Musicians will be the focus of Albany Symphony’s Saturday Gala
Musicians will be the focus of the Albany Symphony Orchestra’s season kickoff, the gala “A Night at the Oscars,” which will be held Saturday at the Merry Acres Event Center.
ALBANY — It’s one of the sad realities that, too often, when someone chooses to celebrate an event with a special presentation, the reason for the event gets lost in the shuffle.
But Albany Symphony Orchestra Board President Staci Willson and ASO Musical Director/Conductor Claire Fox Hillard are taking pains to make sure that the orchestra’s heart and soul — its musicians — are the focus of the symphony’s season kickoff, the gala “A Night at the Oscars,” which will be held Saturday at the Merry Acres Event Center.
“When people go to a concert, they see the musicians onstage, performing, but they don’t get the opportunity to interact with them,” Hillard said. “We wanted to give several of the musicians an opportunity to perform in a more intimate setting.
“After they play at the gala, we hope they have the opportunity to interact with the audience.”
Musicians who will perform during the gala include: The Brass Ensemble, which includes Samuel Jones and Noah Thomas on trumpet, Theo Horton on French horn, Natalie Savoie on trombone and Justin McKinney on tuba; harpist Sara Burden; String Quartet members Kristin Pfeifer Yu, who is the concertmaster, violinist Catherine Yara, viola player Laurel Yu, and celloist Kathryn Troy; and the oboe duet Wil Wise and Gabriel Grant.
“We want the music to be an important part of the gala,” Hillard said. “Most of the performers are from the Valdosta area, and they already perform together.
“The Brass Ensemble will play selections from the movies, which will be part of our ‘A Night at the Oscars’ performance this season; the string quartet will perform during dinner, the harpist will play during a silent auction, and the oboe duet will perform during cocktails.”
Kathryn Troy, who has a doctorate degree in cello, took a circuitous route to her instrument.
“When I was 12, I wanted to play flute in our school orchestra, but they didn’t have one,” Troy said in a phone interview. “My friend wanted to play cello, so I decided to play cello with her. It turned out to be really cool, and I soon realized I’d found my passion.
In addition to performing with the Albany Symphony, Troy also plays with orchestras in Valdosta, Columbus and North Florida and Gulf Coast Sinfonias.
OboistGabriel Grant has appeared with orchestras across the country, including recent performances with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Austin Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic, and Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. A prize-winning chamber musician, he was a founding member of a reed quintet that won first place in the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition
Grant earned a master of music degree in Oboe Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of music degree from Columbus State University.
This season marks Gabriel’s first with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and he said he is “looking forward to being a part of the thriving musical community that Albany has to offer.”
Fellow oboist Sherwood Wise teaches oboe, bassoon, and Music Theory at Valdosta State University, where he also serves as Opera Music Director. A former member of the music faculty at the College of Saint Rose, he holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and Florida State University.
Wise serves as principal oboe of the Valdosta Symphony, the Gainesville Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony, and is a member of Sinfonia Gulf Coast. Prior to relocating to south Georgia, he was principal oboe of the Glens Falls Symphony and played with the Vermont Symphony for more than 20 years.
Willson said Saturday’s event will have a bit of everything for symphony supporters, including the silent auction, a seated dinner and a cocktail hour.
“The public is invited to experience an unforgettable evening with the Albany Symphony Orchestra,” she said. “And while the gala is the official kickoff of the 2025-26 season, it’s also a fundraiser for the symphony’s education program that will empower the next generation of music lovers.”
Tickets are available at Upcoming Fundraisers | Albany Symphony Orchestra.
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