HOLIDAY CONCERT: A Philharmonic Fourth

Orchestra ready to mark its sixth year, Independence Day

The Las Vegas Philharmonic is celebrating its sixth birthday with a bang on July Fourth. The orchestra will kick off its 2004-05 season at Hills Park in Summerlin with more fireworks than ever before, alongside special guest performances guaranteed to please the crowd.

Although the first concert of the season will probably generate more interest in the more than 70 local talents who are part of the group, Music director Harold Weller believes the season tends to sell itself. The Fourth of July performance gives just a taste of what the Philharmonic will be dishing out all year.

"There are interesting people who will join in singing the two verses of `America the Beautiful,' " Weller said. "The fireworks will have an effect that will be like looking at Niagara Falls. We go into a 12- to 15-minute grand finale, ending with 'Stars and Stripes,' performed with Clint Holmes."

The Philharmonic's regular season will begin Oct. 2 with a concert entitled "Images In Sound," featuring pianist Orion Weiss, who wooed audiences with a Brahms piano concerto several years ago.

Weller said while some orchestras draw crowds with guest musicians, the Las Vegas Philharmonic features its own members in select performances.

"(Weiss) really set the audience back the last time he was here, they were so enthusiastic about him," Weller said. "He's been studying at Juilliard. We're bringing him back to do Tchaikovsky's ("Concerto No. I in B-flat Minor" for piano and orchestra), that Van Clyburn had a lot of buzz about in the '50s. We have a wonderful talent in the orchestra that gives us sellouts."

The focus of local talents continues on Nov. 20 with "Memoirs From Vienna," a performance that celebrates the works of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms, and features one of the orchestra's oboe, bassoon and horn players.

"We're able to spotlight in the orchestra itself," Weller said. "It has become the attraction. Many cities rely on guest artists and once that person leaves, there isn't much interest in the orchestra. We have been able to make the orchestra the star."

Orchestras that perform with big names such as Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli are certainly able to rely on its own players for some exciting concerts. But besides performing to huge audiences, some of which take standing room only seats in the back, Weller said one of the most thrilling tasks the Philharmonic takes on is education.

According to Weller, several concerts host seats donated by local people and businesses that are reserved for kids in the Clark County School District. He also started a test program in which kids from an urban school were introduced to playing the violin in kindergarten.

"The test program at Sunrise Acres Elementary started a small group of kids in kindergarten," Weller said. "Several years later, the program has grown to 65 students studying the violin."

Weller also said UNLV graduate and undergraduate students often audition for seats in the orchestra.

"There's a good relationship between (UNLV's music program) and the Philharmonic," Weller said. "There are, in addition to local students, some foreign students who come to UNLV for graduate studies who are very talented and often win seats in the orchestra."

For the last few years, the Philharmonic also has made itself more accessible to area residents. A shuttle bus service will again serve residents who live in places such as Sun City Summerlin or Sun City Anthem by picking them up at a nearby location and giving them curbside service at every concert. Attending via shuttle bus adds only $42 to the entire season, or $7 for individual concerts -- considerably less than a cab ride and with no other stops like public transportation.

"It's a huge convenience," Weller said. "Especially for those who either don't want to or sometimes aren't able to drive. The bus drops everybody off at the concert hall."

In addition to making it easy to see the orchestra perform, Weller said the goal of the orchestra, this season and long term, is to dispel some of the myths about Las Vegas lacking culture. Connecting with the community is a good place to start.

"I just want to do more," he said. "The orchestra has established an excellent artistic reputation and I would love to see us serve the city in an ambassadorial role. I'd also like to see the orchestra promote and debunk the image of Las Vegas as being a cultural wasteland."

Tickets for all six concerts as a package are available starting at $135. Seats to individual performances start at $25. Those interested can call 895-2787. All regular season concerts are scheduled to be held at the Artemus Ham Concert Hall on the UNLV campus. For more information, visit www.lvphil.com.


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