Columbus Summer Fun 2022: Picnic With the Pops, BalletMet in classical music, dance events
Most classical music and dance organizations wrap up their official seasons in the late spring or early summer, but that doesn’t mean that the music stops or the movement ceases in the summer months.
From the Columbus Symphony and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra to BalletMet and two area opera troupes, nearly every major classical and dance group in Columbus will be performing this summer, often at outdoor venues that offer sunshine and cool breezes in addition to the onstage entertainment. (Well, we can hope for pleasant weather, can’t we?)
Columbus Summer Fun 2022: Our comprehensive events guide to concerts, festivals, theater, arts and more
So, reserve your tickets, bring your lawn chair (if necessary) and let beautiful music and splendid dance enhance your summer.
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Alum Creek Park Amphitheater
221 W. Main St., Westerville
• Westerville Symphony Orchestra, 6:30 p.m. July 3: The orchestra will host baritone Leo Welsh in celebrating Independence Day for its “Sound of Freedom” concert.
• Westerville Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. July 28-30: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical “The Sound of Music” will be performed in its entirety with accompaniment courtesy of the orchestra.
Contact: www.westervillesymphony.org
Bicentennial Park
233 Civic Center Drive, Downtown
• BalletMet, 8 p.m. Sept. 2: If you can’t wait for BalletMet’s official season opener, Sept. 16-18 in the Ohio Theatre, the dancers will perform on the banks of the Scioto River as part of the “Rhythm on the River” concert series.
Contact: www.sciotomile.com
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John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons
East Rich and South High streets, Downtown
• Picnic With the Pops, 8 p.m. June 18-July 30: The Columbus Symphony will provide musical support to multiple guest artists: The O’Jays (June 18), Boogie Wonder Band (June 25), Christopher Cross (July 16), a Rolling Stones tribute band (July 23) and the Ohio State University marching band (July 29-30). Don’t miss the symphony’s Independence Day extravaganza, “Patriotic Pops,” on July 2.
• Popcorn Pops, 7 p.m. June 24, July 22: Kids and families can enjoy music from the Columbus Symphony. Pre-concert activities for each begin at 5:30 p.m., including balloon sculptures, games and free popcorn and rides on the Columbus Commons carousel.
Contact: www.columbussymphony.com
Hinson Amphitheater
170 W. Dublin-Granville Road, New Albany
• New Albany Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m. June 18: Travel to Vienna by going no farther than New Albany with this concert featuring music of Austria, including the “Blue Danube Waltz” and the “Champagne Polka.” Guests will include vocal soloists and the New Albany Ballet Company.
Contact: www.newalbanysymphony.com
• New Albany Dance Festival, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. July 30: The festival will include free dance classes, a showcase with dance students from throughout Greater Columbus and performances by professional companies, including the New Vision Dance Company, which is presenting the event.
Contact: www.newvisiondanceco.org
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Lincoln Theatre
769 E. Long St., Downtown
• Columbus Dance Theatre, 3 and 8 p.m. May 28: The dance troupe will wrap up its season with an all-new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Contact: www.columbusdancetheatre.com
• Capriccio Columbus, 5 p.m. June 26: “Let the Music Fill the Air,” including John Rutter’s “Requiem,” will be performed by the choral ensemble.
Contact: www.capricciocolumbus.org
Philips Glen, Ohio Wesleyan University
Downtown Delaware
• Central Ohio Symphony, 7:30 p.m. July 4: The symphony will celebrate Independence Day.
Contact: www.centralohiosymphony.org
Southern Theatre
21 E. Main St., Downtown
• “Strings of Hope,” 6 p.m. June 1: A gargantuan harp will be the centerpiece of a concert in support of addiction recovery and mental health.
• Opera Project Columbus, 7:30 p.m. June 10, 3:30 p.m. June 12: Gaetano Donizetti’s 1843 comic opera “Don Pasquale” will serve as the ensemble’s season finale.
Contact: www.capa.com
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Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Capital University
2199 E. Main St., Bexley
• Tuesdays at Trinity, 7 p.m. select Tuesdays in June: The concert series will resume with performances by the Celtic band Ladies of Longford (June 7) and soprano Dione Parker Bennett (June 14).
Contact: www.capital.edu/trinity
Whetstone Park of Roses
3923 N. High St., Clintonville
• Summer concerts, 7 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 4: Following a two-year absence, live music will return to the gazebo in the Park of Roses this summer. Numerous area bands will perform, including the Ohio State University alumni marching band (June 26), the All-Ohio State Fair Band (July 31) and the Reynoldsburg Community Band (Aug. 21).
Contact: www.northcivitanclub.org
Worthington Village Green
High Street and Route 161, Worthington
• Concerts on the Green, 7 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 14: The Tony Monaco Quartet (June 12), the Whirlybirds (July 3) and a Tom Petty tribute band (July 17) are among the groups that will make music in the heart of Worthington.
Contact: www.worthington.org/612/concerts-on-the-green
Other classical music events
Don't overlook these special events in nontraditional venues.
Opera Columbus' 'La Traviata'
• Residence Inn Columbus Downtown, 36 E. Gay St., 6 and 8:30 p.m. June 3-4, 3 and 6 p.m. June 5: In the culminating concert of the troupe’s 40th-anniversary celebration, “40 Days of Opera,” singers will perform an immersive version of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the hotel.
Contact: www.operacolumbus.org
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Columbus Symphony's 'Summer Night Music'
Multiple venues, various dates and times, June 16-July 24: The symphony will fan out to multiple locations throughout Greater Columbus with three programs of classical music. Concerts will take place at Peace United Methodist Church in Powell (June 16), First United Methodist Church in London (June 30); Vineyard Community Center in Westerville (July 8); and seven other locations in various communities.
Contact: www.columbussymphony.com
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra's 'Summerfest'
• 7 p.m. Aug. 9, Alum Creek Amphitheater, 221 W. Main St., Westerville; 8 p.m. Aug. 11-12, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St.: The orchestra will offer its annual series of outdoor classical music concerts, at two venues over three days this year.
Contact: www.promusicacolumbus.org
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Summer classical music, dance in Columbus: symphony, ballet and more
