Local orchesta holds 'Celebration' of 17th annual concert

On April 9, 1989, at 3 p.m., Bloomington's Camerata Orchestra performed its first concert. Seventeen years later to the exact hour, it will perform again in "celebration." \nThe group started as a 35-piece orchestra and has grown into a full-size symphony, with 75 to 85 members, said Lenore Hatfield, violinist and orchestra founder. \nThe concert is at 3 p.m. Sunday at Bloomington High School South's auditorium. All Bloomington-area music lovers are invited to come to the performance, titled "Celebration." Tickets are available at the door for $12 for adults and $4 for students.\nAccording to a press release, the orchestra is made up of IU music faculty, music students and Bloomington residents, and was organized to offer a professional setting separate from the University. The orchestra also includes many guest conductors and soloists from around the world. \nThis anniversary concert will be featuring violin soloist, Alexander Kerr, concert master of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and IU music faculty member. Kerr will be performing the Bernstein Serenade with faculty members and percussionists, Anthony Cirone and Wilber England. The featured guest conductor will be Luis Biava, resident conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Gerald Carlyss, timpani, and M. Dee Stewart, trombone, two IU faculty members and former Philadelphia Orchestra principals, will also be performing. \n"The roster of musicians who performs each season is of world-class stature," Hatfield said. \nThe instrumentation varies with each program and more opportunities are offered to more musicians. \n"Camerata is a professional orchestra in Bloomington, and the students are hired to play in it," said Anthony Cirone, professional musician and chair of the percussion department at IU. "It is important for students to have professional experience. It helps increase their chances of being hired again in the future."\nCirone said IU offers an incredible amount of professional playing opportunities to students while attending college. \n"Playing in Camerata is an excellent experience for music students," Cirone said. "Giving them the opportunity to play among their professors and other professional musicians is very valuable for them"