0Baltimore Symphony s Star Spangled Spectacular Kicks off Independence Day Celebrations, July 2 3

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1 PRESS CONTACTS: Laura Farmer, Claire Berlin, Baltimore Symphony s Star Spangled Spectacular Kicks off Independence Day Celebrations, July 2 3 BSO to perform at Germantown Glory in Montgomery County on July 4 BSO announces the winners of the O, Say Can You Sing? Competition Baltimore, Md. (June 21, 2011) The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of performing the all American holiday celebration Star Spangled Spectacular with conductor Bob Bernhardt and featuring baritone Daniel Narducci on Saturday, July 2, 2011 and Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 8 p.m. at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, Md. The patriotic program opens with the winners of this year s O, Say Can You Sing? competition singing the National Anthem and also features other patriotic classics, such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky s 1812 Overture and John Philip Sousa s Stars and Stripes. The evening will culminate in a display of fireworks. For more than 20 years, the BSO at Oregon Ridge has been a Baltimore area summer tradition, drawing tens of thousands for family fun, music and fireworks in the wooded enclaves of Oregon Ridge Park. Patrons are invited to arrive early with lawn chairs, blankets and picnic dinners or purchase food and drink from onsite venders for a full evening of entertainment with the BSO. See below for complete program information. New this year, the BSO will be the featured performer at Germantown Glory, Montgomery County s free annual July 4 th celebration at South Germantown Recreational Park. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with children s activities hosted by the BlackRock Center for the Arts. At 8 p.m., the

2 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform a musical salute to America, made possible through the generous sponsorship of Hughes Network Systems and the Mid Atlantic Federal Credit Union. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. Please see below for complete program information. The BSO announces three winners for its fourth annual O, Say Can You Sing? competition: Christian Hoff (July 2) from Towson, Md., Christian Stewart (July 3) from Waldorf, Md. and Rosanna Turchi (July 4) from Frederick, Md. These three exceptional singers competed against more than 30 of the region s best vocalists for the chance to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of the BSO s Independence Day holiday programming. Conductor Robert Bernhardt brings a unique combination of infectious enthusiasm, a style of ease and a depth of musicianship to the podium. He is currently in his 17th season as Music Director of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, one of two such combined companies in America. Mr. Bernhardt also holds the title of Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra where he is currently in his 29th season. He has previously served as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic ( ), Music Director and Conductor of the Tucson Symphony ( ), and Principal Guest Conductor of Kentucky Opera ( ). Mr. Bernhardt began his professional career with the Louisville Orchestra in 1981 as Assistant Conductor, and has worked with the Orchestra every year since. For the past 12 years he has served as its Principal Pops Conductor, collaborating with a wide variety of artists and entertainers such as Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, The Pointer Sisters, America, Wynonna Judd, Ricky Skaggs, Mariachi Cobre, The Beach Boys, and Ben Folds. In addition to conducting the Pops series, Mr. Bernhardt also hosts and conducts a three concert series he founded in the late 1980s titled NightLites which presents themed programs of a variety of musical genres in a creative, informative and engaging format. In addition to his commitments in Chattanooga and Louisville, during the season Mr. Bernhardt guest conducts the Edmonton, Virginia and Tucson Symphony Orchestras. Last season he made a highly acclaimed debut with the Cincinnati Pops leading their first holiday pops concerts since Erich Kunzel s passing. Mr. Bernhardt enjoys a special relationship with the Edmonton Symphony where he appears several times each season conducting Light Classics, Festival and Pops programs. He is also a frequent guest conductor with the Boston Pops, Houston Symphony and Tucson Symphony. Other guest conducting engagements include appearances with the symphony orchestras of Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Colorado, the Pacific Symphony and the Iceland Symphony, among others. Mr. Bernhardt made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1978 in a series of concerts with PDQ Bach. Embracing music of all genres, Mr. Bernhardt is equally at home with symphonic masterwork, operatic, pops and educational performance formats. During his tenure with the Kentucky and Chattanooga Opera companies, he has conducted fully staged productions of over forty operas, including Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Il Trovatore, The Flying Dutchman, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Tosca, The Barber of Seville, Susannah, Don

