
TheEagle.com | College Station, TX – Mix a healthy dose of pop with a touch of classical, add in a bit of country and a flash of Broadway and then throw in special guests The Texas Tenors and you will have the special season-ending concert by the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra at 5 p.m. on April 29 in Rudder Auditorium on the campus of Texas A&M University. The Rudder stage barely will be big enough to contain all of the talent at the concert.
Advance tickets are $39 for adults and $13 for students, available at the MSC Box Office on the first floor of Rudder Auditorium, by calling 845-1234 or online at boxoffice.tamu.edu. On the day of the concert, tickets will be $44 and $16.
It was six years ago when The Texas Tenors — John Hagen, Marcus Collins and JC Fisher — rocketed to fame on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and they haven’t stopped since. They have performed more than 1,000 concerts around the world, including a 24-city tour in Great Britain and China and numerous appearances with prominent symphonies. Their PBS special won an Emmy Award and Billboard magazine named The Texas Tenors the No. 10 classical artists in the world.
Now, they are bringing their talent to the Brazos Valley to partner with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Marcelo Bussiki, who said, “Our audience will be dazzled by the performance and how gifted The Texas Tenors sound in concert.
“The concert will be a blend of country, classical, pops, and Broadway selections. This combination will explore this group’s full range of talent and make for a very entertaining show.”
Among the songs to be presented are God Bless the USA, Desperado, Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and such Texas Tenors originals as Bootdaddy and Rise. And that’s just for starters; there will be much, much more.
Hagen is known for his operatic roles, including the premiere of The Lost Dauphine, as well as La Traviata and Otello, both by Giuseppe Verdi.
Collins has been singing since the age of 4, echoing the sounds of his favorite artists such as Garth Brooks, George Michael and Freddie Mercury. He trained classically in college and in addition to singing, he has appeared in 25 films and on more than 100 episodes of network television.
Fisher grew up playing sports and singing in church. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Wichita State University. He has performed many operatic and stage roles and sang in the Puccini Festival in Italy. The reception to his numerous appearances led him to develop the idea for The Texas Tenors.
The Texas Tenors are more than entertainers, though. They also are advocates for several charities, including Child Fund International (childfund.org), Home for our Troops (hfotusa.org), and the Mission Project (themissionproject.org). Their most recent self-produced album, Rise, dedicated all proceeds to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Collins said, “Our title song Rise is inspired by the strength and perseverance of Americans in times of great adversity.” Songs on the album include John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are and God Bless America. Also included is a special duet of The Righteous Brothers’ iconic You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ featuring Bill Medley.
Symphony Executive Director Mary Koeninger said of Sunday’s concert, “In addition to simply being vocalists at the very top of their game, The Texas Tenors are true entertainers and have a wonderfully fun stage presence audiences really enjoy.
“I am confident that everyone in the audience that night will leave with a smile and great memories of a fantastic live performance from the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra.”
In addition, the lineup for the Symphony’s upcoming 2018-2019 season will be announced and season tickets for the new season will be available.
Koeninger said, “So, it’s just another reason why you won’t want to miss this amazing season finale concert and take the first opportunity to purchase tickets for next year.”
As a special treat, lecturer Ann Thompson will continue her popular talks about the music to be presented. Her free presentation will be at 4 p.m. in the Rudder Theatre complex.
Following the concert, the audience is invited to a patron social hour at Napa Flats.
CHI St. Joseph Health is sponsor for the current Symphony season. Other sponsors are the Nina Astin Winkler Charitable Trusts, Eugene Edge III Charitable Trust, The Ham Family Trust,
Gilbert & Thyra Plass Arts Foundation, and Gilbert & Thyra Plass Charitable Trust.