The sounds of strings, woodwinds and brass will fill the Student Union Theater Friday night as dozens of the University’s best musicians take the stage. The School of Music will host its annual Concerto Concert on Friday at 8 p.m. Julian Shew, LSU Symphony director, helped judge the contest this past fall and will be conducting one of the pieces. “It’s a very valuable experience for students and soloists to perform while accompanied by a live orchestra,” Shew said. Symphony percussionist Seth Bagwell, music education junior, said he cannot wait for the upcoming performance. “I like concertos, and having student soloists is really exciting,” he said. “It’s fun to see them perform in a way they usually couldn’t because student soloists in a concerto are rare.” Li-Fang Wu, performance doctoral student, is confident she will perform a great piano solo. “I’m excited much more than I am nervous,” she said. “You got to have fun with your performance with the orchestra.” This is Wu’s first time performing a concerto with a full symphony. In the past, the LSU Symphony has drawn huge crowds to the Union Theater. “Symphonic music is a very important style in classical music, and much of the world’s most popular music is symphonic,” Shew said. “All great composers of Western music have written for the symphony, so it is very popular.” Shew said the symphony has wide appeal. “The LSU Symphony has a reputation for playing at a high level, and its repertoire is always interesting and challenging,” he said. “All these aspects attract a wide, diverse audience to the performances of the LSU Symphony.” Tickets for Friday night’s performance are $10.
—-Contact James Hunter at [email protected]