The 2012 River Concert Series will take place every Friday from June 22-July 27. Gates open at 5 p.m. and concerts start at 8 p.m. The series, under the direction of Jeffrey Silberschlag, will feature the Chesapeake Orchestra, with guest performances by jazz vocalist Hilary Kole, piano soloist Brian Ganz, jazz musician Don Stapleson, and a host of other local and international artists.
The first concert, “A Little Bit of Gypsy,” will include the music of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt and Czech composer Antonin Dvořák. Violin duo Jessica and Katelyn Lyons will play Pablo Sarasate’s “Navarra” duet and world-renowned Czech vocalist Edita Randova will lend her voice to the Dvořák pieces.
The River Concert Series has grown in talent, prominence, and size since its inception in 1999 thanks to generous contributions by series and concert sponsors and through individual gifts by the more than 250,000 audience members over the years. In past years, financial contributions deposited in baskets passed throughout the audience have raised funds to support future Concert Series. This year, we are moving our “bucket brigade” away from the audience area to prevent any interference with listening enjoyment. Look for our voluntary donation buckets in the parking areas and outer perimeters as you approach the concert grounds. As always, the River Concerts and the parking areas are free of charge and all donations are voluntary.
In other news, the River Concert Series Task Force, charged to make recommendations to ensure the long term success and financial stability of the event, will be seeking feedback from concert goers. An online survey will be made available to concertgoers by visiting https://dev.smcm.edu/events/riverconcert/or by stopping by the Task Force information booth located within the vendor area. The survey seeks to assess the audience’s satisfaction with the concerts and asks for suggestions to improve any aspect of the series. Feedback from concertgoers is an important factor in keeping the River Concert Series responsive to audience interests.
The River Concert Series is free and open to the public.