Bucks County Symphony Orchestra Opens 74th Concert Season

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Bucks County Symphony Orchestra opens its 74th season with a fall concert on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Delaware Valley University’s Life Sciences Building.

The concert is sponsored by the Warren Family Foundation in memory of Tamara Warren, a cellist with the symphony for 18 years.

Maestro José Luis Domínguez and the orchestra open the program with the "Poet and Peasant Overture" by Franz von Suppé. Composed in 1846 as incidental music for a comedy by playwright Karl Elmar, the atmospheric piece eventually inspired the creation of a full eponymous operetta.

Cast in a rustic, picturesque, and pastoral setting, the overture remains one of Suppé’s most recognized works, reflecting the charming and lively spirit of the Bavarian countryside with catchy melodies and evocative storytelling through music, orchestra leaders said.

Euphonium artist Michael Fahrner joins the orchestra in a performance of Edward Gregson’s "Euphonium Concerto." Gregson, a prolific English composer of international standing whose music has been performed worldwide, has composed orchestral, chamber, instrumental, and choral works, as well as pieces for wind and brass ensemble. His 2018 "Euphonium Concerto" is a large-scale symphonic work that demonstrates the full capabilities and properties of the instrument.

A dedicated pedagogue, Fahrner is an adjunct professor of Euphonium at Rowan University and maintains private studios in Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. He previously served as assistant director of the Atlantic Youth Brass Band and on the brass faculty at Settlement Music School. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Euphonium Performance at Temple University.

The concert concludes with the momentous/consequential Symphony No. 1 in C minor by Johannes Brahms.

Adult tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door; senior tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door; students are admitted free of charge. Patrons are encouraged to secure tickets in advance at BucksCountySymphony.org to guarantee admission. For more information, visit the BCSO website.

The concert also features a pre-concert conversation hosted by Maestro Domínguez and Fahrner, offering insights into the afternoon’s repertoire. Free tickets are available online for the 1:30 event in the Upper Atrium of the Life Sciences Building.