Topanga Symphony musicians are tuning their instruments, rosining their bow hairs, adjusting reeds, and inviting you to the next free concert at the Topanga Community Center (TCC), 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 19th. Reservations and signed waivers are required, but everyone is welcome, so bring your family and friends, the most valuable part of any concert. Conductor and musical director, Jerome Kessler has selected pieces by Benjamin Britten, J.S. Bach, a new composition by the conductor himself, and Antonin Dvorak. Britten’s Simple Symphony is based on themes that he composed as a teenager. Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor features a complex solo violin part that he originally played in a Leipzig coffee house. Today, we have violinist Ruth Bruegger as both concertmaster and soloist. She is particularly fond of Bach so expect a scintillating performance. The Petite Suite was composed by Jerome Kessler during a self-isolation response to COVID-19. He dedicates this work to his wife, Joyce, his co-isolationist. After intermission, the concert ends with Dvorak’s Serenade for Winds, Cello, and Bass in D minor, Op. 44, one of the most beloved works in the wind repertoire. 40 Years and Counting The Topanga Symphony celebrates its 40th anniversary that will be celebrated by the Topanga Historical Society in the early autumn. Since its founding in 1982 by Topanga residents passionate about classical music, the Symphony has presented three free concerts a year…until the onset of COVID-19. For all that time, Jerome Kessler, a cellist and composer, has remained music director and conductor of the Symphony. In 2007, he was named the Topanga Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year� and again, in 2019, it named the Topanga Symphony “Non-Profit of the Year.� The Topanga Community Center has been the venue for all the concerts. Friends of the Topanga Symphony offer support as do grants from Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture. Performances from the Topanga Symphony Quartet also help to sustain the Symphony. Register and link to the waiver: TopangaSymphony@gmail.com, Become a Friend of the Topanga Symphony: Topangasymphony.org.