The Piano Men

Sunday, September 5, 2010, 7:00 pm

Heritage Amphitheatre, Hawrelak Park

The Piano Men

2010-11 Symphony Under the Sky

  • Robert Bernhardt, conductor
    Jim Witter, piano & vocals
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Details

Two of the great pop/rock songwriters of our time come together in the talented hands of Jim Witter. The timeless songs of Billy Joel and Elton John are backed by the power and passion of a symphony orchestra in a performance full of memories and melodies. Enjoy a summer night of classic rock with Candle in the Wind, Rocket Man, Movin’ Out, Just the Way You Are, Piano Man, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Tickets for grass seating will be available at the Hawrelak Park on-site box office beginning at 5 pm.
Adult Reserved $35 / Grass $25
Child Reserved $15 / Grass free

Tickets subject to applicable service charges.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra thanks its generous sponsors!

Green Power Media Vehicles 50/50 Draw
bullfrog powered shine fm lexus of edmonton

trailblazer rv		 general recycling
shanked

Program Info


JOHN / TAUPIN
Your Song
 
BILLY JOEL
Movin’ Out
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Rocket Man

JOEL
My Life

JOEL
Just The Way You Are
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Daniel
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Crocodile Rock

JOHN / TAUPIN
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
 
Intermission
 
JOEL
Don’t Ask Me Why
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Candle in The Wind
 
JOEL
Honesty
 
JOHN / TAUPIN
Philadelphia Freedom
 
JOEL
Piano Man

Artist Bios

bob bernhardtBob Bernhardt, conductor

Bob Bernhardt is the second Music Director in the history of the combined Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and is currently in his 15th season with the company. Mr. Bernhardt also holds the additional title of Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, where he is currently in his 27th season. He began his professional career there in 1981 as Assistant Conductor, and has worked with the Orchestra every year since. He was the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic (1995-98), Music Director and Conductor of the Tucson Symphony (1987-95), Principal Guest Conductor of Kentucky Opera (1991-96), and Music Director of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra (1985-1987). His vast symphonic repertoire covers most of the standard canon and his commitment to the music of our time is significant.

He has guest conducted the Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Phoenix, Nashville, Colorado, Pacific and Iceland Symphony Orchestras among others, and has been a frequent guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Tucson Symphony, and the Boston Pops. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1978. In addition to his work with the CSO, he has conducted the Opera Companies of Nashville and Birmingham. He has also conducted the Louisville Ballet, the North Carolina Ballet, the Jacksonville Ballet and the Lonestar Ballet. Born in Rochester, NY, Robert Bernhardt holds a Master's Degree with Honors from the University of Southern California School of Music where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union (NY) College, where he was an Academic All-American Baseball Player.

Since making his ESO debut in May 2006, Robert Bernhardt has become a favourite guest conductor of both the orchestra and its audience. The 2010 Symphony Under the Sky is the fifth consecutive edition of the festival led by Mr. Bernhardt. In the 2010-2011 ESO performance season, he will return to Edmonton to conduct holiday programs including Glad Tidings – A Lightly Classical Christmas and Christmas Pops.

jim witter piano menJim Witter, piano & vocals

Jim Witter has been entertaining for over 20 years… Whether it be his country music, contemporary Christian, or the music of Billy Joel and Elton John, Jim’s versatility as an artist has allowed him the opportunity to reach out and share his music and his infectious personality with audiences of all ages across Canada and the United States. His unique approach and comfortable rapport makes each member of his audience feel as though they are a part of a private concert in the comfort of their own living room. This, along with his rich, powerful voice and ease of manner at the piano, make him a favourite with theatre goers everywhere.
 
It all started at a very early age, as Jim began performing in the comfort of his own living room. His mother would play piano, and Jim would belt out the hits, everything from the Beatle’s to Broadway musicals. Not bad for a four year old! All through his school years, Jim knew that he was destined to have a career in the music business. “I never really thought of doing anything else”, he says, “and neither did my parents because they always encouraged me to follow my dream”.
 
