Orchestra offering free family concert

NORWALK — Firelands Symphony Orchestra will present its free annual family concert for all ages. This concert is completely free and open to the public, thanks to the generosity of the Randolph J. & Estelle M. Dorn Foundation, the Geotrac Foundation of Huron County and the Ohio Arts Council. Embodying a winter wonderland theme, this year's family concert will take place on Sunday, Jan. 26 at Norwalk's Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center, 350 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. Free children and family activities begin at 3 p.m. At 3 p.m., before the concert, children and families can enjoy hands-on crafts and musical activities, including a hot chocolate bar, making musical snowflakes, a hands-on jingle bell display and more. Families and children attending are also encouraged to wear their pajamas to enjoy the cozy concert. The concert, which begins at 4 p.m., will feature the Firelands Symphony Orchestra under the direction of music director and conductor Carl Topilow. Joining the orchestra will also be guest vocalist Lauren Berry. The concert will have family-friendly programming with a winter theme, including classical music, winter standards and songs from familiar family films. Pieces in the program include: • Antonio Vivaldi's "Winter" from "The Four Seasons" • Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Snowflakes" from "The Nutcracker" • Rimsky-Korsakov's "Dance of the Tumblers" from "The Snow Maiden." The concert will also feature selections from "The Polar Express" as well as "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "Let It Go" from the film "Frozen." While the concert is free and open to the public, free-will donations will be accepted. Parking is available at the venue at Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center, which is located at Norwalk High School. This concert lines up with the orchestra's mission of enriching lives through music. The organization achieves its mission by engaging audiences with outstanding live performances, cultivating appreciation for musical excellence through education and community engagement while maintaining high standards of organizational and financial stability. People can visit firelandssymphony.com for more information.