The Blue Ridge Orchestra (BRO) will open its 26th season with two performances that remember Hurricane Helene on the anniversary of the deadly and destructive storm. Post Helene: Remembering, Rebuilding, Reimagining concerts will be held on Saturday, September 27, at Warren Wilson Presbyterian Chapel, in Swannanoa, and on Sunday, September 28, at the Diana Wortham Center, in Asheville. Both performances will be held at 3 p.m.
“Swannanoa was virtually wiped off the map, and is symbolic of both the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene throughout Western North Carolina and also the determination to come together and rebuild,” says Deb Kenney, president of BRO. “We will be holding three of our eight regular season concerts in the Swannanoa area, seeking to offer the uplifting therapy of our music for the healing process.”
Under the leadership of music director Dr. Emily Mariko Eng, the BRO will present a program that speaks musically to the themes of nature, climate change and resilience. Selections include the world premiere of Sinfonietta Helene by Asheville-based composer Jay Sanders; Iman Habibi’s Jeder Baum spricht, a work inspired by the beauty of nature and the impact of climate change; and Concerto for Bluegrass, a piece by local composer Phillip Rhodes that recognizes our region’s resilience.
While UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Hall, the BRO’s home venue, is undergoing renovations, the orchestra will hold performances at various locations in WNC. “However, we also regularly perform at other venues across WNC in fulfilling the very first charge of our mission; ‘engaging Western North Carolina’s extraordinary music community with opportunities to perform, listen to, and learn about great symphonic music,’” says Kenney. “So for the next two seasons, we view our displacement from the UNC Asheville campus as an opportunity to reach even farther into our WNC region, from Swannanoa to Waynesville and many places in between.”
The Blue Ridge Orchestra is a volunteer, nonprofit ensemble. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit BlueRidgeOrchestra.org or call 828.782.3354.
