Honoring Cancer Survivors, Patients, and Their Loved Ones
July 27 at Great Park Live

Photos here: https://bit.ly/psepk_rhapsody100

Following a vibrant and triumphant kickoff to the inaugural season in its new summer home, Pacific Symphony’s SummerFest 2024 presented by City of Hope Orange County continues on July 27 at 8 p.m. The City of Hope Orange County sponsors Rhapsody in Blue at 100: A Concert of Hope, a heart-warming concert that is a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and unwavering spirit of cancer survivors, patients, and their loved ones.

“City of Hope, recognized among the top 5 in the nation for cancer care and #1 in California by U.S. News & World Report, is delivering on our most important goal: saving lives,” said Annette M. Walker, president, City of Hope Orange County. “We are grateful to Pacific Symphony and Music Director Carl St.Clair for dedicating this concert to everyone impacted by cancer and joining with us to honor the more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. With the promising path so many cancer researchers and physicians have forged—including many at City of Hope—there is incredible hope for the future.”

While the Great Park Live venue in Irvine may be new, the Symphony’s promise of an exceptional summer musical journey remains unchanged. Expect an intimate and cozy experience in a casual, inviting setting. Picture this: warm summer evenings, delightful picnics overflowing with goodies, all shared with family and friends—every element contriubting to the magic of the Symphony SummerFest tradition.

Gates open at 6 p.m., welcoming you to a choice of seating options: table seating at the front for an up-close experience, or row seating with convenient tablet tables. General parking is included with your ticket. Still looking for tickets? Subscriptions of three- or four-concert packages are still available. With a variety of pre-concert dining options, including delicious food and beverages, your evening is guaranteed to be a feast for the senses. For more information or to purchase subscriptions or single tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.

Music Director Carl St.Clair takes the podium on Saturday, July 27 for an "All-American” program that promises to captivate. The evening opens with Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story, a work brimming with dramatic colors and moods that will perfectly complement the lush summer night. The California premiere of Peter Boyer’s Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue featuring piano soloist Jeffrey Biegel, follows. Biegel conceived the project to celebrate the centennial of George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, which was premiered 100 years ago on February 12, 1924. After intermission, Biegel returns for a celebratory performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, a masterful fusion of classical and jazz. Also on the program is Gershwin’s jazz-influenced symphonic tone poem, An American in Paris.

The concert is the second in a series of five SummerFest 2024 programs presented by City of Hope Orange County, which also sponsors the July 27 Concert of Hope. The Great Park Live venue is underwritten by the City of Irvine. Additional sponsorship was provided by Ronna and Bill Shipman. Pacific Symphony extends heartfelt thanks to its series sponsors: Official Television Station PBS SoCal, Official Pops Radio Station K-Earth 101, Official Media Partner LAist, and Official Hotel Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa.

Already have tickets and want to enhance your evening with delectable food? Call the Symphony box office at (714) 755-5799 to pre-order delicious boxed meals, appetizers, wine, and beverages by 24 Carrots, available for convenient pickup at Great Park from 6 to 7:45 p.m. on the night of the concert. Preview Picnic Menu for a taste of what’s in store.

The Symphony will continue its residency at Great Park Live during the 2024 SummerFest season, with three more exhilarating programs culminating in the Tchaikovsky Spectacular on Sept. 7. Discover more about all the summer concerts in the series at PacificSymphony.org.
    
About Pacific Symphony
Pacific Symphony, under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Carl St.Clair since 1990, has been the resident orchestra of Orange County’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over 15 years. Founded in 1978, the Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years and is not only a fixture of musical life in Southern California, but is also recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scenes. The orchestra presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages.

Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018, where it was invited to perform as part of a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass' 80th birthday. The Symphony made its first-ever tour to China the same year, with performances in five cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country’s five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras.

Pacific Symphony’s discography comprises 15 recordings, mostly of 20th- and 21st-century music by such American composers as William Bolcom, John Corigliano and Richard Danielpour. In 2012 for Naxos, St.Clair and the orchestra recorded Philip Glass’s The Passion of Ramakrishna, a Pacific Symphony commission that appeared on the Carnegie Hall program. The Symphony has also recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Koch International Classics, Reference Recordings, and Sony Classical, among other labels. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country’s five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras. The Symphony’s education and community engagement activities have also been recognized by the League, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Great Park Live
In February 2024, The City of Irvine City Council and the Great Park Board approved the setup and operation of the temporary Great Park amphitheater, Great Park Live. In October 2024, after the FivePoint Amphitheatre announced its closure, the City began working to develop a plan to be able to avoid a gap in the delivery of live music in Irvine. After reviewing multiple options, the City Council authorized the establishment of a temporary live music venue that can accommodate a crowd of 5,000 at the Great Park Sports Complex. The facility serves as the summer home for Pacific Symphony and will host other live entertainment acts for the summer concert seasons in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

About City of Hope
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM.

CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE:

Event Details
RHAPSODY IN BLUE AT 100: CONCERT OF HOPE
Saturday, July 27, 2024 • 8 p.m.

Pacific Symphony
Carl St.Clair, conductor
Jeffrey Biegel, pianist

PROGRAM
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
BOYER: Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue (California Premiere)
- Intermission -
GERSHWIN: An American in Paris
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue

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