October 27: The Phantom of the Opera with live film score performed by the Andrew Alden Ensemble in The Cube
October 28: Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits perform in The Cube, followed by Dr. FREAKuency’s Major Monster Bash in Orchestra Hall on the Young People’s Family Concert Series
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (October 5, 2023) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced Halloween-themed programming at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center on October 27 and 28.
On Friday, October 27 at 8 p.m., the Andrew Alden Ensemble returns to perform live music to the definitive silent horror film The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Experience this chilling story of horror and unrequited love with a new electroacoustic score for an unforgettable evening of haunts. Please note: the DSO does not appear on this performance.
On Saturday, October 28 at 10 a.m. in The Cube, the DSO invites families to Rock O’Ween with Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits, a Tiny Tots concert full of popular children’s songs set to a rock n’ roll beat. Tiny Tots performances are fun-filled, interactive concerts designed for children ages 2-6 and their families. Please note: the DSO does not appear on this performance.
Later that morning at 11 a.m. in Orchestra Hall, the Young People’s Family Concert Series continues with Dr. FREAKuency’s Major Monster Bash conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez. Dr. FREAKuency's Major Monster Bash features classic and modern orchestral favorites, plus an audience sing-along. Audiences will explore how music conveys emotions by experimenting with major and minor modes and help Dr. FREAKuency learn that life is more fun with friends! Young People’s Family Concerts are family-friendly orchestra performances, featuring the DSO, designed for audiences age 6 and up.
Tiny Tots and Young People’s Family Concert performances take place on Saturday mornings at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Center in Midtown Detroit. During these family events, guests can enjoy kid-friendly pre-concert activities in the William Davidson Atrium including a Halloween costume contest, photo opportunities, treats, and games.
Tickets for the family performances start at $12 for Rock O’Ween with Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits and $20 for Dr. FREAKuency’s Major Monster Bash and The Phantom of the Opera. Tickets 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.
The Young People’s Family Concert Series is supported by Sun Communities. Programming in The Cube is made possible with support from Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings. Technology support comes from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Friday, October 27 at 8 p.m.
The Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube
Andrew Alden Ensemble, guest ensemble
The Andrew Alden Ensemble returns this Halloween weekend to perform live music to the definitive silent horror film The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Experience this chilling story of horror and unrequited love with a new electroacoustic score for an unforgettable evening of haunts.
ROCK O’WEEN WITH MISS PAULA AND THE CANDY BANDITS
Saturday, October 28 at 10 a.m.
The Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube
Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits, band
Come listen as Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits play popular children’s songs set to a rock n’ roll beat. Nursery rhymes will never be the same again! Don’t forget to wear your favorite costume.
FREAKUENCY’S MAJOR MONSTER BASH
Saturday, October 28 at 11 a.m.
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Eeek! Mad scientist Dr. FREAKuency is busy in his laboratory trying to scare off his Halloween visitors. With the help of his assistant Griegor, Dr. FREAKuency concocts his electrifying monster and sets out to thrill the trick-or-treaters. But his monster has some surprises up its sleeve and helps throw a spooktacular Halloween Bash for the entire neighborhood!
Dr. FREAKuency's Major Monster Bash features classic and modern orchestral favorites plus an audience sing-along. Audiences will explore how music conveys emotions by experimenting with major and minor modes and help Dr. FREAKuency learn that life is more fun with friends!
About Enrico Lopez-Yañez
Enrico Lopez-Yañez is the newly appointed Principal Conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents and Principal Pops Conductor of the Pacific Symphony. In addition, Lopez-Yañez serves as the Principal Pops Conductor of the Nashville Symphony. Lopez-Yañez is quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and is becoming known for his unique style of audience engagement. An active composer/arranger, Lopez-Yañez has been commissioned to write pieces for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Omaha Symphony, and has had his works performed by orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Ft. Worth Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, National Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony, among others.
Lopez-Yañez has conducted concerts with a broad spectrum of artists including Nas, Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Itzhak Perlman, Stewart Copeland, Kenny Loggins, Toby Keith, Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini, Leslie Odom Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hanson, The Beach Boys, Kenny G, and more. Lopez-Yañez also conducts the annual Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4 fireworks show which was first televised on CMT in 2019, reaching millions of viewers across the nation.
This season, Lopez-Yañez will collaborate with artists including Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Patti LaBelle, Trisha Yearwood, Tituss Burgess, Vanessa Williams, Lyle Lovett, Jefferson Starship, Portugal. The Man, Guster, Ben Folds, Aida Cuevas, Lila Downs, and Arturo Sandoval. Lopez-Yañez will appear with the Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony, as well as make return appearances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and more. Previously, Lopez-Yañez has appeared with orchestras throughout North America including the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony, among others.
As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. Symphonica manages a wide breadth of pops and family/education productions that “breathe new, exuberant life into classical programming for kids and families” (Nashville Parent Magazine). Symphonica’s productions have been described as “incredibly special – and something that needs to become the new norm” (Lima Symphony). Symphonica Productions is also a sheet music publishing house representing a diverse offering of genres and composers. Their roster of composers includes Grammy nominated composer Clarice Assad, Sverre Indris Joner, Andres Soto, Charles Cozens, Vinicio Meza, and more.
As a producer, composer, and arranger, Lopez-Yañez’s work can be heard on numerous albums including the UNESCO benefit album Action Moves People United and children’s music albums including The Spaceship that Fell in My Backyard, winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, and Family Choice Awards; and Kokowanda Bay, winner of a Global Media Award as well as a Parents’ Choice Award where Lopez-Yañez was lauded for his “catchy arrangements” (Parents’ Choice Foundation).
About the Andrew Alden Ensemble
The Andrew Alden Ensemble is a contemporary chamber group who performs electroacoustic music to films such as Night of the Living Dead, Nosferatu, Vampyr, and The Phantom of the Opera. Their work has been shown internationally in Canada and France, and they have performed countless shows across the United States. They frequently appear at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center and have twice served as the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Illinois. The Andrew Alden Ensemble is based in Detroit, Michigan.
About Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits
Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits is a family-friendly rock band performing candy-coated punk rock music for kids and adults alike. Led by Detroit-based songwriter and guitarist Paula Messner, also known as “Miss Paula,” they have released two albums and one children’s storybook comprised of Miss Paula’s favorite original children’s songs. Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits bring a great show for the whole family.
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.