American Festival Pops Orchestra Returns to George Mason University’s Center for the Arts

Revel in the sounds of beloved movie masterpieces as the American Festival Pops Orchestra performs “Cinema Magic” at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 8 p.m. The ensemble, under the baton of Maestro Anthony Maiello, will share the limelight with guest artists Vincent Oppido, Kathryn Hearden, Jim Carroll, Wade Beach, Joe Robinson and Dave Detwiler. Audience of all ages will enjoy this chance to combine music and movies for a night of unrivaled entertainment.

At this performance, American Festival Pops Orchestra (AFPO) will perform some of Hollywood’s most iconic tunes, including favorites from film giants John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Mark Shaiman and Jerry Goldsmith. The cinema-themed program for the evening includes “Over the Rainbow” from the American classic “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Gladiator” from the box office hit “Gladiator” and the score from the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”

The night will end with a bang as guest conductor and film score composer Vincent Oppido leads AFPO in a live film score demonstration. Oppido, who completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Mason, has composed and conducted music for such films and television shows as “Cloud Atlas,” “Family Guy,” “The Simpsons” and the 2013 Academy Awards.

A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance on the Center’s Grand Tier III and is sponsored by the Friends of the Center for the Arts.

Tickets are $24, $40 and $48. This performance is Family Friendly: tickets youth through grade 12 are half price when accompanied by an adult. Tickets to this performance can be purchased at the box office at George Mason University's Center for the Arts (open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or by calling 888-945-2468 or visiting cfa.gmu.edu. George Mason University's Center for the Arts is located on Mason's Fairfax Campus, at the intersection of Braddock Rd. and Rt. 123. Free parking is available in Lot K and paid parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck adjacent to the Concert Hall.

For more information about these performances or other events at George Mason University's Center for the Arts, please visit cfa.gmu.edu. Like the Center for the Arts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gmucfa and follow the Center for the Arts on Twitter at @GMU_CFA.

This blog post was written by Amanda Rodriguez, with assistance from Jill Graziano Laiacona.