Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra to perform Feb. 22 at Majestic Theater

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra will perform music from Hollywood movies Feb. 22 at the Majestic Theater.

The 3 p.m. performance will feature music from "The Dark Knight," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," "Apollo 13" and others. Each piece will be accompanied by images drawn from the films on a screen. The orchestra is directed by Sunderman Conservatory of Music Professor Alexander Kahn. The event is free and open to the public.

The Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra forms the core of the orchestral program at the college's Sunderman Conservatory of Music. The orchestra performs a variety of musical works that reflect both the rigorous performance standards and it's place within the broader liberal arts community.

Kahn is director of orchestral activities at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. He completed his doctorate in music history and literature at the University of California at Berkeley. There, he was music director and founder of the University Chamber Orchestra and assistant conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. Kahn has also served as music director of the Berkeley Summer Symphony, assistant conductor of the Berkeley University Chorus and assistant conductor of the Oakland Civic Orchestra. Kahn is active as a musicologist. His dissertation, "Double Lives: Exile Composers in Los Angeles," focused on the community of European exiles who fled to Los Angeles during the Third Reich. He has published articles on film music and amateur music-making in 19th-century America. Additional research interests include semiotics and 20th-century performance practice.

The Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College combines Gettysburg's superb music tradition and its strengths as one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges. Established in 2005 through a $15.7 million gift from 1919 graduate Dr. F. William Sunderman Sr., the conservatory offers three degrees -- bachelor of music in performance, bachelor of arts in music, and bachelor of science in music education -- as well as a minor in music.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with approximately 2,600 students. It is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

By: Justin Brower, class of 2010

Contact: Kendra Martin, director of media relations