Las Vegas Philharmonic to Present A GERSHWIN VALENTINE, 2/14

This Valentine's Day, the Las Vegas Philharmonic performs its Pops Series III concert called 'A Gershwin Valentine' at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center. To start off the evening, the Philharmonic will host a Sweethearts Reception at 6:15 p.m. in The Smith Center's Founders Room serving cocktails and hors d'oeuvres for $50 per person.

The concert will showcase a large-scale orchestra conducted by Peter Bay with guest vocalist Sylvia McNair. The program will feature timeless classics by 20th-century American composer, George Gershwin, including 'S Wonderful, Man I Love, But Not For Me, Summertime and Shall We Dance/I Got Rhythm. Other Gershwin orchestral selections include the Cuban Overture, Lullaby, Oh, Kay! Overture, Porgy and Bess: Symphonic Picture, and Let 'Em Eat Cake Overture.

Peter Bay is currently in his 16th season as Music Director and Conductor for the Austin Symphony Orchestra and also leads the Hot Springs Music Festival in Arkansas. In addition to appearing with 70 different orchestras, his prior music director positions include the Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon, the Erie Philharmonic, and Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. Maestro Bay is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the Peabody Institute of Music.

Sylvia McNair is a two-time Grammy Award winner and regional Emmy Award winner. Her vocal repertoire includes opera, oratorio, cabaret and musical theater. She has performed with many leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Her Great American Songbook cabaret shows have been featured in New York at the Rainbow Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Savoy Room at Sheldon Hall. Over the span of McNair's career, she has made more than 70 recordings ranging from Mozart arias to Broadway and Jazz standards.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic offers $26 tickets for balcony seating at all of its 2014-15 season concerts. Seats in other sections are priced $46, $66 and $96. Tickets are available from The Smith Center Box Office, phone 702.749.2000 or online from lvphil.org. A 50% student discount is available on all single ticket purchases (ID required) and a 10% discount is available to seniors and military personnel. Groups of 10 or more receive 20% off the ticket price by calling the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Design Your Own Mini Series & Save 15% - The Las Vegas Philharmonic is currently offering 3 & 4 concert packages that save 15% off single ticket prices. Select A Gershwin Valentine and two or three other 2014-15 season concerts to receive this discount. Full concert schedule & programs can be found online at lvphil.org. The Design Your Own Mini Series package can be purchased in person from The Smith Center box office, by phone 702.749.2000 or online.

Bus Service - The Las Vegas Philharmonic offers shuttle buses to The Smith Center from Summerlin (Starbright Theatre, 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd) and Henderson (Anthem Center at Independence Center 2460 Hampton Road.) Bus passes must be purchased in advance and can be obtained when purchasing concert tickets, or by calling The Smith Center Patron Services at 702.749.2000. Each bus pass costs $15 roundtrip per concert.