Greenville Symphony Orchestra releases series of community events in “Countdown to Opening Night”
August 26, 2024
Event lineup will include a family festival, comedy, panel discussions, music bingo, social hours, and more
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra (GSO) announced an exciting lineup of community events leading up to its highly anticipated opening concerts on October 5 and 6, in which Lee Mills will conduct Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – his first concert as the GSO’s Music Director. The orchestra will be joined by the combined choruses of Bob Jones University, Furman University, and North Greenville University and soloists Amanda Sheriff, soprano, Sara Crigger, mezzo-soprano, Randall Umstead, tenor, and Adrian Smith, baritone. These events are designed to engage and inspire music lovers of all ages, fostering a deeper connection between the orchestra and the Upstate community.
“We are thrilled to kick off our 77th season with a joyful, stimulating, and fun event lineup that welcomes all who would like to engage with our music and get to know our new Music Director, Lee Mills, as he prepares to conduct his first weekend of concerts with the GSO on October 5 and 6,” said Jessica Satava, Executive Director of the Greenville Symphony. “Whether it’s an intellectual conversation on Beethoven’s era, a comedy night featuring Lee Mills’ personal stories, or a family festival with an audience choir, we can’t wait to see Greenville come together in celebration of music, our community, and this promising new season.”
Event Schedule:
1. Panel Discussion 1: Beethoven’s Era: A Day in the Life
o Date: Monday, September 23
o Time: 3:30-4:30 PM
o Location: KROC Greenville Church
o Details: Come learn about and discuss the historical context for Beethoven’s ninth symphony, which was written between 1822 and 1824. Moderated by Lee Mills, panelists include history professors from Clemson University, Bob Jones University, and Furman University.
2. Music Bingo with Lee Mills
o Date: Wednesday, September 25
o Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
o Location: Gather GVL
o Details: Get ready to listen and win! Gather GVL’s weekly music bingo will feature Lee Mills and some of his favorite tunes. Can you guess the titles?
3. Concert Preview with Lee Mills, an event for members of the Greenville Symphony Guild
o Date: Friday, September 27
o Time: 11:00 AM – noon
o Location: Steinway Gallery, 743 Congaree Road, Suite A
o Details: Please RSVP by email: [email protected]
4. Local Legends: Improv Comedy inspired by true stories featuring Lee Mills*
o Date: Friday, September 27
o Time: 9:00-10:15 PM
o Location: Alchemy Comedy at Coffee Underground
o Details: It’s about to get personal. As “Local Legend” Lee Mills shares a few stories, Alchemy Comedy’s improv actors will be challenged to act them out.
*Tickets required.
5. Family Freude Fest: Lollipops and Sing with the Greenville Symphony
o Date: Saturday, September 28
o Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
o Location: Camperdown Plaza
o Details: Introducing Family Freude (It’s German for Joy!) Fest!
1. Lollipops (10:00 AM): Beethoven Lives Upstairs by Barbara Nichol
Best for ages 3-8. Experience the magic of live classical music and captivating storytelling with Lee and the musicians. Each child receives a lollipop. A Greenville favorite for over 40 years!
2. Sing with the Greenville Symphony (11:00 AM): For ALL ages! Take your star turn and be part of a community sing conducted by Music Director Lee Mills! Lend your voice and learn the “Ode to Joy” theme from Beethoven’s 9th and be accompanied by the powerful brass for the Greenville Symphony. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! Come one, come all.
6. Panel Discussion 2: Beethoven’s Era: How art reflects life
o Date: Monday, September 30
o Time: 3:30-4:30 PM
o Location: KROC Greenville Church
Details: In Panel 2, our panelists analyze the ways that the musical environment of the day shaped the unique sound world of Beethoven’s ninth and final symphony. Moderated by Lee Mills, panelists include experts from Clemson University, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and Furman University.
