DSO offers virtual fun for the whole family with Halloween Spooktacular and costume contest

- DSO and acrobatic Troupe Vertigo kick off season of Family programming on DSO Digital Concerts with Halloween Spooktacular on October 31 at 11 a.m.

- Photo submissions accepted through October 26 for all-ages virtual costume contest

Detroit, (October 21, 2020) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) kicks off its 2020-2021 season of family programming with an online Halloween Spooktacular and accompanying virtual costume contest. DSO violinist Adrienne Rönmark will host the holiday special on October 31 at 11 a.m. exclusively on dso.org via DSO Digital Concerts. The specially curated family-friendly program will feature archived DSO content from past Orchestra Hall performances, with a new appearance by the acrobats of cirque dance theater Troupe Vertigo.

Subscribers and select donors receive free access to all DSO Digital Concerts, including the Halloween Spooktacular, with single tickets available for $12. Click here to view the event page.

The DSO’s annual Halloween costume contest returns in a new form with a virtual submission process for entries in three categories: Best Family Costume, Scariest Costume, and Most Creative Costume. The deadline to enter is October 26 and winners will be announced during the Halloween Spooktacular, with prizes awarded from the DSO gift shop.

To submit a photo entry: 

  1. Click here.
  2. Choose the + Upload Files option.
  3. Select your photo from the location you have it stored on your device. 
  4. Type your name, age, location, and email address in the description box when it appears. Note: if this information is not provided we will be unable to include your image in the Digital Concert and contact you if you have won.
  5. Watch the Halloween Spooktacular to see who wins!

A trailblazer in the world of orchestral webcasting since 2011, the DSO launched a new streaming series, DSO Digital Concerts, on September 10, available exclusively on dso.org to view both live and on-demand for two weeks. Subscribers and select donors receive access to all DSO Digital Concerts, with individual tickets available for $12. DSO Replay—the orchestra’s archive of past seasons’ webcasts—remains free for all at dso.org/replay.

For a full schedule of DSO Digital Concerts, visit dso.org/fall2020.

The DSO Family Series is generously sponsored by Sun Communities.

About Troupe Vertigo

Fusing together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance and contemporary theater, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose “dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe” (Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.

Troupe Vertigo has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Utah Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. The company is known for their collaborative custom thematic programs with symphony orchestras from Cirque Goes to BroadwayCirque Goes to Hollywood, and Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird, to complete cirque-ballet presentation of The NutcrackerSwan Lake, and Cinderella.

The ensemble premiered its first offering, Big Top for a New Generation, in 2010 at the Ford Amphitheater and has gone on to present Nighthawks: A Film Noir Circus, inspired by American jazz, Edward Hopper paintings, and crime novels. In 2016, they brought Tableaux, featuring five women grappling with the constrictions of society, to life at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Husband and wife team Aloysia and Rex frequently bring their gifts and knowledge to the film and television industry, most notably with Rebel Wilson’s aerial performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and with Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in the film Water for Elephants.

Troupe Vertigo’s facility is also home to Cirque School Los Angeles, which inspires an appreciation for the circus arts for “Anybody with Any Body.” Cirque School uses training, performance, and community outreach to foster passion for the circus arts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Encompassing over 50 weekly classes to the public, student performances, team building workshops, pre-professional intensives, and television and film projects, Cirque School thrives as the premiere cirque training program in Los Angeles.

About the DSO

The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who concluded a decade-long tenure at the helm in 2018, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate, endowed by the Kresge Foundation. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrates its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in eight metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.