The Chesapeake Orchestra inaugurates its 16th season with the River Concert Series at St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) under the direction of Jeffrey Silberschlag.
This world-class music celebration begins Friday, June 20 and continues every Friday through July 25 at the Townhouse Green at SMCM. Nearly a half a million people have attended the River Concert Series throughout its history and the 2014 festival is expected to draw about 35,000 fans during its six-week span.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring a picnic or purchase food from a variety of local vendors.
The gates open each evening at 5 p.m. and concerts start at 7 p.m.
The July 4 concert includes fireworks over the St. Mary’s River and the season finale features Broadway star and singer Maureen McGovern. For more information about the concerts, or to be a sponsor of this local tradition, go to www.chesapeakeorchestra.org or call 301-848-5309.
The Series will kick off with Baroque masterpieces of J.S. Bach and includes a jazzy-baroque fusion finish that showcases Silberschlag on the trumpet. Silberschlag has performed all over the world and was a recipient of the European Union of the Arts Prize for Artistic and Cultural Activities. Also featured at this concert will be the great Victor Dvoskin on jazz bass, considered by Soviet jazz critics as the number-one bass player of the 1980s. They will be joined by renowned drummer Adolph Wright, who has performed with Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, among other jazz legends.
The second concert on June 27 will present the musical world at the time of the American Revolution and includes Haydn’s Symphony “The Queen of France,” and Schubert’s beautiful Symphony No. 5.
The July 4 extravaganza features a tribute to the Big Bands, including hits by Harry James, Bennie Goodman, Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey. The concert will finish with the nostalgic “Moonlight Serenade,” punctuated by a spectacular fireworks display.
Larry Vote, a Helen Hayes Award winner for his role as conductor and music director of “The Pirates of Penzance,” will guest conduct the Chesapeake Orchestra on July 11. Vote promises to transport the audience to an evening in Italy, featuring famous opera overtures, choruses and arias with Soprano Danielle Talamantes, considered by opera critics to be a rising star. Talamantes makes an exciting stage debut in the upcoming 2014-2015 season as Frasquita in The Metropolitan Opera’s “Carmen.” This fourth installment of the River Concert Series also features the River Concert Series Choir.
On the night of July 18, Belgian pianist Patrick Dheur joins Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra direct from his appearance at Carnegie Hall, for a program of romantic Russian and French classics. The program includes Tchaikovsky ‘s iconic works “Overture to Romeo and Juliet” and Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique.” In addition, the program showcases Cesar Franck’s Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra.
Story telling is the theme of the season finale on July 25, with a performance of Rimsky Korsakov’s “Scheherazade. The evening features an appearance by vocalist Maureen McGovern, known for her iconic renditions of the Oscar-winning songs “The Morning After” from the film The Poseidon Adventure and “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno. McGovern will close out the Series with a program featuring T
