Free performance returns to Roger Williams Park on Thursday, August 1
From the Office of Mayor Brett Smiley:
Mayor Brett P. Smiley, the Rhode Island Foundation, and Citizens invite the public to a free performance of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Pops in the Park at the Roger Williams Park Temple to Music. Due to this week’s forecast, the event will be using the planned rain date of Thursday, August 1 beginning at 7:30 pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or waterproof picnic blanket for an evening of fun under the stars.
“I am delighted to welcome the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra back to Roger Williams Park again this summer for a free, family-friendly concert at the Temple to Music,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “This event has become a wonderful tradition for Providence to come together and enjoy excellent music in one of Rhode Island’s most scenic settings. I encourage everyone to bring their loved ones and experience the joy of this special performance.”
In addition to the concert, food trucks will be onsite at the Temple to Music serving local, regional and global cuisine.
“Together with our partners, we are inviting Rhode Islanders to what has become an annual tradition for thousands of people,” said David N. Cicilline, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “Community is at the heart of our work. Community begins where people come together to share experiences. There is no better spot to promote the importance of community than in one of Rhode Island’s most beloved places.”
This year’s Pops concert is a tribute to Rhode Island. Titled “Our State: A RI Celebration,” concertgoers can expect to hear selections by famous composers who grew up in Rhode Island like Peter Boyer, Bill Conti and George M Cohan, music from Seth MacFarlane’s Rhode Island inspired Family Guy series, and traditional summer pops fare from John Williams and others.
“We’re thrilled to be back at Roger Williams Park this summer,” said David Beauchesne, the Philharmonic’s executive director. “At the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, we are dedicated to serving all who live in this great state through music, and one of the most powerful ways that we can do that is to get out into the community to perform. We look forward to seeing record crowds and sharing some wonderful music together in the heart of Providence.”
Conducted by Troy Quinn, the 66-piece orchestra will play a 90-minute set. The Rhode Island Foundation will present three of its most prestigious annual awards during intermission:
· Community Leadership Award – Amos House
· Civic Leadership Award – Mrs. Victoria Johnson
· The Trailblazer Award – Dr. Eugenio Fernandez, Asthenis Pharmacy
The Rhode Island Foundation and Citizens are presenting sponsors of this free community event with support from the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, Providence Tourism Council, the Roger Williams Park Conservancy and the Providence Parks Department.
“Citizens support for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Pops in the Park is our own tribute to Rhode Island,” said Keith Kelly, president of Citizens, Rhode Island. “Rhode Island has so much to offer, and it is our hope that this concert will bring together Rhode Islanders for an enjoyable night of fantastic music where they can come together and celebrate the culture and beauty of the Ocean State.”
Free parking is available throughout Roger Williams Park. Details are available at riphil.org/summer-pops.
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About the Rhode Island Foundation
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is improving the lives of all Rhode Islanders.
About the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School
The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School is committed to engaging people of Southern New England as lifelong music listeners, teachers, learners, creators and performers. It is the only professional orchestra in the country to officially designate music education and performance as equal priorities. In addition to the Philharmonic Orchestra’s Classical, Pops, Education concerts and in-school performances, the RI Philharmonic Music School offers music education programs and performance opportunities to people of all ages, incomes and ability levels. Currently the largest and most comprehensive, non-profit community music school in Rhode Island, the Philharmonic Music School engages approximately 1,100 students statewide on a weekly basis at its music school in East Providence with an additional 13,000 students through partnerships, residencies, music literacy programs and education concerts.
In December 2006, the RI Philharmonic moved its administrative offices to East Providence and in fall 2008 opened the Carter Center for Music Education & Performance, the first facility of its kind in Rhode Island. The Carter Center has dramatically increased the RI Philharmonic’s ability to provide high quality, comprehensive and accessible music education through its Music School to thousands of students through scholarships and community partnerships. Students come to visit the Carter Center from virtually every community in the state, as well as nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut.
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