Kansas Arts on Tour Roster - Classical Music Ensembles

Founded in 1945, the Topeka Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra serving northeast Kansas. With a roster of 90 musicians drawn from across the region, the TSO is the largest performing arts organization in the capital city. Under the direction of Dr. John Strickler, the TSO offers two types of programs that can be tailored to specific community needs. Programs vary in length from 90 minutes to two hours (including intermission) and are available for selected dates from September through April. Appropriate commentary is provided by the conductor to enhance the listening experience. An informal pre-concert discussion about the music is available at no additional cost. 

Program Descriptions

• Traditional “classical” concerts consist of the standard orchestral repertoire, which changes each season. For the 2007/08 season, the TSO repertoire includes: Symphony No. 3 by Tchaikovsky; Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony No. 9; Piano Concerto No. 2 by Chopin; Symphony No. 1 by Brahms; and the Fifth Symphony by Prokofiev. Works by living composers include: Lowell Liebermann’s Flute Concerto; An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise by Peter Maxwell Davies; and Maninyas (Violin Concerto) by Ross Edwards.  A typical program consists of an overture, concerto or orchestral suite, and symphony.

• “Discovery” concerts offer a mixture of light classics and popular music and are designed to introduce audiences of all ages to the thrill of live orchestral performance.  Three programs are offered in the 2007/08 season. The holiday program “Dash Away, Dash Away” featured seasonal favorites and Topeka native Kristin Watson as soprano soloist. “The Wide World of Sports” is an exploration of the relationship between music and a variety of sports, including “Casey at the Bat” for narrator and orchestra. “I Love a Parade” features a program of marches and processions, including Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” “Procession of the Nobles” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “The Raiders March” by John Williams, and Meredith Wilson’s “76 Trombones.”