(HELENA) – The Helena Symphony and Carroll College today announced their continued collaboration for the ninth annual Symphony Under the Stars concert event and fireworks show on Saturday, July 21 at 8:30 p.m. on the campus of Carroll College.
Considered the largest summer event in Montana, the much anticipated Symphony Under the Stars has attracted over 15,000 people to Helena every July for the past eight summers. The Carroll College Guadalupe Lawn will be open on Saturday morning for concertgoers to drop off lawn chairs and blankets. Pets, plastic tarps, paint, or stakes in the ground are strictly prohibited on the lawn at all times and there will be a variety of local vendors on site selling food and beverages.
The concert will feature music that evokes the spirit of the wild west. The Helena Symphony and Carroll College are also pleased to welcome to Helena the Grammy Award-winning violinist/composer Mark O’Connor. Known for his unique style of violin playing, Mr. O’Connor has collaborated with legendary musicians such as Yo Yo Ma, banjo player Bela Fleck, and the many others. He continues to attract tens of thousands of listeners for his virtuosic playing. Mr. O’Connor is widely recognized as one of the most gifted contemporary composers in America and surely one of the brightest talents of his generation. The Seattle Times writes: “No matter what he plays, when you’re listening to O’Connor, you know you’re listening to genius.” Mark O’Connor incorporates many musical styles and genres into a sound that is uniquely his own. As noted by The Los Angeles Times, Mark O’Connor has “crossed over so many boundaries, that his style is purely personal.”
The evening includes a tribute to the memory of Jean Baucus (1917-2011). The program also includes performances of music from the American composer Elie Siegmeister’s Western Suite and great western film scores such as The Big Country, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Wild, Wild West, and John Williams’ The Cowboys. The evening concludes with one of the best fireworks shows in Montana sponsored by the Helena Community Credit Union accompanied by the Helena Symphony Orchestra performing The Magnificent Seven.
Concertgoers are encouraged to bring canned goods to hold down blankets, and then donate the canned goods to the Helena Food Share. Last year, over four tons of canned goods were collected and was one of the largest single day food collections for the Helena Food Share. There will be several drop boxes to deposit the canned goods the evening of the concert.
Admission is free and very limited reserved seating is available for $25 each through the Helena Symphony box office at helenasymphony.org, or by calling 406.442.1860, (SOLD OUT) or by visiting the box office at 48 Hibbard Way in downtown Helena, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Up-to-date news regarding the concert can be found at www.facebook.com/symphonyunderthestars.