Out & About: WSO plays 'Classics on the Rocks' at West Overton

Classical music lovers were presented with a casual concert experience at “Classics on the Rocks,” presented June 8 at West Overton Village in East Huntingdon.

The “classics” part of the event was the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s cello ensemble playing a program of music by familiar composers such as Bach, Debussy and Vivaldi — and a piece that might not have been expected in that milieu.

The penultimate selection was Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” written by Metallica guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, a piece that the heavy metal band has performed with the San Francisco Symphony.

The “rocks” component was the opportunity for guests 21 and older to purchase signature cocktails featuring West Overton Distillery’s rye whiskey, poured by co-Executive Directors Aaron Hollis and Patrick Bochy.

The evening was an encore for the symphony, which presented a well-attended concert last summer in West Overton’s rustic barn event space. The hope is that it will become an ongoing series for the two organizations, said WSO Executive Director Natalie Kasievich.

She noted that the concert also was a part of Westmoreland 250 programming, the yearlong celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of Westmoreland County.

The cello ensemble featured director Will Teegarden, WSO principal cellist, along with Beideth Briceño, Christina Chen, Sarah Ferrell, William Garcia Hernandez and Alicia Storin.

Attendees included 22 cyclists from nine states who were part of a Road Scholar “Biking the Gap” tour traveling the Great Allegheny Passage. The evening interlude followed 30 miles of biking on the trail, said leader Mary Kaufman, program director at Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant Township.

Seen in the barn: Paul and Barbara Schimizzi, David and Sandy Wolk, Tom and Stepahnie Zalewski, Allan and LuAnn Mann, Nicholas and Denise Shinsky, Vickie Jozefczyk, Bobbie Stillions, Tracey Sepe, Tom and Cecilia Rice, George Shaner, Michael Philopena, David McMunn, Dennis Bell, Matt and Tiffany Cerimele, Nancy Ivan, Joel Beres, West Overton staffer Pam Curtin and distiller Justin Grimm with Marissa Grimm.