The Quad City Symphony Orchestra launches its 2009-10 season with a concert showcasing the talent and versatility of the 95-year-old organization. This concert features the intricate and concise music of Mozart juxtaposed with the sweeping  majesty of Mahler. These concerts will be performed on October 3 and 4, and are sponsored in memory of Katherine Stafford, by her family. Saturday evening's concert will be held at the Adler Theatre in Davenport at 8 PM, and followed on Sunday afternoon at 2 PM at Centennial Hall in Rock Island. Tickets for this concert can be purchased in person at the QCSO Box Office, 327 Brady Street in Davenport, by phone at 800.745.3000 or online at www.QCSymphony.com.

A gulf of 100 years lay between Mozart's final symphony and Mahler's first. In 1788, as Mozart was scoring his final and perhaps greatest symphony, the romantic period in music was yet to be born. By 1888, when Mahler was completing work on his symphonic premier, composers found themselves in a world just beginning to challenge the now established the romantic movement. In both cases, the powerful music created by these two masters merits the celestial monikers with which they have come to be associated: the primordial Titans of Greco-roman mythology and the Olympian god Jupiter who led their overthrow.

On the Thursday before the concerts, Quad Citians will get the chance to hear Music Director Mark Russell Smith give his insights into the upcoming performance at Inside the Music. Expert and novice alike will enjoy this casual musical conversation at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport from 5:00 to 6:30 PM on Thursday, October 1. This event is free to the public, with wine and cheese provided.

Mark Russell Smith will also be available at Kai Swanson's Concert Conversations, held an hour before each of the weekend's concerts. At Concert Conversations the audience members will be given a quick tour of highlights from the program they are about to experience. New this season, concert conversations will be held in the concert hall itself. This look into the background of the concert's repertoire, sponsored by Rich James of Wells Fargo Advisors, is in its tenth year and has become an audience favorite.

Also new this season, audience members are invited to reminisce about the amazing performance at the Woodfire Grill, 131 West 2nd St., Davenport, immediately following the Saturday night concert. Mingle with Mark Russell Smith, musicians from the QCSO, and sometimes even the guest artist. You never know who will be there! The evening promises free hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and remarkable repartee.

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra is proud to announce Melinda Hubbell as its new Director of Education and Community Engagement. This appointment is the culmination of a six-month, nation-wide search and highlights the Association's commitment to expand and invigorate its many, established education projects.

Melinda comes to the Quad Cities from Atlanta, Georgia. She has an extensive background in music education which includes heading a community music school, instigating and running a preparatory music academy, private teaching, using diverse curriculums, and most recently, working as a business development specialist for Peter Simon Productions, a music production and education company.

Melinda earned a BA in Music from the University of Massachusetts/Boston, an MBA in Managerial Leadership from Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia, and concurrently studied toward a Master of Arts in Teaching in Music. Her passion is to make quality music and arts education available to all members of the community in order to bridge differences, build self-confidence, promote harmony, and inspire all families of learning. Melinda looks forward to pursuing this commitment in her new role as Director of Education and Community Engagement with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra.

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MONTICELLO, IA - On August  29th Gayla Drake Paul will perform in the Sill Barn at Camp Courageous in Monticello Iowa as part of a the Bear River Creek summer concert series.  She will perform with Eric Douglas on drums and Dan Johnson on base. Together they form GDP 3.

GDP3 is a group performance that music lovers will not want to miss. Gayla Drake Paul is ranked as one of the top 100 acoustic guitarist on the planet by digitaldreamdoor.com. They also recommend her solo guitar CD in their top 10 Suggested Listening for Acoustic Guitar and recently chose her Broken Blues as one of the top 100 acoustic CDs of all time.

Eric Douglas has been a drummer for over 25 years.  In 2008 Eric was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Musician Dan Johnson is fast approaching the 6,000 gig mark- that's an average of 250 concerts a year, proving his status as one of the most in-demand musicians in the Midwest. In the 1980's Dan toured with Terry Lawless and is currently the keyboardist for U2. In 2007 Dan was inducted into the Iowa Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Doors for the August 29th performance open at 6:15 with concert starting at 7 PM at Camp Courageous.  The camp's Sill barn is an awesome place to experience a concert.  It is a  post and beam barn that looks like it was built 100 years ago yet it has central air conditioning, a bathroom and is handicapped accessible. Musicians loves the acoustics. There is a $10.00 per person suggested donation for the event with proceeds to benefit Camp Courageous and the Grant Wood Country Foundation for the Arts. A portion of this concert has been underwritten by a grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

Camp Courageous is located at 12007 190th Street  Monticello, Iowa 52310.  For more information go to www.campcourageous.org. Please call 319-465-4069 to reserve a seat.