The Central Ohio Symphony will again take the stage in Delaware on Monday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m. Conductor Jaime Morales-Matos will direct the orchestra in Phillips Glen, located behind Gray Chapel on the Sandusky Street main campus of Ohio Wesleyan University, just one block south of downtown Delaware.
Delaware native Meredith Keller will be the vocalist for the concert. Meredith is a sophomore majoring in vocal performance and public relations at Biola University in California. Meredith is a 2021 graduate of Delaware Hayes High School.
The concert will include film music from Wizard of Oz and Jurassic Park, John Philip Sousa, a salute to America’s veterans, and other patriotic and popular music. As usual, the concert will end with the 1812 Overture with theater cannon blasts and the Stars and Stripes Forever. The City of Delaware’s renowned fireworks display will follow the concert.
“We are always excited to perform this July 4th tradition,” said Warren W. Hyer, Executive Director of the Symphony. This will be the Symphony’s 36th annual 4th of July concert.
One of Ohio’s largest free orchestra performances, attendance in recent years numbered between 6,000 and 8,000. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or a blanket to enjoy the annual event, a July 4th tradition for many families. This year there are no specific audience health guidelines outdoors, “We want our attendees to feel comfortable using the precautions they feel are necessary for themselves and to respect all attending the concert,” said Hyer.
Lawn seating is free. The Symphony provides limited reserved chair seating in front of the stage for a charge. Tickets are available online at www.centralohiosymphony.org, at the Symphony office, located at 24 E. Winter Street in downtown Delaware, and the concert if seats are still available. The office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Our musicians always look forward to this event,” said Hyer. “This concert is our favorite way to thank the community for the strong support it has always given us, especially this year as we were able to provide an entire season of concerts.
The sponsors for this year’s concert are Willow Brook Christian Communities, Zangmeister Cancer Center, Mt Carmel Health Systems, the City of Delaware, and the Ohio Arts Council. The concert location is made possible by Ohio Wesleyan University’s continuing strong support of the Symphony.
In the event of rain, the concert will be held in Gray Chapel, University Hall on the Ohio Wesleyan campus, right next to Phillips Glen. Seating is limited to 1,000, and masking is preferred indoors.
For more information on the concert, visit www.centralohiosymphony.org or the Symphony’s Facebook page, or call the Central Ohio Symphony office at 740-362-1799.
