Tuscarawas Philharmonic to close season with ‘Symphony Express’ concert
Fiddler Elizabeth Estes, bottom left, from Nashville and musician Rick Troyer from Sugarcreek will perform. Also on the program will be Richard Travers on vocals and keyboard and his daughter Hayley.
The Tuscarawas Philharmonic will celebrate the allure of the rails with a performance titled “Symphony Express” at 7:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center.
Along with the full orchestra, guest artists will help conductor Eric Benjamin. Fiddler Elizabeth Estes from Nashville and musician Rick Troyer from Sugarcreek will perform. Also on the program will be Richard Travers on vocals and keyboard. He has performed with the Philharmonic in previous years, and this year he will be accompanied by his daughter, Hayley.
Hayley Travers is a vocalist who was most recently seen in Houston, Texas performing in the Broadway-bound production of “The Secret Garden” after a successful run at The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C. She has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Fairfax Symphony and The American Pops. She has sung backup for many Grammy-winning artists including Gloria Estefan, Angelique Kidjo and Emmy Lou Harris.
Songs on the program include “City of New Orleans,” “Orange Blossom Special,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and other familiar train-themed tunes. The orchestra also will perform pieces appropriate to the setting such as Aaron Copland’s “John Henry.”
Local train-related organizations will have exhibits in the lobby prior to the concert. Arrive early to see displays by Dennison Depot, the Age of Steam Roundhouse of Sugarcreek and Warther’s Museum of Dover.
Tickets are available at www.TuscarawasPhilharmonic.org or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 330-308-6400. Tickets range from $24-$36 with student and senior discounts available.
The concert is made possible by contributions from the following: guarantors, anonymous, Barbour Publishing Inc., The Doris and Floyd Kimble Foundation, Dover-Phila Credit Union, The Max and Jane Krantz Foundation, Progressive Foam Technologies, ProVia, and Shirley A. Wagner; sponsors, AloNovus Corp., The Times-Reporter, WTUZ and Zimmer Biomet; and co-sponsors, James and Jackie Stutz, Karol Lindow, Marilyn Stocker, and Whitemyer Advertising Inc.
The Tuscarawas Philharmonic is a professional orchestra with adult and children’s choruses and with summer music camps for young musicians. To support these ongoing programs, visit the Philharmonic website and become a contributing partner.
The Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Drive NE in New Philadelphia.