GRAFTON — The Vermont Symphony Orchestra's TD Bank Summer Festival Tour is back with a lineup of American favorites for dancing and celebrating at five stops across the state, including Monday, July 3, at Grafton Ponds.
Guest jazz trumpeter Ray Vega joins the VSO and Argentinian-Italian conductor Michelle Di Russo in a concert of swing, jazz, spirituals, and marches.
Di Russo is known for “her compelling interpretations, passionate musicality, and championing of contemporary music,” according to her website.
In a news release, she says, “We have been working hard, curating an unforgettable experience for our audiences, including commissioning arrangements for the VSO and classic tunes from jazz masters like Johnny Mandel and Duke Ellington that have influenced other composers like Bernstein and Gershwin. You really can't miss this unique experience; it will be a true celebration."
Described by New York Daily News as “a hornman with deep roots in Latin Music and Afro-Cuban Jazz,” Vega is known as a prolific, state-wide performer and as host of Vermont Public's Friday Night Jazz program.
“This coming July marks my fifteenth anniversary as a resident of the Green Mountain State, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than to play with the VSO,” Vega said. “This is a fantastic ensemble and it's sure to be a fun-filled series of concerts!”
Organizers invite concert-goers to relax under balmy summer skies with “feisty, soothing, and unforgettable music” by popular composers such as Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, and John Philip Sousa. Picnics are encouraged.
The evening culminates with a fireworks display following the performance.
The VSO TD Bank Summer Festival Tour is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Purchase your tickets at VSO.org/events.