Photo by Rylee Lingenfelter
LARAMIE, Wy — For the UW Symphony Orchestra, excitement was in the air as students, faculty and Laramie community members filled the seats of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall Oct. 1 for the Orchestra’s “Opening Night” concert.
The concert started off the Orchestra’s 2026-27 season, entitled “From Beethoven to Broadway,” which aims to both tell a unique and varied history of music, and spark interest in orchestra for the community in and around UW.
“There’s something always exciting about the first whatever of the year, because it sets the tone for the whole year,” said Music Director Michael Griffith, entering his 38th year leading the UW Symphony Orchestra.
The evening of music began with “Egmont Overture” by Beethoven.
Originally written as incidental music for the play “Egmont,” which tells a sweeping tale of uprising in 1600’s Spain, the music sets out to capture the feelings expressed in the play.
“The music is powerful and at times, kind of oppressive,” said Griffith. “Then, at times, it’s very uplifting because it’s about this uprising.”
One particularly moving piece among audience members was the third song in the program: “And God Created Great Whales,” by composer Alan Hovhaness.
The song moved back and forth between cascading melodies — meant to evoke the image of grand, underwater mountains — and deep rumblings of lower instruments, while recorded audio of whale song echoed throughout the concert hall.
After a brief intermission, the Orchestra jumped right into “Piano Concert No. 21” by Mozart, a popular piece in Mozart’s body of work and a central theme in the movie “Elvira Madigan.”
The song was a favorite among many in the crowd, consisting of three movements and making up the entirety of the second half of the concert.
Joining the orchestra on this piece was Soyeon Kang, a lecturer of piano and music at UW and the concert’s featured soloist, whose performance drew a standing ovation as the song came to a triumphant conclusion.
Griffith has put a lot of effort into making “From Beethoven to Broadway” a series that appeals to everyone.
“Programming is quite an art form separate from conducting and rehearsing, because you have to think about pieces that somehow go together,” said Griffith.
His work has helped the UW Orchestra win many awards, including the Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award for Adventurous Programming from the American Society of Composers.
The season will consist of eight performances, each with their own respective soloists, and will end with “From West Side Story,” which will feature songs from “West Side Story” and many other Broadway classics.
The next performance for the UW Symphony Orchestra will be Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $20 for the general public, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students.
Those interested in purchasing tickets can find them online, at the Buchanan Center box office, or by calling 307-766-6666.
