- Bob Bernhardt will conduct program featuring hits like “Saturday in the Park,” “You’re the Inspiration,” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
Detroit, (May 28, 2019) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s (DSO) PNC Pops Series continues with a one-night-only celebration of the hitmaking rock band Chicago.
Conductor Bob Bernhardt will lead the DSO and Brass Transit—a Chigaco-style rock band with vocalists and horns—in a program featuring chartbusters like “Saturday in the Park,” “Just You & Me,” “If You Leave Me Now,” and many more.
Brass Transit includes Ian Jutsun (lead vocals/guitar), Tony Carlucci (trumpet), Phil Poppa (saxophone/vocals), Doug Gibson (trombone), Don Breithaupt (piano/vocals), Paul DeLong (drums), Jay Speziale (bass/vocals), and Bob McAlpine (guitar/vocals).
The concert takes place Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, within Midtown Detroit’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
In 2017, the DSO’s pops programming took on a fresh title: the PNC Pops Series, thanks to the generous support of PNC Bank. “This is a terrific series that showcases both the DSO and a wide variety of popular music, said Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. “That combination is sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone who attends the concerts.”
Additional support for the PNC Pops Series is provided by Masco Corporation Foundation and Greektown Casino-Hotel.
For more information about guest performers on this concert program, please contact PR Manager Ben Breuninger.
About Bob Bernhardt
Bob Bernhardt is Musical Director Emeritus and Principal Pops Conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, where he served as Music Director and Conductor for 19 seasons. Concurrently, Bernhardt is in his 19th year as Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra and was recently named Principal Pops Conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He is also an Artist-in-Residence at Lee University and conductor of the Lee Symphony. A lover of all genres of music, he is equally at home in symphonic, operatic, pops, and educational performances.
Bernhardt made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1978 and his Boston Pops debut in 1992, at the personal invitation of John Williams. He has been a frequent guest conductor at the Boston Pops in the nearly 25 years since, and returns to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for the 10th consecutive year as conductor of their Symphony Under the Sky Festival. Bernhardt has recorded for Vanguard, First Edition, Carlton Classics, and RPO. A lover of opera, he has conducted staged productions of Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Il Trovatore, The Flying Dutchman, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Tosca, and many more, as well as numerous Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and the musical My Fair Lady.
Born in Rochester, NY, Bernhardt holds a Master’s Degree with Honors from the University of Southern California School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union College, where he was also an Academic All-American Baseball Player and captain of the school’s soccer team. He and his wife, Nora, live in Signal Mountain, TN.
Ticket Information
Tickets for Brass Transit begin at $19 and can be purchased at dso.org, by calling (313) 576-5111, or in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit).
Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30% on the price of a single ticket for most DSO concerts. For more information, contact Group Sales Manager Jim Sabatella at (313) 576-5130 or jsabatella@dso.org.
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.