Symphonic Spooktacular

Modesto Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Paul Jan Zdunek, left, makes a dapper penguin as he greets the crowd Sunday at the annual “Symphonic Spooktacular” at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Guest conductor Patrick Reynolds, above, explains the music to be played. The concert featured several spooky selections, concluding with “The Composer is Dead,” a musical murder mystery by composer Nathaniel Stookey and children’s author Lemony Snicket, aka Daniel Handler. Orchestra Concertmaster Mark Jordan, below, is ready for some sleuthing in his Sherlock Holmes costume.