ORWIGSBURG - The classical sounds of Beethoven, Ravel, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Bach filled the sanctuary of St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Sunday.
A concert benefiting the Anthracite Philharmonic, featured Pottsville native John Kline IV, a 2009 graduate of Pottsville Area High School who is a senior at West Chester University majoring in piano performance. Cellist Genevieve Brogdon, a double major in music education and music performance at West Chester, accompanied Kline.
"This is my first real solo recital in Pottsville," Kline said. "It's really great music and I think once people hear it, they'll like it."
Kline began studying music at 5 years old under the instruction of Julia Askernia. He continued to study with her until he graduated from high school.
During his college years, he competed in several piano competitions, winning third prize in The Young Artist Concerto Competition in New Orleans, La., and winning The Young Classical Virtuoso of Tomorrow Competition in 2011. He has also performed at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and in Guiyang, China.
Kline said he decided to play the concert in Schuylkill County while learning a Tchaikovsky concerto with his piano teacher, and he thought he could play with the Anthracite Philharmonic that recently started.
"She said it would be a good idea to have a benefit concert in Pottsville," he said. "I thought it would be a good idea, too."
Some of the pieces played during the concert included "Prelude in G Sharp Minor" by J.S. Bach, "Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and "Danse Rustique" by William Squire.
Before the concert, Ted Spontak, president of the Anthracite Philharmonic, said that the organization is a relatively new symphonic orchestra that started in the county about three years ago.
"We already had one successful season and we're planning the beginning of our next season next year," he said.
Spontak said there will be a Christmas program at 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville. The performance will be held in conjunction with the Schuylkill Choral Society and will feature a 60- to 70-member boys chorus and a 35-piece orchestra.