The Hershey Symphony will kick off its 57th season at the Hershey Theatre on Friday, October 17, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Hershey Free Church with “Let’s Be Franck: Music of France and Belgium.” This performance will include a selection of romantic and powerful music, featuring César Franck’s stirring Symphony in D Minor.
“French music has always been a favorite of mine. It is evocative, colorful, and requires careful attention to the details to bring it to life,” said Maestro Greg Woodbridge.
The concert also highlights the talent of Hershey Symphony 2025 Young Artist Competition winner, Artemis Drake, performing Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C Major.
“In the competition, Artemis played the Mozart C major with a musical maturity beyond her years, possessing complete control of tempi and tone, even during the quickest passages and extreme registers,” said Woodbridge. “The phrasing was beautifully sculpted, particularly the endings.”
Drake is 16 years old and studies the oboe and English horn. She is a member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Weinstein Woodwind Ensemble at Settlement Music School, and a founder of the Philadelphia Area Youth Chamber Ensemble. A senior at Conrad Weiser High School, Drake plans to pursue a degree in oboe performance when she graduates. “Hershey Symphony was the first orchestra I ever heard live as a young audience member, so I’m absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to join them and Maestro Woodbridge on stage in what will definitely be a highlight in my own personal history,” said Drake.
For winning the competition, Drake also received the $1,000 William & Ruth Cagnoli Award, named for the late founders of Cagnoli Music.
General seating tickets for the performance are $30; a $2 per ticket processing fee applies. Season tickets are also available, at a savings of approximately 20% off the individual ticket prices. For details and links to purchase tickets, see here.
The Young Artist Competition was established by the symphony to celebrate young artists with superior musical ability in South Central Pennsylvania. The competition is open to all students enrolled in grades 7 through 11 who reside or go to school in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, or York County. Audition information for the 2026 Young Artist Competition is available here.
Photo: Artemis Drake
Photo credit: Carrie Kizuka Photography, LLC