Free outdoor family fun! The July 4th Celebration is a cooperative event, providing all day activities for the entire community. Children’s activities and displays, discounted museum admission, a patriotic symphony performance topped off with a fireworks display. Come celebrate Independence Day in style with the Brazos Valley Symphony. Perfect for family and friends spending the holiday together!

Brazos Valley Symphony
Dr. Marcelo Bussiki, Music Director and Conductor
Craig Schulman on Broadway
4 pm Saturday, May 1, 2010

Elgar’s Enigma Variations are moving musical portraits of his family and closest friends, with an underlying mystery concerning the origin of the theme. Tchaikovsky’s enduring Fourth Symphony combines passages of majesty and nimble playfulness dedicated to his patron, Nadezhda von Meck. Tchaikovsky promised her that in this work she would find “an echo of your most intimate thoughts and emotions.”

Higdon’s accessible and luminescent blue cathedral is the most programmed work by a living American composer. Pianist Kyle Orth, winner of the 2008 Juanita Miller Youth Concerto Competition, will dazzle you with his amazing technique! Rimsky-Korsakov’s musical depiction of the tales told in 1001 Nights has become a concert hall favorite.

From the pastel impressionism of Charles Tomlinson Griffes to the recognizable roots of American popular music in Joplin’s ragtime compositions, this concert celebrates the melting pot that represents the American experience. Hanson’s popular second symphony remains his most accessible and emotionally engaging work and closes with one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed.

Verdi pulls out all the stops in his powerful and sublime setting of the sacred text. The combined forces of the Brazos Valley Symphony, Brazos Valley Chorale, and the Texas A&M Century Singers will perform this masterpiece at Rudder Auditorium. Local favorite Emily Pulley will be a featured soloist.