MARIPOSA — The Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra’s free “Independence Day Spectacular!” The concert will be held in Yosemite National Park on Saturday, July 1, at 7 PM on the Great Lawn of the Wawona Hotel.
The MYSO’s 2019 “Independence Day Spectacular!” Concert at the Wawona Hotel. Credit: National Park Service Photos by Al Golub.
The concert will be led by Founding Music Director/Conductor Les Marsden, who has programmed a salute to great American film music ranging from the 1940s to the present. Composers and film work to be performed are suites from John Williams’ “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “E. T.,” “Jurassic Park” and more; Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “The Sea Hawk,” Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” Richard Rodgers/Robert Russell Bennett’s “Victory at Sea,” plus All-American works from Aaron Copland including his “An Outdoor Overture,” “Fanfare for the Common Man” and others.
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Though a free concert, a $10 per person donation is suggested. Attendees are urged to bring lawn chairs and/or lawn blankets. The Wawona Hotel’s famed Summer Barbecue will be offered that evening from 5:00 – 7:00; prices are $26 per adult, $15 for children aged 3 – 12, and free for those under 3. Entree selections include the choice of one of the following: Roasted Tri-Tip, Grilled Chicken Breast, Angus Burgers, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Salmon, or Spicy Black Bean Burger with unlimited sides, iced tea, or lemonade included. Desserts and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages are also offered.
This concert will close the MYSO’s COVID-interrupted 2019-2023 “Season Interruptus.” The orchestra was established by Marsden in 2001, and its 19th Season will begin in October. The orchestra plays three annual concerts in Yosemite and three in Mariposa, cited as the smallest town in all of America that has its own symphony orchestra. The orchestra has operated in partnership with Yosemite National Park since 2007, and its major sponsoring partner is Yosemite Hospitality, a division of Aramark. Full information about the Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra will be found at MYSO.live
