FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News media contact
Joey Burdette
336.725.1035 or jburdette@wssymphony.org
Winston-Salem Symphony Presents: R.E.M. Explored
R.E.M. Co-founder Mike Mills to Perform
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (March 21, 2023) – The Winston-Salem Symphony is excited to announce a one-of-a-kind concert event featuring the music of R.E.M. arranged for full orchestra and Mike Mills’s Concerto for Violin, Rock Band & Orchestra. R.E.M. co-founder Mike Mills will take the stage as both a performer and composer, joined by Grammy-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie.
This special symphonic concert will take place on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Auditorium at 301 N. Hawthorne Road in Winston-Salem, NC. The evening will begin with selections from R.E.M.’s legendary playlist, newly reimagined for orchestra, followed by North Carolina’s premiere performance of Mills’ Concerto for Violin, Rock Band & Orchestra.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Mike Mills and Robert McDuffie on this special concert event featuring the music of R.E.M. This is a truly unique opportunity for our audience to experience the legendary band’s music in a whole new way, with the full power of a symphony orchestra behind it. It’s going to be an unforgettable night of music, and we can’t wait for our audience to be a part of it,” said Merritt Vale, President and CEO of the Winston-Salem Symphony.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Winston-Salem Symphony’s website, wssymphony.org, or call the box office at (336) 464-0145.
Ticketholders can enhance their experience with an overnight stay at the Hampton Inn Downtown Winston-Salem. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at (336) 276-1010. Mention the Winston-Salem Symphony when booking for Saturday, April 14, to get the best available rate and a $30 credit at Ginger Fox Beverage, located near the hotel at 400 W. 4th Street.
About R.E.M. and Mike Mills
R.E.M. is a rock band that was formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980. Over the course of their career, the band released 15 studio albums and became one of the most successful and influential bands of the 1980s and 1990s. R.E.M.’s music is known for its jangly guitar sound, introspective lyrics, and distinctive vocal style. The band’s hit songs include “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” and “Man on the Moon.” R.E.M. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. This concert presents a full-circle moment for Mills after R.E.M. became staples on 1980s college radio by pioneering jangle rock that they originally recorded in Winston-Salem. For more information, please visit remhq.com.
About Robert McDuffie
Robert McDuffie is a Grammy-nominated violinist who has appeared as a soloist with the world’s premiere orchestras. McDuffie appeared with the Winston -Salem Symphony in 2008. He founded the Rome Chamber Music Festival and the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in his hometown of Macon, Georgia. McDuffie plays one of the world’s great violins, made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù in 1735. For more information, please visit robertmcduffie.com.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
Proud to be one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, the Winston-Salem Symphony just celebrated its 75th Anniversary. The 2022–2023 season concludes a year-long search for a Music Director from six virtuosic candidates. The Symphony will continue inspiring listeners of all ages throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad with various concerts, education programs, and community engagement initiatives each year.
This concert and the Winston-Salem Symphony are supported by Season Presenting Sponsors Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A., Chris and Mike Morykwas, the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online at wssymphony.org or by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145.
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