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BRO Revels! Tradition with a Twist

Milton Crotts, music director, poses with Mozart at A Wedding with Wolfgang. Photo by Anthony Harden of Alt Media Pros

The Blue Ridge Orchestra (BRO) presents its annual BRO Revels! on Saturday, December 9, at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium, and Sunday, December 10, at the Folk Art Center. Both concerts begin at 3 p.m.

“Music director Milton Crotts varies the programming from year to year, always offering a new twist on traditional music,” says BRO president Ruth Hall. “The BRO Revels! are a wonderful way to get in the holiday spirit.”

This year’s program features a mix of classical, pops and rock music, including the dances from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s arrangement of Carol of the Bells, Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24. Sixteen-year-old Zaria Joyner will perform an electric guitar solo during the rock portion of the latter. Additionally, Leroy Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday, performed by the BRO’s sterling trombonists, will return by popular demand and two other Anderson favorites, Sleigh Ride and A Christmas Festival, will complete the evening.

“A broad cross-section of Ashevillians attend our concerts, “ says BRO orchestra manager Melon Wedick. “It’s part of our mission to keep them affordable and accessible, so that anyone in the community can enjoy the experience of seeing a full-sized symphony perform live and, in the Folk Art Center, up close and personal. Our audiences typically mingle with the orchestra after concerts and the opportunity to chat with the conductor and musicians appeals to many concertgoers.”

The Blue Ridge Orchestra is an all-volunteer ensemble dedicated to engaging WNC’s musical community in opportunities to perform, listen to, and learn about great symphonic music.

Lipinsky Auditorium is at 107 Lipinsky Hall, One University Heights, Asheville. The Folk Art Center is at Mile Post 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. Tickets for BRO Revels! are $15 general admission, $10 for Friends of the Orchestra and $5 for students. To purchase tickets or to learn more, visit blueridgeorchestra.com.

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