BELLOWS FALLS — The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is returning to Bellows Falls on Sunday, Nov. 5, with a special matinee at the Bellows Falls Opera House. The performance is part of the VSO's 2023 "Made in Vermont" series, highlighting guest artists from the Green Mountain State's indie, folk, and rock scene.
The VSO's chamber orchestra will perform musical favorites by Henry Purcell, Manuel de Falla, and Astor Piazolla and will welcome a special guest to the stage: soul singer Kat Wright.
"Wright has that special balance of power and grace in her voice that can shimmer and float to the top," according to Americana music publication Red Line Roots.
About Wright, Matt LaRocca, VSO artistic advisor and project conductor, said in a news release: "Her soulful voice is a perfect match to lush string and orchestral arrangements, and we hear her music in a new way."
With approximately 40 annual performances statewide in a variety of settings, the VSO claims it is "the nation's oldest state-assisted orchestra, and is regarded as one of the finest of its size." The VSO serves year-round with in-school educational programming, children's concerts, and composer residencies, as well as symphonic, choral, and chamber music concerts.
Singer-songwriter Wright comes from the Burlington area, and "her rise to national fame has been a joy to watch" says Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts.
"This is the fourth in the 2023 Ray Massucco Concert Series," according to Ezra Veitch of Rays the Roof Productions, organizers, along with Next Stage Arts, of the series. "It's a great way to honor Ray. He always was so pumped to bring the VSO to town."
Massucco, a beloved local lawyer and music promoter, passed away unexpectedly last year. Additional shows planned by Rays the Roof and Next Stage at the Opera House are Crys Matthews, Peter Mulvey, and BettySoo in a powerhouse triple bill on Thursday, Nov. 16, and Karla Bonoff and Livingston Taylor's "Home for the Holidays" concert on Saturday, Dec. 16.
The Bellows Falls Opera House is located at 7 Village Square. Doors open at 3:00; showtime is at 4:00. Tickets and information can be found at BellowsFallsOperaHouse.com.
This The Arts item was submitted to The Commons.