July 19, 2019 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Venue: Reg Lenna Civic Center
Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performs The Music Of Queen as a fundraiser for the Jamestown High School Marching Band and A Cappella Choir. Conductor Brent Havens takes the podium to present Windborne’s The Music of Queen, a program scored to extend the listening experience of Queen’s exceptional tunes. Performed by the BPO and amplified with a full rock band led by lead vocalist Tony Vincent, this show captures Queen’s distinct sound while presenting some familiar and lots of new musical colors.More about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra:After the rise and fall of several forerunners, the BPO was founded in 1935, performing most often at the Elmwood Music Hall, which was located at Elmwood Ave. and Virginia St. and was demolished in 1938. During the Great Depression, the orchestra was initially supported by funds from the Works Progress Administration and the Emergency Relief Bureau. Over the decades, the orchestra has matured in stature under outstanding music directors including William Steinberg, Josef Krips, Lukas Foss, Michael Tilson Thomas, Julius Rudel, Semyon Bychkov, and Maximiano Valdes. Many distinguished guest performers have graced the orchestra’s stage, including Sergei Rachmaninoff, Isaac Stern, Aaron Copland, Van Cliburn, and Yo-Yo Ma. The Buffalo Philahrmonic has issued more than 50 recordings in its history. It has toured abroad twice: a six-city European tour in 1988, and a four-city tour of Poland in 2018.Since 1940, the orchestra’s permanent home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen with an international reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. Since its inception in 1935, the BPO has served as Buffalo’s cultural ambassador. JoAnn Falletta is the Music Director of the Grammy Award-winning orchestra, which presents more than 120 Classics, Pops, Rock, Kids and Youth concerts each year.More about Brent Havens and Windborne’s The Music of Queen:Premiering in 2009, Windborne’s Classic Rock Symphony show The Music of Queen! has quickly garnered critical and fan acclaim. Who isn’t familiar with the classic tunes of Queen? It’s difficult to go out these days and not hear something from their catalog on the radio, at the ballpark, on TV or at the grocery store. Knowing that, we wanted to stay as true to what Queen intended for our own production. Once again, the band stays as close as possible to the original recordings and the orchestra is “wrapped” around that original sound. Lots of vocals, lots of harmonic structure and a perfect group to be accompanied by an orchestra. High energy, fun music, and the familiarity of the songs make the show a fun one both to play and to see. Broadway veteran Tony Vincent handles the complex and difficult task of representing Freddie Mercury’s vocals. Vincent handles the assignment comfortably and sounds amazing leading the band and orchestra through the selected songlist. If you’re an average fan or someone who knows literally every song ever recorded by Queen, there’s something for you in this show. We dig deep to bring out some of the best (and sometimes forgotten) tunes that Queen and Freddie recorded over the years.