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closeGig Harbor symphony orchestra to host concert Saturday night
Clarinet trio will feature Mozart this weekend
Susan Schell
of the Gateway
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Symphony Orchestra will play on, despite being short a few members. “We’re challenged by not having enough musicians to form an orchestra,” conductor Louie Labayen said. “But we have a strong trumpet section, so we’re highlighting that this season.”
Clarinet player Bryan Buchanan said the orchestra has fallen on hard times because there aren’t many string players who are willing to play.
His solution?
“I formed a trio of clarinets to play the Halloween concert,” Buchanan said.
The orchestra will perform its Autumn Concert of Mozart for clarinets with a narrative this Saturday. Rebecca Stay and Kathleen Farrington will round out the trio.
Buchanan, an electrical engineer for Boeing, has been playing the clarinet since junior high school. He’s played with the GHPSO since its inception in 2005.
“I enjoy audiences that are interested in good music,” he said. “There are not many local public venues that play classical music, and the private ones are kind of expensive.
“There is a need for a performing arts center in the harbor.”
Labayen founded the orchestra in 2005 at the urging of Shirley Tomasi, a local art advocate.
“When my family moved here in 1999, and when she found out I was a professional conductor, she wanted me to perform,” Labayen said. “I had other commitments, but the idea got planted in my mind.”
Six years later, Labayen got the orchestra going.
“We’re a semi-professional group,” he said. “Whenever we have grant funding, we can pay coaches and leaders for each instrumental section.”
Labayen, who has a graduate degree in orchestra conducting, has studied with notable industry professionals like Leonard Slatkin, who is now the music conductor of the Detroit Symphony.
Labayen said several factors affect which music he chooses for GHPSO’s season.
“One is significant birthdays or death anniversaries (of famous musical composers),” he said. “Our inaugural celebrated the 250th birthday of Mozart. Sometimes you have musicians that are comfortable with a certain style of music. Our clarinetists had a number of pieces that were suitable for this clarinet ensemble.”
GHPSO is mostly comprised of community volunteers who range in experience from novice to professional.
“We have a remarkable number of musicians with advanced degrees in music,” Labayen said. “We have some students in high school and exceptionally talented middle-school students.”
Labayen said there are no age requirements for the symphony; he judges purely by talent.
“I don’t have an age requirement, especially for music,” he said. “You could have an adult musician that’s not as good as an 8-year-old.”
Saturday concert
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Symphony Orchestra will host its Autumn Concert of Mozart for clarinets with a narrative from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 7701 Skansie Ave. in Gig Harbor.
Tricks and treats will follow. Costumes are encouraged. Donations will be accepted and will support GHPSO.
For more information, call Louie Labayen at 253-238-6035, e-mail maestrolabayen@gmail.com or visit www.gigharbororchestra.
Upcoming concerts
Christmas Holiday concert — Dec. 12
Valentine concert — Feb. 13
Spring concert — April 17