ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 22, 1990                   TAG: 9005220121
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Jeff DeBell
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


FILM FESTIVAL CONSIDERS SYMPHONY

The Roanoke Symphony is one of three Virginia orchestras being considered for participation in this year's Virginia Festival of American Film in Charlottesville.

Bob Gazzale, festival director, said the plan is for an orchestra to provide live music during a silent film as one of the festival events. He is considering proposals from the Roanoke Symphony, the Richmond Symphony and the Norfolk-based Virginia Symphony.

"Music in the Movies" is the theme of the 1990 festival, which is set for Oct. 24-28.

Opera makes national news

Southwest Virginia Opera is looking forward to national publicity for itself and its well-received production of Puccini'a "La Boheme."

A free-lance writer for Opera News took in the premiere last week. He told opera officials that his report probably will appear in the national magazine in July.

'Twigs' gets nomination

Ernest Zulia's production of "Twigs" has been nominated for a prestigious Joseph Jefferson Theatre Award in Chicago.

Zulia is resident director at Roanoke's Mill Mountain Theatre.

He directed "Twigs" during a recent stint as artist-in-residence at Chicago's Apple Tree Theatre.

The Apple Tree is an Equity theater on the Off Loop, which is Chicago's equivalent of Broadway.

Zulia also earned a 1987-88 Jefferson nomination for his production of "110 in the Shade" at the Apple Tree.

Grant for Fine Arts Museum

Ruth Appelhof, director of the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, made a lucrative visit to the White House on May 18.

She attended ceremonies, hosted by First Lady Barbara Bush, at which operating support awards for 1990 were announced by the Institute of Museum Services.

The Roanoke museum, one of only two in the state to get an IMS operating grant for the year, received $52,384. That's more than twice the size of operating support grants received by the museum in 1984 and 1986.

Museum president Dixie Wolf said she regarded the award as a "positive response" to the leadership of Appelhof, who recently completed her first year as director.

Museum spokeswoman Ann Masters said she expects the funds to be used primarily for staff support and educational programs.

Awards totaling $17 million were made to 390 of the 1,368 museums that applied for grants. The IMS is an independent federal agency.

Symphony board election

James W. Arend has been elected president of the Roanoke Symphony Society, the governing board of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.

Arend is senior vice president for the Atlantic Companies. He succeeds Glenn O. Thornhill Jr., who will complete his second successive year-long term June 30.

Other officers are Heidi F. Krisch, president-elect; Briggs W. Andrews and Reginald K. Hutcherson, vice presidents; Deanna W. Gordon, secretary; and James G. Snead Jr., treasurer.

Hutcherson headed the orchestra's 1989-90 operating fund campaign, which at last report had exceeded its $183,000 goal by nearly $20,000 and was still gaining.

The orchestra's budget for 1990-91 is $1,172,740, up from $1,018,188 for the year ending July 1.

Moki Moffitt has been re-elected president of the Roanoke Symphony Association, which is the orchestra's principal volunteer support group.

Other new officers are Joyce Jaeger, president-elect; Lynn Meyer, Kathy Kranau, Rosalee Kaplan, Chris Barnes, Jo Frantz, and Dorothy Osborne, vice presidents; Carolyn Wilkinson, recording secretary; Debbie Buckland, corresponding secretary; Kay Daughtery, treasurer; and Heidi Krisch, parliamentarian.

Moffitt presented the symphony society with a check for $30,000 at its most recent meeting. It represented proceeds from the association's principal annual fund-raising events, which include the symphony ball, a polo match and the Attic Sale.



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