Remember when we reviewed some of Robert Trent Jones’s poetry a while back? (Here for part one and here for part two).
Well four of his poems about great American Holidays have been set to music and will be performed as part of a free concert in Napa Valley on the Fourth of July. There’ll even be a fireworks display afterwards. From the presser:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Festival del Sole, Napa Valley’s premier international music festival will present a free Independence Day Concert, July 4, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater with a live simulcast on a big screen on the grounds of the California Veterans Home.
The concert features the Napa Valley Symphony in a program that includes the world premiere of composer Nolan Gasser’s American Festivals, written on a text by poet Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and narrated by Emmy-award winning actor Craig T. Nelson; Dudley Buck’s The Festival Overture on the American National Air; and Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, featuring piano prodigy Conrad Tao. The evening concludes with a spectacular fireworks display.
The Independence Day concert is free of charge to the public. Seating inside Lincoln Theater is on first come, first served basis and the doors will open at 5:30pm. Approximately 100 VIP tickets priced at $150 are also available, providing access to a special hospitality tent before and after the performance, a hosted reception with the artists, and premium seating for the concert and fireworks display.
About the Composer – American Festivals
Nolan Gasser, a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, conductor and arranger, and published musicologist, received his Ph.D. in Musicology from Stanford University, where he has been an Adjunct Professor in Medieval and Renaissance Music History. His compositions have been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, and La Salle Pleyel in Paris; and by ensembles such as the Charleston Symphony, the Memphis Symphony, the Oakland Symphony, the Pasadena Pops Orchestra, the American Brass Quintet, among many others. Dr. Gasser is the principal architect of the Music Genome Project, the musical technology behind the famous Pandora personalized radio application – which has recently surpassed 10 million subscribers; he is also the Artistic Director of the Classical Archives, the largest classical music website on the Internet.
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. a graduate of Yale University with a BA in American Studies is a world-renowned golf course architect, a master of language and published poet. He has designed more than 250 courses on six continents in 43 countries, including Chateau Whistler Golf Club, British Columbia; The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, California; Princeville Golf Resort courses, Kauai, Hawaii; Pine Lake and Golden Valley Golf Clubs, Japan; Shanghai Golf Club and Spring City Golf Clubs, China; Alcanada Golf, Mallorca, Spain; Turning Stone Oneida Nation “Kahluyat” Course, New York; Windsor Golf Club, Florida and Chambers Bay near Tacoma, Washington recently awarded the 2015 U.S. Open Championship. He also designed the Silverado Country Club golf course in Napa. He is the winner of many Best Course and Best New Course awards in Asia, Europe, Australia, Caribbean, and the United States.
About Festival del Sole
The third annual Festival del Sole runs July 12 through July 20, 2008 and features world-class musical concerts followed by five-star meals and the finest wines at some of the most stunning venues throughout the Napa Valley. The Festival also features visual art exhibitions, free community concerts and family events.
Gala events with the artists and other special guests are the culinary highlight and social center of Festival del Sole. Participating wineries and venues include Far Niente, Robert Mondavi Winery, Dominus Estate, Moulds Vineyards, Darioush Winery, Opus One, Calistoga Ranch, Clos Pegase, Grgich Hills, Sullivan Wineries, CONSTANT Diamond Mountain Vineyard, FARM at The Carneros Inn, and Villa Mille Rose estate.
Festival del Sole also includes two outstanding exhibitions of works by Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol on loan from the Bank of America.
TICKETS:
Admission to the July 4 Concert is FREE to the public. VIP Tickets are available for $150 by calling (707) 226-8742.
Tickets for Festival del Sole concerts at Lincoln Theater, Castello di Amorosa and Robert Mondavi Winery range from $45-$125. For tickets, please call (707) 226-8742.
FESTIVAL PACKAGES: Passes include exclusive access to gala lunches, dinners and other VIP events, and prime seating at performances. For information and purchases, please call (888) FDS-NAPA or write to info@fdsnapa.org.
For further information and schedule updates, please visit www.fdsnapa.org or contact:
Mona Baroudi
415.615.2735
