SYMPHONY, CHORALE ANNOUNCE NEW SEASON.

Byline: Daily News

LANCASTER - Both new and familiar melodies will be brought to life on stage during the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale's 2005-06 season ``Music with Friends.''

The five-concert season, which begins Oct. 1 at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, will feature guest artists including the Southern California Mormon Choir and Antelope Valley Ballet.

``The Romantic Russians,'' spotlighting the work of 19th and 20th century composers, will open the season at 8 p.m. Oct. 1. Guest soloist Shun-Lin Chou, head of keyboards at California State University, Long Beach, will join the 55-member orchestra on Piotr Ilytch Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, ``Pathetique.''

``This particular selection was Tchaikovsky's last piece,'' said symphony artistic director and conductor David Newby. ``It premiered two weeks before he committed suicide, and he said this piece had an inner meaning for him.''

The piece will be discussed at a ``curtain raiser'' lecture that begins at 7 p.m. before the show.

The Antelope Valley College Civic Orchestra, made up of students and volunteers, will join the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale on stage in a rendition of Alexander Borodin's Overture to Prince Igor. Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major will round out the evening.

``I'm really excited about the opening performance,'' Newby said. ``The selections are romantic with big, warm sounds that provide quite a variety. Russian music is moody and pensive and exciting, and it evolved within a 100-year period into some of the most popular music in the world.''

On Dec. 17 at 8 p.m., the Antelope Valley Master Chorale will celebrate the holiday season with a performance of multi-denominational selections and then move into Christmas carols.

The chorale, under the direction of Mike McCullough, will be accompanied by the Antelope Valley Civic Orchestra.

Ludwig von Beethoven's Overture in C Major, ``Nameday,'' will be performed by the symphony at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 as part of the ``Youth and Adventure'' concert. The winners of the 2006 Gail Newby Concerto Competition will be announced at the concert, with the first and second place winners each performing a movement with the symphony.

Also, ``Youth and Adventure'' will showcase Steve Reich's ``The Desert Music'' with the Antelope Valley Ballet, the Master Chorale and the Antelope Valley College Civic Orchestra.

``This selection is fun. It's sort of like orchestra rock 'n' roll,'' Newby said. ``It has driving rhythm and a lot of repeating themes. I think the audience will really enjoy this one.''

The symphony will celebrate the 250th year of master composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a performance at 8 p.m. March 25. About 40 musicians will take the stage to perform highlights from compositions such as Symphony No. 35 in D Major, Sinfonia Concertante, Clarinet Concerto in A Major, Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major and the first act of ``The Marriage of Figaro.''

A performance of Beethoven's ``Missa Solemnis,'' featuring the Southern California Mormon Choir, will conclude the season at 4 p.m. April 30.

In addition to its regular season, the symphony has scheduled youth concerts at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Feb. 22, 2006, for students grades four through 12. Admission to the 50-minute program is $4 per student. Teachers or parents may contact Diane Burkholder at [phone] for more information.

Tickets for the symphony's regular season may be purchased by logging on towww.AVSOMC.org or www.LPAC.org or at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center box office, 750 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster.