Culture

‘Under the Elms’ Concerts Kick Off June 1

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The heart of Ohio University’s Athens Campus – its College Green – is about to welcome home a musical tradition that dates back to the 1940s and has become one of OHIO’s signature summer events.

The 2016 season of the “Under the Elms” concert series kicks off June 1 and will include five performances held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, June 1 through June 29. This free outdoor concert series is returning to OHIO’s College Green – in the space between Chubb Hall and Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium – after being held in the nearby Wilhelm Amphitheater for the past two years.

“Under the Elms” features the “Communiversity Band,” which includes OHIO students, faculty and alumni, as well as community members from Athens and the surrounding area. It operates under the direction of Ohio University Director of Bands Andrew Trachsel, who serves as the band’s artistic director and conductor.


This year’s “Under the Elms” concert series will include:

June 1 – “Raise the Curtain!” featuring music for stage and screen

June 8 – A performance featuring guest conductor Capt. Brian Walden, retired commander of the U.S. Navy Band and the current director of bands at Marshall University

June 15 – “Be Our Guest” and a special performance by high school students enrolled in OHIO’s Summer Music Camp

June 22 – A performance featuring guest conductor and Ohio University alumnus John Lopez, who serves as associate director of bands at Christopher Newport University

June 29 – “Celebrate America!” featuring music in honor of Independence Day

“Under the Elms” is hosted by Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts, the School of Music, and Ohio University Bands. In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.