Orchestra to perform music about Las Vegas

By Becky Bosshart

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 | 4:18 p.m.

The Henderson Symphony Orchestra will premiere commissioned work by UNLV professor and composer Virko Baley, who was inspired by desert sunsets and the beauty of the Las Vegas Valley.

Baley's two movements for the Henderson orchestra, "Mojave Dusk" and "The Torrents of Springs," will highlight the Master Series III concert at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Valley View Recreation Center.

Baley, born in 1938 in the former Soviet Union, is a Las Vegas cultural icon, said Molly Murphy, executive director of the Henderson Symphony Orchestra.

She called his new pieces "a reflection of our city."

"In this town he has been very important. He turned 70, so we wanted to honor him."

In addition to his international work, Baley co-directs Nevada Encounters of New Music, a UNLV symposium and festival in early April.

The free concert also features the work of several modern masters, including Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915." The text, sung by soprano Stephanie Thorpe, is taken from the 1938 nostalgic prose piece "Knoxville" by author and journalist James Agee.

The repertoire includes Charles Ives' "The Unanswered Question." Ives is often called the first American composer who gained international acclaim, though his work went unnoticed during his lifetime.

The symphony concludes with the most influential 20th-century composer, Russian-born Igor Stravinsky. "The Firebird" is a 1910 ballet based on the Russian folk tale of the bird that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor.

In its 22nd season, the orchestra is led by conductor Taras Krysa.

The rec center is at 500 Harris St. For more information, contact the Henderson Cultural Arts Office at 267-2171 or visit www.hendersonsymphony.org.

Becky Bosshart can be reached at 990-7748 or [email protected].