Southern Delaware Orchestra concert set March 19

Sussex County’s newest fine arts organization, the Southern Delaware Orchestra, will celebrate its first anniversary with a free concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 19, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

The performance will highlight a variety of works for orchestra, including Haydn’s “Cello Concerto in C Major” featuring guest soloist and author Bob Cafaro of the Philadelphia Orchestra. At 2 p.m., Cafaro will lead a pre-concert conversation about the music and his career.

Cafaro has been a cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1985. In early 1999, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, shortly after, was nearly blind and unable to use his hands. Refusing to accept his prognosis, Cafaro set out to cure himself and has since continued his career as a cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is in good health today.

In addition to a soloist, the string orchestra will welcome wind instruments for the first time, including French horn and oboe. Orchestra members ranging from teenagers to retirees have been rehearsing every Tuesday evening under the guidance of James Allen Anderson, director of orchestral activities at the University of Delaware, and additional leadership in preparation for the performance.

For more information, go to sodelomusic.org or find Southern Delaware Orchestra on Facebook.