Tonight, Moody Music Hall, which was in part recently renovated, will again fill its concert hall with the sounds of the symphony. 

The Huxford Symphony Orchestra, who will perform its season opener tonight, is part of the ensembles program at the UA School of Music and is led by Dr. Blake Richardson, director of orchestral studies. The orchestra performs six concerts and one opera every year on campus. Along with these concerts, they’ll perform alongside the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and as the pit orchestra for the UA Opera Theater’s spring production.

What sets the Huxford Symphony Orchestra apart from other ensemble programs is that the orchestra is open to all majors, not just music majors. 

“What’s specific to this program is that all majors are welcome,” said Alexandra Huryn, a junior violin performance major. “You can meet people from other majors which means you’re not always talking to and working with music majors.” 

Huryn started playing with the orchestra in high school at age 14 and joined the Huxford Symphony Orchestra when she arrived to college. Being a part of the orchestra helped Huryn decide to become a violin performance major. 

Tony Padilla, a junior music education and french horn performance dual major, chose to become part of the orchestra because of its impressive repertoire. 

“The music that we play has usually survived for so long because of its quality,” Padilla said. “So to listen to it now in modern times and feel the same things that people did in the 1700s and 1800s means a lot to me.” 

Padilla also praises Richardson for his ability to lead the orchestra. 

“Richardson does a great job of pushing for variety for the ensembles,” Padilla said. “The richness of color and sounds you get in this orchestra is unmatched in the UA music program.” 

Of all the concerts Huxford Symphony Orchestra will be performing this year, Padilla is most excited for the concert celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. The orchestra will join forces with the UA Wind Ensemble to perform “West Side Story: Symphonic Dances” on April 17. 

The show is tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Moody Music Concert Hall. This is the first time the orchestra will have a concert after only two weeks of practice. Tonight’s performance will feature the works of Maurice Ravel and Antonin Dvorak. Tickets are available at www.music.ua.edu.