Musical guests bring their own personalities to any piece they take part in. “Musical Friends!,” presented by WSU’s Symphony Orchestra will feature a short, user-friendly program of different personalities displayed through various guests.

From conductors to pianists, “Musical Friends!” will showcase a different guest performer in every piece. The first two pieces will be conducted by guest conductors Mark Henderson and Ruth Boden, an associate professor of cello, and the third piece will spotlight pianist Jeffrey Savage.

“It’s a really wonderful experience to see all the different personalities,” WSU Symphony Orchestra conductor Danh Pham said.

The Symphony Orchestra will perform Franz Joseph Haydn’s “The Uninhabited Island,” followed by Ernest Bloch’s “Concerto Grosso No. 1,” and the concert will conclude with Franz Liszt’s “Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra,” which Pham believes will be a crowd favorite.

“It’s a very short and user friendly program full of personality,” Pham said.

Pham said he believes guests are important to the music world and teaching this to his students is incredibly important.

“The music world is about bringing people together,” Pham said. “It’s very fulfilling to get to learn from others by working with them like this.”

Henderson, a conducting teacher’s assistant, will conduct the opening piece. Over the past 10 years, he has realized he wants to conduct bands of dedicated individuals. After working with primarily wind ensembles, working with the Symphony Orchestra is a bit of a challenge, Henderson said.

“I grew up with wind ensembles,” Henderson said, “but now, I get to learn orchestral techniques and learn how to communicate what they need from me effectively.”

Savage, an associate professor of piano, will close the concert with his take on Liszt’s “Concerto No. 1.” He has performed with the Symphony Orchestra in the past, but Pham said that music students can learn from Savage’s talent and technique.

“He’s such a phenomenal artist, and it’s hard to not be inspired by him,” Pham said. “It’s very uplifting to see his process of learning and breaking down these complicated pieces.”

Pham believes working with WSU’s Symphony Orchestra is important because it keeps the music alive and significant.

“I like working with the symphony because this music has been around for centuries,” Pham said. “It’s a profound feeling to be a part of something that keeps sharing how great this music is.”

WSU’s Symphony Orchestra’s program “Musical Friends!” will begin at 8 p.m. tomorrow night in the Bryan Hall Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public.