Author: Andrew Holm

All summer symphony concerts have been cancelled, and I will update you on upcoming performances when I hear word about them.

If you are interested in going to the Pleasant Hill Library anytime soon, they are open to the public again with their normal hours.  They will be closed this coming Sunday however.  https://www.pleasanthilliowa.org/114/Library.  Only 30 patrons will be allowed at a time until further notice, and disposable masks are provided.

The May concert set has been cancelled, and the symphony staff is still working on rescheduling concerts for later this year.  Might not be until September that concerts will resume.

The 2020-21 symphony season has been announced, and please check the website for more information.  As you may know, this year would’ve been Beethoven’s 250th birthday, so we are performing a lot of his music.  If you haven’t listened to his five cello sonatas and sets of variations for cello and piano, please take a chance to do so!

All symphony concerts for April have been postponed, and I will let you know when they are re-scheduled.  Please check the Des Moines Symphony website for more information, and the May Masterworks concert is still on as of now.

The West Des Moines Library will be closed all day on March 2nd for some reorganizing, and public computers will be unavailable there from then through the 6th.

If you know someone attending Des Moines Symphony Youth Concerts next week, please let me know.  We can’t wait to share music with them!

Next Masterworks set is March 14th at 7:30, and March 15th at 2:30 at the Civic Center.  Beethoven’s 8th Symphony, Wagner’s Sigfried Idyll, and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana will be presented.  https://www.dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/carmina-burana/

Don’t forget about the symphony re-mix tomorrow the 7th starting at 5:30 at the Civic Center downtown.  There will be free Fong’s pizza with beverages available for purchase, and an open rehearsal at 7.  Unfortunately, this is only for people 21 and over, but no reservations are required.  Free too!

A symphony re-mix will take place on Friday February 7 starting at 5:30 at the Civic Center downtown.  There will be free Fong’s pizza and beverages for purchase beginning at the time mentioned followed by an open rehearsal at 7.  If you pass the word around, please let them know that this is only for people 21 and over, but no reservations are required.  It’s free too!  We are playing Brahms Second Symphony, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Grace Park as soloist, and Rainbow Body by Christopher Theofanidis.  Concerts are Saturday the 8 at 7:30, and Sunday the 9 at 2:30.

Harry Potter tickets are being sold fast, and only three seats available for Saturday afternoon as of yesterday!  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/.

Be sure to purchase your tickets for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban, February 21 at 7:30 PM, and February 22 at 1:30 PM at the Civic Center.  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/

Masterworks 4 also in February:  https://dmsymphony.org/concerts-events/2020-02-08/

I don’t know if any of you besides me have been to the West Des Moines Library or any city facility since last Monday, but I am writing this in case none of you have.  There was a network problem that was detected last Monday afternoon, and there has been no internet (including wi-fi) available at the library or any city building since.  This means that the public catalog has been inaccessible, no self check-outs have been available, and that staff has had to print or post certain things differently.  I found out yesterday that public computers will not be available until sometime after New Year’s.

The WDM Library will be closed from Christmas Eve through January 2 due to shifting of items to the other side of the upper level.

For those of you that saw a New Year’s Eve Pops post, that was actually posted by me, NOT Eric!  NYE pops with the symphony is always exciting and sells out, so get your tickets now.  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/cirque-at-the-symphony/

Also, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is coming in February, so get your tickets for that as well!  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/

As you probably know, the West Des Moines Public Library is being remodeled, and part of the upper level is closed.  Between Christmas Eve and January 2nd, this library will be completely closed to the public so staff can move materials to the other side in order for renovation to continue.

The renovation will continue until summer reading, and will have a hiatus when it arrives.  Construction will resume afterward.