The Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra (PCCO) is putting together a "constellation" of its star performers to shine through on Sunday evening.

Douglas Meyer, the conductor and music director of PCCO, said the concert is an annual display of best players, including many Penn State faculty members.

Tim Hurtz, oboist and an associate professor of music, explained that a chamber orchestra is made up of a small group of about 20 to 25 people. This gives each performer a chance to do solos.

Meyers said the concert gives the audience a chance to become more intimate with what is happening onstage.

Meyers said normally with a larger orchestra people are hit with sound, but chamber orchestras feature individual performers that are often hidden within the larger orchestras, giving them a chance for their individual talents to take center stage.

"With a chamber orchestra there is an upclose and personal feeling," Meyers said.

One of the performers, Smith Toulson, principal clarinetist of the Penn's Woods Festival Orchestra, the Nittany Valley Symphony and also PCCO, will perform the "Nielson Clarinet Concerto."

"The 'Neilson Clarinet Concerto' takes place after intermission and is the most demanding piece of music in the program," Meyer said.

Lisa Bontrager, assistant professor of music at Penn State, will perform "Haydn's Concerto" for two horns.

"This music is always exciting because there are fewer performers and the parts are distinct," Bontrager said.

Within a chamber orchestra sounds of particular instruments are distinct.

"There is a lot of contrast between different pieces, some are hummable tunes and some are modern sounding," Hurtz said.

"There is a variety of music instead of just one kind such as baroque."

The concert will also be featuring a solo done with four instruments.

"These types of solos are normally not done, so it would be an interesting thing to go and see," Hurtz said.

Immediately after the concert, audience members will have a chance to ask questions and interact with the PCCO performers during a reception that will be held at the Saint's Café, 123 W. Beaver Ave.

The concert will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in the South Auditorium at State College Area High School.

Priced at $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $10 for students and $6 for 12- year-olds and under, tickets for "A Constellation of PCCO Stars" will be available at the door.