Oneota Valley Community Orchestra Season 12 Finale Concert

It's your town. Your lives. Your stories. Make sure someone's telling them—donate to Decorah News now. DECORAH — The Oneota Valley Community Orchestra will present its Season 12 finale concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the Decorah High School Auditorium. Music Director Matthew Cody will conduct the program, which concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, "Eroica." The concert opens with "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius and also features the "Thunder and Lightning Polka" by Johann Strauss Jr. Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 marked a turning point in classical music, expanding the scale and emotional scope of the symphony and helping usher in the Romantic era. Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven later removed the dedication after Napoleon declared himself emperor, instead labeling the work "heroic." The concert will also mark the launch of the orchestra's 2026 online auction fundraiser. Bidding will open April 26 and close at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3. Featured auction items include a newly created viola by OVCO principal violist Benjamin Kratchmer, made in collaboration with Harmony, Minnesota, luthier Mason Weedman. Additional items include gift certificates from Cake on York in Eyota, Minnesota; a hand-sewn journal by Emily Mineart; a commissioned sacred music composition by OVCO trombonist Daniel Raney; and a vintage oval lyre side table with a hidden compartment. The concert is free and open to the public. The orchestra is sponsored by the Marion E. Jerome Foundation and The Depot Outlet, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. More information is available at www.ovcorchestra.org. Be the first to know! Sign up for the free newsletter and unlock exclusive updates, breaking news, and tips from around the community.