Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac get orchestral treatment at 2024 Talcott Mountain Music Festival
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Hartford Symphony Orchestra will add classical oomph to the music of the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac and an assortment of country music stars this summer for the latest edition of its outdoor Talcott Mountain Music Festival.
The five-concert series, held at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. from June 28 through July 26, will also feature its popular “Celebrate Music” show with fireworks.
The Talcott Mountain Music Festival has been a Hartford Symphony tradition for years. Besides the patriotic Independence Day weekend show, which features fireworks, the concerts are typically classic rock or pop tributes with guest artists. Last year’s lineup offered tributes to ABBA, Broadway, The Eagles and Earth, Wind & Fire. This year’s festival is largely focused on the 1960s and ’70s, but the styles range from Motown to country to British rock.
The 2024 Talcott Mountain Music Festival is as follows:
June 28: “Aretha: A Tribute,” with Carpathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw. Jenkins has done her Aretha Franklin tribute in Connecticut before with both the Hartford Symphony and New Haven Symphony Orchestras. The show also includes a “Salute to Ray Charles.”
July 5: Hartford Symphony Orchestra music director Carolyn Kuan conducts the annual “Celebrate America!” concert, this year featuring the Latin jazz ensemble Ed Fast & CongaBop!.
July 12: “The Music of the Rolling Stones,” an established touring tribute from Windborne Productions featuring the Mick Jagger impersonator Mick Adams and arrangements by Brent Havens. The set list includes Stones hits that cry out for orchestral backing like “Angie” and “Ruby Tuesday” but also intriguing choices like “Satisfaction” and “Paint It Black.”
July 19: “Landslide: A Tribute to the Music of Fleetwood Mac.” The touring tribute band Landslide features vocalist Jen Oberle, guitarist Walter Ino, vocalist/guitarist Ali Handal, bassist Shane Soloski, keyboardist Sven Martin and drummer Marc Slutsky.
July 26: “Country Hits: Songs From Nashville.” The final show of this year’s Talcott Mountain Music Festival is a Nashville revue of songs made famous by Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, The Chicks and more. The orchestral arrangements are by Jeff Tyzik and the vocalists are Grace Leer and Rick Brantley.
The “Celebrate America!” concert has a rain date of July 6 and the “Country Hits” one has a rain date of July 27. Otherwise, the shows may be canceled if the weather is bad.
Tickets, which range from lawn seats to eight-seat tables, go on sale April 29. A table is $400 or $1,780 for all five concerts. “Grass passes” are $235 for 10 adult tickets or $45 for 10 children tickets or a family pack of six adult and six child tickets for $165 and can be used in any combination (several for the same show, two for each concert, etc.). Single table seats are $50 and sold in advance only. Single lawn seats are $32.50 or $27.50 in advance. A $100 tax-deductible “Friend of the Festival” donation grants early admission and front lawn seating.
For more details on Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2024 Talcott Mountain Music Festival, go to hartfordsymphony.org.
