The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will visit the St. Charles Parish Library for two separate events on Saturday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 25. The events are open to the public and no registration or tickets are required.
At the “Bach to School” event on March 25, a duet of strings will play a selection of songs and discus them. These performances are open to all ages. LPO violist Catherine Matushek and LPO bassoonist Michael Matushek will perform at the East Regional Library in Destrehan at 3:30 p.m. and at the West Regional Library in Luling at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, March 22, LPO violinist Rebecca Edge will travel to the East Regional Library in Destrehan for a musical story time at 10:30 a.m. This interactive event will feature a story with musical accompaniment of the children’s storybook, “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. Edge will also discuss her instrument and background. The story time is designed for families with children of all ages.
Lauren Campo Pitz, assistant director at St. Charles Parish Library, said the special events help fulfill the library’s mission: to empower the community to explore, learn, create and connect.
“Listening to music can be so inspirational and just a fun thing to do as a shared experience,” Pitz said. “So, when we learned that the LPO has special community events that they’ll travel to do at your site, we thought it would be a great thing to bring to the library for our community to enjoy.”
The LPO, which was formed in 1991, is the oldest full-time musician-governed orchestra in the United States. Its mission is to transform people and communities through music. According to its website, the LPO is dedicated to maintaining live orchestral music as an integral part of the cultural and educational life of the New Orleans area, the entire state of Louisiana, and the Gulf South region.
Pitz said the library events are low-risk ways for families to experience classical music.
“The travel time to get to the event is less than it would be if they were going into the city, and if they have to leave the performance, it is easier to step out into the hall at the library than to leave a concert hall,” Pitz said.
She said the library is always looking for ways to bring special guests to the library so that members of the community can have a variety of experiences without having to travel far from home.
“We’re happy to be able to bring a taste of the orchestra to St. Charles Parish,” she said.
She said she hopes people leave the event after having a good time learning new things and listening to classical music.
“We hope they’ll look to us at the library as a place for free, cultural experiences for all ages when they’re looking for something to do,” she said.
