Simon & Garfunkel Tribute Kicks Off POPS Conductor Mike Krajewski's Farewell Season with Houston Symphony

Conducting the first concert of his farewell season, Principal POPS Conductor Mike Krajewski will lead the orchestra and vocalists AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle in a program featuring The Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, one of the most successful American folk-rock duos of the 1960s, at 8 p.m. Oct. 14-15 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16.

One of Krajewski's favorite musical acts, Swearingen and Beedle return to Houston to bring to life memorable hits like "The Sound of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." One of the most popular recording artists of the 60s, Simon & Garfunkel became counterculture icons of the decade's social revolution, alongside artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Bob Dylan.

Their final studio album, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," includes two of the duo's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful hit singles, "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer." The album topped the charts in over 10 countries and received two Grammy Awards, plus four more for the title song. It sold around 25 million records and was ranked on several lists, including on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The orchestral tribute to Simon & Garfunkel, which debuted during summer 2012, was conceived by Krajewski in conjunction with Swearingen and Beedle. The legendary songs were adapted to orchestral form and have been performed by orchestras across North America. Swearingen and Beedle have impressed audiences with their spectacular interpretations of Simon & Garfunkel's songs for more than a decade now, recreating the legendary duo's eclectic sounds. Swearingen and Beedle released "The Music of Simon and Garfunkel Live" album in 2010.

The concert will take place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, call (713) 224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.

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