Massive theater organ, genre-bending cellist join orchestra for music spanning Russia, Austria and France
Muskegon, MI — West Michigan Symphony’s (WMS) 2025-2026 Mainstage Season comes to a super-sized finish with the thundering “Organ” Symphony No. 3 of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and the rock-infused Cello Concerto of the iconoclastic Austrian Friedrich Gulda. The former will feature Muskegon’s own Peter Kurdziel at the helm of the Barton theater organ; the latter will showcase the fiery muse and formidable technique of WMS Principal Cello Igor Cetkovic. Opening the concert will be Russian composer Mikhail Glinka’s exuberant Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla. Conducted by Scott Speck, the concert will be held at 7:30pm Friday, May 8 at the Frauenthal Center, 425 W. Western Avenue in Muskegon. The performance is sponsored by Hines Corporation; Mike and Kay Olthoff are the 2025-2026 Season Sponsors; Blue Lake Public Radio is the Media Sponsor. For tickets, starting at $19 for adults, $10 for students, visit westmichigansymphony.org or call 231.727.8001.
The Symphony No. 3 of Saint-Saëns is not an organ concerto; it features its namesake instrument only sporadically, and primarily to dramatize musical climaxes with the sheer mass of sound only an organ with all its stops pulled can produce. In addition to the “king of instruments,” the work calls for a king-sized orchestra of 75 players, including two pianos.
The 1927 Barton Theater Organ, located inside the historic Frauenthal Theater, originally accompanied silent films during the golden age of cinema. It was expanded over the years, most recently in the 1990s to reach its present size with three manuals (keyboards), eight ranks and pipe chambers on both sides of the stage. In 2019, a roof leak caused damage to one of its chambers. This will mark its first use by WMS since the completion of repairs. Featured organist Peter Kurdziel is Director of Music at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven and previously served in the same position at the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids, Michigan for fifteen years.
The eccentric Friedrich Gulda was a sensation in mid-20th century Vienna as a gifted pianist and first-tier interpreter of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. He branched into jazz and rock and became known for combining pop and dance music on programs with traditional classical repertoire. His Cello Concerto of 1980 reflects this with its unlikely combination of hard rock, big band jazz, classical, mariachi and polka!
In addition to his role as principal cello of WMS, Serbian-born Igor Cetkovic is an artist-in-residence and principal cello of the Kalamazoo Symphony and a member of the Burdick-Thorne String Quartet. He is on the music faculty of Hope College and has given masterclasses at Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University, among others. An avid fan of modern music, Igor has played with some of Serbia’s biggest pop stars. Friendly but quiet in his personal interactions, he comes to life when he plays the cello.
2026-2027 Mainstage Season
The West Michigan Symphony’s 2026-2027 mainstage season at the Frauenthal will bring everything from Tchaikovsky’s beloved Violin Concerto to the nostalgic hits of The Beach Boys and the sweeping soundscape of the Wild West. Music Director Scott Speck has speckled the season with surprises, standards and works that promise to inspire and connect. Season ticket packages are available now starting at just $99, and offer more than just great music – flexible ticket exchange, VIP service, additional ticket discounts and a satisfaction guarantee. For full season listing and information click HERE.
About West Michigan Symphony
An anchor cultural organization headquartered in Muskegon celebrating its 86th Season this year, West Michigan Symphony led by Music Director Scott Speck is a resident presenting group at the Frauenthal Center, where its eight-concert season is the most visible part of a larger artistic enterprise of far-reaching community benefit. The WMS also operates The Block, a 120-seat listening room for the musically curious complementing the WMS’s mainstage orchestra offerings with jazz, classical and more. WMS concerts and education events bring 18,500 people—more than 30% of whom are children and students—annually, making it the largest performing arts organization along the West Michigan Lakeshore.
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