David Commanday, conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra, is with us to talk about the concert that opens the orchestra's ninth season. Fittingly, the program includes Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Commanday says it's the culmination of Beethoven's symphonic works, and it includes the well-known "Ode to Joy," with its themes of freedom and universal brotherhood. Those same themes are echoed into the other works on the program, both by American composer Aaron Copland: The "Fanfare for the Common Man" and the "Lincoln Portrait." The latter also features Peoria's Preston Jackson as narrator. Commanday also talks about the HFO's community partner for this concert, Central Illinois Riding Therapy.
The next concert with the Heartland Festival Orchestra is Saturday, September 9th at 7:30 p.m. at Five Points Washington.