Hudson Festival Orchestra Announces Free Community Concert

On July 30, Hudson Festival Orchestra (HFO) will hold the first-ever “Hudson in Concert: A Community Celebration” in the scenic Henry Hudson Riverfront Park.

The free event will begin at 4pm, with a range of opening ensemble performances. The opening acts feature traditional Latin music, songs from Bangladesh, and a new ragtime performance.

At 7pm, Hudson Festival Orchestra will kick off their performance with a rousing community drum circle to introduce the first piece, Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. Hudson Festival Orchestra invites all community members to bring along a drum or hand instrument to join right in.

The 57-piece orchestra will play other cultural favorites spanning many different backgrounds in celebration of community. Some of these include Gospel, Latin music, Cuban danzon, Argentine tango, Ragtime, Indian classical music, and more.

I believe that music and culture can bridge divides and build community. I envision this as an annual musical event bringing area residents together through a live musical celebration of our shared American and diverse cultural heritages in a glorious natural setting on the Hudson River!

-HFO Founder and Artistic Director Gwen Gould

The concert will be performed in a beautiful setting. Under a tent set-up overlooking the river and the mountains, attendees can enjoy the scenery as they take in the performances.

The Hudson Festival Orchestra also invites attendees of all ages to partake in the event. During intermission, children may join “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” parade (behind an actual life-size teddy bear) to a picnic with treats and snacks for all.

To start the second half of the performance and express solidarity with Ukraine, the Hudson Festival Orchestra will perform the Ukrainian National Anthem. After more music and performances, the concert will conclude at 9 pm.

Although this is the first “Hudson in Concert: A Community Celebration,” Hudson Festival Orchestra hopes to make the series an annual free event for all in the future.

Comments are closed.