Arctic Chamber Orchestra to perform at WMS Thursday

WASILLA — The Arctic Chamber Orchestra will perform a free concert with saxophone virtuoso Jun Watabe at 7 p.m., Sept. 20 at Wasilla Middle School.

Under the direction of Eduard Zilberkant, the orchestra will perform work by Franz Peter Schubert, Alexander Glazunov, Jacques Ibert and Felix Mendelssohn.

The concert opens with the Overture in the Italian Style by Schubert. Watabe, who also is an assistant professor of single reeds at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will perform two relatively short saxophone concertos.

The Glazunov Concerto is scored for solo saxophone and string orchestra and the Ibert Concertino is scored for solo saxophone with single woodwinds, horn, trumpet and strings. The program also includes the Italian Symphony by Mendelssohn.

Born in Japan, Watabe began his professional musical career while earning his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance in Japan. He then came to the U.S. to broaden his musical education studying with Bil Jackson at the University of Northern Colorado.

Founded in 1970 by Gordon Wright, the Arctic Chamber Orchestra’s mission is to bring classical music to the far corners of Alaska. Fulfilling that mission has led the orchestra to travel by plane, ferry, barge, open riverboat, snowmachine, dog sled and even goat truck to reach its destinations.