Harpists Ellie Choate (left) and Paul Baker (right)
Ellie Choate [Photo Courtesy of Ellie Choate Website]
The fundraising concert will be held outdoors at 1787 Loma Vista Street, in the backyard of Mary Thornton House’s residence. House is president of the PCO Board of Directors.
“The purpose and function of the entire orchestra is that the Pasadena Community Orchestra is in its 40th year of existence, providing free classical music to the community,” House added.
At the concert, Choate and Baker will present a program of original works and transcriptions for two harps and their two-harp arrangements of tunes from the Great American Songbook.
“We have two harpists who are going to be playing not only some classical but their own renditions of popular music as well. They’re very well known in the community,” House said.
House added that the organization is run solely by volunteers and relies on fundraisers to provide free concerts to the community.
“We’re an all-volunteer organization. We live hand to mouth. We get money from this fundraiser. We get grants. We get donations at the door. And we put on four concerts a year in a hall-like setting, like the First Church of the Nazarene. And then we do a concert in the park in Sierra Madre, and again, all free to the community.”
After their performance, attendees will get a chance to meet the artists and interact with them, according to House.
“It’s going to be a nice fall day. It’s going to be relaxing. The wine will be good. The food will be good, the music will be fantastic, and it’s very rare to be able to speak with artists who are well renowned like these two harpists and learn about their craft in an informal setting,” added House.
Background
Comprising 60 to 70 members including doctors, lawyers, teachers, artists, and photographers, PCO, which has been active for 40 years, strives to enrich the community by providing an opportunity for everyone to hear fine music free of charge and to provide a setting where amateur musicians can perform classical music.
“It’s a group of people with varied backgrounds getting together for their shared passion, playing classical music,” House, a retired Superior Court judge, who started playing the viola at age of 6 said. “No other orchestra actually in this area has consistently provided quality, live class music.”
PCO’s events are funded by donations from individuals and companies, including grants from city and county agencies, which recognize the importance of continuing the great music tradition in the community.
“For an orchestra with a very small budget, PCO does a tremendous amount of outreach to the community,” House remarked.
Currently, PCO is engaging in educational outreach to local schools and communities with the goal of encouraging everyone to continue to appreciate classical music.
It also sponsors an annual competition in which young musicians may audition to win a stipend and have an opportunity to solo with a symphony orchestra.
“I’ve been playing with the orchestra for 40 years. We’re the epitome of community, because everybody’s welcome, and everybody’s included at no cost. Quality, live music, which the world’s kind of gotten away from. And quite frankly, when it wasn’t available during Covid, it was missed. It’s a lost art that we’re bringing back and have always supported,” House signed off.
To get tickets for the upcoming concert, go to Support/Donation page.
For more information on PCO’s upcoming events, visit: https://www.pcomusic.org
