1. Summertime Classics - The New York Philharmonic
June 29 - July 8This is the New York Philharmonic's third season as Mr. Tovey leads the orchestra again in an interactive series with commentary and insight about the music being performed. This year, hear works by Bernstein, Gershwin, Copland, Aaron Jay Kernis, Sousa, Rossini, Saint-Saëns, Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev in Avery Fisher Hall at Licoln Center.
2. The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus
San Francisco Symphony - July 14 & 15North Carolina Symphony - July 15
San Diego Symphony - July 20
Since The Lord of the Rings Symphony's debut in 2003, the San Francisco Symphony presents its 100th performance. With over 200 performers on stage including a youth and an adult chorus, this three time Oscar winner and four time Grammy winner will be an event to remember.
3. The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Season
With a little over a dozen different concerts for this summer, the National Symphony Orchestra presents a variety of works from Beethoven to video game music, and even a Wizard of Oz concert. Also, world famous soprano, Renee Fleming will perform Ravel's Shéhérazade, Three Songs on Poems of Tristan Klingsor.4. The Nashville Symphony’s First Tennessee Beethoven Festival
June 16 & 17June 23 & 24
July 7& 8
This year, not only enjoy the works of Beethoven, but Mozart too! What's fun about this event is that it's like dinner theater. Before the concert starts, you can have cocktails with your friends and family while watching the sun set, or you can reserve a table indoors and bring your own dinner while enjoying live pre-concert performances.
5. Ballet at the Met
This year for the entire month of June and the first two weeks of July, see six different ballets; Cinderella, Giselle, Manon, Swan Lake, Sylvia, and Romeo and Juliet. This year's production of Cinderella features an all new art deco inspired set as well as costumes and exciting new choreography by James Kudelka.6. Ravinia Festival 2006
All Summer, Chicago, IL.From jazz to world music, and quartets to orchestras, this is one the best music festivals in the Midwest. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets, this summer festival has plenty of lawn space.
7. Hollywood Bowl Classical Series
July 11 - Sept. 14Every Tuesday and Thursday through the summer months, the Los Angeles Symphony performs the works of many great composers including Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. What could be better than hearing such great works under the stars in Hollywood?
8. Tanglwood
All Summer, Lenox, MAConductor/director, James Levine returns for his second time leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. Opening the festival with Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Levine and the BSO start the summer off with a bang. Later in the series, conductor Sejii Ozawa will conduct Mahler's Ressurection Symphony (his first time conducting the BSO since stepping down as Music Director).
9. Carmel Bach Festival
July 15 - Aug. 5, Carmel, CAWith over 50 performances of Bach's oratorios, concerti, orchestral and choral masterworks, chamber music, and recitals by an international ensemble conducted by Bruno Weil, you'll get all the Bach you've ever wanted.
10. Boulder's Summer Classical Music Festival
July, Boulder, COWith 30 years under their belt, the Boulder Symphony Orchestra has a great summer line up. With performances by the Grammy award winning Kronos Quartet and world renowned violinist, Leila Josefowic, and works by masters such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Shostakovich, and Bach. You'll find great music being played here all July.
