Musical instruments often represent different animals, or maybe they are actually animals themselves! The Diablo Symphony Orchestra brings animals to life in an interactive program for the whole family. Come discover familiar members of the animal kingdom hidden in the orchestra, the music and maybe even the audience—animal costumes are encouraged! The program features The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns with area pianists Julian Fong and Kirsten West. The popular suite portrays a delightful array of familiar animals, fish, and birds—and a special kind of human! Fong, a member of the DSO’s cello section, earned a piano performance diploma at Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music and has performed as piano soloist with the Seattle Philharmonic. West earned a Master of Music degree in piano from the University of Redlands and a diploma and medal for performance at the Geneva Conservatory of Music in Switzerland. A frequent solo and chamber performer in the East Bay, she maintains a studio in Pleasant Hill. Greg Brown and his saxophone then join the orchestra in Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther Theme, a collaboration that will have audience members snapping their fingers to the beat. Brown, former instrumental music director at Walnut Creek’s Northgate High School, developed jazz band programs there that inspired countless students and received recognition at prestigious Monterey Jazz Festivals. Brown received the CA Music Educators Association’s Paul A. Shaghoian Jazz Educator Award in 2019 and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. The program also includes music from Howard Shore’s Oscar-winning score for the Lord of the Rings film series. A contest for poems to introduce the animals in Saint-Saëns’ suite is currently being held and all are invited to submit a poem inspired by the music. Visit the DSO’s website for contest details, a list of animals that need a poem and a link to a performance of the suite’s movements. Advance tickets are available at the Lesher Center Box Office, by phone to 925-943-7469, or online at https://www.diablosymphony.org. Tickets will also be available at the door. Until further notice, full vaccination is required for ages 12 and above, and masks are required for ages 2 and above, for attendees at Lesher Center Events. Call the Lesher Center or check its website (https://www.lesherartscenter.org/) for requirements in place on the concert date.