Missouri Symphony Society entices concertgoers with Hot Summer Nights

The Missouri Symphony Society is gearing up for its Hot Summer Nights concert series, which will present more than 20 contemporary and classical concerts from June 4 through July 11.

“There’s a huge amount going on,” said Kirk Trevor, music director and conductor of the orchestra. “I think in all of our performances there’s something cutting-edge.”

The festival will premiere with “Strike Up the Band” at Stephens Lake Park June 4. Following the opening gala, Trevor named several highlights throughout the summer: a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Columbia Chorale June 6; a pop concert with the Texas Tenors on June 12; a silent movie showing of “Peter Pan” with accompanying orchestra July 5; performances by soloists Chloé Trevor and Angie Zhang June 20 and July 11, respectively; and many others.

Hot Summer Nights will showcase a little bit of everything, Trevor said. The Missouri Symphony Society runs four different series of concerts – Masterworks, Pops, Family and Chamber. Special events for each series will be hosted throughout the summer. The Ariel Quartet will play as part of the classical Masterworks series. A performance titled “Symphony Idol,” in which three previous “American Idol” finalists will sing rock, country and pop songs will run as part of the Pops series.

Families will enjoy interactive, educational concerts designed for ages 4 through 12 in the Family Series, and the orchestra will provide intimate recitals for the Chamber series. Additional concerts can be found on the Missouri Symphony Society website.

Trevor said he hopes to bring new people to the orchestra experience, particularly those between the ages of 5 and 18.

“It’s a very unintimidating experience for newcomers,” Trevor said. “There’s a great deal of energy from the performers and the audience.”

Trevor himself has been involved with the Missouri Symphony Society for around 15 years. Since auditioning and joining the orchestra in 2000, he has given more than 400 performances, including such greats as Tony Bennett and Deborah Henson-Conant.

“It’s hard to focus on individual performances, because I only hire the best artists,” Trevor said. “They’ve all been memorable, because they’ve all been good.”

Tickets for the summer’s festivities are available at the door, but it’s a good idea to reserve them early, Trevor said. Prices change depending on the concert and the location, ranging between $5 for youth at Family series events to $32 for floor and balcony seats at select Pops concerts. Concertgoers can call 573-875-0600 for more information.

Trevor said he hopes the Hot Summer Nights series will appeal to a statewide audience, and that the Columbia downtown area will support the festival.

“As Columbia’s business climate grows, we hope to reach out to [Columbia citizens],” Trevor said. “And then we can bring in even more famous artists.”