The Brigham Young University-Idaho Sinfonietta, a 38-member chamber orchestra from Rexburg, Idaho, will present a spring concert in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Wieden Auditorium on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The Sinfonietta’s performance is part of a two-week tour through Québec, the Maritime Provinces, and locations in Massachusetts and Maine during April. This concert is free though donations will be accepted at the door for The American Cancer Society.

Sinfonietta means “a small symphony orchestra, often composed solely of stringed instruments” or “a symphony for fewer than the usual number of instruments.” BYU-Idaho’s premier orchestra will perform a wide range of classical and light classical selections during the concert, from the great classics to modern works, drawn from the 18th to the 20th centuries. A sampling of concert titles the chamber orchestra is performing during its tour includes: Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven, Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus by Vaughan Williams, and Mahler’s Adagietto from Symphony No. 5.

Drawn from the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, members of the Sinfonietta are selected by audition and represent the finest musicians on their campus. Each player brings many years of previous experience, and adheres to an ambitious rehearsal and performance schedule.

The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Robert Tueller, faculty member of the BYU-Idaho Department of Music. He also directs cello studies, the Symphony Orchestra and University Baroque Ensemble. BYU-Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and serves students from all 50 states and over 40 countries. During the past Winter Semester, enrollment stood at 15,500 students, with 1,140 from Canada and 69 from Massachusetts and Maine.

During its tour of Eastern Canada and New England, the BYU-Idaho Sinfonietta will perform in spots such as Montréal, Drummondville and Québec City in Québec, as well as in the Maritime cities of Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Charlottetown, New Glasgow and Halifax. The group will also perform stateside with shows in Presque Isle and Springfield, Massachusetts.

All are cordially invited to attend this free concert. Donations will be accepted for The American Cancer Society. For more information about this event, contact Gayla Shaw at 768-9452 or info@maine.edu. For more information about the BYU-Idaho Sinfonietta, please visit www.byui.edu/performance-tours/sinfonietta.