Van der Stucken Festival Free Concert - 3/22

The community is invited to celebrate the life and music of Fredericksburg-born composer  Frank Valentin van der Stucken at a free concert on on Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Halle in Fredericksburg.

The program will feature choral works sung by the Arion Maennerchor and the Hermann Sons Mixed Choir, under the direction of Mark Hierholzer.

The Fredericksburg Community Orchestra will perform for the third year, under the direction of Theresa Britt.

Carol Wills will sing, and baritone Larry Wolz, professor of voice and music history at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, will present a piece composed by van der Stucken. Dr. Wolz is an authority on the German composer’s life, and has more than 200 van der Stucken works in his personal library.

Following the short program, refreshments will be served and audience members can visit with Dr. Wolz and other performers.

Van der Stucken was born in Fredericksburg in 1858. His family returned to Belgium when the boy was 8. The young Frank studied with such composers as Edvard Grieg and Giuseppe Verdi.

Van der Stucken returned to the United States in 1884, where he led the “Sangerbund” movement, training singers in the tradition of German male choruses. He also was a champion of contemporary American composers, conducting the first concert devoted exclusively to them.