By Kelly Wiley

The UK Symphony Orchestra will take the stage Friday night to play works by composers Eric Ewazen and Richard Strauss.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Singletary Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

“(Music is) an art form that expresses what it means to be a human being, and in the orchestra, it is people sharing that with each other and with the audience,” said John Nardolillo, director of the UK Symphony Orchestra.

Tonight’s concert is special because it features the winners of the UK Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Nardolillo said. The winners, marimbist David Sinclair and pianist Seunghee Lee, were selected by a group of judges as the best UK students who competed.

“They are marvelous musicians,” Nardolillo said. “They are both really playing like professionals. They don’t sound like students at all.”

Violist Chelsea Compton said the concert will bring entertainment from the talent of the two skilled musicians and from musical variety.

“We’re playing four pieces that are totally different styles, and there is something for everyone to enjoy,” said Compton, an arts administration senior. “We have two concerto winners, and they are very talented. It’s not everyday you get to hear a marimba concerto, so that’s pretty cool.”

Nardolillo said his students have a passion for music, and he loves it because he shares that passion with them.

Music is an essential part of life and education, Nardolillo said, and is something that touches everyone.

“It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Nardolillo said. “It’s a really marvelous thing to be a part of. All of us on the stage are lucky to be able to do this.”