The Wichita State University Symphony Orchestra will perform with soloist Boris Vayner, violist of the St. Petersburg String Quartet, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

The program, with music by Mendelssohn, Elgar, Bruch and Kalinnikov, will feature Vayner performing Romance in F Major by Max Bruch, a composer known for his virtuosic Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor. The Romance, in the vein of the concerto’s slow movement, is a delicate piece emphasizing the lyrical tone of the viola. Composed in the final decade of Bruch’s life, the Romance was written for Maurice Vieux, solo violist of the Paris Opera.

The concert will also feature Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides Overture,” a colorful work inspired by a visit to the rugged islands off the west coast of Scotland. An early work by British composer Edward Elgar, the “Wand of Youth Suite No. 1,” will also be performed. Compiled from music written for a fantastical play, the selections depict the adventures of fairies and giants.

The orchestra will also play Symphony No. 1 in G Minor by Vasily Kalinnikov. The dramatic work, completed in 1895, remains in the repertory of Russian orchestras and is thoroughly Russian, with dark melodies, folk-like character and idiomatic rhythms.

Vayner was born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and trained in the St. Petersburg and New England conservatories. He toured throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia with the St. Petersburg String Quartet, and has collaborated with such internationally renowned artists as Leon Fleisher, Michael Tree, Peter Donohoe, Anton Nel and Michele Zukovsky.

The concert will be conducted by Professor of Music Mark Laycock, who holds WSU’s Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship. His work as guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator spans 24 states, including the leadership of all-state orchestras in Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska and Washington.

Laycock’s recent engagements include the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, student honor groups in Kansas and Texas and the Maryland All-State Orchestra.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at the Fine Arts Box Office noon-5 p.m. weekdays in the lobby of Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Contact the box office at 316-978-3233. Tickets may also be purchased online at wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice.

General admission is $7 or $3 for students. Fine arts events are always free for WSU students with ID. For more information about the WSU Symphony Orchestra, contact Laycock at 316-978-6202 or mark.laycock@wichita.edu.