America's favorite cowboys bring old time fun to the Winspear Stage in ESO Special Presentation - Mar. 16

ESO Special Presentation

Canadian debut for Riders in the Sky as they ride on into the sunset with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

One Night Only!

Monday, March 16^th, 2009 ’Äì 7:30 pm

Edmonton, AB ’Ķ Calling all buckaroos and buckarettes! Come ride the happy trails by the cool water and the tumblin’Äô tumbleweeds and indulge in the comical and whimsical world of the singing cowboy. Legendary western music and comedy group Riders in the Sky make their Canadian debut as they gallop into Edmonton for an evening of rib-ticklin’Äô, knee-slappin’Äô hijinks and hilarity. Guest conductor Steven Reineke joins in on the fun to lead the ESO down The Cowboy Way, as they perform authentic renditions of old classic cowboy songs.

This wacky harmonizing quartet is composed of Ranger Doug (The Idol of American Youth), Too Slim (The Idol of Canadian Elderly), Woody Paul (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers) and Joey (The Cowpolka King). Having written and performed music for major motion pictures, including Toy Story 2’Äôs ’ÄúWoody’Äôs Roundup,’Äù which garnered the Riders their first Grammy Award in 2001 for "Best Musical Album for Children," Riders in the Sky will surely keep the entire family in stitches and provide a laugh-out-loud evening of wholesome skit-and-song entertainment.

Don’Äôt miss your chance to tip that cowboy hat, click those roper heels, and yodel along in this ESO special presentation! Tickets for this performance range from $20-$65 (agency fees apply). Tickets are available through the Winspear Centre Box Office.

Media Sponsors: 790 CFCW and the Edmonton Journal

Winspear Centre Box Office:

(780) 428-1414 or 1-800-563-5081

www.edmontonsymphony.com

#4 Winston Churchill Square

Biographies

For thirty years, Riders in the Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing Western music. And while remaining true to the integrity of the genre, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding it with their own legendary wacky humour and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life ’ÄúThe Cowboy Way!’Äù

Riders In The Sky are stars of the stage, screen, the Grand Ole Opry, National Public Radio, XM Satellite Radio, Saturday morning TV, and are the only exclusively Western artist to have won a Grammy Award. They truly are "America's Favorite Cowboys!"

As a classic cowboy quartet, the trail has led them to heights they could have never predicted. The Riders have chalked up over 5,400 concert appearances in all 50 states and 10 countries, appearing in venues everywhere from the Nashville National Guard Armory to Carnegie Hall, and from county fairs to the Hollywood Bowl. Their cowboy charisma and comedic flair made them naturals for TV, and landed them their own weekly show on TNN, as well as a Saturday morning series on CBS. They have been guests on countless TV specials, documentaries and variety shows, appearing with everyone from Barney to Penn & Teller. And their animated likenesses have shared the screen with Daffy Duck on the Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel’Äôs Stanley.

This is Riders in the Sky’Äôs debut with the ESO, as well as their Canadian debut.

Steven Reineke was recently named Principal Conductor of the New York Pops, succeeding the late Skitch Henderson. He is also Principal Pops Conductor of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and serves as Music Associate and Principal Arranger/Composer of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Recognized as the sound of the Cincinnati Pops, Mr. Reineke’Äôs 100+ arrangements for that orchestra have been performed worldwide. Mr. Reineke has also written and arranged for Doc Severinson, Jack Everly and Michael Krajewski. A protˆ©gˆ© of the legendary pops conductor Erich Kunzel, Steven Reineke’Äôs recent guest conducting appearances include the orchestras of Cincinnati, Toronto, Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Edmonton and Windsor.

Mr. Reineke is also an established symphonic composer. His works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in the United States and Canada. Mr. Reineke’Äôs numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands around the world. A native of Ohio, Mr. Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, receiving two Bachelor of Music Degrees with Honors, in both Trumpet Performance and Music Composition. He resides in Cincinnati.

Mr. Reineke last conducted the ESO in June 2008.