Program to Close with Dazzling Fireworks Display
SIMSBURY, June 1, 2012 – From The Stars and Stripes Forever to the 1812 Overture and Battle Hymn of the Republic to the Armed Forces Salute, music is at the center of every Fourth of July celebration. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will play these Americana favorites and more at Celebrate America! at the Talcott Mountain Music Festival on Friday, June 29, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows.
Led by guest conductor Gerald Steichen, the Hartford Symphony will play a program showcasing a variety of styles that celebrate the American spirit. Concert highlights will include such American classics as Copland’s Outdoor Adventure and Ives’ Variations on America, marches by John Phillip Sousa, Broadway medleys from South Pacific and Grease (featuring vocalists from The Hartt School Musical Theater Department), Americana favorite Casey at the Bat, Dave Brubeck’s jazzy “It’s About Time,” and the traditional soundtrack to Independence Day: The Star Spangled Banner, Armed Forces Salute, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever (with FIREWORKS!).
With a career that ranges from symphony to opera, Broadway to chamber music, conductor Gerald Steichen has established himself as one of America’s most versatile musicians. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Principal Pops Conductor of the Utah Symphony, and is celebrating 15 years with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Steichen recently led the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in their Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration in March 2012. Mr. Steichen played the role of “Manny the Accompanist” in Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Master Class. As Associate Conductor he toured nationally with The Phantom of the Opera, The Secret Garden, and Peter Pan. He also spent two years conducting the Broadway production of CATS, leading the final public performance of that show.
CALENDAR LISTING:
HSO TALCOTT MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL: CELEBRATE AMERICA
with Gerald Steichen, guest conductor; Dakota Dutcher, Kelsey Flynn, Elizabeth Jutila, Andrew Martin & Nicole Teebagy, soloists from The Hartt School Musical Theater Department; Grant Meachum, narrator
Friday, June 29, 2012 │ 7:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows │Fireworks to Follow
Program: John Smith: The Star Spangled Banner; Aaron Copland: An Outdoor Adventure; Randol Bass: Casey at the Bat; William Steffe: Battle Hymn of the Republic; Bob Lowden: Armed Forces Salute; Richard Rodgers: Selections from South Pacific; John Phillip Sousa: Semper Fidelis and Stars and Stripes Forever; Dave Brubeck: “It’s About Time;” Warren Casey: Selections from Grease; Charles Ives: Variations on America; and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812, Overture Solenelle
Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the 2012 Talcott Mountain Music Festival range in price from $100-$1420; single tickets range in price from $20-$45; and 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 <tel:%28860%29244-2999> or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org <http://www.hartfordsymphony.org> .
Additional Information: Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. Open to all ticket holders, the HSO Family Activity Tent is open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.; families can enjoy free activities such as music-themed games and crafts, the “Instrument Zoo,” and youth performances. In the case of severe weather, this concert will be performed the following night (June 30) at the same time.
The 2012 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is presented by Hartford Hospital. The 2012 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is sponsored by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving with additional support from Classic Hotels of Connecticut; Falcetti Music; The Hartford Financial Services Group; Paine’s, Inc.; Town of Simsbury; Bloomfield Public Schools; Chubb; Connecticut Light & Power; HB Group; Seabury/Seabury at Home; Show Lighting; Simscroft Echo/Girard Brothers Corporation; Travelers; UBS Realty Investors; Viking Fuel Oil Company; 2Fly Wines; The Aegis Group; Bank of America; Big Y; Cigna; Dornenburg Group; Federman, Lally & Remis; Fitzgerald’s Foods; Metro Bis; Motley Rice, LLC; Murphy, Laudati, Kiel, Buttler & Rattigan, LLC; The Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at UCHC; Robert Hensley & Associates; Simsbury Bank; and Tom and Suzy Reich. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. 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.