Halloween will be celebrated a little early this year at SUNY Fredonia when Rockefeller Arts Center presents a special concert event featuring the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.
The 鈥淗alloween Spooktacular Pops鈥 takes place on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in King Concert Hall, offering enjoyment for pop music fans of all ages as the 51-piece Western New York Chamber Orchestra performs an evening of classical melodies and pop hits.
Selections range from classics like Mussorgsky鈥檚 鈥淣ight on Bald Mountain,鈥 which was featured in Disney鈥檚 鈥淔antasia,鈥 and 鈥淗all of the Mountain King鈥 to pop favorites like John Williams鈥 鈥淗arry Potter Suite,鈥 the theme from 鈥淕hostbusters鈥 and Michael Jackson鈥檚 鈥淭hriller.鈥
Led by Conductor Glen Cortese, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra is comprised of musicians from throughout Western New York and Northwest Pennsylvania. The ensemble includes a number of Fredonia School of Music faculty members. WNYCO has been featured in many of Rockefeller Arts Center鈥檚 recent Commencement eve pops concerts.
Mr. Cortese is also an accomplished composer and winner of numerous awards including the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a two-time winner of the Joseph E. Bearns Prize, and a CAPS Grant from the New York Council on the Arts.
For the special pops concert, the orchestra members will perform in costume. Audience members are invited to come dressed in costume as well, with prizes to be awarded.
Tickets for the 鈥淗alloween Spooktacular Pops鈥 are available through the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center, by phone at 716-673-3501, and online. Special $5 tickets are available for children 6 through 17 when accompanied by an adult.
The concert is a DFT Communications Pops Series event presented as part of the 2021-22 Lake Shore Savings Season.
COVID protocols will be in place for the event, including masks being required inside all campus buildings at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Additional information can be found online.
