Henderson Symphony Orchestra Opens a New Concert Season

For Henderson listeners, the season opener offered three distinct sounds in one evening: Wagner’s opera, Barber’s vocal setting of James Agee’s prose, and Beethoven’s Fifth. The Henderson Symphony Orchestra performed at UNLV’s Ham Concert Hall on Oct. 16, with soprano Athena Mertes. The concert has passed; this recap looks at the program and the orchestra’s May 8, 2027 season finale.

Opening concert at a glance

• Date: Oct. 16, 2026
• Venue: Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at UNLV in Las Vegas
• Program: Wagner’s Rienzi, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
• Featured soloist: Athena Mertes, soprano
• Conductor: Taras Krysa

The concert marked the start of the orchestra’s new season, but the venue was outside Henderson. UNLV’s event listing scheduled the performance from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Ham Concert Hall.

Three works, three different listening experiences

Wagner’s Rienzi brought the scale and drama associated with grand opera. Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 shifted the focus to a more intimate sound: a soprano voice set against the orchestra, drawing on James Agee’s recollection of a summer evening in Tennessee.

Mertes was the featured soprano for Barber’s work. The piece gives a singer room to carry the text while the orchestra builds the surrounding atmosphere, making it a different kind of showcase from an instrumental symphony.

The Library of Congress notes that Barber wrote Knoxville in 1947 as a lyric rhapsody for voice and orchestra, setting James Agee’s prose. That background helps explain why the piece feels closer to a remembered scene than a conventional song with verses and a chorus.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 rounded out the program with a work many listeners recognize from its opening four-note motif. Hearing a familiar piece live lets audiences notice how the motif moves through the orchestra and how the different sections shape its momentum.

In the first movement, the short-short-short-long rhythm returns in changing forms instead of functioning only as an opening hook. The Eastman School of Music’s listening notes offer a helpful guide to hearing how Beethoven builds a larger movement from that compact figure.

Together, the selections ranged from theatrical orchestral writing to vocal music and a central work of the symphonic repertoire.

That variety can make a first orchestra concert easier to approach: listeners can follow the changing sounds and moods without needing a music degree or extensive background.

A Henderson orchestra at a regional venue

Although the concert took place in Las Vegas, the ensemble is the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra connected to the city. Larger halls such as Ham Concert Hall can accommodate a full orchestra and provide dedicated performance facilities. For local audiences, it also means checking the venue address and parking information before heading out.

The UNLV Performing Arts Center provides practical visit details, including parking, accessibility, and ticket information. The box office number listed for the concert was 702-895-2787.

The orchestra’s work extends beyond its mainstage concerts. Its official website lists Concert 4Kids for K–12 students, a Young Artists program that offers emerging performers a chance to perform with the ensemble, and a conductor camp for developing musicians.

That educational work gives the season a community dimension beyond ticketed performances: students can encounter the instruments and musicians directly, while young performers have a route to learn in an orchestral setting.

What’s next on the calendar?

UNLV lists the orchestra’s season finale, From Darkness to Light, for May 8, 2027, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Ham Concert Hall. The posted program includes Frolyak’s Let There Be Light, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.

Concert dates, programs, and ticket details can change. Check the UNLV event page or the orchestra’s concert calendar before making plans.

UNLV currently lists tickets at $25.25 online and $21.75 at the box office, with discounts available. Prices and availability may change before the performance.

For Henderson residents, the season opener offered a reminder that local arts organizations can perform across city lines and still serve a home community. The Oct. 16 concert brought a Henderson-based ensemble to a major regional hall; the next listed program gives listeners another chance to hear the orchestra live.