The Des Moines Symphony’s Yankee Doodle Pops concert returns to the West Terrace of the Iowa State Capitol again on Thursday, July 2 for its 22nd year. Iowa Public Radio Classical will be there broadcasting the concert live, with a pre-show hosted by IPR producers Jacqueline Halbloom and Karen Impola starting at 8:00 p.m. The event features rousing marches, as well as a mix of patriotic selections celebrating “Iowa: America’s Musical Heartland.”
The Des Moines Symphony and Maestro Joseph Giunta are joined by guest vocalists Christiane Noll and Hugh Panaro to perform favorites from three musicals set in Iowa: State Fair, The Bridges of Madison County, and The Music Man. The Des Moines Symphony will premiere selections from former Iowa composer Peter Hamlin’s Symphony on a Stick, which will receive its full world premiere with the symphony this fall. Jason Robert Brown, composer of The Bridges of Madison County, takes the helm of the orchestra as the guest conductor for his own music. The Vintage Sound barbershop quartet joins the orchestra for Lida Rose and auction-winner David Ruhe leads the orchestra through Seventy Six Trombones from The Music Man. The show kicks off with the “Oh Say, Can You Sing?” contest winner, Dallas Norton, performing The Star-Spangled Banner, and the concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, accompanied by howitzer canons and fireworks. Join Iowa Public Radio on Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m. for this special live broadcast of the Des Moines Symphony’s Yankee Doodle Pops concert.
(Please note that Thursday’s edition of Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin will air at 7:00 p.m.)
