Local students performed with Eastern Symphony Orchestra Sunday during “Triumph and Tragedy.”

Sixteen members of the Symphonic Honors Initiative Program played compositions from Ludwig van Beethoven and Antonin Dvorak with the symphony orchestra.

Symphonic Honors Initiative Program is an outreach program designed to provide Coles County high school and middle school students with performance experience.

Richard Rossi, the director of the Eastern Wind Symphony, said it is important to give them this experience.

“They do not have an orchestral experience in the districts, because they cut the programs,” Rossi said. “So we offer them the opportunity to participate.”

The Symphonic Honors Initiative Program program also helps the music education students learn how to help teach students with instruments.

The compositions included: “Piano Converto No. 3 in C minor, Op 37” by Beethoven, which is divided into “Allegro con brio”, “Largo”, and

“Rondo: Allegro”; and “Symphony no. 7 in D minor, Op 70, B.141” by Dvorak, which is divided into “Allegro maestoso”, “Poco adagio”, “Scherzo (Vivo)” and “Allegro.”

Rossi said the compositions were chosen because they dealt with the theme of the concert.

The compositions used different sounds to introduce the idea of triumph and the idea of tragedy.

During the “Symphony no. 7 in D minor, Op 70, B.141” the first two parts are dark the third part has a little relief with some cheerfulness while the finale shows all the anguish of the composer in it

The “Piano Converto No. 3 in C minor, Op 37” included solo pieces on the piano.

Susan Teicher, an associate professor of piano and keyboard division director, said she thought the performance went well.

“The Eastern Symphony Orchestra did a great job, and the work was great and it was a great thing to get to play a great work,” Teicher said.

Teicher said she had fun being the solo pianist during the concert.

“It was fun, the piano part and the orchestra part are equal in this piece and it was just fun to play a great piece,” Teicher said.

Rossi said he felt the concert went well.

“It was spectacular,” Rossi said. “Everything went well and I thought Dr. Teicher was fantastic.”

Donnie Delarosa, a graduate student studying music performance and a trumpet player for the symphony, said their playing has improved since their rehearsals.

“I think we played better than we’ve ever rehearsed, so that is always good,” Delarosa said.

Jaymee Findlay, a junior music major, said she loves watching the symphony play.

“It was a very complicated piano piece,” Findlay said.

Delarosa said he thought the concert went well and the audience

enjoyed it.

“Energy separates professional from students and I hope they felt that,” Delarosa said. “Some of the professors said they felt the energy, so hopefully the audience did too.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.