Curtain Call: Rogue Valley Symphony is going to the movies

Rogue Valley Symphony Music Director Martin Majkut test drives the seats at Medford's Craterian Theater, site of the symphony's summer pops concert, "Hollywood's Greatest Hits," playing Aug. 23-25. Christopher Briscoe photo
July 11, 2024

‘Hollywood’s Greatest Hits,’ a weekend of summer pops, will run Aug. 23-25 at Medford’s Craterian Theater

By Jim Flint

The Rogue Valley Symphony is going to the movies in August.

The movie industry traditionally trots out its blockbusters every summer, when schools are on summer break and families take their vacations.

RVS will launch its own blockbuster, “Hollywood’s Greatest Hits,” at 7:30 pm. Friday, Aug. 23, and at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24 and 25. All three summer pops concerts will be performed at Medford’s Craterian Theater.

Martin Majkut has chosen classic and contemporary film music for “Hollywood’s Greatest Hits.” RVS photo

Ticket sales for season subscriptions and individual concerts are now open to the public at rvsymphony.org or by calling 541-708-6400.

Film music is something the RVS has never explored before.

“There is an incredible wealth of exciting, full-blooded symphonic scores written for the movies,” said Martin Majkut, Rogue Valley Symphony’s music director, who noted the availability of a huge archive of such material.

“We would have to play many more concerts before we ran out of good movie music,” he said.

Highlights

The concert will feature music from “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Dr. Zhivago,” “Vertigo,” “Jaws,” “Forrest Gump,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves,” “The Addams Family,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Krull,” “Mission Impossible,” “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.”

“They all pull on my heartstrings differently,” Majkut said. “I wanted to include both the classic Hollywood titles and the contemporary hits. This way, the listeners can enjoy a great variety of film music styles.”

Majkut provided a sneak peek into some of the numbers that will be performed.

“Several scores by John Williams are veritable blockbusters, such as ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones,’” he said. “But how about music from Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo’? How about ‘Dr. Zhivago’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Forrest Gump’?”

Rogue Valley connection

Majkut said one special treat will be the music from “Krull,” a sci-fi/fantasy title from the 1980s.

“It has great music written by the young James Horner.”

There is a Rogue Valley connection as well.

“’Krull’ was produced by Ron Silverman, a film, theater and music aficionado who lives at the Rogue Valley Manor, and has joined the RVS board of directors,” Majkut said.

Most of the symphonic arrangements came from Mepro, a music publisher based in Vienna.

With film music, especially the more contemporary fare, one can expect a heavy engagement of brass and percussion sections.

“Trumpets and horns will have so many gorgeous solos,” he said. “You will also hear an alto saxophone solo in ‘Moon River’ from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ by Angel McDonald.”

Watching the films

Majkut said he will try to watch all relevant scenes from the featured movies when prepping for the concert to remind himself of their feel and atmosphere.



The deets
“Hollywood’s Greatest Hits,” summer pops concerts at the Craterian Theater in Medford. When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 and 3 p.m. Aug. 24 and 25. Tickets: rvsymphony.org or call 541-708-6400.

“Since we are not accompanying movies at this concert, in terms of conducting, it is exactly like conducting Beethoven or Brahms,” he said.

Most RVS concerts are performed at three different venues — the SOU Music Recital Hall in Ashland, the Craterian, and the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center.

RVS chose the Craterian for all three summer pops concerts partly due to availability issues, but also because of its good HVAC system and air filters. “So, we are better protected from the heat and the potential smoke,” Majkut said.

“Hollywood’s Greatest Hits” is the second summer pops concert for RVS, with more expected in the future. Its holiday pops concert was a sellout at OSF’s Bowmer Theatre.

“We are very proud of our Masterworks series,” Majkut said. “And we will keep looking for every opportunity to expand beyond what is traditionally heard in the concert hall. Pops, collaborations, cross-genre events and outdoor performances are all on the table.”

This year’s holiday pops in the Bowmer will feature a Florida gospel choir.

For more information about RVS performances, how to support it, and to purchase tickets, go to rvsymphony.org.

Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him via [email protected].

Related story: He saw a sign — and it beckoned him to the Rogue Valley Symphony (July 10, 2024)

Picture of Jim

Jim

Related Posts...

Bellwood Violin plays on under new ownership

Stephen Bacon has been proprietor of Bellwood Violin on Hersey Street in Ashland since 1985. He just wrapped up 40 years of service to the community on his 70th birthday by selling his business to employee Will Scharen, a professional trombonist who is quickly learning the strings trade.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Klamath Bird Observatory Experience the wonders of Souteast Brazil Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon

Latest posts

School staff to get notices about potential layoffs next school year

The Ashland School Board on Thursday night turned recent snow days into furlough days and took the first step to initiate potential layoffs in the 2025-26 school year. A letter, which the board unanimously approved, will start a 30-day period for the district and the Ashland Education Association to discuss a potential reduction in force, or RIF, to deal with ongoing budget shortfalls.

Read More >

Providence Medford says nearly half of striking nurses have returned to work

Providence Medford Medical Center said Friday that 43 percent of its striking nurses have come back to work amid an historic statewide strike. The nurses union, however, calls the number “unsubstantiated.” About 380 nurses at Providence Medford went on strike Jan. 10 along with nurses at eight other hospitals around the state. In total, nearly 5,000 Oregon Nurses Association-represented nurses remain on strike.

Read More >

Two more Oregon cats die from bird flu virus in raw food

Two more Oregon cats died this month after eating raw cat food that was contaminated with the deadly bird flu virus, prompting Washington state officials to issue a recall. Pet owners should toss or return any containers of Wild Coast’s boneless free range chicken formula, lots 22660 and 22664, with a best by date of December 2025. 

Read More >

Crossword: Peak Performances

This week’s crossword: roles, runs and readings at a nearby mountain. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next week’s crossword: “Camelot 2025 #02.” More crosswords under the Culture menu.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Explore More...

The Ashland School Board on Thursday night turned recent snow days into furlough days and took the first step to initiate potential layoffs in the 2025-26 school year. A letter, which the board unanimously approved, will start a 30-day period for the district and the Ashland Education Association to discuss a potential reduction in force, or RIF, to deal with ongoing budget shortfalls.
Oregon medical researchers and three Democratic members of Oregon’s congressional delegation warned that the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail funding will hamper the ability of the state’s science community to do groundbreaking research that can save lives and advance health care.
Providence Medford Medical Center said Friday that 43 percent of its striking nurses have come back to work amid an historic statewide strike. The nurses union, however, calls the number "unsubstantiated." About 380 nurses at Providence Medford went on strike Jan. 10 along with nurses at eight other hospitals around the state. In total, nearly 5,000 Oregon Nurses Association-represented nurses remain on strike.
Carrie Dahle: Here in Ashland, the real estate market remains strong, but affordability remains a central challenge.... While we haven't seen a dramatic shift toward smaller homes yet, buyers are increasingly prioritizing homes that offer efficient layouts, updated features and lower maintenance costs.
This week's crossword: roles, runs and readings at a nearby mountain. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next week's crossword: "Camelot 2025 #02." More crosswords under the Culture menu.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.