7. Symphony Social Club Happy Hour with Lee Mills
o Date: Wednesday, October 2
o Time: 5:30-7:00 PM
o Location: Urban Wren
o Details: To learn more and participate in the Greenville Symphony’s emerging professionals group, Symphony Social Club, go to The Symphony Social Club – Greenville Symphony Orchestra
8. Opening Night: Beethoven’s Ninth and Red-Carpet Experience*
o Date: Saturday, October 5
o Time: 7:30 PM. Doors open at 6:00. Music Director Lee Mills arrives on the red carpet at 6:20 pm.
o Location: Peace Center
o Details: Step into a world of musical brilliance as we unveil our season opener under the baton of the next Music Director of the Greenville Symphony. We join forces with three esteemed local collegiate choruses to present the monumental Ninth Symphony, famous for its “Ode to Joy” melody. This important concert marks a thrilling next chapter for our orchestra, promising an unforgettable evening dedicated to the power of collective harmony.
Pre-Concert Conversation: Free for concert ticketholders, one hour before the performance in Peace Concert Hall: Join Music Director Lee Mills, Executive Director Jessica Satava and special guests for an engaging exploration of the composer’s ideas, musical themes, and history of the music you’re about to hear.
*Tickets required.
9. Repeat Performance of Opening Night: Beethoven’s Ninth*
o Date: Sunday, October 6
o Time: 3:00 PM
o Location: Peace Center
o Details: Step into a world of musical brilliance as we unveil our season opener under the baton of the next Music Director of the Greenville Symphony. We join forces with three esteemed local collegiate choruses to present the monumental Ninth Symphony, famous for its “Ode to Joy” melody. This important concert marks a thrilling next chapter for our orchestra, promising an unforgettable evening dedicated to the power of collective harmony.
Pre-Concert Conversation: Free for concert ticketholders, one hour before the performance in Peace Concert Hall: Join Music Director Lee Mills, Executive Director Jessica Satava and special guests for an engaging exploration of the composer’s ideas, musical themes, and history of the music you’re about to hear.
*Tickets required.
“I’m thrilled to step into this role, to kick off this next season with the Greenville Symphony, and to get to know this amazing community that has opened its arms to me,” said Lee Mills. “We joyfully present this dynamic series of events that offers something for everybody.”
Tickets for GSO’s opening night, as well as all concerts for the 2024/2025 season, are available at greenvillesymphony.org.
About the Greenville Symphony
THE GREENVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA is recognized as one of the finest professional orchestras in the southeastern U.S., and through a diverse mix of concert performances, educational programming, and community engagement reaches more than 50,000 individuals across the Upstate each year.
In the 2024-2025 season, the orchestra embarks on its 77th year with the appointment of Music Director Lee Mills.
Mills begins the season with a message of joy and unity and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to kick off the Concert Hall Series at the Peace Center. The series features the power of the full orchestra in six concerts featuring the music of names like Tchaikovsky and Duke Ellington alongside new or lesser-known composers such as Amy Beach and Mason Bates.
The orchestra’s unique offerings also include four smaller-scale music experiences in the intimacy of Gunter Theatre, showcasing everything from opera to percussion to Baroque! Holiday at Peace, a 30+ year tradition featuring local and national celebrities, and the next installment of the ever-popular Harry Potter™ Film Concert Series are perennial favorites of families across the Upstate. Pop-Up Music! is a free community series that brings the magic of music to everyday places and spaces. Music at Hotel Hartness and Music in the Gray Loft is are unique offerings that feature the outstanding artistry of the principal musicians of the orchestra at in the luxe environs of Hotel Hartness or the casual creative space of Greenville Center for Creative Arts.
Education and community engagement have been an important part of the Greenville Symphony’s mission since its first children’s concert in 1951. GSO musicians present free education programs in all 51 elementary schools in the Greenville County School District, mentor high school musicians, and have a strong presence in the county library system as part of our Lollipops music and literacy programs, providing access to great music for over 25,000 children annually.
To purchase subscriptions and individual tickets, visit greenvillesymphony.org, the Peace Center box office at the corner of Broad and Main Streets in downtown Greenville, or call (864) 467-3000 between 9:30 am – 5:30 pm Monday through Friday.
