DSO performs Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets™ film in concert, January 11-12 at Orchestra Hall

Program will include screening of iconic film accompanied live by the DSO with conductor Justin Freer

Tickets on sale now at dso.org

Detroit, (December 19, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will bring another cinematic concert experience to Orchestra Hall with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in Concert on January 11 and 12. 

The performances will feature a screening of the second film in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™, which stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson during Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The DSO will perform John Williams’s score live-to-film, conducted by Justin Freer. For two performances only, audiences can step into the hallowed halls of Hogwarts™ in our own backyard and experience the enchantment and wonder of the Harry Potter universe. With photo opportunities and Hogwarts™ House banners on display, immerse yourself in this universe by visiting the William Davidson Atrium within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center before the performance in your best Harry Potter themed attire.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in Concert will take place Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m. in Orchestra Hall.

Tickets for these performances start at $69 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m.

Orchestra Hall

Cars fly, trees fight back, and monsters are on the loose in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! This concert features the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in high-definition on a giant screen, while a live orchestra performs John Williams’s unforgettable score. Relive every magical moment as the music brings life to a story that has enchanted the world.

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s24)

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About Justin Freer

American composer/conductor Justin Freer was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. He has established himself as one of the West Coast’s most exciting musical voices and is a highly sought-after conductor and producer of film music concerts around the world. Freer began his formal studies on trumpet, but quickly turned to piano and composition, composing his first work at eleven and giving his professional conducting debut at sixteen. 

Continually composing for various mediums, he has written music for world-renowned trumpeters Doc Severinsen and Jens Lindemann and continues to be in demand as a composer and conductor for everything from orchestral literature to chamber music around the world. 

He has served as composer for several independent films and has written motion picture advertising music for some of 20th Century Fox Studios’ biggest campaigns including Avatar, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Aliens in the Attic. As a conductor Freer has appeared with some of the most well-known orchestras in the world including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is also one of the only conductors to have ever conducted in both the ancient Colosseum and Circus Maximus in Rome.

Renowned wind conductor and Oxford Round Table Scholar Dr. Rikard Hansen has noted that, “In totality, Freer’s exploration in musical sound evoke moments of highly charged drama, alarming strife and serene reflection.”

Freer has been recognized with numerous grants and awards from organizations including ASCAP, BMI, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and the Henry Mancini Estate. He is the Founder and President of CineConcerts, a company dedicated to the preservation and concert presentation of film, curating and conducting hundreds of full length music score performances live with film for such wide ranging titles as Rudy, Gladiator, The Godfather, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, It’s A Wonderful Life, and the entire Harry Potter Film Franchise.

Mr. Freer earned both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music Composition from UCLA, where his principal composition teachers included Paul Chihara and Ian Krouse. In addition, he was mentored by legendary composer/conductor Jerry Goldsmith.

About the DSO 

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. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as 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 live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.

Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.