Delta Symphony Orchestra to present ‘The Big 5-0: A Festive Fanfare’ at Lyon College on Oct. 29
BATESVILLE, Arkansas –The Delta Symphony Orchestra returns to Lyon College in Batesville this month for the highly anticipated “The Big 5-0: A Festive Fanfare,” celebrating the 50th season of the Delta Symphony Orchestra.
The free community concert, hosted by the Batesville Symphony League, begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, in Sloan Auditorium of Brown Fine Arts Building on the Lyon College campus, 2300 Highland Rd.
Dr. Neale Bartee will conduct the orchestra, which will present Aaron Copland’s “The Red Pony” film suite, Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture Op. 96,” Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1, Reinhold Gliere’s “Russian Sailor’s Dance,” and John Williams’ “Raiders March” from the motion picture “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
There will be a pre-concert lecture by Dr. Bartee in the Bevens Music Room of Brown Fine Arts Building prior to the concert at 2:15 p.m.
The only professional symphony orchestra in Northeast Arkansas for over four decades, the Delta Symphony Orchestra is an integral part of the Delta Region culture, committed to entertaining, educating and enriching lives by providing orchestral music of artistic excellence.
“We truly hope that you take advantage of this special opportunity to enjoy live orchestral music by professional musicians – free of charge – which really hardly happens,” said Dr. Michael Oriatti, associate professor of Music at Lyon College and president of the Batesville Symphony League Board of Directors. “Bring your family and friends, who can enjoy film music and some classical favorites.”
The Batesville concert is made possible through the generosity of corporate partners and individual donors.
For more information, please contact Dr. Michael Oriatti at Michael.Oriatti@lyon.edu.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.