Fredericksburg Community Orchestras announce the 2018 Van der Stucken Festival to be held at the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. The festival will be featuring a full symphonic orchestra. Local musicians will combine with players from the Angelo State Symphony Orchestra. Fagner Rocha, Professor of Violin at Angelo State University, will conduct the orchestra. Theresa Britt will be concertmaster for this performance. In addition to featuring a full symphonic orchestra, the ensemble will perform a symphonic piece entitled “Idyll” that was written by Fredericksburg’s native son, Frank Van der Stucken.

The Van der Stucken Festival was established in 1991 by Friends of Van der Stucken and Kenn Knopp to increase appreciation for the life and work of composer and conductor Frank Van der Stucken, who was born in Fredericksburg in 1858 to parents who had immigrated from Belgium. In Kenn’s honor, the Fredericksburg Community Orchestras has continued three tradition of honoring this Fredericksburg-born composer. Van der Stucken returned to Antwerp, Belgium in his youth and studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. He later returned to the United States and conducted the Arion Mannerchor in New York City. In his later career he started the now world renown Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the conservatory in Cincinnati.

7:30 pm. There are no tickets for this event, but a suggested donation of $10 at the door would be appreciated to cover the costs of this event.