IRRIGON — Inland Northwest Musicians will present a public concert of the Willow Creek Symphony, under the direction of R. Lee Friese and associate conductor Phillip Simpson, on Saturday, March 11, at Irrigon Junior Senior High School at 4 p.m.

Admission is free with donations welcome.

This concert funded by the Morrow County Unified Recreation District.

Two Young People’s Concerts will be held the following week on Thursday, March 16, 9:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. at Hermiston Community Center for students in grades 4-6. Expected attendance will be close to 900 students. The Young People’s Concert is provided by support from the Umatilla County Cultural Coalition through the Oregon Cultural Trust.

According to a press release, the Willow Creek Symphony began with homeschooled families and community members in Heppner prior to the formation of the Inland Northwest Musicians. The two organizations soon joined together to provide an opportunity for developing players to advance their skills and perform.

The symphony rehearsed for several years in Irrigon and currently rehearses at Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston. Joining the developing musicians are more experienced players from the Inland Northwest Orchestra who sit side-by-side together with those in their second and third year of training.

About the concert

Featured in the March 11 concert will be three pieces from familiar movies — a selection of songs written by John Williams and John Ottman (arranged by Victor Lopez) for the 2006 film “Superman Returns”; the theme from 1960 classic “The Magnificent Seven” written by Elmer Bernstein and arranged by Roy Phillipee; and the opening song from the musical “Oklahoma!” (“Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin”) created by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and arranged by Ralph Matesky.

Also being performed is a piece by Alexander Borodin composed in 1880 titled “On the Steppes of Central Asia.”

“The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa rounds out the concert. In his 1928 autobiography “Marching Along,” Sousa wrote that he composed the march on Christmas Day of 1896. He was onboard an ocean liner on his way home from a vacation with his wife in Europe and had just learned of the recent death of David Blakely, the manager of the Sousa Band. He composed the march in his head and committed the notes to paper on arrival in the United States. It was first performed at Willow Grove Park, just outside Philadelphia, on May 14, 1897. Following an Act of Congress in 1987, it was officially adopted as the national march of the United States of America.

About the orchestra

Founded in 1999, Inland Northwest Musicians is comprised of volunteer musicians from throughout Northeastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington.

There is no admission charge for any of the concerts presented by Inland Northwest Musicians, but the program is funded by corporate sponsors, grants, local concert sponsorships, and individual donations.

This season’s sponsors include the Good Shepherd Health Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, Wallowa Valley Networks, Wallowa’s Futures Foundation, Blue Mt. Community Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, Amazon Web Services, Hermiston Kiwanis Club, Herbert A. Templeman Foundation, Pacific Power Foundation, Umatilla and Morrow County Cultural Coalition through the Oregon Cultural Trust and funding from Morrow County Unified Recreation District.

For more information, visit inlandnorthwestmusicians.com.