Under the direction of Tim Sanford, the Panhandle Symphony Orchestra will present its spring concert Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Sanford has chosen a wide variety of music for this concert including Mozart's Overture to "The Magic Flute," "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite, "Hungarian Dance No. 5" by Brahms, and Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys" from Babes in Toyland. "Video Games Live" features background music for video games.

This concert will include the premier performance of a composition by one of the orchestra's own members, Rich Beber, who retired to Sandpoint, after 30 years of teaching and directing band at the high school level in Colorado. Beber and his wife have lived in North Idaho for the past decade.

Beber plays bassoon in the orchestra. His goal in writing a symphony to come up with a piece of music that would be fun for the orchestra to play.

"It has proven to be that, and it is believed the audience will also enjoy hearing the last movement of Rich's 'Symphony No. 1,'" states a press release.

The orchestra consists of more than 50 volunteer musicians from throughout the North Idaho Panhandle and eastern Washington. Limited expenses are met by donations at the door and concert sponsorships.

Sponsors for the spring concert include Don and Sue Sausser and the Jeanne Holmberg Memorial Charitable Trust.