Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra to perform at River Campus on Friday

The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. today at the Bedell Performance Hall on the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus.

Southeast Missouri State University symphony orchestra director Sarah Edgerton said audience members can expect to hear some wonderful classical music.

"They will be performing some really, really famous pieces: the overture to 'Romeo and Juliet' by Tchaikovsky, 'Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini' by Rachmaninoff and 'Scheherazade' by Rimsky-Korsakov. These are all Russian," Edgerton said.

She said all the musicians in the orchestra are Russian and are acclaimed international soloists.

"We are really lucky to be able to get them while they are in the Midwest. It is a good chance to hear them. It is definitely cheaper than flying to Moscow to see them. They are the finest of musicians," Edgerton said.

The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1978 to broadcast symphonic music of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries throughout Russia. The group first toured the United States in 2004, with 42 concert stops. This year's tour will last nine weeks and include more than 50 concerts. Following tonight's performance, the group will travel to Arizona to begin the western leg of the tour.

Edgerton said one the great things about any symphony orchestra is the representation of various instruments. The orchestra's group of 80 musicians includes those who play strings, winds, brass and percussion. Edgerton said there will also be a piano soloist featured this evening.

River Campus box office manager Ellen Farrow said that while this is the first time the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra has performed at the Bedell Performance Hall, similar groups have attracted large crowds to the River Campus.

"Symphonies are one of our biggest draws. They are usually very close to sellouts," Farrow said.

She said more than 500 tickets have been sold for tonight's performance, but there are still plenty of seats available.

"We have about 350 tickets left," Farrow said.

Tickets are $33 to $39 and are available at the River Campus box office or by calling 651-2265.