Music fans of all ages are invited to enjoy “Midsummer Night Music” concerts featuring the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra on four Saturdays this summer at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Somers. Each concert will feature varied and exciting musical fare to appeal to music aficionados of all kinds, so pack a picnic supper, sit back and enjoy the music, and be sure to keep an eye out for the mischievous fairy Puck!

The series kicks off on Saturday, July 11, with “Classical Beginnings,” a program of classical opuses and symphonies from the 18th and 19th centuries. The program begins with the overture to Mozart’s famous opera Don Giovanni, which premiered in Prague in 1787 to great acclaim. This will be followed by Wagner’s Sigfried Idyll, which was written by the composer for his wife in celebration of her 33rd birthday, and Symphony No. 5 by William Boyce, an important composer of the 18th century whose career was cut short due his progressing deafness. Beethoven’s Coriolan, a prelude to a drama by German poet Heinrich Josef von Collin, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, much beloved by musicians and critics of the 19th century as well as today for its richness of detail, put the finishing touches on the evening’s performance.

Concerts will be held each Saturday evening in July:

• July 18: “Broadway and Hollywood Favorites” with Tony Award-winning sooprano Debbie Gravitte.
• July 25: Festival of Brass and Percussion: “Fanfare and Superman” featuring pieces by Copland, Bach and Bernstein.
• Aug. 1: “Light Classics” with pieces written by varied composers ranging from Brahms and Rossini to Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra.

Throughout its 44-year history, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra has garnered rave reviews and is considered to be one of the cultural treasures of its community. The orchestra will be under the direction of Petko Dimitrov, Assistant Conductor for the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Dimitrov has been studying and working in the United States since 2001, but has been a student of music since his childhood. In his native country of Bulgaria, he has studied with such conductors as Ivan Bakalov, Vassil Kazandjiev, and Rossen Milanov. He has also been active as a conductor of a chamber ensemble from The New Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets are priced at $15 for adults, $10 for children 6 – 12 and seniors. Admission is free for children under age 6. All proceeds from sales of tickets benefit the Friends of Westchester County Parks, Inc. for the purpose of constructing the Glass House Conservatory – a large greenhouse – at Lasdon Arboretum. The gates open at 5 p.m. for picnicking; the music begins at 6 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the gate on the evening of the performance. In case of rain, concerts will be cancelled.

Seating at the park is informal and concert-goers should bring blankets or chairs for seating on the lawn. Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the concert. No pets are allowed at the park.

Please note: Parking is approximately one-third mile from the concert area. Shuttle bus transportation and parking for the disabled are available. Restrooms are accessible to the disabled.

“Midsummer Night Music” is presented by the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra and Westchester County Parks. It is sponsored by Diversified Investment Advisors, Putnam Hospital Center, Swiss Re, Friends of Westchester County Parks and Friends of Lasdon Park and Arboretum.

Lasdon Park and Arboretum, a 234-acre park and arboretum featuring many species of trees, shrubs and perennials, is a Westchester County Park. It is located on Route 35 in Somers, and can be reached via I-684, exit 6. Head west off the exit; the park is 3.5 miles ahead on the right. Or, take the Taconic State Parkway to Route 202/Route 35 exit and head east; the park is 3.5 miles ahead on the right.

For more information about the concerts, call Lasdon Park at (914) 864-7263. General information about County Parks programs and events is available online from the Westchester County Parks Department. For more information on the Ridegfield Symphony Orchestra, visit http://www.ridgefieldsymphony.org/.