3 U Pasquale, Lucia di Lammermoor, Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria Rusticana, Faust, Fidelio, Turandot, Pagliacci, Cosi Fan Tutte, Hansel and Gretel, Elixir of Love, Albert Herring, The Turn of the Screw, A Midsummer Nightʹs Dream and Orfeo ed Euridice. He has also conducted numerous Gilbert &Sullivan operettas and the musical My Fair Lady. His conducting for staged productions has also led him to the opera Companies of Nashville and Birmingham, and the ballet companies of Louisville, North Carolina, Chattanooga and Jacksonville. UDaniel Narducci, baritone (July 2 and 3 only) Classic American Baritone Daniel Narducci is a multi faceted artist whose talents have been captured through live stage presentations, recordings, documentaries, and television. Since his professional debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel, Mr. Narducci has appeared with many of the world s most prestigious orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Naples Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony. He has appeared regularly as a guest artist at many popular summer music venues throughout North America, including the Wolf Trap, Ravinia, Blossom, Saratoga, and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festivals. Mr. Narducci s television appearances have reached audiences worldwide. His historic performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was filmed for nationwide broadcast in China. Mr. Narducci s other television appearances include costarring with Frederica von Stade and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in a program broadcast internationally by PBS entitled Pops at the Phil: A Century of Broadway. He also appeared with Judy Kaye in the BBC television documentary Kurt Weill in America: I m a Stranger Here Myself. On the operatic stage, Daniel Narducci s recent appearances include Mercutio in Gounod s Roméo et Juliette with the Cleveland Opera, and Escamillo in Carmen with the Indianapolis Opera. He has portrayed Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Marcello in La Bohème, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Guglielmo incosì fan tutte, and Belcore in L Elisir d amore with the opera companies of Washington, New Orleans, Central City, Palm Beach, Kentucky, Nashville, Fresno, and Hawaii. UChristian Hoff, vocalist (July 2 only) Christian Hoff, 18, is a recent graduate of Towson High School. During his high school years, Mr. Hoff was selected for Maryland s prestigious All State Junior and Senior Choruses, sang in the Maryland State Boys Choir and Baltimore All County Chorus, where he served as tenor section leader, and was a member of Towson High School s Tri M Music Honor Society. He also had the honor of being selected as a finalist for a voice masterclass at Towson University. Mr. Hoff began his study of music at an early age, having taken private piano lessons since age four, most recently with Elizabeth Borowsky. For the past two years, he has studied voice with Julia Cooke. In Fall 2011, Mr. Hoff will continue his music studies at the University of Maryland, College Park as a music education major with a vocal concentration. Christian Stewart, vocalist (July 3 only) Christian Stewart, 13, is an eighth grade honor roll student from Mattawoman Middle School in Waldorf, MD. At the age of eight, he sang his first solo in front of thousands at the Spirit of Faith Christian Center, where he is currently a member. In July of 2008, Christian won the Washington Nationals third annual Oh Say Can You Sing contest to sing the National Anthem at an August

4 2008 home game. He has since sung the National Anthem at several games for the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Kastles Tennis and Washington Nationals. Christian had the opportunity to sing for America s Promise Alliance. This organization was founded by General Colin Powell and his wife to help disadvantaged children across the United States. Before a crowd of thousands, Christian sang the national anthem and led another song with the Howard University Gospel Choir at Americaʹs Promise Allianceʹs Best 100 Communities event in Union Station Washington, D.C. Christian sang at the Gaylord Hotel on National Harbor at an awards luncheon for Community Anti Drug Coalitions of America. This awards ceremony celebrated those who have provided programs for drug awareness among the youth. Christian s inspirational style afforded him the opportunity to also sing for other organizations such as the National Guard, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency (in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia) and National Association of Federal Credit Unions Annual Conference. Rosanna Turchi, vocalist (July 4 only) Soprano Rosanna Turchi is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. A well rounded musician, Ms. Turchi participated in her high school s marching and concert band, concert choir, audition only Chamber Ensemble and the spring musical productions, including performances in Seussical the Musical as a Bird Girl and in Bye Bye Birdie as Alice. She also had the opportunity to sing with Frederickʹs prestigious All County Chorus and Marylandʹs All State Chorus. During her first year in undergraduate studies, she placed third in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Musical Theatre vocal competition, was cast as Marcy Park in Meredith Ensemble Theatreʹs production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and was a Spirit and chorus member in Meredith Collegeʹs Opera Workshop production of Mozartʹs Die Zauberflöte. She currently studies in Maryland with soprano Jennifer Lynn Waters and in North Carolina with mezzo soprano Ellen Williams. 4BUCOMPLETE PROGRAM DETAILS 6BThe Star Spangled Spectacular Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 8 p.m. Oregon Ridge Park, Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville, MD Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 8 p.m. Oregon Ridge Park Daniel Narducci, baritone Christian Hoff, vocalist (July 2 nd ) Christian Stewart, vocalist (July 3 rd ) Kids 12 and under ½ price Presenting Sponsor: Transamerica Supporting Sponsor: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Media Sponsors: WBAL AM 1090, WBAL TV, The Baltimore Sun Media Group Tickets range from $9 to $18 and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, or BSOmusic.org.

5 5BUCOMPLETE PROGRAM DETAILS 7BSO at Germantown Glory Monday, July 4, 2011 at 8 p.m. SoccerPlex in the South Germantown Recreational Park, Central Park Circle, Boyds, Maryland Rosanna Turchi, vocalist (July 4 th ) Free admission and parking. ###