After a guest appearance last season with the Bainbridge Orchestra, Alan Futterman is set to take the podium Nov. 18 as the Music Director of the renamed Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra. The name change is meant to reflect “the ensemble’s aim to perform at the highest level,” according to Bainbridge Performing Arts information.

Futterman isn’t wasting any time putting his stamp of the community orchestral group. The season-opening concert, “Romantic Voices,” features two pieces composed by Futterman as part of his World Beat Dance Suites, “Japanese Vignettes” and “New Slavonic Dance.”

The program also includes the “Peer Gynt Suites,” with vocals from the Bainbridge Chorale, Bizet’s “L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2” and the finale from Mendelssohn’s “Violin concerto,” performed by 12-year-old Marié Rossano from Woodinville.

“Japanese Vignettes” begins with what Futterman calls “a bit of cacophony,” which has the effect of “clearing the air” in order to prepare the audience for what follows, the delicate sounds of the Japanese shakuhachi flute. The music is presented in five brief scenes emulating Japanese rituals in a pointillistic style.

The “New Slavonic Dance” is Futterman’s attempt to more closely recreate the joyful dance music of the Balkans, with typical lopsided rhythms, a bass solo, harp arpeggio and rousing finale.

Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto” shows off the virtuoso talent of whiz kid Rossano.

“All of Mendelssohn’s works feature delightfully bubbly music and this concert is no exception,” Futterman writes in his program notes.

Rossano already has a long list of accolades in her violin case, including two solo performances with major orchestras and a slew of first place wins in competitions.

Futterman said the “Peer Gynt Suite” was chosen as the symphony’s contribution to the centenary celebration of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, who penned “Peer Gynt” in 1987.

The music was written to accompany the play, and while it is well known for its music, Futterman said few people may realize it also has words.

“For both ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘L’Arlésienne’ the music has completely eclipsed the original dramas so that most of the world can whistle tunes from both of these suites but few of us could quote even a single line from either play,” Futterman said. (Tunes may be easier to remember than lines from plays, but “Peer Gynt” is still produced by theater companies around the world.)

Futterman noted that this performance may be the first time it has been performed with a chorus in Washington state since the Norwegian Orchestra of Ballard performed it during WWI.

“L’Arlésienne’s” second movement is commonly known as “Agnus Dei” and will be intoned in Latin by members of the chorale, set to Bizet’s Gallic melody.

Futterman holds a master’s degree in music from Juilliard School of Music and has conducted nationally and internationally.

The Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra performs the season-opening “Romantic Voices” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 and 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at The Playhouse, 200 Madison Ave. N, Bainbridge Island.

Tickets are $15 adults, $10 all others, available at the box office, by phone at (206) 842-8569 or online at

www.theplayhouse.org.