IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) will perform a special Valentine's Day concert on February 11 and 12 - but for several couples who are members of the QCSO, love is an everyday duet.
Ron Morton, tuba player, and his wife Denise, oboe player, enjoy making beautiful music both at home and in the orchestral ranks of the QCSO. Ron is in his 31st season with the QCSO, while Denise is in her 17th season.
David Greenhoe, principal trumpeter with the Symphony since 1979, and Marie Lindmark, a violinist and singer who recently served as President of Volunteers for Symphony, also enjoy a musical relationship, which has grown even stronger as they've entered their 60s.
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra's Día del Amor/Valentine's Day concert will be held at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 11, at the Adler Theatre, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport, Iowa, and again at 2 p.m., Sunday, February 12, at Centennial Hall, 3703 7th Ave., Rock Island, Illinois.
It's a Family Affair
Ron Morton has a Music Ed degree and Masters in tuba performance from the University of Iowa. He is also a music teacher with the Moline School District No. 40. Denise holds a Bachelors degree in piano performance from the University of Iowa and plays in a woodwind quintet, doing school outreach tours for the QCSO.
"We met in the Hawkeye Marching Band while in college," Ron said. "Denise played tenor sax in the marching band. We've been married 31 years this July. We have many shared memories of amazing performances and rehearsal gaffes which make our shared love of music more rewarding."
"Our oldest son, Zack, on occasion is asked to sub with the Symphony. He plays bass trombone, so he sits right next to Ron in the orchestra," Denise said. "They haven't gotten in trouble yet! It's very gratifying to be able to share such rewarding experiences with our son. All of our four children have taken part in the Holiday Children's Pops chorus. One year, three of them sang, so nearly the whole family was on stage together."
It Just Keeps Getting Better
David Greenhoe and Marie Lindmark agree: Being in love in the 60-something age range is unbelievably romantic. "Music fills our lives, both figuratively and literally," David said.
They first met in April 2003, on the Adler Theatre stage, during a dress rehearsal break of the oratorio, Belshazzar's Feast. According to David, he was seated in the orchestra and Marie was singing. Marie said to David, "It's amazing standing behind you, listening to you play!" He replied, "Well, it's amazing sitting in front of you, listening to you sing!"
David noted, "Former Symphony Music Director Don Schleicher takes full responsibility for our blossoming relationship, since he had programmed Belshazzar's Feast."
Their relationship grew as they met and talked during the 2003 Riverfront Pops Concert and Masterworks performance. Their first date took place in October 2003 at Jumer's Castle Lodge. They enjoyed beef stroganoff and wine, and later, their first kiss. "She told me she would love me for the rest of our lives," David said.
They now celebrate their anniversary every month, so that the numbers will catch up with the anniversary numbers of their friends. "On Valentines Day, we will celebrate 44-1/2 months of marriage," Marie said.
"The music continues to swell!" David said.
A Romantic Repertoire
The Día del Amor/Valentine's Day concert will feature Guest Conductor Alondra de la Parra and renowned guitarist Robert Belinic. Romantic orchestral works to be presented at the concert will include :
- Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: A symphonic suite composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in the days of Imperial Russia, Scheherazade is based on One Thousand and One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights. This compelling classic combines thrilling orchestration with exotic legends of the East.
- Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo: Joaquín Rodrigo, one of the finest Spanish composers of the twentieth century, wrote the Concierto de Aranjuez for classical guitar and orchestra. This beautiful composition was inspired by the gardens at Palacio Real de Aranjuez, the residence of the King of Spain.Boléro by Maurice Ravel: Boléro, a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel, was originally composed as a ballet, commissioned by ballerina Ida Rubinstein. The piece is Ravel's most famous composition. An excerpt of Boléro is featured in the 1980 movie 10, and that romantic musical interlude significantly increased sales of recordings of the work.
For tickets, call the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Box Office at (563) 322-QCSO (7276) or visit www.qcsymphony.com.
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