The Saddleback College Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Yorgos Kouritas, will perform works including Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Carmen Suite No. 2 by Bizet and Firebird Suite by Stravinsky. The concert takes place on Saturday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre. Tickets are $10 general; $7 students/seniors (presale only). Call the ticket office at 949-582-4656, Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4:00 p.m. or order tickets online at www.saddleback.edu/arts.
Also on October 8th at 1:00 p.m. in Fine Arts 103, cellist Michael Kaufman will be the coach for a master class in which Saddleback students will perform. This master class is free and open to the public. Kaufman is a fine cellist with a well-developed sense of musical characterization, Michael Kaufman plays with intensity, commitment and deep understanding,” says Robert Levin, internationally renowned Mozart scholar and piano virtuoso. A recipient of numerous awards, the twenty-five-year-old cellist has won the Cleveland Cello Society, Empire State and Alexander and Buono competitions as well as the Voices of Music Bach Competition and most recently the USC Performance and Presentation Award.
Saddleback’s Instrumental Studies Department is privileged to have some of the finest musicians of the Pacific Symphony as its instructors. The department has hosted master classes by distinguished violinists such as Martin Chalifour (principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and professor at USC), Professor William Fitzpatrick (Chapman University), Haroutune Bedelian (UCI), Guillaume Sutre (UCLA), Movses Pogossian (UCLA), Martin Beaver (Colburn Conservatory), Eric Silberger (internationally known soloist), Henry Gronnier (Colburn, CSULB), and Lina Bahn (USC). The Symphony Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble tackle some of the most difficult pieces such as Verdi’s and Brahms’ Requiems. Dr. Kouritas is also teaching violin, viola and chamber music and has performed recently several violin recitals. Recently, he was honored to work with Carl St. Clair in the Ithaca Conducting Master class. In June 2014, he was selected by the Baltimore Symphony to work in a master class with Gerard Schwarz (former Seattle Symphony’s Music Director).
Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit. Parking is available in Lot 12. Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to Theatre Circle, turning right into Lot 12.
Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.
Nina Welch
Fine Arts Public Information Officer
Saddleback College
