Twin Ports orchestra comes to Two Harbors

• Sabien

Randy Sabien, a jazz fiddler, will perform with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra when they hold their concert in Two Harbors on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Submitted Photo.

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Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra will be bringing its music to Two Harbors.

On March 15 at 7:30 p.m., a smaller version of the orchestra will perform with jazz fiddler and composer Randy Sabien in the Two Harbors High School Auditorium. They will also be joined by David Packa, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin- Superior from Iron, Minn., who just won the DSSO’s Young Artist Competition. Packa said he is jittery but excited about the concerts. He has one rehearsal with the orchestra before his performances.

“I’m a little nervous because it’s DSSO and they’re so good,” he said.

Rebecca Peterson, executive director of the DSSO, said they used to travel more often, but it got too expensive. The additional cost, reflected in the ticket prices proved to be a burden for the hosting communities. Recently, however, the orchestra has received a Legacy Fund grant, which will cover 80 percent of the cost and keep ticket prices within reach of many more music enthusiasts—admission is $12 for adults, $6 for students and $35 for a family.

“Most smaller communities can’t afford to support a symphony orchestra. It’s a good opportunity for everyone,” Peterson said.

Their tour has already taken them to Hibbing. They will also play in Cloquet and Virginia and Peterson said she’s excited to be returning to Two Harbors where the orchestra had a performance a few summers ago.

“We’d really like to keep developing that relationship with the North Shore,” she said.

Packa will perform the piece that won him the scholarship—the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Packa said he had heard the concerto a few times before he decided to learn it.

“It’s a really fun piece,” he said.

As for Sabien and the orchestra, they will be performing tunes with a jazz twist, Peterson said.

“They’re going to get a mixture of popular and classical music,” she added.

Audiences can expect to hear favorites such as I Got Rhythm, Nature Boy, Summertime and Lady Be Good, to name a few. Peterson said that there’s another surprise song that most folks will recognize—but she’s not giving it away.

“People will have to come to hear this tune,” she said.

Tags: two harbors, life, orchestra