04/02/2026
The Southern Tier Symphony returns to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Blaisdell Hall for an evening dedicated to the sweeping emotional landscapes of the Romantic era. Under the direction of Maestro Benjamin Grow, the orchestra will breathe life into a program featuring Lehár’s Merry Widow Overture, Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, and Brahms’s monumental Symphony No. 2 in D major.
The works by Lehár and Borodin share a fascinating history, as both were extracted from larger theatrical productions. Franz Lehár’s Merry Widow Overture was not a part of the operetta’s original 1905 debut. It was actually composed years later to celebrate the work’s 400th performance, though many purists still prefer the original, shorter introduction.
In contrast, Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances serves as the exhilarating climax to the second act of his opera Prince Igor. While these dances were intended for the original production, the opera remained unfinished at the time of Borodin’s death in 1887. The version performed today exists thanks to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov, who completed the score in 1890 using Borodin’s surviving sketches.
Johannes Brahms composed his Symphony No. 2 during a transformative summer retreat to the Austrian province of Carinthia. While the picturesque lakeside setting often lends the work a pastoral reputation, it is inextricably linked to a darker companion piece written during the same stay: the motet "Why Is The Light Given to the Wretched?" Brahms himself suggested that the motet's "gloominess" might have bled into the symphony. He famously remarked on his own melancholic nature, noting that "black wings are constantly flapping above us" and that this specific symphony was naturally followed by his musical essay on the Great "Why."
Join us on Saturday, April 25th at 7:00 PM to experience the beauty of the Romantic era.
The Southern Tier Symphony extends its deepest gratitude to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for its enduring support and patronage. This performance is made possible through the generosity of our dedicated sponsors. We would like to recognize the following businesses for their vital role in keeping the music alive:
High Point Federal Credit Union, Worth W. Smith, Brother's Bistro, Cutco / KA-BAR, Nottingham Trust Division of CBNA, Fox Financial, Zippo Manufacturing Company, Beef-N-Barrel, Beat City Music, and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
- Dr. Cyril Bodnar, Executive Director of the Southern Tier Symphony