And follow it he did. Jim paid his dues, playing in the clubs and bars around Southern Ontario for years. He would write songs and record demos during the day, and play in the clubs at night to pay the bills. Jim met his wife Rebecca in 1985. Together, they worked tirelessly to promote Jim’s talent and music in hopes that one day their efforts would be recognized. Finally in 1990, one of Jim’s demos came to the attention of a Sony Music Canada executive, which really got Jim’s recording career rolling. A record deal with a smaller independent label in Canada, soon gave way to a multi-record deal with Curb Records of Nashville, home of Tim McGraw, Leanne Rimes and Wynonna Judd. From his first self titled record, to “All My Life” and “Forgiveness”, Jim has had 10 top ten radio hits in Canada, 7 hit videos on CMT, and impressive chart action in the U.S. on Billboard and R&R.
 
Jim’s music and songwriting have been recognized on both sides of the border, earning him multiple awards and nominations from the Canadian Country Music Association, the Juno Awards, and most recently the Dove Awards in Nashville, where Jim’s album “Forgiveness” was nominated for Inspirational Album of the year.  “Songwriting has always been a real love of mine”, says Jim. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with so many incredible song-writers over the past years, like Steve Wariner for instance. Not only have the collaborations produced songs that I am very proud of, but I have gained an invaluable education and created lifelong friendships along the way.”
 
A few years ago, Jim came up with the concept for the show “The Piano Men”; a musical journey through the 70’s featuring the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John. "I was always a big fan of acoustic music-especially the folk of the ‘70s: James Taylor, Harry Chapin," he reveals, "but my real mentors were Billy Joel and Elton John." This multi-media rock musical has turned out to be a hit, receiving rave reviews from music critics all across North America. There are even plans to take the show overseas to London and Japan in the near future.
 
Jim still lives in Southern Ontario with his wife, Rebecca, and their four children, James, Roslyn, Ryan and Luke. A devoted family man, Jim is also very active in his community, supporting numerous charities and organizations, especially those which benefit children and their families.  “All I’ve ever wanted from this business is to be able to support my family and to make people feel a little better when they hear my music. To help them forget about their troubles for a while and enjoy the moment”, he concludes.  “If I can continue doing this 5, 10, 15 years down the road, I’ll be perfectly happy.”
 

Festival Info

Parking

Park your vehicle for only $5 at the U of A’s Stadium Car Park (116 St & 89 Ave), and ride Hybrid ETS buses for FREE directly to Hawrelak Park! Parking is very limited at Hawrelak Park and not guaranteed. Free, supervised bike racks will also be available at Hawrelak Park, courtesy of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society.

On-site Box Office

The on-site Box Office Tent is cash only. There will be an ATM machine on site.
 
Hawrelak Park Box Office Hours 
Friday, Sep 3rd: 5 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, Sep 4th: 12 pm to 8 pm
Sunday, Sep 5th: 12 pm to 8 pm
Monday, Sep 6th: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
 

Food & Drink

Food vendors will be located in the Heritage Amphitheatre and the Winspear Concession stand will offer snacks, hot and cold drinks, wine & beer.

Symphony Under the Sky Online

We’ll be blogging, tweeting, and posting updates to our Facebook page all weekend – and you can do the same using the free Wi-Fi at the Amphitheatre.

Twitter: @edmsymphony (festival hashtag is #yegsuts)
Facebook: facebook.com/edmontonsymphony
Blog: EdmontonSymphony.com/blog

You can also submit your favourite pictures from your experiences at our festival to our photo contest! Complete rules and guidelines will be posted on our website.

Weather

In case of inclement weather, festival concerts will take place at the Winspear Centre. If at all possible, all performances will remain at Hawrelak Park. The decision about whether to change venues will be made 3 hours prior to the performance. Venue change information will be announced on 105.9 Shine FM, posted on the front page of this website, and noted at (780) 428-1414 and 1-800-563-5081.

Festival Supporters

Thank you to our festival supporters The City of Edmonton through the Edmonton Arts Council, The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton, AM 930 The Light, 105.9 Shine FM, Lexus, Bullfrog Power, Trailblazer RV, General Metals Recycling, Shanked Computer Recycling, General Dynamics and Canadian Western Bank.

Multimedia

Conductor Bob Bernhardt shares highlights of Symphony Under the Sky:

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