Riverfront Pops - September 6, 2008
Mark Russell Smith, Conductor
THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
Modern Woodmen Park - 6:30 PM
Park opens at 3 PM
From The Quad City Symphony Orchestra and new Music Director Mark Russell Smith perform some of the most recognizable movie themes of all time, as the 26th Annual Riverfront Pops moves next door to Modern Woodmen Park. Seating will be on the field and in the stadium, so bring your lawn chairs, coolers, and the entire Riverfront Pops set-up! This year’s concert will feature the music of John Williams, including movie themes from blockbusters such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter and emotional epics like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. Your children can be photographed with a Stormtrooper and play at the Genesis Healthy Kids Zone with its giant slide, miniature baseball diamond, and more. As is traditional, the concert will end with the 1812 Overture, Stars and Stripes Forever, and fireworks.
Adults: $20
Seniors (must be purchased in advance): $18
Groups of 10 or more (must be purchased in advance): $17
12 and under: FREE
All tickets purchased at the gate are $20
Holiday Pops - November 22, 2008Mark Russell Smith, Conductor
featuring THE ATLANTIC BRASS QUINTET
Holiday Pops takes the i wireless Center by storm this year, with one of the world’s finest brass ensembles, the Quad City Arts Visiting Artist the Atlantic Brass Quintet, joining the QCSO for this grand opening to the holiday season. The Atlantic Brass Quintet has been heard in 48 of the United States and more than a dozen countries across four continents, performing a unique repertory spanning Praetorius, Monteverdi, and Bach; Etler, Stravinsky, Rands; and brass music from the streets of Brazil, Cuba, the Balkans, and New Orleans. Winner of six international chamber music competitions, the Quintet’s distinctive sound, impeccable ensemble, stunning virtuosity, and warm, inviting stage presence have won praise from scores of critics. With return engagements from the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir, skaters from the Figure Skating Club of the Quad-Cities, and the Holiday Pops Children’s Chorus, this year’s Holiday Pops promises to be the most wonderful concert of all.
Tickets go on sale October 13, 2008
Seats - $12 to $35
Tables by the Ice - $75
Spring Pops - May 30, 2009Brent Havens, Conductor
THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN
Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, conductor/arranger Brent Havens presents The Music of Led Zeppelin, a program he scored to extend the listening experience of Led Zeppelin’s timeless tunes. Performed by the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and amplified with a full rock band and screaming vocals, Havens and his ensemble capture Led Zeppelin’s “sheer blast and power” riff for riff while cranking out new musical colors. “My concept for The Music of Led Zeppelin was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what Zep had done,” says Havens. Delivering a note-for-note interpretation, vocalist Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), shrieks brilliantly, acting as a window between the audience and reworked material. “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson more than captures the spirit of legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant,” says Havens. Heightened by rock concert lighting, the symphonic rock hybrid has met with riotous approval, explains Havens: “When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause. Then we hit the first note and they realized it was a rock show.”
Tickets go on sale April 20, 2009
Seats - $16 to $50
