In a joint release from S&T Bank and the Lively Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, it was announced today that S&T Bank will be the presenting sponsor for the upcoming performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Manfred Honeck will be conducting, and this performance will feature special guest artist María Dueñas on violin. The Lively Arts will be presenting this performance in Indiana on February 17, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Fisher Auditorium.
Chris McComish, CEO of S&T Bank, shared, “We’re very excited to partner with IUP Lively Arts and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to bring top-tier entertainment to Indiana and the surrounding communities. The PSO provides listeners with rich culture and beautiful music, and we’re proud to offer everyone the opportunity to be inspired, spark personal creativity, and nurture a love for music. We thank the university and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for your dedication to promoting the arts and uplifting the communities around us.”
Curt Scheib, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs at IUP, added, “We are extraordinarily grateful to S&T Bank for their sponsorship of the concert marking the return of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to Indiana. These community partnerships are certainly the hallmark of S&T Bank, and together with IUP and the Lively Arts, we are excited to provide the opportunity to bring a world-class orchestra to Indiana County.”
The program will feature Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Opus 95 [old No. 5] “From the New World.” Dvořák traveled to America in the 1890s, and this wild new country thrilled him. He admired the beauty of African-American spirituals and was fascinated by Native American traditions. When describing his “New World” symphony, he said, “I tried to write only in the spirit of those national American melodies,” but his Ninth is clearly an expression of both the Old World and the New. Alongside Dvořák’s familiar symphony, violin phenom María Dueñas performs Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 3 in B minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 61, and the program opens with a set of Four Black American Dances by Carlos Simon that also serve to highlight Dvořák’s African-American inspirations.
To celebrate this partnership between IUP Lively Arts and S&T Bank, a coupon code “STBank2” will provide a $2 discount per ticket off the already reasonable ticket prices of $10–$20/ticket. This means that a family of two adults and two children could enjoy an evening of world-class entertainment for less than $50. This coupon code may be entered online at checkout, or please mention the code “STBank2” if calling to receive $2 off/ticket.
The engagement is part of the 2024–25 Ovations series, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s premier performance series that includes touring artists and productions from around the globe. Other events on this series include a stand-up comedy show at the Hadley Union Building in the Ohio Room on Wednesday, January 29, and the Peking Acrobats will take the stage at Fisher Auditorium on Friday, March 28. Tickets for all three Ovations events are on sale now.
Advance tickets may be purchased either online or by phone. Patrons who have questions or wish to purchase tickets by phone may call the Lively Arts office at 724-357-2787, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for assistance. There are no advance in-person ticket sales before the show. However, any remaining tickets may be purchased in person one hour before the show at the door.