The Redlands Summer Concert Series Ends with a Colorful Bang

The spirit of community reverberated though the Redlands Bowl on the last night of their summer concert series Friday, Aug. 21. The concert was conducted by Frank Paul Fetta, who has been dazzling symphony crowds from Mariana Del Mar, to Nevada and to his recent induction as the music director and conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra. No stranger to Redlands, Fetta has been the music director at the bowl for the last 30 years. He was joined by 20-year-old prodigy Alexander Agate, who has been playing music since the age of 11 and at age 13 was accepted to Moorpark Community college for a two-year program. He is now currently in his third year at Cal State Northridge. A cool evening with a gentle breeze as the flag above the Bowl waved in salute, the lights danced in the background equalizing for the orchestra. People gathered, forming circles with their friends and family, neighbors, and students together in the grass. The stands filled in as patrons with packed lunches or carrying pizza or popcorn from the concession stands grabbed seats. The event was sponsored by the Montessori School of Redlands who wanted to give back to the community of Redlands, which it has served for the last 40 years. The piano prodigy dazzled the crowd with his fast fingers as the Redlands Orchestra kept up, embodying the spirit of Prokofiev, who wrote the Piano Concerto piece Agate was playing, when he was also 20. After his act Agate received a standing ovation and a bouquet as he bowed to the crowd. “I love classical music, but I didn’t realize the piano had so much range anyone can be boisterous but he was so melodic, it was very enchanting," Jennifer Whiteman said about Agate's performance. The last and finale act, Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, at the 92nd annual Redlands Bowl summer concert went out with a big bang, literally, as Fetta frantically waved his hands and signaled the grand finale, the firework show. Multicolored lights exploded in the sky as the crowd erupted with cheers and standing ovations.