On Sunday, a special Raleigh Civic Sym phony concert titled “Totally Beethoven” was held in honor of the 90th anniversary of the music program at N.C. State.

This year also marks a change for the Music Department: After 15 years of leading both the Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, director Randolph Foy stepped down from his position earlier this year due to illness. Na than Leaf, the University’s choral director, led the Civic Symphony this semester in his stead.

The theme for the concert, as you might have guessed, was Beethoven. Every piece of music performed was written by the late and great musical innovator himself, which is quite a departure from the contemporary and 20th century music that has been a staple of the orchestra concerts directed under Foy.

The orchestra performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto to start the concert. For those un familiar with orchestral terminology, a con certo is a piece of music with an orchestra that serves to support a single soloist. The Triple Concerto, however, features three soloists—a pianist, a violinist and a cellist—all flaunting their virtuosity with flitting, nimble melodies and delicate interplay. Olga Kleiankina, an assistant professor of piano at the University, tickled the ivories into euphony as the piano soloist. She was joined by Music Professor Johnathan Kramer on cello and Brian Reagin on violin for a decidedly solid performance.

The orchestra also took a short break from music to pay tribute to Foy and his many contributions to N.C. State. Foy joined the University’s music department in the fall of 1998 and has constantly been recognized for his commitment to performing contempo rary music, presenting thematic concerts and connecting orchestral pieces to larger ideas in creative ways. For example, Foy presented a concert that featured only music composed in N.C. State’s founding year during last year’s 125th anniversary celebrations. In 2006, Foy was awarded the City of Raleigh Medal of Arts for presenting a wide variety of concerts of unusual repertoire that enhanced the cultural life of the community.

At Sunday’s tribute, Foy was awarded a book of reflections written by the people whose lives he touched through music: his students, his friends and his colleagues. In addition, the concert’s next song was dedicated to Foy’s honor.

Kathryn Mueller, a Raleigh soprano tal ent, and Tom Koch, Associate Director of the Music Department, performed Beethoven’s Seufzer eines Ungeliebten und Gegenliebe (The Sigh of an Unloved and Reciprocated Love), a two-movement piece for piano and soprano voice. The piece is derived from two folk poems about a man who, in the first poem, laments that the object of his affection does not love him back and, in the second, dreams of a life in which she does.

N.C. State’s Combined Choirs joined the Civic Orchestra for the concert’s finale: Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.

The Choral Fantasy also served as the finale for what is widely considered to be one of the most historically significant concerts in the Western world. In 1808, Beethoven used the Choral Fantasy to close the premier of sev eral of his most acclaimed works, including the fifth symphony, the sixth symphony and the fourth piano concerto. For this ambitious concert, Beethoven wanted a brilliant finale that would bring together all of the players highlighted at the concert— piano solo, or chestra and chorus—into a joyous celebration of sound.

I hope the University’s music continues its own celebration of sound for 90 years more and beyond.