ASU Symphony to Play Final Concert of the Spring Season

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Angelo State University Symphony Orchestra will present its final concert of the spring season on Saturday, May 4, at First Presbyterian Church, 32 N. Irving St. in downtown San Angelo.

Titled "Paradise Utopia," the concert will begin at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The concert will feature a tribute to the late composer Robert W. Smith, as well as a special guest trombone soloist, Dr. JD Handshoe of the ASU music faculty.

The musical program will include:

• "Oriental Festival March" from "Aladdin" by Carl Nielsen
• "Paradise Utopia," "Sorrow Floats" and "James Brown in The Twilight Zone" from "Concerto for Bass Trombone" by Chris Brubeck, featuring Handshoe on bass trombone
• "Hungarian March" from "The Damnation of Faust" by Hector Berlioz
• "Intermezzo Sinfonico" from "Cavaleria Rusticana" by Pietro Mascagni
• Waltz from "The Sleeping Beauty" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• "Rites of Tamburo" by Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith was a prolific American composer, arranger and teacher. His numerous compositions include three well-known symphonies: "The Divine Comedy," "The Odyssey" and "Don Quixote." He passed away in September 2023.

The ASU Symphony Orchestra includes nearly 50 student musicians, and this concert is being co-conducted by Dr. Constance Kelley, professor of music, and Dr. Fagner Rocha, director of orchestra.