HARTFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PLAY MOVIE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS AT TALCOTT MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY 19

The recipient of five Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys, and five BAFTAs, John Williams is considered one of the most iconic and celebrated film composers of the century. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will continue the 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival with The Movie Music of John Williams: Star Wars, E.T. and More on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows. Led by guest conductor James Orent, the program will include music from some of John Williams’s most famous films. There also will be a musically inspired costume contest, open to all ages, before the concert.

The concert will open with the iconic “mission” theme from NBC’s Nightly News program. The program will continue with two pieces in the style of conquering the West, The Cowboys Overture and Suite from Far and Away. Both pieces are a combination of selections from each of the movies scored by John Williams. Following that will be music from two well-known fantasy movies, The Witches of Eastwick and Harry Potter, including The Devil’s Dance, Fawkes the Phoenix, and Harry’s Wondrous World. The first half will end with one of the most iconic superhero themes, Superman March.

After intermission, the concert will continue with Liberty Fanfare, a piece commissioned by the Statute of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation for the 100th birthday of the Statue of Liberty. The second half will move back to the movies with film music from the dynamic duo of Steven Spielberg and John Williams, Hook, featuring The Face of Pan and The Flight to Neverland, and E.T., featuring Adventures on Earth.

The final portion of the program will be from the famous collaboration of George Lucas and John Williams, Star Wars. The pieces featured come from all six movies and span over 25 years. They include Anakin’s Theme from The Phantom Menace, The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) from The Empire Strikes Back, and the Star Wars Main Title.

There will be a musically inspired costume contest before the concert. Open to all ages, the contest will include a variety of categories based upon the music featured on the program (Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Hook.) Everyone is encouraged to participate. Anyone that would like to participate in the contest must register between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Education Tent. All participants will be considered for all categories. The results of the contest will be announced during intermission.

Guest conductor James Orent has led an illustrious career as both a conductor and violinist. Since his debut at the age of 18, Orent has performed in over 13 different countries and a wide variety of styles, from classical to rock. He has served as violinist, guest conductor, and cover conductor for 23 seasons with the Boston Pops, including working with John Williams. He has also conducted the Handel and Haydn Society, Fort Worth, Spokane, Springfield (MA), Scottish Rite Masons Millennium 2000, Hartford Ballet, Pro Arte Chamber, Erie Philharmonic, Erie Ballet, Boston Conservatory and Ballet, and Greater Boston Youth Symphony orchestras, as well as many others.

Ticket Information: Single tickets range in price from $20-$45; and lawn tickets for kids 12 and under are $5. Discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance. For more ticketing information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860)-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Additional Information: Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. Patrons are allowed to bring outside food and drink to all Talcott Mountain Music Festival concerts. Limited parking is available along Iron Horse Boulevard and throughout downtown Simsbury with a convenient shuttle service available from Henry James Memorial Middle School at 155 Firetown Road in Simsbury beginning at 5:30 p.m. before each concert. Open to all ticket holders, the HSO Family Activity Tent is open from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.; families can enjoy free activities such as music-themed games and crafts, the “Instrument Zoo,” and youth performances.  In the case of severe weather, this concert will be performed the following night (July 20) at the same time.

The 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is presented by Hartford Hospital. The 2013 Festival Sponsor is The Richard P. Garmany Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Sinatra Under the Stars is sponsored by Classic Hotels of Connecticut. The 2013 Talcott Mountain Music Festival receives Festival Patron support from Falcetti Music, Paine’s, Inc, Seabury, The Hartford, and UBS Realty Investors; Festival Benefactor support from Chubb, Cigna, Ensign Bickford Industries, HB Group, Show Lighting, Simscroft Echo, Travelers, and Viking Fuel Oil; and Festival Friend support from 2fly wines, Bank of America, Big Y, CL&P, Dornenburg - Kallenbach Advertising, Ethel Walker School, Federman, Lally, and Remis, Fitzgerald Foods, JP Morgan Chase, Metro Bis, Motley Rice, Murphy, Laudati, Kiel, Buttler & Rattigan LLC, Robert Hensley and Associates, Simsbury Bank, The Aegis Group, Tom and Suzy Reich, and United Healthcare. The Education Tent Sponsor is sponsored by Westminster School. Fireworks are sponsored by the Town of Simsbury. Generous support for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra 2012-2013 Season is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.