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An ensemble of university students from Michigan is taking the ultimate road trip this spring. Visitors to the national parks of the Southwest will thank their ears for running into them.
The Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble will travel more than 4,000 miles in 10 days visiting parks in Utah, Colorado and Arizona to play 14 free shows.
Music during the performances was composed by commissioned artists as part of the program's "Music in Our Parks" project and is based on the landscapes of Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion, Grand Canyon and Great Sand Dunes national parks. A final show will take place at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Utah Office of Tourism and Utah Symphony recently announced the Mighty Five Tour, with visits in August to the communities just outside the state's five national parks: Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion.
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"Music in Our Parks"
Here's the schedule for the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble "Music in Our Parks" project. All concerts are free. For more details on the programs, visit http://www.newmusicensemble.org.
April 29 • Arches National Park, 1-3 p.m. (four 30-minute concerts), Visitor Center Auditorium, Moab.
April 30 • Capitol Reef National Park, 4 and 5 p.m. (two 30-minute concerts), outdoor amphitheater, Torrey.
May 1 • Zion National Park, 3:30- 5 p.m. (three 30-minute concerts), Zion Lodge, Springdale.
May 2 • Grand Canyon National Park, 3-5 p.m. (two 60-minute concerts), Shrine of the Ages Auditorium, Grand Canyon, Ariz.
May 3 • Great Sand Dunes National Park, 2-4 p.m. (two 60-minute concerts), Visitor Center, Mosca, Colo.
May 4 • Colorado College, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (with Bowed Piano Ensemble), Packard Hall, Colorado Springs, Colo.