The Rogue Valley Symphony will bring Gustav Holst’s popular and enduring work, The Planets, to life with stunning, live choreographed visuals by Adrian Wyard.  While many of the visuals are original animations, everything shown has some basis in fact and has as its source data from telescopes, orbiting spacecraft, or rovers on the planets’ surfaces. Special guest for this concert is Ashwin Vasavada, NASA scientist.  The concert begins with Vitezslav Novák’s In the Tatras, which was the first piece that Martin Majkut conducted as Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony in 2010.  The world premiere of an RVS co-commissioned work will also be on this season finale concert.  Drew Hemenger’s OZYMANDIAS To Sell a Planet features tenor soloist Matthew Plenk and the Rogue Valley Symphony Chorus.  Matthew Plenk performs around the world and made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2008.  This will be the first performance for the newly formed 60 voice Rogue Valley Symphony chorus. Ozymandias is the composer’s response to the terrible damage continuing to be affected on the world, and includes Native American speeches and the IPCC Climate Change Report.   Concerts will be on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 18 at 7:30pm in the Craterian Theater at the Collier Center for the Performing Arts, 23 S. Central Ave, Medford; and Sunday, April 19 at 3:00pm in the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center, 313 NE Olive St, Grants Pass.  Note* There is NO Ashland performance of this concert.   There will be opportunities to engage with special guest Ashwin Vasavada and composer Drew Hemenger throughout the week of the concert.  Please check our website for updates on events.  Conductor Martin Majkut will give a pre-concert talk one hour before each performance.

Concerts:  Friday, April 17, Craterian Theater, Medford, 7:30pm, and Saturday, April 18, Craterian Theater, Medford, 7:30pm.  Medford tickets range from $15-$55  Sunday, April 19, Grants Pass Performing Arts Center, Grants Pass, 3pm, Tickets range from $15-$45. Youth tickets for all 3 performances (ages 6-22) $15 *NOTE:  There is no Ashland performance in April.

Medford concert tickets can also be purchased through the Craterian Theater at craterian.org or 541-779-3000.  Grants Pass concert tickets can be purchased through the Rogue Valley Symphony at rvsymphony.org or 541-708-6400.

Please contact Kristin Kessler (541) 708-6400 at the Rogue Valley Symphony to arrange for interviews with our guest composer Drew Hemenger, tenor soloist Matthew Plenk, or Music Director Martin Majkut.

Attached are photos for Matthew Plenk, Drew Hemenger, and the visuals of Adrian Wyard.