Get with the program
Treasure Valley Community College’s 10th Annual Pops Concert is packed with variety, from a soprano trained at Juilliard, to a trombone and tuba medley

By Anne Henderson
Argus Observer
Sunday, April 20, 2008 1:46 PM PDT

Each year, members of the Treasure Valley Symphony, such as bass players Andrea Becker (left) and Nickolas Zeigler, shed the serious stuff for a lighter, more user-friendly pops concert. The event is aimed at building an endowed scholarship for instrumental music at Treasure Valley Community College. This year’s concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, at the Meyer-McLean Performing Arts Center, behind the Four Rivers Cultural Center, Ontario.

Ontario - It was a little more than 12 years ago the powers that be at Treasure Valley Community College approached Bob Anderson, head of the music department, and asked him to take over the orchestra he had begun years prior.

The group had originally been organized for a musical the theater department wanted to put on — Peter Pan. In order to find enough musicians, Anderson, then in his first year at the college, culled through old programs for past musicals put on at Ontario High School.

“I did come up with a small group,” he said. “When the musical was over, the string players didn’t want to quit.”

Those players formed a small chamber orchestra which grew over time. Various people headed up the group until Anderson, once again, took over the baton. He said he planned on getting the group on track and then handing it over to someone else. However, one year grew into two, three, four...

Today, with the continued leadership of Anderson, the Treasure Valley Symphony provides one of the few opportunities to hear live orchestral music in the area.

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It also provides local musicians a chance to play in an orchestral setting. These opportunities are so limited people travel from as far as Meridian to play with the group of 55 musicians.

These committed individuals will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Meyer-McLean Performing Arts Center, for the 10th Annual Pops Concert to benefit Treasure Valley Community College.

Anderson explained the nature of a pops concert.

“We play a variety of music that can be fairly recognizable to anybody that is also light, fun and entertaining.”

Musical selections for Friday’s concert, which Anderson carefully selected using a formula developed by John Philip Sousa, include “The Carousel Waltz,” by Richard Rogers, the ever-popular “Beach Boys Medley,” arranged by Calvin Custer, old-time favorite “On the Beautiful Danube,” and many others.

The evening’s performance will also feature soloist Betany Coffland, a mezzo-soprano, whose many accolades include a master’s in music from The Juilliard School and voice work around the globe, including a year lived in Italy to study the language of her profession. Beginning in July, Coffland begins her residency at Opera San Jose in California, where she will perform the roles of Olga in Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” Giannetta in “L’elisir d’amore” and Dorabella in Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte.” During her performance the orchestra will be led by Arturo Chavez, who will also be acting as master of ceremonies for the evening.

Anderson said his trombone selection has a little something special in store for the audience as well.

For more information regarding the event or to purchase tickets, call the performing arts office, (541) 881-8822, ext. 264.