Posted March 15, 2017
DAYTON, OH (March 15, 2017) – On Friday, April 7, 2017 and Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 8 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, will present the fifth concert in the 2016–2017 Kettering Health Network SuperPops Series, The Best of John Williams. Associate Sponsors for the weekend are The Milt Kantor Family and StoryPoint Senior Living Communities.
Then, on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 3:00 pm, the DPO will take this complete SuperPops performance out into the community for a very special presentation of The Best of John Williams at Hobart Arena in Troy, OH. Leadership Sponsor for the Sunday performance at Hobart Arena is Stillwater Technologies.
What could the films Star Wars, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, the Harry Potter series, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List possibly have in common? You guessed it—their musical scores were all composed by the prolific John Williams. This April, the Dayton Philharmonic has planned a special performance of music celebrating Williams’ wonderful works.
From 1980 to 1993, John Williams was principal conductor for the Boston Pops. However, he is probably best known for his work as a composer. From Raiders of the Lost Ark to E.T. to Lincoln, Williams has written some of the most popular and most recognizable movie scores ever, winning 5 Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, 2 Emmys, and 5 BAFTA awards. Known internationally for his cinematic music, Williams has also written for several television shows, including the “Mission Theme” that begins NBC Nightly News. Even the world of sports owes a debt to John Williams, as he composed the theme songs for the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Olympics held in the United States.
This April, the Dayton Philharmonic will pay homage to the great John Williams with a performance full of the very best of his movie score masterpieces. DPO will thrill audiences with soundtrack wonders from blockbuster films such as E.T., Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Lost in Space. Maestro Gittleman and the orchestra will also give a nod to two of Williams’ more serious film projects, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List. DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung will take the spotlight on violin with “Theme from Schindler’s List,” “Jewish Town (Krakow Ghetto Winter ’41),” and “Remembrances.” And, of course, no evening of celebration of John Williams would be complete without a visit to “a galaxy far, far away.” The DPO brings the concert to a fantastic climax with excerpts from perhaps the most recognizable of Williams’ brilliance when they dazzle the crowd with music from the Star Wars series.
Come join the Dayton Philharmonic for adventure, magic, thrills, and drama . . . brought to you through the music of John Williams!
Tickets for the April 7 and April 8 performances of The Best of John Williams range from $29 to $79 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
Tickets for the April 9 performance of The Best of John Williams are available at the Hobart Arena Box Office (937) 339-2911 or by visiting www.hobartarena.com or www.daytonperformingarts.org.