Contact: Eva Mowry, Public Relations & Marketing
E: evam@charlottesymphony.org
P: 704-714-5114

For Immediate Release                                                                                       August 30, 2011

Charlotte Symphony to perform The Music of Pink Floyd: A Rock Symphony

Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, the Charlotte Symphony will perform The Music of Pink Floyd at Ovens Auditorium on November 4th at 8 p.m. Amplified by a full rock band and accompanied by singer Randy Jackson’s thrilling vocals, creator Brent Havens guest conducts the Symphony as they capture Pink Floyd’s ethereal flow of music and effects while churning out new musical colors.

Accompanied by a light show and special effects, the show will combine the magnitude of a symphony orchestra with the force of a rock band.

“My concept for The Music of Pink Floyd was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what the original group had done,” says Havens.  “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon.  The band is reproducing what Pink Floyd did on the albums, as closely as possible, and then having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of depth.” 

Vocalist Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), leads the show with all the energy of the original band. “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson more than captures the spirit of the original singers,” says Havens.

The 2-plus hour concert features 17 Pink Floyd tunes, including “Money,” “Learning to Fly,” ”Wish You Were Here,” “Us and Them,” and “Comfortably Numb.”

The symphonic rock hybrid has met with approval on both sides of the podium. 

“When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause,” says Havens. “Then we hit the first note and they realized it was a rock show.”

Classical musicians also enjoy the change of pace.  “This is music that these musicians grew up with just as we did,” says Havens.  “I see them singing along with a number of the songs as we’re playing them.”

Tickets are available at (704) 972-2000, www.charlottesymphony.org, and www.ticketmaster.com.

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Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony is a cornerstone cultural organization in the Charlotte region and is the largest employer of professional artists in the Charlotte area, with 62 full-time musicians. The Charlotte Symphony is supported by ticket sales, performance fees, generous individuals, The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Inc., corporate sponsors, foundation grants, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by a basic operating grant from the Arts & Science Council-Charlotte/Mecklenburg. In September 2010, Christopher Warren-Green became the orchestra’s 11th Music Director.