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Cal Phil Headed to Racetrack After Final Arboretum Concert
The orchestra performed its final concert before changing venues starting next year.
Music lovers carried their blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets into the for the last time Saturday to hear the sounds of the .
After 15 years and 88 performances at the Arboretum, the orchestra is changing venues and next season’s concerts will be held at .
“For myself, it’s a bittersweet ending. This is a beautiful venue, but everyone moves on, and it’s nothing but great news around the corner for us,” said Andre Vener, California Philharmonic board president and son of Music Director .
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Some of the many benefits of moving to Santa Anita include ample parking for concert goers, 150 restrooms versus the 20 porta potties at the Arboretum, permanent concert facilities and, unlike the Arboretum, the racetrack has a liquor license, Andre Vener said.
“Santa Anita is really the Disneyland of concert venues, so it’s a great opportunity for us,” he said.
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Before the concert, Victor Vener and his wife, Patty, walked through the crowd at the Arboretum, mingling with the philharmonic’s fans.
“We’ve never been out there [in the audience] in 15 years,” said Patty Vener. “It was so nice to see all of the people.”
The philharmonic’s final concert this season was called “That’s Entertainment” and started out with compositions from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “My Fair Lady.”
“What’s great about this music and what makes it so timeless is it really captures the spirit of the Pygmalion story,” Maestro Vener said of “My Fair Lady.” “It includes a waltz, which would have been very popular historically at the time, and there are a couple of ditties that are pure English musical kind of like vaudeville. It’s really a wonderful score.”
The concert ended with fan favorites from “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and Queen’s “We are the Champions.”
Arcadia Mayor tries to attend at least one philharmonic concert each season.
“It’s just a very friendly atmosphere. I really enjoy it here and I expect the same to take place at the racetrack as well,” Kovacic said. “Plus the is coming here to the Arboretum, so for the Arcadian who is truly interested in music, he or she is going to have a great opportunity to maybe go to both concerts.”