Hickory – Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: SYMPHONY SWINGS on Saturday, February 22, featuring guest artist Dr. Doreen Ketchens, the “Clarinet Queen of New Orleans.” This season, the regional professional orchestra celebrates 60 years of music in the foothills of western North Carolina with more than seventeen concerts featuring music from across the centuries, from Bach to Beethoven, Stravinsky to Ravel, Gershwin to Ellington, and more.
This MASTERWORKS concert celebrates some of the greatest award-winning American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, and Jessie Montgomery. All of these composers were influenced by Jazz, which is America’s most important musical contribution. This is where the Symphony meets swing and the sounds of New Orleans with the amazing clarinet and vocal artistry of Dr. Doreen Ketchens, performing classic American songs “Amazing Grace,” “Basin Street Blues,” “Caravan,” “When the Saints Come Marchin’ In,” and more.
“Doreen Ketchens is an American treasure. Her unique and virtuosic performances place her in a category all her own,” noted WPS music director Matthew Troy. “I hope to see the entire Hickory and Catawba Valley community supporting this amazing artist bringing her talents to our region and state.”
MASTERWORKS: SYMPHONY SWINGS is sponsored by Lynn and Chip Young, Resource Partners, Catawba Valley Health System, and an anonymous friends group in Hickory. Season media partner is Our State Magazine. Western Piedmont Symphony also receives funding support from Arts Culture Catawba and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
MASTERWORKS tickets are $20, $30, $40, $50 for adults, and $10 for students with valid ID. Concert start time is 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit wpsymphony.org, call 828.324.8603, or visit the WPS Box Office, located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wed. – Fri. P.E. Monroe Auditorium is located at 775 6th St. NE, Hickory, NC 28601 (on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University).
Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.
Western Piedmont Symphony’s 2024-2025 60th anniversary season continues Monday, March 10, with a Beach Music Birthday Party special event featuring The Chairmen of the Board, a classic night of beach music in support of the Symphony’s 60th anniversary; and Thursday, March 27, with CROSSROADS: GAMELAN, A BALINESE PERCUSSION ORCHESTRA featuring more than 30 gamelan instruments on stage at Drendel Auditorium in Hickory. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony concerts and events, visit wpsymphony.org.
Photo: Dr. Doreen Ketchens
