On Saturday, January 28, the Binghamton Philharmonic celebrated its first “Wallenberg Festival,” a concert of Binghamton’s three orchestras: the Binghamton Community Orchestra (Evan Mecarello, dir.), the Binghamton Youth Symphony (Barry Peters), and the Binghamton Philharmonic (Daniel Hege).
The program was named after Fritz and Marianne Wallenberg, the founders of the Binghamton Symphony in 1955. In his remarks to the audience, Executive Director Paul Cienniwa explained that, while the Wallenbergs did not directly create today’s three orchestras, they were instrumental in sparking substantial interest within a relatively small community.
Each orchestra performed a short set of familiar works. Many of the crowd-pleasers, from von Suppè’s Poet and Peasant to a Brahms Hungarian Dance, are not heard too often these days, and these works were an excellent introduction to the orchestra for many of the concert’s young attendees. “Wallenberg Festival” concluded with a side-by-side performance of the Youth Symphony and the Philharmonic, first playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Procession of the Nobles under Peters, and then Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave under Hege.
As expected in a concert of one professional and two amateur orchestras, the playing was mixed. The enthusiasm was not, however–especially during the side-by-side. Even more so, the large audience showed again and again its love for Binghamton and its uncommon tradition.
Coming up this month, on Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 pm, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will present its 8th Annual Mac & Cheese Fest Fundraiser at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Binghamton. Guests should get ready for some cheesy goodness at this all-you-can-eat Mac & Cheese event featuring over sixteen local restaurants. Local chefs will compete for best Mac & Cheese while host Chelsea Cheddar (the Mayor of Macaroni) presides with cheesy proclamations as musicians of the Philharmonic play lively fanfares. Patrons and celebrity judges will determine which restaurant wins the Best Mac & Cheese title for 2023, along with other culinary awards. Tickets are just $25 to support the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra. For tickets and more information, contact the Binghamton Philharmonic box office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.bingmacfest.com.
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