Photo by Derek Redd The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will present “Nature. Beauty.” at the Capitol Theatre at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. Pictured are, from left, WSO Executive Director Sonja Thoms, WSO Music Director Maestro John Devlin, Jennifer Crouch of FeltonCPA, Stifel Fine Arts Center Director Rick Morgan and WesBanco Senior Vice President and WV Team Lead Jeremy West.

WHEELING — The natural beauty of West Virginia will be celebrated both musically and visually in the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming performance, “Nature. Beauty.”

Set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Capitol Theatre, “Nature. Beauty.” will celebrate the intersection of nature and music both through performances from the WSO, members of the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra and guest performer Madeline Adkins, as well as a display of 17 artworks from 15 Ohio Valley student artists through the Stifel Fine Arts Center.

“For me this is an encapsulation of what makes this orchestra special,” said Maestro John Devlin, Music Director of the WSO. “I love the community-oriented aspect of it, as well as our focus on new American music.”

The concert begins with the piece “Foggy Moon Over The Gorge,” composed by Matt Jackfert, host of West Virginia Public Radio’s classical music show, and inspired by the nation’s newest national park, New River Gorge National Park near Fayetteville, West Virginia. It will also include 10 members of the WSYO, who will play side by side with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Devlin said this is the first time since he has joined the WSO that youth orchestra members have performed alongside the WSO.

As part of this performance of Jackfert’s piece, the student’s original artwork will be showcased on screen as the orchestra plays. Students submitted 37 pieces and judges picked 17 to display during the performance. In addition, the artworks will be displayed in a pop-up gallery in the Capitol Theatre ballroom prior to the performance, starting at noon.

Stifel Fine Arts Center Director Rick Morgan said the combination of musical and visual art was too good to pass up.

“Everything aligned perfectly,” Morgan said. “We have two very well-established organizations, the Wheeling Symphony and Oglebay Institute. So it was just a natural fit and I was excited to be part of that natural fit.”

Following Jackfert’s piece, Adkins, a violinist and concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, will take the stage and perform “The Maze,” which is based on composer Nathan Lincoln de Cusatis’ backpacking trip through Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Included in the Feb. 8 event will be a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

“I think somebody that’s not from West Virginia, if you say the name of our state to them, they think natural beauty, the hills, the rivers, the way the trees look as you drive through the mountains,” Devlin said. “And they’re right. It’s one of our crown jewels.”

The WSO Capitol Series is sponsored by WesBanco, and the Masterworks series is sponsored by Felton CPA. Additional support is provided by C.A. Music, Nate & Molly Williams, and Micah & Stephanie Fuch. Tickets can be purchased online at wheelingsymphony.com, by phone at (304) 232-6191, via email at boxoffice@wheelingsymphony.com, or in person at the Box Office, located at 1025 Main Street, Suite 811, Wheeling, WV 26003.