Jaclyn Figg
Staff Writer
If you’re looking for an enchanted evening full of Broadway hits and more, the Idaho State-Civic Symphony Association is hosting its annual Pops Gala fundraising event March 11.
Held at the Idaho State University Stephens Performing Arts Center in Jensen Hall, the concert will start at 7:30 p.m. with the raffle starting at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s sort of a sampler program of musical theater styles going all the way back to the early 1900s,” said Grant Harville, assistant professor of music and artistic director of the Idaho State Civic Symphony.
Music for this performance will include all music of the stage from the past 100 years or so spanning a variety of styles.
“I always refer to us as a service organization. We’re trying to make Pocatello a better place to live and the music I choose is always pointing to that goal,” Harville said.
Two guest stars, a married couple from Minnesota, will be performing that evening, Calland Metts and Sarah Lawrence.
A fellow conductor recommended them to Harville.
“What makes them great is they have a really great rapport onstage and a lot of what we will be doing are duets,” Harville said. “It’s a chance for them to demonstrate their chemistry onstage.”
Guest accompanists are not uncommon for the symphony.
“The main difference for this concert is the raffle we have associated with the concert,” Harville said. “There’s lots of trips, gifts and jewelry. At intermission we will do the drawing.”
A raffle for baskets including tickets to the symphony as well as other ISU events and outings around town are $1 a ticket.
At $20 apiece, 100 tickets will be available for a jewelry ensemble donated by Molinelli’s Jewelers.
The fundraiser will feature three silent-auction items: a getaway to the Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree, a painting by local artist Helen Livingston and a photograph by Linda Groom.
“This is our big annual push to help us stay in business,” Harville said. “We’ve had a lot of great guest artists that have been here and this fundraiser is part of what makes that happen.”
Costs for the symphony include the guests brought in, a salary for the principal players, equipment and general operation costs.
The symphony is a separately staffed organization although it is intertwined with ISU; some of the principle players in the symphony are ISU staff, and students can participate for credit.
In September, the symphony played at the Wellness Center amphitheater for its first performance outside of Stephens Performing Arts Center since Harville’s arrival.
While roughly 40 percent of the symphony’s budget comes from ticket sales, the other portion comes from this annual fundraiser and various sponsors.
Portneuf Medical Center is the symphony’s season sponsor and this concert’s individual sponsor is the Bank of Idaho.
The Idaho State Civic Symphony has recently collaborated with the public relations program course in the Communication Media and Persuasion Department (CMP).
Symphony officials are working in a live model fashion to look at a rebranding effort to let people know the symphony is not separate but a comfortable atmosphere with excellent music for all of the community to enjoy, said Cana Crosby, a graduate student in CMP working in the six-member PR group.
Focusing on community, excellence, family and history, the group is looking into each of these areas to bring awareness of the symphony.
“Especially with excellence, the Jensen Grand Concert Hall is rated number four in the nation on universities,” Crosby said. “We are number four in the nation for sound and for quality of space, and that’s incredible.”
There will be a red carpet photograph opportunity at the March 11 event, put on by the PR group, where visitors can pose with various orchestra instruments and the pictures will later be posted to the symphony’s social media page with #myidahosymphony.
People are encouraged by the PR group to post photos through social media of the event and hashtag this to promote the symphony.
“It’s an undiscovered gem. People know we have a symphony but think it’s not for them,” Crosby said. “But it’s really for everyone.”
Crosby, along with partner Ross Knight, a graduate student in communications, are going to make podcasts to highlight the symphony orchestra members that will air on KISU radio in May.
There is a link on the symphony’s webpage for people between the ages of 30 and 55 to take a survey regarding their attitude towards the symphony in order to further the PR groups cause.
Information about the symphony and upcoming events is available at thesymphony.us.
“It’s all about having a good time. We wanted to make sure this is a concert that has lots of good tunes, lots of familiar enjoyable music,” Harville said. “Stuff that most of the people that come to this concert are going to recognize.”
