Music Industry Giant and New Haven Native Victor Vanacore to Guest Conduct
SIMSBURY, CT- June 9, 2010– It’ll be “Time to Rock” at the Talcott Mountain Music Festival SM when music industry legend Victor Vanacore takes the podium at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. Starting with the fabulous sounds of fifties’ classic rock, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will take a musical tour through rock and roll’s greatest hits, including songs by Marvin Gaye, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, The Beach Boys, Gloria Estefan, The Beatles, and more. Joining Vanacore and the HSO will be famous commercial vocal talents Tony Galla and Alexx Daye.
HSO Executive Director Kristen Phillips says, “With music ranging from doo wop to R&B and Motown to Disco, this concert will get you out of your chair and dancing under the stars of Simsbury Meadows.”
A native of New Haven, CT, Grammy Award winner Victor Vanacore has had a long history of collaborations with the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including the Jackson Five, Johnny Mathis and Barry Manilow, among others. Mr. Vanacore served as the musical director, arranger, and opening act for Ray Charles; Charles’ only platinum album, entitled “Genius Loves Company,” features Mr. Vanacore’s orchestral arrangements, including the Grammy-winning “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” As a composer/arranger, Mr. Vanacore’s recent work has included original music for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Public Television Network, Berklee College of Music, and music based on the texts of Pope John Paul II, composed at the request of Placido Domingo. His television credits include music for “Survivor,” the 2005 Academy Awards show, Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice,” and “American Idol.”
Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Tony Galla was discovered while recording his first hit single, “In Love” (Swan Records), which became a national cult hit in the U.S. and throughout Europe. As lead singer of the blues band Raven, he can be heard on their two albums Live at the Inferno and Raven, as well on the single, “Feeling Good.” Tony has performed for the soundtracks of The X Files, The L Word, La Dolce Vita, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, My Blue Heaven, The Wedding Planner, Mambo Kings, Naked Gun 1, Seventh Heaven, China Beach, and Phineas and Ferb . Tony’s voice also can be heard on TV commercials for Dunkin Donuts, California Cheese, Macaroni Grill, Nissan Japan, and the California Gas Company.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Alexx Daye has shared the stage with many artists including Patti LaBelle, Vesta Williams, Peabo Bryson, Seal, Jonathan Butler, and Brian Culbertson. She has been the featured artist at jazz concerts nation wide such as the Newport Jazz Festival and the international Guitars and Saxes Tour, and has shared the stage and studio with BeBe Winans, Harvey Mason, Everette Harp, Patrice Rushen, Raymond Jones, Larry Gittens and Media, Donnie, and Jeff Golub. Alexx Daye is a first call session vocalist for top artists and writers and has vocal talent credits with Disney, Coca Cola and Roland Corporation, to name a few.
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CALENDAR LISTING:
TALCOTT MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL
TIME TO ROCK: FROM DOO WOP TO HIP HOP!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 │ 7:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows
Victor Vanacore, guest conductor
Alexx Daye, vocalist
Tony Galla, vocalist
Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the 2010 Talcott Mountain Music Festival range in price from $150-$1420. Single tickets range in price from $20-$45. Lawn tickets for kids 12 and under are $5. Discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance. For more ticketing information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860)244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Additional Information: Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. In the case of severe weather, rain dates for each concert will be the night after the scheduled concert at the same time. Open to all ticket holders, the HSO Education Tent is open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 pm; kids can enjoy free activities such as face-painting, crafts, games, and the “Instrument Zoo.”
The 2010 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is made possible with support from Bank of America; Bloomfield Public Schools; Chubb; CIGNA; Classic Hotels of Connecticut; Connecticut Light & Power; Falcetti Music; Federman, Lally & Remis, LLC; The Hartford Financial Services Group; Hartford Hospital’s Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center-Avon; HB Group, Inc.; Kevin Edward Jewelers; LES Investment Partners; Metro Bis; Motley Rice; Paine’s; Robert Hensley & Associates, LLC; Seabury/ Seabury at Home; Show Lighting; Simsbury Bank; Simscroft Echo/Girard Brothers; Richard P. Garmany Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Tom & Suzy Reich; Travelers; UnitedHealthcare; Viking Fuel Oil; and Walker Systems Support. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.