When the conductor comes on stage at the Haskell Opera House on Sunday, September 30, he'll not only be signaling the musicians to begin playing Mozart's First Violin Concerto, but he'll also mark the twentieth year in which the Vermont Symphony Orchestra has brought its "Made in Vermont" tour to this international performance space. The first time the annual statewide tour visited the historic 1904 opera house located on the Stanstead-Derby Line border was 1997, so the math might seem a bit confusing. But, as Eleanor Long, Orchestra Manager of the VSO explains, "I believe the first 'Made in Vermont' concert at the Haskell was in 1997. It looks as if we skipped 1998 for some reason, but we have been there every year since 1999."

This year's "Made in Vermont" program expands the tour orchestra's instrumentation to include trumpets and timpani for a number of musical treasures, including Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring internationally-renowned violinist Soovin Kim, Haydn's Symphony No. 60 ("Il Distratto"), and Hungarian Dance No. 1 by Brahms. A special treat in the program is the world premiere of a commissioned work entitled "How We See Water," composed by Matthew LaRocca and presented along with the screening of a new film by Robin Starbuck. This is a collaboration with the Middlebury New Filmmakers' Festival.

Whether you give 'em a break for the year they missed…or not… on Sunday, September 30 at 4:00 pm the Vermont Symphony Orchestra's "Made in Vermont" tour will bring Vermonters, Quebecois, and visitors together again for a stunning performance to celebrate their twentieth anniversary during a gorgeous time of year. The Haskell Opera House is located at 93 Caswell Avenue, Derby Line, VT AND at 1 Church Street, Stanstead, QC.

Tickets will be available at the door, or visit www.vso.org.