickets had been sold by Wednesday, “which is about where we expected to be,” he said.
Even with a sellout, the event won’t turn a profit for anybody, MacElwee said.
The ticket revenue will pay for expenses and to hire the orchestra.
MacElwee will not say how much the orchestra charges but said its fee does not cover its expenses.
For tickets and information about the Seattle Symphony performance and all Centrum events, visit www.centrum.org or phone 360-385-3102.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.