RPO joins Rochester's celebration of the 2024 total solar eclipse. Here are the details.
Rochester will be one of the best places in the country to view the total solar eclipse in April and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has plans to join in the celebration.
On Monday, the RPO and other guests gathered at the Blue Cross Arena to announce the details of weekend filled with sci-fi-themed music, performances, and state-of-the-art light shows. RPO Music Director, Andreas Delfs and Principal Props Conductor, Jeff Tyzik shared details of the programming and pieces written for this show.
New compositions written by Tyzik will feature selections from classic films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and more. A local chorus will accompany RPO on stage, and their will be performances by aerialists, Troupe Vertigo and dancers from the Rochester City Ballet.
RPO's schedule of events for the solar eclipse in Rochester
On April 6, the RPO will present a free Sensory-Friendly Eclipse concert as a part of their care and wellness initiative. The concert will be hosted at the Hochstein School and is open to people of all ages on the autism spectrum or who need sensory accommodations.
That following Sunday, a concert will take place at the Blue Cross Arena at 7 p.m., and on Monday, April 8, the total eclipse will begin at 2:07 pm.
What to know about the total solar eclipse in Rochester
Starting over the South Pacific Ocean, the eclipse will pass over Mexico, North America, and parts of Canada. The United States won’t experience a total eclipse for another 21 years, but for Rochester, it will be another 120 years before the next major eclipse passes directly over the city.
Chair of the 2024 Rochester Eclipse Task Force, Debra Ross has been working with the RPO since 2017 in preparation for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
“This spectacular event reflects exactly who we are, we are a community dedicated to the arts, we’re dedicated to creativity, and we’re dedicated to progress. So that spotlight of the world aimed at our direction, we are going to shine,” said Ross.
Tickets pre-sales for RPO-series subscribers began on Tuesday and general ticket sales will open on Thursday, December 7 at 10 a.m..
Ticket prices start at $27, plus a service fee.
The path of totality for the solar eclipse
In New York, Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Rochester will all be in the path of totality, as will Watertown and Plattsburgh. Locally, Brockport is directly on the center line of totality, as is the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls.
The shadow will be traveling at an average of about 2,300 miles per hour across New York state and will only take about 10 minutes, from one side of state to the other, said Dan Schneiderman, RMSC's eclipse partnership coordinator.
Across North America, notable cities in the path of totality include Mazatlán and Torreón, Mexico; San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo and Rochester, New York; Burlington, Vermont; and most of Montreal, Canada.
Past solar eclipse in Rochester NY
In August 2017, Rochester experienced a partial solar eclipse as the path of totality stretched across the U.S, from Oregon to South Carolina. The next partial eclipse will be Saturday, Oct. 14, when 25% of the sun will be covered at 1:13 p.m.. Schneiderman said.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Total solar eclipse 2024 in Rochester NY: RPO joins celebration plans
