Free performance of R.I. Philharmonic in Roger Williams Park on August 2
The Foundation began sponsoring free performances of the Philharmonic’s Summer Pops concert at the Temple to Music in 2016 to celebrate its centennial.
By Chris Barnett
The Rhode Island Foundation and the City of Providence are inviting the public to a free performance of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Pops in the Park concert at the Temple to Music in Roger Williams Park on Wednesday, August 2, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
“I am so excited to welcome the return of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra to our city for another year. The Summer Pops concert has become a beloved tradition,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “Free concerts like these that bring our communities together to embrace our vibrant arts culture is what makes our city so special.”
In addition to the concert, a caravan of food trucks will be at the Temple to Music.
“There is not a better spot to celebrate the spirit of community than Roger Williams Park,” said David N. Cicilline, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “As the state’s only community foundation, we are glad to give our neighbors from throughout the city and the state the opportunity to come together and enjoy a remarkable evening of music.”
This year’s Pops concert is a tribute to the “Movie Maestro,” John Williams. Concert-goers can expect to hear selections like “March” from the Resistance from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, “Flight to Neverland” from Hook, “Nimbus 2000” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and the theme from Jurassic Park.
“The concert in Roger Williams Park is a must-see experience for Providence residents each year, and this year is no exception as we celebrate the work of John Williams,” said David Beauchesne, the Philharmonic’s executive director. “Through our partnership with the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism; Providence Parks Department, the Rhode Island Foundation, the TACO/The White Family Foundation and the Providence Tourism Council, we continue the important mission of making classical music accessible to everyone in our region. This concert is one of our favorites to perform each year and we look forward to creating magical moments together as our audiences enjoy a live orchestra under the stars.”
Conducted by Troy Quinn, the 60-piece orchestra will play a 90-minute set with no intermission. Free parking is available throughout Roger Williams Park. The rain date is Thursday, August 3. Details are posted at riphil.org/summer-pops.
The event is sponsored by the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, the Rhode Island Foundation, the Providence Tourism Council, the Roger Williams Park Conservancy and the TACO/The White Family Foundation, with assistance from the Providence Parks Department.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $75 million and awarded $84 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities last year. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential.
