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 to 7 p.m. and the music begins at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall, located inside Old Main on the campus of Minot State University.

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

The symphony will perform some of Williams’ most popular scores, including “The Cowboys Overture” (1972), “Flying Theme” from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, (1982), “Theme from Jurassic Park (1993), “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite” (2001), and the “Star Wars Suite for Orchestra” (1977).

The concert will feature the winner of the annual Minot State University Division of Performing Arts Honors Competition, Rachel (Dockter) Voth. She will perform Henri Tomasi’s “Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra.” Voth was chosen through a live audition.

Voth is a Minot native and senior at MSU, majoring in music education. Always interested in music, she began taking piano lessons from her grandmother Arnola Leverson at 8 years old and won the North Dakota Music Teacher National Association Young Artist Performance for the Woodwind Division her sophomore and senior 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 in the Minot Symphony Orchestra.

“Rachel’s work for the last four years has been aiming for an opportunity just like this. As a music education student, she spends as much time in the practice room as a performance major, earning her first prize at the North Dakota Music Teacher Association Young Artist competition in both 2019 and 2021. Her hard-earned technique is stunning, and her playing tells a captivating story. Henri Tomasi’s tonal language evokes the best parts of the exoticism explored by his French predecessors Ravel and Debussy and his contemporary, Milhaud. In many parts of the concerto, interjected between virtuosic statements from the saxophone are heavy brass chords and lush, sensual string lines, lending a sense of epic. The overall effect fits right in with the sweeping scores of John Williams,” said Charles Young, assistant professor of woodwinds and director of jazz studies at MSU.

The pre-concert talk will provide an engaging overview of the works being performed, the story behind the music, the composer and 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 changes. For patrons not comfortable attending a live performance, or who are not able to travel, the performance will also be available via livestream.

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 through the box office at 858-4228. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

The MSO season will conclude on April 30 and will feature the Heartland Marimbas, the 2022 Young Composers Competition winner and Mahler Symphony No. 1.

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