WEST CHESTER, PA — A new work by a West Chester University composer will take center stage when the university’s Symphony Orchestra opens its season with an all-American program featuring faculty artists, student musicians, and music tied to the nation’s history.
The West Chester University Symphony Orchestra will present “WCUSO Celebrates America” on Oct. 2 at Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall. The free performance will include the East Coast premiere of “Our America,” composed by WCU faculty member Ovidiu Marinescu and featuring faculty trumpeter Robert Skoniczin.
Maestro Paul Bryan will conduct the orchestra in a program featuring music by Marinescu, Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, and Samuel Barber.
The evening will conclude with Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” which combines orchestral music with excerpts from the speeches and writings of President Abraham Lincoln. WCU President Laurie Bernotsky will serve as narrator, reprising the role she performed during the university’s annual Concert on the Quad on Sept. 11.
The combination of a locally composed premiere and one of Copland’s best-known works gives the season opener a distinctly West Chester connection while placing the university’s musicians and faculty artists together on the Asplundh Concert Hall stage.
Event Details
- What: “WCUSO Celebrates America,” West Chester University Symphony Orchestra’s 2026–27 season opener
- When: Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, Philips Memorial Building, 700 S. High Street, West Chester, PA 19383
- Cost/Tickets: Free and open to the public; no advance registration required
- More Info: https://www.wcupa.edu/communications/newsroom/2026/09.17Symphony.aspx
Those unable to attend in person can watch the concert live through the Wells School of Music Vimeo channel at vimeo.com/wsom.
For local audiences, the concert offers a chance to hear a new composition by one of WCU’s own faculty members at its East Coast premiere, while students and faculty open another season of orchestral performances in the heart of West Chester.
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