Newburgh. Concert combines orchestral music, colors and original art

The Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra (GNSO) will perform “Luminosity” on March 18 at 4:00 p.m. in Aquinas Hall at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

Under the direction of Maestro Russell Ger, the concert will feature the works of four composers exploring the interplay of music and color.

“As sophisticated as our human languages are, they fall dramatically short when it comes to describing sensory experiences such as taste, sound and sight,” Ger said. “Hence the old story of failing to adequately describe an arresting sunset to a blind person. So we are forced to borrow from other parts of language. In music, this is often from the visual medium of color which, in turn, is the theme of this program.

“An added bonus,” Ger said, “will be our uniquely exciting collaboration with a local Orange County visual artist, Heidi Lanino, who will join me in conversation before the program and then paint a canvas for each work in real time in response to the music. These may be auctioned off at a later date.”

Tickets - which are $50 for Balcony, $40 for Reserved, $35 for Open, and $25 for Senior Citizen - can be purchased online or at the door. Call 845-913-7157 or visit www.newburghsymphony.org for information. Students are admitted free to Open seating.

The Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1995 by Dr. Woomyung Choe and its first president, George Handler. In addition to its regular concerts, the Orchestra performs special engagements, such as with Moxart and summer concerts at Boscobel House and Gardens.