Mankiw, Lithgow with River Charles Ensemble

On Saturday at 12:15 p.m., the Performance Fair at Arts First will be launched with an unusual pairing: The River Charles Ensemble will play the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony conducted by economics professor N. Gregory Mankiw. While the RCE is known for its on-campus performances as a conductorless ensemble, this event will be distinguished by its collaboration with Mankiw and visiting guest John Lithgow ’67, who will assist with the performance. The event will take place on the Science Center plaza.

“We’re really excited. It’s a huge piece, and it should be a lot of fun. We don’t have experience performing with Mankiw,” In Young Cho ’15, who plays violin in the ensemble, says. Cho added that the piece is one which the RCE has never performed as an ensemble, although many of its members have performed it in the past with other groups.

—Staff writer Ola Topczewska can be reached at atopczewska@college.harvard.edu.