Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra

Check out this video taken by WRAC 8 Willmar Public TV

WASO Brochure

Attention Young Musicians and Teachers!!!!

Important 2019 Young Artists' Competition dates are:

Application deadline: Dec. 14, 2018
Auditions: Jan. 22, 2019
Concert Date: May 11, 2019
Please visit the Young Artist page for all the details

Announcing our 2018-2019 Season

War and Peace
Saturday, November 3, 2018, 7 PM, WEAC Auditorium
Pitnarry Shin, Cello
1. Edward Elgar: Cello Concerto

2. Gustav Holst: The Planets (excerpts)

Mars: The Bringer of War
Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity
Venus: the Bringer of Peace

November 11th (Armistice Day and now, Veteran’s Day) we marks the 100th anniversary of the end of
“The Great War” or, some said, “The war to end all wars”. The Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra will
commemorate the events of 1914-1918 with two works created during and in memory of World War I.

A Very Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 20, 2018, 7 PM, WEAC Auditorium
The Main Pointe School of Dance, guest ballet troupe
1. Peter Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Ballet (Excerpts)
2. Engelbert Humperdinck: Song of the Sandman, Evening Prayer and Dream Pantomime
3. Silvestri: The Polar Express
4. Mel Torme: The Christmas Song
5. Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Polonaise from the Christmas Eve Suite
6. Calvin Custer: It’s Christmas

Fish Tales
Sunday, March 3, 2019 3 PM – WEAC Auditorium
Kevin Kling, Narrator
1. Victor Zupanc: The Burning Wisdom of Finn McCool
2. Felix Mendelssohn: The Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave)
3. Georg Friedrich Handel: Water Music Suite
4. Bedřich Smetana: The Moldau
5. Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean

Young Artists’ Concert
Saturday, May 11, 2019 7 PM – WEAC Auditorium
Featuring the winners of our Young Artists’ Competition
1. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
2. Suppe: Light Cavalry Overture

** Encore event**
The Symphony Ball
December 31, 2018 7-12 PM – Willmar Convention Center
Dining, Dancing, and Ringing in 2019!
Watch the website for updates and ticket information.

Schedule of events

Meet the Members of the orchestra

Support the orchestra

Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra announces our new conductor.

Stephen J. Ramsey (Music Director/Conductor) is the founding music director of the Dakota Valley Symphony. He is in his 31 st season conducting the Symphony and the Summer Pops Orchestra. He is also in his 23rd season as Music director/Conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Austin, Minnesota. After assisting James Riccardo on several occasions with his duties as the founding music director of the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Orchestra, Ramsey has been pleased to serve as its music director for the past six years.

A well-known conductor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Ramsey has led performances at many area colleges, concert halls and churches. He has served as music director and conductor for Lakeshore Players and Applause Community Theater. He has held the positions of Director of Ensembles for Hamline University and Conducting Associate for the St. Paul Civic Symphony. At various times, he has also been the music director for productions by Chimera Theater, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, and the Minneapolis Jewish Community Center’s Chamber Orchestra, mixed chorus, women’s chorus, and their Genesis Theater Company.

Ramsey is an active guest conductor throughout the upper Midwest, and has led the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, the Bloomington Symphony, the Minnesota Youth Symphonies, the St. Paul Jewish Community Center Orchestra, Kenwood Symphony Orchestra, Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra, the Central Chamber Orchestra, the Suburban East High School Orchestra Festival, and the Des Moines Junior High School Music Festival Orchestra.

Ramsey holds a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He has studied with Leonard Slatkin, William McGlaughlin, Dr. Glenn Block, Dr. Lee Humphries, Max Rudolph, Dr. Maurice Jones, Dr. Samuel Jones, Harold Farberman, Kirk Muspratt, Dr. Eph Ehly, and Dr. James Sample.

Steve is so very pleased to have the opportunity to serve the members of the Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra, it’s very active board of directors, and its tremendously supportive audiences. Please welcome him into the Willmar community and tell him what you would like to hear!!!

Season Tickets

Concert Tickets

Tickets at the Door

Adult $10
Family Pack 2 adults and unlimited number of children $25
Students 5-18 $5
Under 5 Free

The Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra is a 501 (C) (3) non profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible.