NATCHITOCHES – The Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will open its 2019-20 season on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Tickets are $10. Northwestern State University, BPCC@NSU and Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts students are admitted free with a current student I.D.
Dr. Douglas Bakenhus is music director of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony. Juan Pablo Paternina Paez is the graduate assistant conductor. The featured guest artist is flutist and Northwestern State alumnus Cain-Oscar Bergeron of the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra.
The program will be “Marche Militaire Francaise” from “Suite algerienne” Op. 60 by St. Saens/Issac conducted by Paez, Abdelazer Suite, Z. 570 by Henry Purcell, Mozart’s “Flute Concerto in D major” featuring Bergeron and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.”
Bergeron is a multifaceted performer and educator in Atlanta. In addition to playing with the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, he is tenor section leader and flute soloist at All Saints’ Episcopal Church. He regularly plays in venues across the city with some of Atlanta’s most acclaimed organists and pianists. Bergeron has performed in masterclasses with Emanuel Pahud, Michel Debost, Mary Karen Clardy, Michael Hasel and others; and he has participated in festivals such as Domaine Forget Music Festival in Quebec and the Flute Institute at Oberlin Conservatory.
Bergeron completed the prestigious William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellowship at Lincoln Center in New York City. There he worked alongside the most talented teaching artists in New York and taught workshops and classes in many NYC-area schools and colleges.
Bergeron made his Lincoln Center debut with a recital called “Chez Nous Autres” upon the completion of the Kenan Fellowship. This recital featured the music of Eric Ewazen, Paul Hayden, and Cajun folk songs in an inspiring recount of the historic journey of the Cajuns from France to Canada and ultimately Louisiana. Bergeron performed as flutist and piccoloist with Litha Symphony Orchestra and with The Metropolitan Four, with whom he was invited to perform at the National Flute Association national convention in Chicago.
Bergeron earned a Master of Music degree from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied with Dr. Tadeu Coelho. He served as principal flute for the UNCSA Orchestra under the direction of James Allbritten and John Mauceri. Following his master’s degree program, Bergeron completed a professional artist certificate concentrating in orchestral flute performance while maintaining an active and talented private flute studio.
Before leaving his home state of Louisiana, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern State where he studied flute with Dr. Dennette McDermott. He was a founding member and president of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Flute Guild. Cain performed in the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Douglas Bakenhus and the Wind Symphony conducted by Bill Brent.
The orchestra’s next concert will be the annual Pops Concert on Oct. 31.
