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Phoenix Symphony Joins Phoenix Public Transit Department In Launching Holiday Bus
City Bus Wrapped As A Gift For The People of Phoenix
PHOENIX - Looking for creative ways to show holiday spirit during challenging economic times, The Phoenix Symphony and the Phoenix Public Transit Department have joined forces to continue the annual tradition of the Holiday Bus. Promoting The Phoenix Symphony and the wide array of festive concerts, the Holiday Bus will hit the streets on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, and will run through January 3.
The Holiday Bus is an annual tradition for the City of Phoenix, yet was in jeopardy due to budget constraints. The partnership is a win-win for both The Phoenix Symphony and the Phoenix Public Transit Department by providing a unique and fun way to promote the Symphony's concerts, encourage the use of public transportation, and exude warm holiday cheer from the City of Phoenix. The Phoenix Symphony is advocating everyone to take a City bus or METRO Light Rail, which has a stop near Symphony Hall, to attend one of its many holiday concerts.
The Holiday Bus is decorated like a large wrapped holiday gift with peeled back paper to reveal members of the Symphony and Virginia G. Piper Music Director, Michael Christie. Pages of sheet music from Handel's Messiah also fly from the torn paper, making the bus a whimsical addition to the streets of Phoenix during the holiday season. Clear Channel Outdoor, the city's contracted advertising placement company, is installing the printed bus wrap at no charge.
"Our passengers love the Holiday Bus and it has been a great pleasure to do this for the public. We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with The Phoenix Symphony on this very special project," said Debbie Cotton, Director of the Phoenix Public Transit Department.
"I am excited we are employing this novel marketing 'vehicle' to publicize our fabulous holiday concerts," said Maryellen Gleason, President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony.
The Holiday Bus will be unveiled at a media event at Symphony Hall on November 25 at 8 am with a quartet playing selections from the upcoming holiday concerts and members of the orchestra decorating the interior.
The Phoenix Symphony's holiday concerts include the Christmas Pops- December 5 - 7, Handel's Messiah with both the Complete Oratorio and Highlights December 13 - 21, Baroque Christmas December 19 - 21, Sing-A-Long Messiah on December 21 and the annual New Year's Eve concert on December 31. For tickets or detailed information about The Phoenix Symphony's holiday concerts, visit www.phoenixsymphony.org or 602-495-1999.
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About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.
Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman CA Howlett.
The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.
--------------------------------------------------------- The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.
