The Blue Ridge Orchestra (BRO) continues the celebration of its 25th season with March Melodrama, featuring performances on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2, both at 3 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Franklin Keel, a renowned cellist with many ties to Asheville’s musical scene, will lead the orchestra as guest conductor.
“Franklin Keel has a rich history with the BRO spanning many years,” says Deb Kenney, president of the BRO board of directors. “Starting in his student days, he played in our cello section. Since then, he has coached our string sections, guest conducted and, to the delight of our audiences, has frequently performed as a guest soloist. Keel most recently astounded patrons with a beautiful Cello Concerto and encore for our 24th season finale in May of 2024, and will always be remembered for his exquisite performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, performed at our first full concert emerging from COVID.”
The programming of this season also continues to reflect Western North Carolina’s resilience after Hurricane Helene. Selections for March Melodrama include Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Overture to Iphigénie en Aulide, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 and Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major—pieces, says BRO music director Emily Mariko Eng, that capture our collective and individual feelings of “joy, despair, hopelessness, optimism, anxiety, peace, loneliness, connection, struggle and triumph.”
It is with a since of humbleness and pride that BRO promotes local music at this and other challenging times, adds orchestra manager Priscilla Anderson. “As Dr. Eng expresses, this program will bring our emotions to the surface from the past several months,” she says. “Audiences will be exposed to a dramatic variety of tones, conversations and connections to folk music.”
The Blue Ridge Orchestra is a volunteer, nonprofit ensemble. Tickets for the performance are $20 for general admission, $15 for Friends of the Orchestra members and $5 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit BlueRidgeOrchestra.org or call 828.782.3354.
