Brevard Music Center Summer Festival Completes 81st Season with Thrilling Finale Weekend

The 81st season of the Brevard Music Center (BMC) Summer Festival comes to its thrilling conclusion with a breathtaking finale weekend-August 3 to August 6-featuring The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan, Dvo?ák's Symphony No 8, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, and Verdi's "Requiem." On Friday, August 11, Sarah Chang and the Asian Youth Orchestra perform together in a very special post-season concert. And from August 18 to August 21, BMC's Festival officially comes to a vibrant finish with a Lyle Lovett and His Large Band concert, two iconic movies, and a VIP fundraiser/viewing in celebration of the once-in-a lifetime Solar Eclipse.

"Our 81st Festival season has been truly memorable," says Brevard Music Center President & CEO Mark Weinstein. "The finale weekend features some of the world's most beloved pieces of music and extraordinary artists. And, we have two incredible encore performances planned-Sarah Chang and Lyle Lovett. We're thrilled to close out the season on such a high note!"

AUGUST 3 TO AUGUST 11 SEASON FINALE EVENTS | Opera, Symphony & More!

On Thursday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m., BMC's Janiec Opera Company takes the stage at the Porter Center for Performing Arts at Brevard College to present "The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan," a delightful gathering of greatest hits from the team best known for "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Mikado,"and other distinguished works.

On Friday, August 4 at 7:30 p.m., Resident Conductor Ken Lam leads BMC's Brevard Concert Orchestra in Dvo?ák's powerful Symphony No. 8 at BMC's Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium. The evening's program also includes Kraig Alan Williams leading BMC's Brevard Symphonic Winds in Kleine Dreigroschenmusik from "The Threepenny Opera," marking the final event of the season-long Kurt Weill Festival.

On Saturday, August 5 at 7:30 p.m., Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta takes the stage for her first of two season performances in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. The evening's program, held at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, also includes Gershwin's much beloved Rhapsody in Blue featuring pianist Andrew Tyson. Generous support for this concert is provided by The Jerome Family (Lead Sponsor) and Loyal Friends of Brevard Music Center (Sustaining Sponsors).

BMC's dramatic Season Finale takes place on Sunday, August 6 at 3:00 p.m. at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium with a stirring performance of Verdi's "Requiem," conducted by Maestro Falletta, featuring the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, and showcasing an ensemble chorus of hundreds of BMC students and singers from throughout the community.

As a special post-season encore, virtuoso violinist Sarah Chang and the world-acclaimed Asian Youth Orchestra present an exhilarating evening of music at the Porter Center for the Performing Arts at Brevard College on Friday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m.

ECLIPSE WEEKEND AT BMC | August 18 - 21

On Friday, August 18 at 7:30 p.m., BMC Presents features the iconic, Grammy®-award winning artist Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, in collaboration with Mountain Song Productions. This SOLD-OUT concert at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium marks the beginning of Brevard Music Center's Eclipse Weekend. Generous support for this concert is provided by Hampton Inn-Brevard (BMC Presents Series Sponsor) and Platt Architecture, P.A. (Sustaining Sponsor).

The Eclipse weekend celebration continues with two movies on the big screen at the Brevard Music Center campus-"Apollo 13" on Saturday, August 19 and "2001: A Space Odyssey" on Sunday, August 20. General admission seating is available for $8 (children) and $16 (adults); VIP reserved seating can be purchased for $20.

A limited amount of BMC campus accommodations-sleeping up to 5 individuals per double cabin-are also available from August 18-21. For more information on movie tickets and campus accommodations, visit www.brevardmusic.org/eclipse or call 828-862-2105.

"For 81 years, talented students, distinguished faculty, and acclaimed guest artists from around the world have come together on our stages to perform great musical works at the highest artistic level," notes Weinstein. "Don't miss your last chance to witness performances as captivating as the view at the 2017 Brevard Music Center Summer Festival!"

BMC TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to Brevard Music Center's Summer Festival start at only $15. Lawn seating is free for children under 17 (with a paying adult) and students 18 and older (with a valid ID). All guest artists, programs, and dates are subject to change.

The BMC Box Office remains open for all ticket sales throughout the summer season. WPA Box Office hours are Monday-Wednesday, 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.; Thursday-Saturday, 10:00 A.M. to intermission; and Sunday, 10:00 A.M. to intermission. Box Office hours at the Porter Center (Brevard College Campus) are two hours prior to the start of the performance through intermission.

For more information about the 2017 Festival Season and to purchase tickets, visit the Box Office at 349 Andante Lane (Brevard, NC), call (828) 862-2105, or order seats online at brevardmusic.org. Group discounts of up to 25% are also available for parties of 10 or more.

FOR MEDIA ONLY: Visit the DIGITAL PRESS KIT at BMC's Media Room at brevardmusic.org/media to download season highlight photos.

ABOUT BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | Summer Festival and Institute

Enjoy performances as captivating as the view. This is Brevard. Be inspired. Be here.

Led by Artistic Director and alumnus Keith Lockhart, also Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops and BBC Concert Orchestra, Brevard Music Center stands as one of the country's premier summer training programs and music festivals. Over ten weeks and among 40,000 attendees, the next generation of musicians gather in the captivating Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to perform great musical works alongside distinguished faculty and many of the most celebrated names in music. For more information on BMC, visit brevardmusic.org, call (828) 862-2100, "like" the Brevard Music Center on Facebook, follow @brevardmusic on Twitter, stream season highlights via SoundCloud, and visit the Brevard Music Center YouTube channel for performance videos from previous festival seasons.