Willis To Conduct, Egan To Sing,

‘Lord Of The Rings Symphony’ With HSO

HARTFORD — Alastair Willis, the resident conductor of Seattle Symphony, will conduct the Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) in the performances of The Lord of the Rings Symphony on Saturday, September 18, at 8 pm, and Sunday, September 19, at 3 pm, at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Mr Willis first appeared with HSO at the 2002 Talcott Mountain Music Festival.

The talented Broadway actress Susan Egan – who starred in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie – has also been added to the performers’ roster and will be a featured vocal soloist in the production.

The Lord of the Rings Symphony features six symphonic movements, drawn from the 12 hours of music composed by Howard Shore for the motion pictures in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, along with projections of original illustrations and storyboards by artists Alan Lee and John Howe.

This is one of the largest productions ever undertaken in the history of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, calling for more than 100 guest musicians, along with The Hartford Chorale, Connecticut Children’s Chorus and a number of vocal soloists.

Mr Shore was originally scheduled to conduct HSO in the September performances – which will be the New England premiere of the massive work – but his schedule recently changed and he has become unavailable for the Hartford engagement.

Tickets to The Lord of the Rings Symphony range from $25 to $65 and are available through HSO Ticket Services at 860-244-2999, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, and online at www.HartfordSymphony.org.

The Saturday, September 18, performance is part of the 2004-2005 Hartford Symphony Pops! subscription series. Subscriptions to the entire HSO Pops! season start at $84 and are available through HSO Ticket Services at 860-244-2999. More information on the Pops! series is also available online.