Why go out for a pricy dinner and show at one of the local restaurant/theaters when you can put together your own combination just a short distance from Island Vista Resort?

After a nice dinner at the on-site Cypress Room, one of the top restaurants in town, it’s just a couple of miles to the Myrtle Beach Music and Arts Center to catch the Long Bay Symphony, a collection of local musicians who put on truly magical performances.

The local orchestra plays throughout the year round at the Myrtle Beach High School venue, which is only a couple of miles away from Island Vista Resort. Guests can take a short cab ride to experience an evening of live classical and contemporary music.The Long Bay Symphony is heavily involved in youth music programs in the community, so the shows are often attended by families. The group estimates that nearly one-third of its crowds consists of children, and the performances are often geared toward families, particularly the upcoming annual Christmas show and the Youth Orchestra Winter Concert.

Tickets for these shows are a fraction of what one would expect to pay for a major metropolitan city orchestra, but the Long Bay Symphony presents surprising high quality for a smaller area like the Grand Strand. They aren’t ones to toot their own horns, but the local musicians hail from all over the country before moving to Myrtle Beach. For a great place to take a date or the whole family for an entertaining evening out on the town, enjoy a nice dinner at the Cypress Room and head out to see some inspirational artists in action. The 2014-15 winter and spring calendars include some can’t-miss shows.

Here’s a list of upcoming events for the Long Bay Symphony:

• Dec. 6-7, Musical Classics for the Holiday Season: The Long Bay Symphony ushers in the holiday with Christmas music with samples of the orchestral works of Bach, Handel, Tchaikovsky, and Vaughan Williams. There will be three performances in two days, featuring a special guest appearance by the Carolina Master Chorale, vocalists and dancers. Saturday’s opener sees the group perform in a more intimate setting at Trinity Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach at 7 p.m. The Sunday matinee starts at 3 p.m. at the Wheelwright Auditorium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway. The Sunday night show will be held at Our Lady of the Sea in North Myrtle Beach. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children.
• Jan. 11, Glitz & Glamour – An Evening in Paris: This matinee has much more than music on the menu at the Pawleys Plantation Ballroom in Pawleys Island. The fashion-themed fundraiser features a Parisian bistro buffet, glitzy makeovers and a modeling walkabout. The $40 tickets include gift baskets, a silent auction and door prizes. All proceeds benefit the Long Bay Symphony and its Youth Orchestra Scholarship Programs.
• Jan. 25, Musical Postcards: Noted pianist and soloist Daria Rabotkina, piano soloist performs Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”), Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture among other great works. Backed by the Long Bay Symphony, this is sure to attract a crowd at the Myrtle Beach Music and Arts Center. Tickets range from $10 to $50 and there’s not a bad seat in the house.
• Feb. 11, Youth Orchestra Winter Concert: Adults are blown away by the musical talents of local students that will be on display at this seasonal series. See high school and middle school musicians show that the Long Bay Symphony’s hard work to bring orchestra to the schools and community is paying off. All seats are general admission for only $5 with the proceeds going to support the very programs you will see on stage.