The concert performed by the OC Wind Symphony this past weekend was based on the theme of southern harmony and southern hospitality when it was a much simpler time and known for small town parades, marches and fairs.
The concert was held with the Anaheim Center of Performing Arts at Servite High School. Starting at 6 p.m. with a pre-show conversation with the board of directors, which also included the conductor for the OC Wind Symphony, Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro and the concert started at 6:30 p.m.
As concert goers walked into the entrance of the theater that the concert was held in, they could see a bustle of people looking at merchandise that was set up, programs that were being handed out with notes to the songs letting them know where that song came from and how it originated, and a raffle to win a prize during the performance.
As one walked into the theater, a constant flow of instruments being tuned and last minute practice pieces being prepared could be heard. This included some directors having conversations with the musicians guiding them to their proper places. Then, before the concert began, Executive Director Dorothy Rose introduced the theme of the evening and the conductor.
Dr. Mazzaferro is the music director and conductor for the OC Wind Symphony, as well as a principal tuba player for the symphony. He also works at Fullerton College as the director of bands having a number of students eventually auditioning for the OC Symphony. As he has a direct hand with choosing potential musicians, Dr. Mazzaferro described the process of selecting potential musicians including those from Fullerton College.
“Students are recommended by professors who think they would be a good addition to the program, dedicating almost 95 percent of their time to practicing parts and auditioning for their spot,” said Dr. Mazzaferro.
Dr. Mazzaferro also described how the board chooses the themes for the concerts, as well as meeting with other music directors one-on-one.
“We would go out to lunch or converse with each other spinning off ideas. The next concert we actually came up with the idea to do a selection of music based on Russian composers, something that reminded us of the terror people lived through during the Cold War, when at the time, the only way we had a peaceful moment was when we had the arts and music,” Mazzaferro said.
There were also FC alumni who are part of the OC Wind Symphony, including Phillip Pacier, who is one of the principal trumpet musicians. Pacier has been working with Dr. Mazzaferro for almost 20 years as well as with the symphony and also delving into other symphonies over the years. Now, he teaches at Santiago Canyon College as a music professor.
Overall, it was a successful performance by the musicians and directors. They have nine more concerts this season, including a special Halloween concert on the Oct. 25. The symphony also has a subscription service so that members can choose between different packages that will allow them to see specific concerts and can make donations to invest in the OC Wind Symphony. These donations keep the OC Wind Symphony thriving.
