Students to showcase classical talents

NASHUA – This Saturday, Nashua’s Janice B. Streeter Theater will host the second installment of the Nashua Symphony Association’s youth concerts.

The performance, titled “By Kids, For Kids,” will showcase high school-aged singers and instrumentalists from the internationally known Walnut Hill School in Natick, Mass., along with the Nashua Youth Choir, led by Sylvie Stewart.

The Walnut Hill School is a secondary school specializing in the arts. In 1988, Walnut Hill became the first school in the United States to have an affiliation with a major conservatory of music.

Eric Valliere, the symphony’s executive director, is familiar with the Walnut Hill School from his days at the New England Conservatory, where he did undergraduate and graduate work.

“What makes Walnut Hill appealing for our concert is that their students are very accomplished young players who are on a track to professional careers,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to have young people at the caliber that we want to present to our community.”

Valliere added that Laura Thielke, director of chamber music at Walnut Hill School, was eager to take advantage of the opportunity to have her students perform with the Nashua Symphony Association.

“It didn’t take much convincing,” Valliere said.

Thielke could not be reached for comment.

Valliere said that Walnut Hill is still in the process of completing the performance’s program, and he was not aware of any specific songs. He did, however, say that the genre was classical.

Valliere believes that the experience will be beneficial for both the community and the students of Walnut Hill.

“From (Laura Thielke’s) point of view, it was an excellent opportunity to get some performance experience in front of an audience that’s not just their parents or peers,” Valliere said. “The interest is good, and we’ve had anywhere from 100 to 200 people at these concerts.”

Tickets can be purchased at the Nashua Symphony Box Office on Church Street or by calling 595-9156. They will also be available at the theater an hour before the performance.

Tickets are $8 for senior citizens and ages 18 and younger and $12 for adults. For more information, visit the www.nashuasymphony.org.