The Orchestra of the Bronx will be performing Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto” and Mozart’s “Symphony No. 39” on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m., at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater, located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W.
According to the Orchestra of the Bronx Founder and Conductor Michael Spierman, this concert will mark the closing performance of the 2025-26 season. The show from the 40-member orchestra will be free and no reservations will be necessary.
Spierman founded the Orchestra of the Bronx in 1972. The main mission of the orchestra is to bring music to people across all walks of life and incomes by performing for free and making their shows open to the public. Works of music from across all periods are performed, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century works.
In addition to founding the Orchestra of the Bronx, Spierman was also the artistic director of the Bronx Opera, a music faculty member at Hunter College for 38 years, chaired the New York State Council on the Arts’ music panel and has guest conducted with orchestras in the United States, England, Bulgaria and South America.
The performance will also feature guest violinist Nick Attila. His credits range from being a soloist and orchestra member of several symphony orchestras to current affiliations with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra and the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. He also performed the fiddle solo on the Karaoke version of Taylor Swift’s hit song “Love Story.” Attila earned music degrees from Empire State University, Southern Methodist University Music Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music.
Ludwig van Beethoven wrote the Violin Concerto in D major in 1806, premiering it that December in Vienna. He wrote it for his colleague, violinist Franz Clement, who had previously given him helpful advice in the development of his opera Fidelio. While the premiere was not well-received at the time, it was later revived by then-12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim with the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society, led by conductor Felix Mendelssohn in 1844. Today, this violin concerto is widely considered one of the most important in its genre.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 is the first of a set of three composed by Mozart in the summer of 1788. The earliest account of its performance was in March 1792 at an all-Mozart memorial concert in Hamburg. The author of this account, Iwan Anderwitsch, talked about how impressed he was in the symphony. Today, it is frequently performed and recorded.
