Classical music lovers braved a chilly Wednesday, Nov. 11, to hear the works of composers including Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven performed by an orchestra composed of University of West Florida and Pensacola Junior College students.

The UWF "Runge Strings" orchestra, named after local musician and philanthropist Paul Runge, played its first show of the semester under the direction of Leonid Yanovskiy at First Baptist Church of Pensacola.

The 21-person orchestra opened up with Vivaldi's "Autumn," immediately followed by "Winter," a part of his "Four Seasons" composition. "Autumn" was highlighted by the solo violin work of Hyo-Jin Ahn.

After a brief delay,the orchestra performed Beethoven's Quartet No. 4 in C minor and then ended with Mozart's "Symphony No. 27."

The crowd, which consisted of approximately 60 people, mostly retirees, nodded appreciatively during the hour long performance. The concert was a part of the church's Music Study Club program, of which Yanovskiy is a member.

"It went very well," Yanovskiy said. "The students got an opportunity to play and get experience. It always works different on stage. The students get nervous, but they also get extra concentrated. Their adrenaline gets going, and they play differently, they hear different things."

Joetta McCaig, music study club president, seemed pleased with the performance.

"We were having a beautiful conversation. The music reached our souls through the universal language of music," she said. McCaig gave an introduction to the performers.

The band had been preparing all semester for the performance. Because of practice time lost to Hurricane Ivan, a contemporary selection had to be cut out of the performance.

"We've been practicing twice a week, about two hours a day," said Allison Ochoa, music sophomore and member of the orchestra.

Ochoa, who has played the French horn for nine years, performed during the Mozart piece. Guest musicians frequently perform with the group.

The orchestra will next be performing Nov. 22 at the UWF Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

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