Celebrate Earth Day in April with Michigan Philharmonic

PLYMOUTH, Mich. - April 3, 2023 - PRLog -- Planet Earth is at the heart of featured music when the Michigan Philharmonic celebrates Earth Day during its final performance of the 77^th season on  Saturday, April 22 returning to the  newly renovated Salem Auditorium.

The Philharmonic's magical "Overture for our Earth" concert is on Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Led by Conductor and Music Director Nan Washburn, now in her 24th season, the performance features music focused on the natural world, from mighty pine forests to creatures both great and small, including the wasp, the eagle and whales.

Compositions include the world premiere of Erik Santos's new "PAN for Oboe and Orchestra," featuring the Phil's own oboist Chris Wheeler as well as Jessica Hunt's "The Eagle Tree," Alan Hovhaness' "And God Created Great Whales, Op.  229 No. 1," Ottorino Respighi's "Pines of Rome," and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Wasps Overture" (with the MYPO).

In addition to the second world premiere this season, the concert also showcases the Philharmonic's commitment to education by including the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) in a "side-by-side" along with Brass players from the  Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Wind Ensemble.

A pre-concert talk with Washburn and the Phil's guest composers will begin at 6:45 p.m.

The Phil is also partnering with the Friends of the Rouge River during the performance to highlight the need for taking care of the ecosystem in southeast Michigan.

Erik Santos is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer, and teacher who is active in many musical genres. He is the Chair of the Composition Department at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Jessica Hunt's vibrant and harmonically rich music has been hailed as "rhetorically powerful." She has been commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, the Michigan Lighthouse Landmark Legacy Project and others.

Chris Wheeler is an oboist based in the mid-Michigan area, performing regularly with the Michigan Philharmonic and Adrian Symphony, and subbing with many other ensembles, including those in Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Southwest Michigan.

For tickets, contact the Philharmonic at www.michiganphil.org or call (734) 451-2112. Salem High is located at 46181 Joy Rd. in Canton Township.

All of the Philharmonic's concerts are subject to time and date changes as well as health restrictions mandated by the State of Michigan.