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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday Afternoon in Downtown Chandler: Chandler Symphony Orchestra, "Fountain of Youth," at Chandler Center for the Arts


This afternoon at 3 p.m., we were fortunate enough to be sitting in an aisle seat for the Chandler Center for the Arts for the free concert presented by the terrific Chandler Symphony Orchestra. Called "Fountain of Youth," today's program featured the very talented flutist Jennifer Chiang, the 16-year-old winner of this year's Chandler Symphony Orchestra's Youth Competition, performing Bourne's Fantaisie Brilliante on themes from Bizet's "Carmen by Francois Bourne with the orchestra, conducted by Alex Zheng, associate conductor.

Conductor Jack Herriman conducted the orchestra with a resonant opening performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger. After intermission, we headed up to the balcony to enjoy the and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C-minor.

It was a wonderful concert, listening to some wonderful, if familiar, classical music performed expertly. Jennifer Chang was amazing.

It was our first time in Chandler Center for the Arts hearing the Chandler Symphony since December 1998, when we lived in Fort Lauderdale and were in the Valley for three weeks, visiting our brother, who then was living in a little bungalow across from old Mesa Lutheran Hospital off Country Club Road and Brown Road. That free Christmas concert was also wonderful.

We promise to return to hear the Chandler Symphony without another 13-year lapse. They made this a really pleasant afternoon on a cool, overcast day.

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