Symphony Under the Stars
A fundraiser is a way to enjoy mountain summertime and help local charities
One of Cashiers' most popular summertime events is also the Cashiers Rotary Club's biggest fundraiser: the annual Symphony Under the Stars.
Set on the picturesque slopes of Fairfield Sapphire Valley, overlooking the pristine Fairfield Lake with Bald Rock and other mountains as a backdrop, the event is an evening of Fourth of July fireworks teamed with a world class orchestra playing live for a slope-full of concert enthusiasts.
While tickets do not go on sale until April , event organizers are working already on the 2009 event. The Greenville Symphony Orchestra performs under the direction of Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel. As always, the gates open at 5 p.m., and the music begins at 7:30 p.m. Maestro Tchivzhel has earned an international reputation as a conductor. Tchivzhel was born in Leningrad, Russia, where he began his career as assistant conductor to Yevgeni Mravinsky at the Leningrad Philharmonic between 1974 and 1977. He was later named permanent guest conductor for the same orchestra. In the late 1970s, Tchivzhel also spent time conducting the Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leningrad's Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and many other orchestras throughout the former USSR. In 1980, he began his international conducting career with engagements in Scandinavia, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Tchivzhel's 1991 tour of the United States with the USSR State Symphony ended with his defection to the United States with his family. Since moving to the U.S., he has conducted the Baltimore Symphony, Atlantic Sinfonietta, Indianapolis Symphony and the Grand Rapids Symphony.
Most attendees plan to make an evening of it, bringing picnics or buying food on site. There are also concession stands for hamburgers and hot dogs, desserts, soft drinks and water, which, in the past, have been staffed by the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad and local students. Prime seats at Symphony Under the Stars are reserved for Symphony Patrons, who pay a premium for a gourmet buffet served under the tents and seats that are directly in front of the orchestra. Patron tickets are limited and include a silent auction for artwork, services and special getaways. Patrons tickets begin at $295 (children's patron tickets are $100) with discounts for tables of 8 or 10. An adult must accompany all children at all times and all children must have a ticket. Parking for patrons is on the site. Symphony Friends receive two general admission tickets, a parking pass and recognition in the program for $150. General admission tickets, which also include a parking pass, are $45 per person, with tickets for children age 4 - 12 costing $15 each and no charge for children under 4. An adult must accompany all children at all times. The Symphony always goes on - rain or shine - and it always ends with the bang of fireworks and the "1812 Overture." The Symphony ticket line does not open until April 15th. To purchase tickets after that date, call (828) 743-2525.
(Source of information is the Rotary Club of Cashiers from the July 2008 event)