Bob Bernhardt, conductor
The Phoenix Symphony Chorus, Dr. Thomas Bookhout, chorus master
Phoenix Boys Choir, Herbert Washington, artistic director
Featuring iconic music from the most famous film composer of all time, A John Williams Celebration kicks off the Phoenix POPS enhanced and extended holiday series of family-friendly concerts and joyful music-making. This spectacular of John Williams music will be conducted by special guest conductor Bob Bernhardt. From Superman, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and of course, the Star Wars saga, the music of John Williams has accompanied the holidays for generations. Come hear it all at Symphony Hall!
Concert Repertoire:
Call of the Champions (2002 Winter Olympics)
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone: Suite for Orchestra – I. Hedwig’s Theme
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Suite for Orchestra – V. Double Trouble
“Flight to Neverland” from Hook
Home Alone: Three Holiday Songs – I. Somewhere in My Memory
The Patriot
Music from Lincoln – IV. With Malice Toward None
Midway March
“Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan
Superman March
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: Suite for Orchestra – I. Fawkes the Phoenix
Suite from Jaws – I. Shark Theme
Theme from Jurassic Park
The Phantom Menace: Suite for Orchestra – IV. Duel Of The Fates
“Across the Stars” from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Music from the Star Wars Saga – IV. Here They Come
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Suite – V. The Jedi Steps and Finale
About Bob Bernhardt, guest conductor
Formerly, he was Principal Conductor/Artistic Director of the Rochester Philharmonic, Music Director and Conductor of the Tucson Symphony, Music Director and Conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Principal Guest Conductor of Kentucky Opera, Music Director and Conductor of the Amarillo Symphony, and Artistic Director of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.
Since 2006, he’s been the conductor of the Symphony Under the Sky Festival with the Edmonton Symphony, and a frequent guest conductor annually on several of their subscription series. He debuted with the Boston Pops in 1992 at John Williams’ invitation and has returned there often.
He’s appeared frequently as a guest conductor with the Baltimore Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony and many others.
In the world of pops, he has worked with scores of stars from Broadway, Rock & Roll, and the American Songbook: from Brian Stokes Mitchell and Kelli O’Hara, to the Beach Boys and Wynonna, to Jason Alexander and Ben Folds. And because of his extensive experience and lucky upbringing, he has rarely met music he doesn’t love. And on that subject, a lover of opera, he conducted productions with Kentucky Opera for 18 consecutive seasons, and for 19 seasons with his own company in Chattanooga, as well as many guest conducting engagements with the Nashville Opera. He received his Masters degree with Honors from the University of Southern California’s School of Music, studying primarily
with Daniel Lewis.
He received his BA-Fine Arts degree from Union College in Schenectady, NY, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa cum laude, and an Academic All-American Baseball Player. He lives with his wife, Nora, in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
About the Phoenix Boys Choir
Each year, the Phoenix Boys Choir offers a full season of concert performances offering a wide repertoire from classical to popular selections. They record CDs, participate in music festivals, sing with other professional groups and even host touring choirs. Members of the Phoenix Boys Choir have performed for four United States Presidents and with name entertainers such as Doc Severinsen, Stevie Wonder, and Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Artistic Director Herbert Washington is a Phoenix Boys Choir alumnus and previously served as the choir’s Town Director. His varied and deep experiences in the choral arts provides the Phoenix Boys Choir the opportunity to embed the best of the choir’s past, while advancing and innovating our program so we remain relevant and impactful for today’s boys and their families.
Beginning with the Training Choir, boys can progress to Cadet, Town and Tour choirs, and upon graduation, participate in the Master’s Choir. When the boys reach the performance levels of Town and Tour Choir, they have the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally.
The Choir has performed with the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Chorale, Orpheus Chorus, collaborated with St. Mary’s Food Bank, The Salvation Army, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Rosie’s House Music Academy for Children, Phoenix Youth Symphony and the Desert Botanical Garden; performed at special events such as Joe Foss Institute’s Stars In Service, Celebrity Fight Night, Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding and, the Phoenix Zoo’s RendeZoo. During this past year, the Phoenix Boys Choir was invited to perform at the inauguration of the Mayor of Phoenix and the Phoenix City Council. The Choir has performed the National Anthem for the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Rattlers and the Arizona Cardinals.
The Tour Choir has performed across the country and around the world including England, Ireland, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the Republic of the Philippines, China, Eastern Europe and the Balkan States and to Austria where they sang side-by-side with the Vienna Choir Boys in the famous Court Chapel. They recently completed a three-week tour during the summer of 2019 to Europe, which included stops and/or performances in England, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic. In 2023, our Tour Choir toured in Scotland and Ireland.
