On May 17 at 8 p.m. and May 18 at 3 p.m., fans of rock-n-roll icon Queen and connoisseurs of classical music can enjoy a rare, fun and powerfully moving experience.
The San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra and Cuesta Master Chorale will present the Central Coast’s premiere performance of Tolga Kashif’s The Queen Symphony, an original work featuring the music of Queen, at the Performing Arts Center’s Harman Hall.
Fans of Queen’s diverse and extravagant style of rock-n-roll will recognize songs such as “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Admirers of classical music will appreciate the six movements of coherent orchestral composition with layered and stirring melodies or hearing a song such as “Bicycle Race” evoke the big-city bustle of Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
The Master Chorale will open the evening with their 30th anniversary concert celebration to honor Thomas and Susan Davies’ 30 years as conductor and accompanist, respectively. The vocalists will perform movements from such works as Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Bach’s B-minor Mass and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Then, more than 200 musicians will take the stage as the SLO Wind Orchestra joins the Master Chorale and members of Cal Poly Choirs to perform The Queen Symphony, all under the baton of SLO Wind Orchestra’s conductor, William V. Johnson. To enhance the Symphony’s power and beauty, an original part, composed by Johnson, will be performed on the stunning Forbes Pipe Organ with its 2,767 pipes. The concert will feature soloists on piano, violin, cello, harp and organ.
A significant portion of the net proceeds, matched two for one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and combined with contributions from local Rotarians, will benefit Rotary International’s PolioPlus campaign to eradicate polio worldwide. This extraordinary event of music and generosity has the potential to raise $45,000 and vaccinate 75,000 children. Tickets are available at pacslo.org/calendar/event/from_bach_to_rock.