Now that it's the new year, it's time to discover new things at State College's newly renovated community theatre, The State Theatre.

This Sunday, Centre County's professional orchestra, the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, will be making their debut at the State Theatre, complete with an eclectic and bold program featuring the music of the "great masters."

The State Theatre reopened in December after years of idleness. It now hosts many theatre, music, dance and film performances by local artists.

The vision around the revival of the State Theatre was community oriented. According to CEO and executive director, John Hook, the theatre invites groups that draw smaller audience groups.

"The theatre is very community oriented and it gives local artists a venue to perform at," Hook said.

The Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (PCO) was founded in 1991 by the current conductor and music director, Douglas Meyer. It is an all-professional orchestra made up of a mix of Penn State faculty, Penn State students and locals.

"The orchestra is very high quality because everyone has extraordinary talent, and it's mostly because of the university. We have many members at Penn State but we're not officially affiliated with the university," Kristina Roberts, executive director of PCO, said.

For this performance, the orchestra has set up a Student Rush. An hour prior to the show, students with ID will be able to purchase half-priced tickets.

"I pulled their arm to get this because it's important to me for students to come to the performance. This classical music--Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms--is so easy to love. It's very powerful. Plus, a lot of their teachers and peers are in it," Roberts said.

In addition to this, there will also be a pre-concert talk at 2:15 before the show. Here, the audience will get a chance to meet and chat with soloist, James Lyon, State Theatre Executive Director, Mike Negra, and Maestro Douglas Meyer.

Penn State professor of violin, James Lyon is a member of the orchestra and a soloist for this performance.

This is the orchestra's first performance at the State Theatre, serving as the final act of the grand opening of the theatre. This will not be the last though.

"The PCO is the new resident orchestra at the State Theatre. All of our shows will be there unless we do a fundraiser concert," Roberts said.

Roberts also said that the orchestra has been performing in State College since its founding. It also plays shows in Philipsburg, Bellefonte and Penns Valley.

"These towns are very rural and considered under-served in the arts. Therefore, we receive grants and occasionally perform shows to bring music to these communities," Roberts said.

The title of their performance on Sunday is "Consecration of the House." This Beethoven masterpiece is the signature piece of the evening.

"It's very appropriate for the grand opening. The performance also includes Mozart and Brahms, classics by the great masters. It will also feature the world premier of conductor, Doug Meyer's piece," Roberts said.

The Mozart's piece is a violin concerto featuring Lyon as the violin solo.

"I first played the G major concerto as a freshman in high school and while I'm sure I in no way did the piece justice, I think it was pivotal in my decision to pursue a career as a violinist. So getting to perform this work now under the baton of Douglas Meyer is a real trip down memory lane for me," Lyon said.

Being a fully professional orchestra, the members are given music ahead of time and at the first rehearsal they are expected to know the music. For each performance there are only two rehearsals and a dress rehearsal before the performance.

"When I first came to the orchestra I was amazed. There were only three rehearsals and they were fantastic," Roberts said.

Although classical music may not be in the mainstream, it is an important genre of music and one that can you can learn a great deal from. PCO Office Assistant, Matt Patton, encourages everyone to give the show a chance and come out to see it.

"Every concert, no matter how traditional the music, contains the seed for radical innovation and that innovation comes from the audience itself. When you hear Beethoven, for instance, you are hearing it filtered through your 21st century mind. After all, is it really possible to hear the music of Beethoven the same way as his audience heard it, now that we have come through two world wars and Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange?' " Patton said.

"As a new audience comes into the concert hall, it brings its own world with it to mix with the world that the orchestra creates."

"It is in the act of listening that the truly new creation emerges; the combination of old music with new ears. It is for that reason that our listeners from all generations are indispensable to the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra."