The Symphony of the Hills is starting out this New Year with a bang. Here is its Associate Concert Master, Gene Dowdy.
“It’s our annual Pops Concert, and the theme is especially American Music of the 20th Century.”
It’s a pretty eclectic grouping of music.
“It’s very eclectic. The music ranges from ragtime piano to folk songs of the dust bowl to jazz from Duke Ellington to rock ‘n’ roll, the Beatles, you name it, it’s going to be on there.”
Will there be guitarists playing with you as well?
"There will be some guitarists, and some singers.
Is it fun for the orchestra to stretch into these different genres?
“To be able to do a Pops Concert really lets everybody kind of kick up their heels, let their hair down.”
Well, we’ve left one name off: Michael Jackson.
“Talk about eclectic. Michael Jackson himself was such an eclectic artist; I mean he started out as a dancing phenom back in Motown. And then to have the incredible electric guitar artistry of Eddie van Halen featured on ‘Beat It.’ So it’ll be a lot of fun to present those as an orchestra.”
They take the stage of the Kathleen Cailloux Theater on Saturday, Jan. 10.
“We expect the house to sell out, so we really hope people will come out and support this concert.”
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