Press Release: SPAC Hosts the Seventh Annual Philadelphia Orchestra “PlayIN” on SPAC’s Stage for Local Brass Musicians

Saratoga Springs, NY— Back by popular demand is The Philadelphia Orchestra “PlayIN” at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Thursday, August 1 at 1:30 p.m. Trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba players of all ages are invited to join Philadelphia Orchestra musicians on the SPAC stage in a shared music-making event that will excite and inspire. Openings are limited; interested musicians are encouraged to sign up online at spac.org.

“Every summer since 2017, we have invited community musicians of all ages to perform on our stage alongside some of the best classical musicians in the world. This year, we are excited to host our first PlayIN event dedicated to brass musicians,” says Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of SPAC.

PlayINs are signature events for The Philadelphia Orchestra and part of the ensemble’s HEAR initiative, a portfolio of programs promoting the role of music in Health, Education, Access and Research. The PlayINs have taken place regularly in Philadelphia since 2012 and in Saratoga since 2017 and are part of a full array of programs designed to promote access for people of all ages to experience orchestral music either as listeners or performers. PlayINs have involved community musicians who play the violin, flute, double bass, viola, harp, woodwind and brass sections of the Orchestra. The August 1 PlayIN is curated specifically for brass instruments and is the seventh annual event for SPAC.

Participants will join the following Philadelphia Orchestra musicians during the event:

Jeffrey Lang, associate principal horn

Christopher Dwyer, horn

Matthew Vaughn, co-principal trombone

Blair Bollinger, bass trombone (leader of the PlayIN)

Carol Jantsch, principal tuba

Travis Peterson, trumpet

Registration for the PlayIN is open to brass players of all ages who register via the registration link on SPAC’s website. A PDF of all the music to be performed will be available to download on spac.org. The event is free and open to the public and audiences are encouraged to attend (audience members do not need to register for the event).

The afternoon PlayIN on August 1 precedes The Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance: Rhapsody in Blue Celebrates 100, conducted by David Robertson. The evening celebrates the 100^th anniversary of Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue with legendary jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio alongside the orchestra. The program continues with one of the orchestra’s signature pieces, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, written for and premiered by The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1940 and 1941.

For additional information on the PlayIN, as well as the schedule for The Philadelphia Orchestra’s SPAC season from July 31 – August 17, visit spac.org.

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