The Culver City Symphony Orchestra celebrates its return to the live concert stage with a special free concert in memory of the group’s late music director – Conductor, Frank Fetta. “We present a belated celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday including the ‘Emperor’ piano concerto with Rufus Choi, and the Fifth Symphony,” said board President Steven Turk. In 2018, the CC Symphony celebrated “40 Years with Fetta.” Now the group celebrate the Maestro’s life with a concert of great music performed by his orchestra and his friends. “We are delighted to be joined by our Principal Guest Conductor, Andrew Shulman, and pianist Rufus Choi. Rufus and Frank met many years ago when Rufus won the Orchestra’s Parness Concerto Competition,” Turk said. “Rufus has since appeared as a soloist with the Orchestra and on our YouTube channel. His students now compete in, and have won, the Parness Competition.” Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in December 1770. Musicians across the world planned to celebrate his 250th in 2020, but national and global events intervened. Beethoven was no stranger to such events – he completed writing the Emperor concerto in Vienna in April 1809 while the city was under siege by Napoleon’s armies. “Our program presents three important works from this “middle period” of his life, including the Fidelio Overture and the monumental Symphony No. 5 in C minor, a cornerstone of classical music,” Turk said. “We look forward to welcoming our audience back to the Robert Frost Auditorium on Saturday, June 25 at the Robert Frost Auditorium, 4401 Elenda St., Culver City. Admission is free.
