El Paso residents will experience a unique blend of film and live music when the El Paso Symphony Orchestra joins the UTEP Choral Union for a concert version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The performance is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at the historic Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso.
Coordinating music, visuals, and sound effects
Associate Conductor James O. Welsch explained to ABC‑7 that the event is far more than a traditional orchestral concert. “It’s the coordination of many different art forms all at the same time,” he said. The musicians use “punches and streamers”—small visual cues that fade on a screen—to align the music with on‑screen action and emotional moments from the film.
Welsch has spent roughly two months studying the movie’s score, practicing timing and cues to match the film’s pacing. Both the orchestra and the choral union receive the music only two to three weeks before the show, leaving them to rehearse their parts after full‑time jobs.
Intensive preparation with limited rehearsal time
Despite the tight schedule, the combined groups manage to rehearse together only twice: once the day before the concert and again just hours before the performance. Principal percussionist Leo Valenzuela described the undertaking as “very intricate,” noting that musicians not only play the soundtrack but also recreate sound effects heard in the movie.
Valenzuela recalled a compliment from a previous performance: “I was watching the movie, and I didn’t notice that the orchestra was there.” That level of immersion is the goal for this upcoming concert, where audience members will hear the familiar themes of the third Harry Potter film performed live while the movie plays on a large screen.
Community impact and family-friendly entertainment
The concert offers a family‑friendly cultural experience that aligns with El Paso’s commitment to the arts and education. By bringing a beloved pop‑culture phenomenon to the stage, the symphony and choral union hope to attract new audiences, especially younger families, to classical music.
Tickets are available through the Plaza Theatre box office and online. For more information about the concert or other upcoming performances by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, visit the orchestra’s website.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
