Symphonic Rock Rolls Into Downtown Pavilion

Rochester, NY – Bridging the gap between rock n’ roll and classical music, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra brings a full weekend’s worth of the 1970s to the First Niagara Center City Pavilion with The Music of Led Zeppelin (Friday, July 24) and The Music of Pink Floyd (Saturday, July 25) both at 7:30 pm, cranking up its summer series into high gear. Creator Brent Havens guest conducts as the band and orchestra together capture the sheer blast and power of Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd’s ethereal flow of music and effects – all while churning out new musical colors – amplified by a full rock cover band and accompanied by singer Randy Jackson’s fabulous vocals.

“My concept for both the music of Zeppelin and Pink Floyd was to take the music as close to the originals as we could, and then add some colors to enhance what the original group had done,” says Havens.  “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon.  The band is reproducing what Zeppelin and Pink Floyd did on the albums, as closely as possible. Having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a new richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of depth.”

Delivering vocals out front, singer Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), acts as a window between the audience and the reworked materials.  “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson captures the spirit of the original singers,” says Havens.

Both concerts feature nearly a dozen and a half of the original tunes made famous by these two legendary and iconic rock groups.  The Friday Zeppelin concert includes Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, and Immigrant Song; Pink Floyd includes Money, Learning to Fly, Comfortably Numb, and selections from The Wall. 

Tickets for these performances are $30-$60, available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org; by phone (454-2100); in-person from the main RPO Box Office (108 East Avenue) 10:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Friday, and on the following Saturdays: July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. Summer series subscriptions also are available, including RPO Rocks, a mini-subscription including Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Beatlemania at a 20% discount. 

On concert nights, the Box Office will be open one hour prior to concert start.  For convenience, an additional Box Office – located at the Pavilion site – also will be open one hour prior to performance for Will Call or to purchase tickets for that evening’s performance.  Tickets also can be purchased seven days a week at area Wegmans.  A convenience fee may apply. 

This series is presented by First Niagara; the City of Rochester, and Senator Jim Alesi; and by the Elaine P. and Richard U. Wilson Foundation.  The concert is sponsored by Admar.  For more information on the First Niagara Center City Pavilion, visit www.rpo.org/pavilion.

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