Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky brings summer sounds to Hawrelak Park

Your Edmonton Symphony Orchestra concludes summer with the 15^th annual

Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky

Friday, September 4^th - Monday, September 7^th

Heritage Amphitheatre, Hawrelak Park

Edmonton, AB ’Ķ Concluding the summer festival season in Edmonton is Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky. Taking place Labour Day weekend, September 4^th ’Äì 7^th, 2009, this annual festival is sure to delight concert-goers of all ages, by bringing the invigorating sounds of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) to the beautiful river valley setting of Hawrelak Park.

Charismatic Conductor Bob Bernhardt returns to lead the ESO in five outdoor concerts that will celebrate the 15^th annual outdoor festival of orchestral music. Over the course of four days, audiences can sample the varied music programming presented by the ESO all through the concert season. From classical masterpieces, operatic classics, Hollywood movie favourites, and a tribute to Sinatra, there is something for every musical taste and style!

’ÄúIt is with delight and great pleasure that I’Äôm back for my fourth season of Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky’Äù says Maestro Bernhardt. ’ÄúAs always, we strive to provide a wide variety of excellent and entertaining programs for the entire family that has become the hallmark of this festival. We hope that you find much to enjoy!’Äù

This year, the ESO is also extremely pleased to have Bullfrog Power as a partner to lower the electricity-related emissions footprint of the festival with Alberta-made wind power. Bullfrog Power is a leading Canadian provider of 100 per cent green electricity, and the only all-green electricity provider in Alberta. Providing green power for this event will not require any special equipment or wiring. Bullfrog Power will simply inject clean, emissions-free EcoLogo^M-certified electricity to the Alberta electricity grid to match the amount of power used by the event, just as it does for thousands of homes and hundreds of organizations in Alberta and Ontario.

’ÄúBy choosing to use Bullfrog Power, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is setting an important example about how easy it is for organizations and companies to lower their electricity-related emissions footprint,’Äù says Theresa Howland, Vice President, Western Region, Bullfrog Power.

On Friday, September 4^th, the festival opens with ESO Music Director Bill Eddins stepping into the role of guest piano soloist, taking on Gershwin’Äôs vivacious, jazz-influenced Concerto in F. Bob Bernhardt will conduct two other treasured works of classical music, Mussorgsky’Äôs rousing A Night on Bare Mountain and Mendelssohn’Äôs shimmering ’ÄúItalian’Äù Symphony, in this 7:00pm concert of Sparkling Classics.

Saturday, September 5^th welcomes Canadian soprano Kathleen Brett for an afternoon performance of operatic delights, and an evening performance of glorious music from Oscar-winning movies. The 2:00pm matinee concert Operamania!, will bring some of the greatest orchestral as well as vocal works from opera to the Amphitheatre stage, with a showcase of music by Mozart, Rossini, Lˆ©har, and Strauss.

Following the matinee, stick around for the 4^th annual Family BBQ, as ESO musicians cook up burgers from Sobeys on party-sized BBQs provided by Big Top Rentals. All proceeds to support Kids Kottage ’Äì a charity that assists families in crisis situations.

The day concludes with Hollywood Adventures and Romances ’Äì our annual ’Äúmovie night’Äù which has rapidly become one of the festival’Äôs favourite concert programs. Enjoy a summer night of familiar music and themes from The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, The Lord of the Rings, and so much more! This evening performance begins at 7:00pm.

The festival continues on Sunday, September 6^th, at 2:00pm, with a move-along, sing-along event for the entire family, The Hi-Lo Big Top Circus. In a colourful and lively circus setting, parents and children will learn musical concepts through storytelling and audience participation. This hour-long concert which will highlight music of the great composers of classical music, including Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn, does not include musicians of the ESO.

Fun for the whole family continues immediately following the concert with the Teddy Bear Picnic! Enjoy games, face painters, and inflatable activities, plus meet ESO musicians and make some music at the ESO’Äôs original instrument petting zoo! Instruments are provided in part by the Edmonton Public School String Enrichment Program. Festival favourite Fat Franks will also be onsite selling delicious hot dogs, with all proceeds to support the ESO’Äôs education programs.

Sunday concludes with a tribute concert to Old Blue Eyes himself. Steve Lippia brings his uncanny Sinatra style to the Heritage Amphitheatre for a night of vocal magic in Simply Sinatra with Steve Lippia, at 7:00pm. Bob Bernhardt conducts your ESO through songs that include New York, New York, My Way, That’Äôs Life, You Make Me Feel So Young, Cheek to Cheek, and many more.

Finally, on Monday, September 7^th, at 2:00pm, your ESO wraps up its annual summer festival in a tradition of grand proportions. Hometown favourite trumpeter Jens Lindemann brings extraordinary musicianship and a disarming stage presence to the festival’Äôs final afternoon, presenting a dynamic mix of virtuosity and lyricism. Following dramatic pieces by Gershwin, Haydn, and Bizet, the guns of the Royal Canadian Artillery, as ever, will supply the awe-inspiring cannonades to Tchaikovsky’Äôs 1812 Overture in the weekend’Äôs grand finale.

This year, do your part and join your Edmonton Symphony in going Green! Thinking of driving to the park? Avoid the long waits in your car and limited parking space at the park ’Äì simply leave your vehicle at the U of A Stadium lot (pay-parking lot located northwest of the Butterdome ’Äì 116 St and 88 Ave) and ride Hybrid ETS buses for free directly to Hawrelak Park. Or better yet, ride your bike! Free, supervised bike racks will be available on site, courtesy of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society. Bringing a picnic lunch for the family? Summertime snacks have never tasted better than when they come packed in reusable containers!

This year’Äôs festival will once again play host to our digital concert attendees - bloggers and tweeters. Blogging Under the Sky is open to anyone with a personal blog/Twitter account, who is interested in blogging/tweeting live from Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky. Those interested should email their blog address to esoblognight@winspearcentre.com. Festival tickets will be given to participating bloggers and tweeters.

For a full concert listing of Sobeys Symphony Under the Sky, please visit www.edmonontonsymphony.com. All events will be held at Hawrelak Park.

In case of inclement weather, listen to Shine 105.9 FM. Any venue changes will be announced on air, posted on edmontonsymphony.com and http://twitter.com/edmsymphony, and noted at (780) 428-1414 and 1-800-563-5081.

In addition to the generous support of Sobeys, festival supporters include Bullfrog Power, TELUS, the City of Edmonton through the Edmonton Arts Council, The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton, The Edmonton Journal, AM 930 The Light, and 105.9 Shine FM.

The Monday, September 7^th performance is generously sponsored by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada.

Ongoing support to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is provided by The Canada Council for the Arts, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and The Edmonton Arts Council.

Box Office and Tickets

The Box Office at Hawrelak Park opens two hours prior to the first performance of each day of the festival. The amphitheatre gates open one hour prior to each performance. The amphitheatre is closed between matinee and evening performances.

Weekend passes range from $82 to $120, and single tickets prices range from $18 to $27. All child grass seating is FREE* and child reserved tickets are $13. Agency fees apply. The 2 for 1 New Subscriber Promotion applies to weekend passes.

Non-refundable/non-exchangeable tickets are available now through the Winspear Centre Box Office: in person at #4 Winston Churchill Square, by phone: (780) 428-1414 or 1-800-563-5081, or on-line at www.edmontonsymphony.com. Please note that the Hawrelak Park Amphitheatre Box Office is CASH ONLY. An ATM machine will be available on site.

*Ticket still required for child grass seating.