The Wartburg Community Symphony concluded its 70th anniversary season with a concert featuring “a bucket list piece” for conductor Rebecca Nederhiser — Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony no. 3.

Wartburg’s own Karen Black joined the ensemble on the piece, which is often referred to as the “Organ Symphony.”

“Saint-Saëns is a timeless work that speaks to all generations. The energetic motives and rich orchestration — especially organ — is inspiring,” Nederhiser said. “Our concert theme of ‘Onward’ was an homage to this work’s heroic nature, foreshadowing an exciting future for the symphony.”

The concert also featured the college’s two concerto winners: soprano Katelyn Kluver and Abby Gaul on saxophone.

“Following Covid, I wanted to make sure our 70th anniversary was celebrated through performing masterworks that involved community collaboration,” Nederhiser said. “I am thrilled with our outreach this year and look forward to the years to come.”

The anniversary celebration started in August with the celebration of a “Legacy of Music” fundraiser that helped establish the Alan and Patricia Legacy of Music Endowed Scholarship. More than $55,000 was raised for the fund, which will distribute a scholarship annually to a Wartburg student.

Each of the season’s four concerts featured a special collaboration that helped grow interest in the program. Most notable of those partnerships was the 130-voice community choir that helped bring life to George Handel’s “Messiah” and the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s “Messages from Everywhere,” which featured AI-generated images set to the sounds of the symphony and music from the Wartburg Choir.

Nederhiser also partnered with the Neave Trio to present the symphony’s first Young People’s Concert, which brought more than 350 youth from Waverly-Shell Rock elementary schools to the college to engage in musical pursuits.

“April is instrumental recruitment season for W-SR fourth graders. As I visited each fourth grade classroom to share about orchestra at W-SR and potentially joining the program, I heard many, many times about the student’s visit to Wartburg,” said Sarah O’Neill, orchestra instructor at Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School. “The students’ eyes would shine with excitement. They were impressed! I believe the experience at Wartburg motivated even more students to try instruments. Both the Young People’s concert and the summer camp opportunities have been musically great for W-SR students.”

While this season may be over, Nederhiser already is looking forward to this summer and the symphony’s 71st season.

Youth in seventh through 12th grades are invited to attend Wartburg’s Meistersinger Music Camp on campus June 25-30. The camp will include an orchestra/chamber ensemble, building on the success of last year’s Meistersinger Chamber String Camp. Additional information is available at www.wartburg.edu/camps.

John Hagen, a Waverly native who made a name for himself as a member of the Texas Tenors, will join the symphony for its season-opening concert on Oct. 21. In December, the symphony will partner with Wartburg’s Opera Workshop to present the fairytale opera “Hansel and Gretel.” The symphony will celebrate American jazz in February 2024, with soloist Eric Wachmann on clarinet and Madeline Rogers on piano in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” The season will conclude on April 13, 2024, with “Dance of Life,” which will feature Wartburg concerto winners and local youth dancing to Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite.”

Anyone interested in joining the Wartburg Community Symphony for the 2023-24 season can contact Nederhiser at rebecca.nederhiser@wartburg.edu. Symphony rehearsals are held Monday and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.