Posted February 25, 2019
DAYTON, OH (February 25, 2019) – On Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, 2019 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 2018–2019 Kettering Health Network SuperPops Series, Best of John Williams II.
The SuperPops concert for March 2019 allows conductor Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra to further explore the vast repertoire of composer John Williams. The previous concert, Best of John Williams, was a Dayton audience favorite, and Best of John Williams II will certainly prove to be just as exciting.
Often called “America’s composer,” John Williams has been creating movie music since 1959. Over the years, Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 51 times for an Academy Award, winning the coveted statue five times over the years. His staggering number of Academy nods makes him the second-most nominated individual for the Oscar, next to none other than Mr. Walt Disney himself. The soundtrack for Star Wars (Episode IV) is the best-selling score-only soundtrack of all time, and, in fact, Williams has composed the soundtrack for eight of the twenty highest grossing films at the U.S. box office. To say that John Williams has had a great influence on the very fabric of American culture over the last 60 years is an understatement! And when he is not composing music for the films that fill our minds and our hearts with unforgettable memories, Williams still serves as the Conductor Laureate for the impeccable Boston Pops.
This March, the Williams musical magic continues here in Dayton as Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic prepare a Pops performance that pays tribute to even more music from this Hollywood legend. This time, the journey continues through additional blockbuster films and franchises spanning the last several decades. From Superman to Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Raiders of the Lost Ark to Hook to Harry Potter, the DPO will take us for a rousing ride through a movie music wonderland. And no evening saluting John Williams would be complete without a sensational serving of the iconic music of the Star Wars saga.
So sit back, relax, and let us entertain you with the Best of John Williams II. Although there may not be popcorn served at the Schuster, you’ll certainly feel as though you’ve spent a night at the movies!
Tickets for Best of John Williams II begin at $24 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.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the community, offering a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and setting a new standard for artistic excellence. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the Miami Valley. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance also receives partial funding from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents. In 2013, The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was thrilled to be one of five performing arts organizations in the country selected to receive a three-year “Music Alive” grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is the proud recipient of a 2017-2018 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.