VERO BEACH — “One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” Those were Neil Armstrong’s famous first words upon setting foot on the lunar surface.
The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to the courage and innovation of NASA engineers and the Apollo mission with One Giant Leap: A Tribute to Apollo at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd Street.
The space-themed concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing will feature several musical premiere’s including the Southeast US premiere of composer Michael Daugherty’s To the New World, a three-movement work celebrating America’s lunar milestone.
Composers Austin Wintory and Kevin Wilt will be in attendance to hear their works performed. Wintory’s concert work and film scores have been lauded, with his greatest recognition coming from the video gaming world, where he has won accolades for his music to games that include Assasin’s Creed Syndicate and the Grammy-nominated Journey.
Fans of the Star Trek television and film series will not be disappointed, as the orchestra will play various themes from throughout the years. Selections from two film scores will also be presented on the program,
James Horner’s Apollo 13 and Justin Hurwitz’s Golden Globe winning First Man, as well as works from John Williams and Dmitri Shostakovich.
Advance tickets for adults are $25 and are available through the orchestra website at www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at the orchestra’s official ticket outlet, Marine Bank & Trust, mainland and beachside branches. Tickets at the door are $30.
One Giant Leap: A Tribute to Apollo is free for those aged 18 and under or with a student ID. For more information, call toll free to 855-252-7276 or visit www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org.
Some would say that the young conductor and artistic director, Aaron T. Collins, took One Giant Leap himself when choosing to start the Space Coast Symphony during the economic recession a decade ago. Growing up in Cocoa Beach, the influence of the space program was all around him.
“Innovation breeds innovation,” said Collins. “If the scientists at NASA hadn’t tried new things during Apollo, we wouldn’t have landed on the moon and met the challenge by President Kennedy.”
Reflecting on the concert programming, Collins continued. “One Giant Leap honors the courage to try new things with a concert that includes scores from films about space along with several pieces of new music by some of America’s most talented composers.”
For more information about the Space Coast Symphony’s 2019-20 Season or the Symphony for Everyone discount ticket program, please visit www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org or call toll-free (855) 252-7276.
