Parma Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert on Sunday, March 10 at 3:00 PM at Valley Forge High School Auditorium located at 9999 Independence Boulevard in Parma Heights Featuring Antonin Dvorak Symphony #7 in d minor, Xylophone & Marimba Soloist George Kiteley performing Xylophonia & Fluffy Ruffles and Soiree an original composition by Darren Allen dedicated to the Parma Symphony Orchestra in celebration of our 50^th Anniversary Season

The orchestra, in its 50^th season consists of 75 members of all walks of life from all over the entire Greater Cleveland area. They meet weekly for rehearsals and present at least four concerts annually.

General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Family passes of $20 are available for families of up to 2 adults and their children. All tickets are available at the door beginning at 2:30 PM.

Parma Symphony Orchestra is a self-supporting community orchestra in cooperation with the Parma City Schools. For more information can be found on Facebook, web-site www.parmasymphony.org or calling Business Manager Joe Germana 440-882-2012.

George Kiteley was Professor of Percussion at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio from 1971 until his retirement in 2000. In addition to his percussion work at BW he directed the BW Jazz Band for 20 years. As a performer, he was timpanist/principal percussionist with the Ohio Chamber Orchestra and Cleveland Ballet for the entire run of those two entities, and later with the subsequent “Red {An Orchestra}”. He has served as an extra percussionist with the Cleveland Orchestra and has performed for numerous popular shows and stars at all of Cleveland's major theaters and concert halls. Other performing and teaching activities have included work with African, Cuban, and Brazilian music, Japanese Taiko drumming, and facilitating drum circles. In 1985 he formed BATTU, a professional percussion ensemble in residencce at BW, which presented its own concert series, and numerous public school presentations under the auspices of Young Audiences of Greater Cleveland. Recent performing experiences have included many concerts with Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and as drummer with Cleveland TOPS (Tough Old ProS) Swing Band, and Jim Wonnacott’s Little Big Band. A nonmusical retirement interest has been part-time work repairing clocks at Suburban Clock and Repair in Berea.

Darren Allen was born and raised in the Cleveland area. Though he has never formally studied composition, he has gleaned knowledge from many of his professors over the years. He currently composes and arranges for wind band, marching band, jazz ensemble, and orchestra. He benefits from on-the-job training in studying and writing music, having taught since 2003, and having worked extensively with the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony since 2006. His professional experience working with many different groups has allowed him to hone his craft and experiment with the many ensembles he works with. Mr. Allen has worked in the Bay Village School District since 2005, where the music program has been consistently voted a Top Music Community in the United States since 2003. He has been band director at Bay High School since 2006, and his duties in the district include marching band, jazz ensemble, symphonic band, concert band, and 5th and 6th grade bands at the Middle School. A graduate of Rocky River High School, Mr. Allen completed his undergraduate work at Youngstown State University. He received his master’s degree in music education from Case Western Reserve University. He has performed extensively throughout the Cleveland area with many local jazz groups on drum set. Mr. Allen and his wife Alice, a harpist, perform together in the Parma Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Winds.