Natchitoches - Northwestern Symphony Society
ATTENTION: NSU’s January concert date has changed! Due to a scheduling change of the NSY Symphony’s performance in New Orleans for the Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA) that week, the Natchitoches performance of its January 2025 concert has been change from January 16 to
Wednesday, January 15, 2025,
at 7:30 p.m. at Magale Recital Hall on the NSU Campus. Please note this change!
2024- 2025 Concert dates and venues at a glance:
(for more information and repertoire for each concert, click here)
(Program changes are updated here as soon as possible)
Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 7:30pm Magale Recital Hall: "Symphonic
Legends, Myths, and Reveries"
Our opening concert will feature Shreveport native John-Henry Crawford, cellist. John-Henry
was a child prodigy who was accepted into the legendary Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 15. He will be performing Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1. Also on the program is Mendelssohn's Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream, Rossini’s William Tell Overture, and music by Floridian composer Stella Sung, that tells the story of the mythical bird, "Phoenix."
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 7:30pm Magale Recital Hall: "American Liberty: Honoring our Military's Service and Sacrifice"
This Patriotic Concert will honor the men and women who have served and are serving in our armed forces. We will honor the sacrifices made for our freedom throughout history starting with a Yankee Doodle Fanfareture from the American Revolution, followed by a fantasy piece telling the story of the Civil War, a medley of WWI "tunes from the Trenches”, and we will honor our current service men and women with the Armed Forces Salute, featuring the six official songs of the US Armed Forces:
Semper Paratus ("Always Ready", honoring the US Coast Guard)
Semper Supra ("Always Above", honoring the US Space Force)
The US Air Force (aka "Wild Blue Yonder", honoring the US Air Force")
Anchors Aweigh (the fight song of the US Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the US Navy)
Marines' Hymn (the official hymn of the US Marine Corps)
The Army Goes Rolling Along (the official song of the US Army)
The full program is
Star Spangled-Banner (arr. Marcus Grant for Brass Ensemble)
Semper Fidelis March by John Philip Sousa
American Civil War Fantasy by Jerry Bilik
Ashokan Farewell (J. Ungar/arr. Cerulli (used in Ken Burns’ PBS “Civil War” documentary)
Tunes from the Trenches: Songs from World War I (arr. Peter Lawson)
Midway March by John Williams (from the 1976 film “Midway”)
Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams (from the 1998 film “Saving Private Ryan”)
Armed Forces Salute (arr. Bob Lowden)
Amazing Grace (arr. Matt Riley)
America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates (arr. Alfred Reed)
Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe (with the NSU Men’s Chorus)
God Bless America by Irving Berlin/arr. Bruce Healy (with the NSU Men’s Chorus)
The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa
All are encouraged to support our Veterans and Service members by wearing their Red, White, and Blue to the concert!
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 7:00pm NSU Christmas GALA
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 7:00pm NSU Christmas GALA
Friday December 6, 2024, 7:00pm and 9:00pm NSU Christmas GALA
(A.A. Fredericks Auditorium)
The NSU School of Creative and Performing Arts’ 36th annual Christmas GALA is a must-see! Take your pick of which show you would like to attend but reserve your seat early! These performances are in high demand and often sell out. For reservations, please call 318.357.4248 or email kayk@nsula.edu.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 7:30pm Magale Recital Hall:
(also on Friday, January 17, 2025, 11:30am, LMEA, Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, LA)
We were fortunate to be asked to perform at this year's Louisiana Music Educators Association Conference in New Orleans. Thus, we will have a Natchitoches performance on January 15. The program will include Berlioz's powerful Marche Hongroise, Ravel's beautiful and charming Mother Goose Suite, Beethoven's Symphony No. 1, and we will close with Sibelius' glorious Finlandia.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 7:30pm, Magale Recital Hall: "Concerto Winners and Appalachian Spring"
This concert will feature NSU's most talented student musicians. In addition, we have Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and a jovial orchestra demonstration piece by Russell Peck called "Playing with Style."
Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 7:30pm Magale Recital Hall: "Bach Magnificat"
For our final concert, we return to our pre-pandemic tradition of closing the season with a grand choral work! We will be joined by the NSU Symphony Chorus performing two of the most profound and heartfelt utterances in all symphonic and chorus repertoire. First, J.S. Bach's awe-inspiring Magnificat followed by Franz Joseph Haydn's passionately majestic Te Deum for the Empress Marie Thérèse.
Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1979. Our mission is to provide NSU Symphony Orchestra students scholarships to supplement tuition and books. All donations are tax-deductible.