The Minot Symphony Orchestra invites the public to an evening celebrating one of America’s most accomplished composers, John Williams, on Saturday, March 5. A pre-concert talk will be held from 6:30-7 p.m. with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall, located inside Old Main on the Minot State University campus.

Over a career spanning five decades, Williams has become one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and the concert stage. Williams has received a variety of prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honor, Olympic Order, numerous Oscars, Grammy Awards, Emmy Award, and Golden Globe Awards. He remains one of the country’s most distinguished and contributing musical voices and has composed music and served as music director for over a hundred films.

The symphony will perform some of Williams’ most popular scores, including “The Cowboys Overture” (1972), “Flying Theme” from ET The Extra-Terrestrial, (1982), “Jurassic Park (1993) Theme,”Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite(2001), and theStar Wars Suite for Orchestra” (1977).

The concert will feature the winner of Minot State University’s Performing Arts Division Annual Honors Competition, Rachel (Dockter) Voth. She will play Henri Tomasi “Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra.” Voth was cast in a live audition.

Voth is from Minot and a senior at MSU, majoring in music education. Always interested in music, she began taking piano lessons with her grandmother Arnola Leverson at age 8 and won the North Dakota Music Teacher National Association’s Young Artist Performance for the Woodwind Division in second and final year. She has been a member of the MSU Big Dam Jazz Band, MSU Concert Band, chamber ensembles, MSU Concert Choir, and plays second violin with the Minot Symphony Orchestra.

“Rachel’s work over the past four years has been aimed at an opportunity like this. As a music education student, she spends as much time in the rehearsal room as a performance major, winning her first prize at the North Dakota Music Teacher Association Young Artist Competition in 2019 and 2021. His hard-earned technique is breathtaking, and his playing tells a captivating story.Henri Tomasi’s tonal language evokes the best of exoticism explored by his French predecessors Ravel and Debussy and his contemporary Milhaud.In many parts of the concerto, between virtuosic statements from the saxophone, heavy brass chords and lush, sultry string lines lend a sense of the epic.The overall effect fits in perfectly. in John Williams’ sweep scores,” said Charles Young, assistant professor of woodwinds and director of jazz studies at MSU.

The pre-concert lecture will provide a captivating overview of the works performed, the story behind the music, the composer and the historical context.

The Minot Symphony Orchestra will follow current COVID-19 guidelines as mandated by MSU. Social distancing and masks are not required at this time but are encouraged. This is subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. For customers who do not feel comfortable attending a live show or cannot travel, the show will also be available live.

Tickets start at $25 for adults, with senior and student discounts available. Individual tickets and Flex Passes are available. All tickets are available at www.minotsymphony.com or at the box office at 858-4228. Customers are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

The OSM season will end on April 30 and will feature the Heartland Marimbas, the winner of the 2022 Young Composers Competition and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.

The Minot Symphony Orchestra is a unique blend of student, community and professional musicians from the Minot region. The symphony is conducted by Maestro Efrain Amaya, associate professor of music at Minot State University.