The strains of Vivaldi, John Williams and Leonard Bernstein will fill the air at Sunset Beach Park this summer.
麻豆传媒映画Park Board and the 麻豆传媒映画Symphony Orchestra announced Thursday the first-ever Symphony at Sunset. Set for Saturday, July 14, the free open-air concert will mark the start of the VSO鈥檚 100th anniversary season.
鈥淲e are thrilled to kick off the VSO鈥檚 100th Anniversary Celebrations in partnership with the 麻豆传媒映画Park Board in a setting that will combine the scenic assets of our city with the cultural assets of our symphony,鈥� said Kelly Tweeddale, president of the 麻豆传媒映画Symphony Society and the VSO School of Music. 鈥淚n the great cities of the world, free concerts like this become a place where families can come together and experience the magnitude of a symphony performance and build lasting traditions.鈥�
Symphony at Sunset will be the first free outdoor VSO concert in the city since 2011, when the orchestra played in Stanley Park to mark the Vancouver鈥檚 125th birthday. The VSO only plays a handful out outdoor concerts each year 鈥� others outdoor concerts this season are in Whistler over the Canada Day long weekend and in Burnaby鈥檚 Deer Lake Park on July 8.
Non-Partisan Association commissioner Sarah-Kirby Yung, who initially brought the motion to approve a partnership with VSO to the board in 2016, said she hopes the Symphony at Sunset will become an annual event in the city.
鈥淲hat is better than music in our parks?鈥� she said.
The free family-friendly event will include a pre-concert program performed by student ensembles from the VSO School of Music followed by a sunset concert performed by the VSO. The performance, led by assistant conductor William Rowson, will include a broad selection of symphonic hits including music from Leonard Bernstein, excerpts from Vivaldi鈥檚 Four Seasons and John Williams鈥� scores from Star Wars.
The event will include food trucks on site and the public is encouraged to bring a picnic and a blanket. Concertgoers are asked to bring low chairs so as to not obstruct the view of other audience members.
The park board and VSO estimate more than 7,000 people will attend Symphony at Sunset and people are encouraged to walk, cycle or take public transit to the event.
The pre-concert will start at 7:15 p.m. with the main event running from 8:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.
