News release
The Hays Symphony at Fort Hays State University kicks off its 2021/22 season with “Broadway Tonight,” a free outdoor pops concert featuring music from Broadway, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 28, at the Downtown Pavilion.
Under the direction of FHSU professor of violin and orchestras Dr. Brian Buckstead, the symphony will perform selections from West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Hamilton, Wicked, Fiddler on the Roof, and other beloved Broadway musicals.
“We hope the Hays community will come out and join us for this light musical presentation,” said Buckstead. “The informal setting makes it perfect for a family outing.”
Concert refreshments will be sponsored by the Hays Symphony Guild.
The symphony’s 2021/2022 season this year features five more concerts in addition to the Broadway Pops concert.
On Sept. 25, nature-inspired works by the great American composers Philip Glass, Alan Hovhaness, and William Grant Still will be featured at the group’s Opening Gala in FHSU’s Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
On Sunday, Oct. 31, Creepy Classics, a children’s Halloween concert, will thrill audience members of all ages with selections from Night on Bald Mountain, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Harry Potter, Psycho, and more.
New this year is the Symphony’s Holiday Pops Concert on Dec. 4, featuring favorite music of the season. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, and a Christmas Carol sing-along are just a few of the treats in store for December.
On Feb. 19, Dr. Buckstead puts down the baton and picks up his violin for a reimagining of Vivaldi’sFour Seasons, as well as three other works that reinterpret the music and musical style of the past.
The final Masterworks Concert of the season will be May 1. FHSU choirs, under the direction of Dr. Terry Crull, join the symphony in performing French composer Francis Poulenc’s beautiful Gloria. The symphony winds up the season with Hector Berlioz’s rambunctious and revolutionary Symphonie Fantastique.
Founded in 1914, the Hays Symphony Orchestra is the longest continuously running orchestra in the state of Kansas. As a joint community-university ensemble affiliated with Fort Hays State University, its approximate 60 musicians include FHSU students and faculty, Hays area volunteers, and guest musicians from throughout Kansas. All Hays Symphony concerts are offered free of charge to the whole community. For additional information about the 2021/22 concert season, visit www.hayssymphony.org. or the group’s Facebook page.