The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth, and Festival Strings will celebrate this occasion by performing on stage with the Hershey Symphony on Friday, February 14th. The Hershey Symphony will recognize Beethoven’s historic birthday anniversary by dedicating an entire concert to his compositions, including the well known Symphony No. 5, and the Violin Concerto in D, performed by Odin Rathnam. Also on this program, Festival Strings will perform Dr. Sandra Dackow’s arrangement of the Finale from Fidelio with the full orchestra.
Winterfest is a six-week program for Festival Strings, middle school string players from the greater Hershey and Harrisburg areas. Membership is open to any student in grades 6-9 without audition, upon the recommendation of the school orchestra director, and to those in cyber and home school programs. Festival Strings will be under the direction of Dr. Sandra Dackow and Ms. Jennifer Meckler, Orchestra Director for the West Morris Regional High School District in New Jersey. Mr. Andrew Kurtz, Orchestra Director from Palmyra Area School District will serve as a rehearsal conductor.
Our projected rehearsal dates and locations include:
| Saturday | January 4, 2020 | 10:00 am – Noon | rehearsal | Palm Lutheran Church, Palmyra |
| Saturday | February 1, 2020 | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm | rehearsal | Mountain View MS., Cumberland Valley |
| Thursday | February 13, 2020 | 5:00 – 7:30 pm | rehearsal | Hershey Theatre |
| Friday | February 14, 2020 | 8 pm | concert | Hershey Theatre |
All students should bring a music stand with your name on it to every rehearsal. Cellos should also bring an endpin anchor. Concert attire is a dress white blouse/shirt, with black pants, slacks or skirt. Winterfest will be open seating. High school students who have performed with Festival Strings in the past may enroll as Rehearsal Assistants, and do not need to pay an enrollment fee.
Parents, you will be able to obtain up to eight reduced price tickets for your immediate family for the concert with the Symphony, through Festival Strings. Further information will be available regarding reserving these tickets in January. Email will be used as our principal means of communication, so please provide accurate information on the registration page. Staff and players in the Hershey Symphony all have current Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearances on file.
The enrollment deadline is Monday, Dec 16, 2019. To complete your enrollment, fill out this application, obtain the signature of your school orchestra director, and include a check for the enrollment fee of $60.00, payable to Hershey Symphony.
Mail the application form and the enrollment fee to:
Mrs. Lynn Sten, Hershey Festival Strings
293 Founders Way
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.
Questions may be directed to her by emailing: stenlynn66@gmail.com