Road trips
Free concerts in area parks highlight a busy BPO summer
The sun never sets on the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra! While others kick back, the BPO has been busy, gearing up for a couple of weeks of concerts under the stars, conducted by Maestro Paul Ferington.
Four free concerts are scheduled in area parks. All these concerts begin at 7 p. m. Here is the schedule:
• Tuesday: The BPO plays its traditionally popular concert at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens.
• Wednesday: The orchestra celebrates the opening of Schoellkopf Park, a new green space in Niagara Falls.
• July 7: the BPO plays Centennial Park, Batavia.
• July 8: The BPO plays Delaware Park.
In addition, the Philharmonic is continuing a tradition of playing an Independence Day Eve concert on July 3 after the Bisons game ($23, www.bisons.com ). A special guest for next Friday’s Bisons concert is Bob McGrath, better known as Bob from “Sesame Street.” At that concert, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus will sing backup for Bob, who will also be narrating two new pieces by composer Randal Bass.
“We have the most wonderful program,” Ferington promises. “Bob is going to do singing for the kids and he has ‘Sesame Street’ songs, and a Power Point he’s bringing with muppets.”
And at 8 p. m. July 4, the BPO plays an Independence Day concert at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville ($25 through Sunday, $30 if purchased after Sunday; Tickets.com). The BPO’s departing associate conductor, Robert Franz, conducts an evening of music including Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” marches by Sousa, and Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.” Fireworks follow the concert.
The free concerts in the park are featuring two up-and- coming musicians — recent high school grads who won BPO scholarships.
One of them is Brad Whitney, from East Aurora. “He’s a marvelous clarinetist,” Ferington says. “He’s playing Debussy’s Premier Rhapsody for Clarinet.”
Whitney, who studies with BPO Principal Clarinetist John Fullam and attends the Eastman School of Music, will be performing at the Centennial Park in Batavia. He will also be joining the BPO on July 16 for a lunchtime concert in M&T Plaza.
The other winner is singer Jay Louis Dref, who also studies at the Eastman School.
“It’s the first time we have had a singer,” Ferington says.
Dref will be singing arias by Handel and fellow Baroque composer Alessandro Stradella. He will be performing with the BPO at Schoellkopf Park and at Delaware Park. He will also sing at an additional free outdoor BPO concert at 6 p. m. July 21 on UB’s South Campus.
A third scholarship winner, violist Joe LoCicero, was tied up in his studies and was unable to make a summer engagement.
Ferington looks ahead to the parks concert with great enthusiasm.
“Schoellkopf Park is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous,” he says. “And Delaware Park should be a very big concert.”
The concerts will include music by three composers marking anniversaries this year: Mendelssohn, Haydn and Handel.
For info on BPO events, call 885-5000.•
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