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Furman Symphony Orchestra in concert Oct. 26


Last updated October 22, 2018

By Tina Underwood

The Furman Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will present a concert Friday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium on campus.

The Sound Quality Series concert, “American Classics,” is open to the public. Tickets for the CLP event are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors 60 and up, and $5 for students.

FSO opens the large ensemble series with masterworks “Karelia Suite” by Jean Sibelius; “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” by Samuel Barber, featuring Furman soprano Alison Trainer; and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 “Romantic.” The concert is conducted by Furman Professor of Violin and Director of Orchestral Activities Thomas Joiner and Furman senior piano performance major Charlie Baldwin of Decorah, Iowa.

Tickets may be ordered online. For more information about the concert, contact the Furman Music Office at 864-294-2086, and FurmanMusic@furman.edu.

Furman symphony

Furman soprano and professor Alison Trainer

About Alison Trainer
Coloratura soprano Alison Trainer joined the Furman faculty in 2017 as Assistant Professor of Voice. A gifted singing actress, she has garnered top prizes in major vocal competitions and performed with opera companies, symphony orchestras, and on recital stages around the world.

Before beginning her acclaimed European career, Trainer performed as a soloist with New York City Opera, New Jersey Opera and New Jersey Symphony, Glimmerglass Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera, San Francisco Opera and Asheville Symphony, among many others. For her performance as Pamina in “Die Zauberflöte,” the Baltimore Sun hailed Trainer as “a convincing actress with a voice of radiant beauty.”

An avid recitalist with a passion for innovative programming, Trainer has performed at the Tanglewood Music Festival, the Cleveland Art Song Festival, the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival, San Francisco Opera Center’s prestigious Schwabacher Recital Series, and  many other notable venues.

Among other honors, Trainer was a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition, first place winner in New York City’s Liederkranz Competition and the Heida Hermanns competition. She also won the top prize in New York City’s Sullivan Foundation Competition.

Trainer holds a bachelor’s from Indiana University, a master’s from Cincinnati Conservatory, an Artist Diploma from the Opera Institute at Boston University, and a doctorate from Stony Brook University. Learn more at www.alisontrainer.com.

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