"Celestial Classics" Discounted for Faculty, Staff, and Students
This weekend, tickets to the concerts presented by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra are 20 percent off for Buffalo State faculty and staff, thanks to a collaboration between the BPO and the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium.
Kevin Williams, director of the planetarium and assistant professor of Earth Sciences and Science Education, will join BPO music director JoAnn Falletta for her usual pre-concert talk before each performance.
“The connection between music and science is a natural,” said Falletta. “Many great scientists loved music and played instruments; they knew the incredibly powerful effect that music has on the brain. What better way could there be to present Holst's Planets than with stunning celestial images brought to us by professor Kevin Williams?”
Williams is providing historic images of the planets as well as contemporary images taken from spacecraft, which will be shown during the performances at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 3. The first work is Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major, also known as “Jupiter,” the last work Mozart composed. The second work, the Planets Op. 32, was written by English composer Gustav Holst. Each of its seven movements celebrates a planet: Mars, the Bringer of War; Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; and Neptune, the Mystic.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium,” continued Falletta. “It’s a true Buffalo treasure that has dazzled thousands of viewers with stars, constellations, galaxies, planets, and much more on its spectacular dome.”
Williams, who has studied and helped to map the surfaces of both the moon and Mars, has been fascinated by the planets since childhood. He, too, is excited about this collaboration. “I chose the images for both their beauty and the planetary features they reveal,” he said. “I also wanted to reflect the emotion that the music inspires in me."
Brad Fuster, associate professor and chair of the Music Department, will play percussion in these concerts. Many of the Music Department’s adjunct faculty members are members of the BPO.
To get your discount (available to faculty, staff, and their families), please mention the code “PLANETS” when ordering your tickets. You can order them by phone at (716) 885-5001 or online at www.bpo.org. Buffalo State students, who get a very special price of $7.50, should call (716) 885-5001 to buy tickets over the phone or purchase them at the box office before the concerts.
To get your discount (available to faculty, staff, and their families), please mention the code “PLANETS” when ordering your tickets. You can order them by phone at (716) 885-5001 or online at www.bpo.org. Buffalo State students, who get a very special price of $7.50, should call (716) 885-5001 to buy tickets over the phone or purchase them at the box office before the concerts.
Photo credit: NASA
Kevin Williams, director of the planetarium and assistant professor of Earth Sciences and Science Education, will join BPO music director JoAnn Falletta for her usual pre-concert talk before each performance.
“The connection between music and science is a natural,” said Falletta. “Many great scientists loved music and played instruments; they knew the incredibly powerful effect that music has on the brain. What better way could there be to present Holst's Planets than with stunning celestial images brought to us by professor Kevin Williams?”
Williams is providing historic images of the planets as well as contemporary images taken from spacecraft, which will be shown during the performances at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 3. The first work is Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major, also known as “Jupiter,” the last work Mozart composed. The second work, the Planets Op. 32, was written by English composer Gustav Holst. Each of its seven movements celebrates a planet: Mars, the Bringer of War; Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age; and Neptune, the Mystic.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium,” continued Falletta. “It’s a true Buffalo treasure that has dazzled thousands of viewers with stars, constellations, galaxies, planets, and much more on its spectacular dome.”
Williams, who has studied and helped to map the surfaces of both the moon and Mars, has been fascinated by the planets since childhood. He, too, is excited about this collaboration. “I chose the images for both their beauty and the planetary features they reveal,” he said. “I also wanted to reflect the emotion that the music inspires in me."
Brad Fuster, associate professor and chair of the Music Department, will play percussion in these concerts. Many of the Music Department’s adjunct faculty members are members of the BPO.
To get your discount (available to faculty, staff, and their families), please mention the code “PLANETS” when ordering your tickets. You can order them by phone at (716) 885-5001 or online at www.bpo.org. Buffalo State students, who get a very special price of $7.50, should call (716) 885-5001 to buy tickets over the phone or purchase them at the box office before the concerts.
To get your discount (available to faculty, staff, and their families), please mention the code “PLANETS” when ordering your tickets. You can order them by phone at (716) 885-5001 or online at www.bpo.org. Buffalo State students, who get a very special price of $7.50, should call (716) 885-5001 to buy tickets over the phone or purchase them at the box office before the concerts.
Photo credit: NASA
Media Contact:
Mary A. Durlak, Senior Writer | 7168783517 | durlakma@buffalostate.edu