Lewisville Lake Symphony seeks to expand outreach

by Grace Lawrence, Chair, Lewisville Lake Symphony Board of Directors

The growing population and rapid development of the communities near Lewisville Lake provide both opportunities and challenges for the Lewisville Lake Symphony, an all-professional orchestra under the direction of Adron Ming that is in its 32^nd year.

In keeping with its mission to enhance the quality of life for people of all ages in North Texas through live and inspiring classical music and to educate and support rising young talent, the LLS presents four subscription orchestral concerts each year at the MCL Grand Theater in Lewisville and four free chamber concerts at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Flower Mound.  The chamber concerts feature musicians from the highly acclaimed College of Music at the University of North Texas.

In addition, the Symphony partners with the LakeCities Ballet to present Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf each spring to preschool and elementary school children and their parents.  That performance features an Instrument Petting Zoo where children can try out different instruments as well as create their own instruments.  This season’s performance will be on February 28.

Other yearly activities of the Symphony that encourage and benefit young people include a live concert for all Lewisville ISD third graders and the Vernell Gregg Young Artists Competition and scholarship for outstanding middle and high school musicians.  The International Concerto Competition for musicians 18-30 years of age with plans for a performance career, conducted in conjunction with UNT, features a competition for piano in even years and a competition for strings in odd years.

To further inspire and educate young musicians, the Symphony has an ongoing intern and associates program for middle and high school students who want to know more about the inner workings of a symphony orchestra.

The all-volunteer Board of Directors continues to search for new ways to inform the community that high-quality live classical music is available to them nearby.  They also look for new ways to expand their audience and their outreach to youth.

For the first time this year, the Symphony has an intern who has a Masters degree from UNT in music and who is a professional musician himself.   The Symphony is also partnering with businesses like Whole Foods to feature small ensembles that play during a period of the day so that patrons and their children can enjoy live classical music as they shop.

Ensuring the continued existence of high quality classical music in these communities requires funding to pay the orchestra and conductor and to rent an appropriate venue for concerts.  Although ticket sales for the orchestral concerts help, they cannot support all the performances and programs of the Symphony.  The Symphony depends on donations from patrons and businesses and grants from the cities of Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville.  In addition, an annual Gala featuring silent and live auctions as well as food from the celebrated chef, Morris Salerno of Bistecca, occurs each November to help support and expand the Symphony’s programs.

More information about the Lewisville Lake Symphony can be found at lewisvillesymphony.org.