DSO will perform four free community concerts in Detroit, Monroe, East China, and Dearborn, September 20-22, powered by DTE Energy Foundation

- Free seat reservations available online now

Detroit, (August 6, 2019) – For the ninth consecutive year, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will perform four free community concerts to kick off its new season at venues across Metro Detroit, presented by DTE Energy Foundation.

The DSO’s 2019-2020 Season, which gets underway in October, marks the centennial of historic Orchestra Hall and the 20th anniversary of the Paradise Jazz Series, named for the legacy of the Paradise Theatre (the jazz and blues venue that Orchestra Hall became from 1941-1951).

Conductor Jacob Joyce will lead the orchestra in a program that honors the Orchestra Hall centennial and the history of the Paradise Theatre.

This year’s concerts will take place in:

  • DETROIT on Friday, September 20 at 10:45 a.m. at Greater Grace Temple
  • MONROE on Friday, September 20 at 8 p.m. at Meyer Theater (on the campus of Monroe County Community College)
  • EAST CHINA on Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. at East China Performing Arts Center
  • DEARBORN on Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. at Ford Community & Performing Arts Center

For more than 50 years the DTE Energy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, has supported the DSO and its cultural programs, and the Foundation is proud to once again help the Orchestra bring music to diverse communities throughout Southeast Michigan. In the spring of 2016, the DTE Energy Foundation awarded the DSO with a three-year grant to continue offering these free community concerts each fall. It also includes endowment support for music education, senior citizen outreach, and additional community engagement programming.

“The DTE Energy Foundation is proud to bring the extraordinary talent of the DSO to communities across southeast Michigan,” said Lynette Dowler, president of the DTE Energy Foundation. “This is a wonderful opportunity to experience a world-class orchestra in a community setting.”

“The DSO loves connecting with audiences in and around Detroit throughout the year, and we love when new communities invite us to perform in their neighborhoods,” said DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons. “As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Orchestra Hall, our magnificent home in midtown Detroit, the DSO remains committed to venturing outside our four walls and being an active participant in the life of our city and region, beginning with these free concerts that launch our season each year. We are grateful to the DTE Energy Foundation for this partnership that promotes and enables opportunities for accessibility.”

While the concerts are free admission, a seat reservation is required for entry. Seats can be reserved now at dso.org.

All concerts are general admission (no seats will be assigned), and all seating is first-come, first-served. All concert venues are handicap accessible.

Concert Schedule and Program Details

Friday, September 20 at 10:45 a.m.
Greater Grace Temple
23500 W Seven Mile Rd
Detroit, MI 48219

Friday, September 20 at 8 p.m.
Meyer Theater at La-Z-Boy Center, Monroe County Community College
1555 S Raisinville Rd
Monroe, MI 48161

Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m.
East China Performing Arts Center
1585 Meisner Rd
East China, MI 48054

Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m.
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
15801 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126

Jacob Joyce, conductor

GLINKA

  Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla

TCHAIKOVSKY

  Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

  Valse: Allegro moderato

MOZART

  Overture to Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 (The Magic Flute)

GRIEG

  Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt, Op. 46

  I. Morning Mood

  III. Anitra's Dance

BIZET

  Suite No. 1 from Carmen

  Prelude and Aragonaise

  Les Toréadors

DUKE ELLINGTON (arr. Ralph Hermann)

  Duke Ellington Fantasy

JOHN WILLIAMS

  Main Theme from Star Wars

About Jacob Joyce

A native of Michigan, Jacob Joyce was recently appointed associate conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO). He received critical acclaim after stepping in on short notice for the ISO’s classical series, and he will appear with several American orchestras in the 2019-2020 season. Joyce served as a conducting fellow with the Fort Worth Symphony and previously held artistic positions with the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Berkeley College Orchestra, Opera Theater of Yale College, and Handel and Haydn Society of Boston.

In addition to conducting, Joyce is the creator and co-host of the podcast Attention to Detail: The Classical Music Listening Guide, geared towards newcomers to the concert hall. He is also a member of the presenting team for the ISO’s Explore the Score, First Mondays, and Art of Leadership series, which all aim to make classical music more accessible to new audiences.

Joyce studied conducting with Hugh Wolff at the New England Conservatory. He has attended the Tanglewood Music Center and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, where he was awarded the Robert Spano Conducting Prize. Joyce studied music and economics at Yale College and earned a Master of Music degree from Yale School of Music, where he studied violin with Syoko Aki.

About the DTE Energy Foundation

Among the state’s largest foundations committed to Michigan-focused giving, the DTE Energy Foundation supports initiatives focused on arts and culture, community transformation, economic progress, education and employment, environment, and human needs. Not only do we want to create an economic impact across the state, but we want to provide hope and inspiration to communities making a difference. The DTE Energy Foundation supports events and programs that help generate more than $50 million in local economic activity in the past year.

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 institution. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who recently concluded an acclaimed decade-long tenure at the helm, 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 America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall will celebrate its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven 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.