By Amy Gold
It’s time for Rock Gold: Volume Three with the Orchestra of Southern Utah! This audience favorite returns to the stage with powerhouse soloists and the full orchestra delivering an evening of unforgettable rock classics. The concert will be held on Thursday, November 20, at 7:30 PM in the Heritage Theater in Cedar City.
Iconic rock arrangements are back this season as the Orchestra of Southern Utah presents Rock Gold. OSU offers a full sensory experience, blending rock elements with the rich textures of a symphony orchestra. The concert features a dynamic mix of vocal and instrumental soloists. With music spanning multiple decades and genres, the performance promises to have the audience singing, rocking, and reminiscing alongside the orchestra. Based on its successful debut in 2023, this concert is expected to be a sellout event.
Soloists and musicians will take on hits from across the rock spectrum. Highlights include Nothing Else Matters by Metallica sung by Lynsey Swiderska, a Beach Boys medley performed by the orchestra, and Adele’s Someone Like You with Kennedy McQuiston. Andrew Briggs takes on Believer by Imagine Dragons, followed by Material Girl by Madonna sung by Tamera Merkley, and Barracuda by Heart featuring Tamara Reber.
Josh Larsen performs Back in Black by AC/DC, arranged by OSU’s composer-in-residence Jacob Lee. Mikelle Dowse brings energy to Man! I Feel Like a Woman! by Shania Twain, and YMCA/Macho Man by The Village People adds a fun, nostalgic twist. Conner Thornton performs I’m Still Standing by Elton John, followed by Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, sung by Molly Shakespear. The concert closes with Lorah Bodie in Dream On by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler—a soaring finale to a night of high-voltage music.
Guest performers include Stan Szczesny on guitar, Jordan Sanders on bass, Catherine Gardner on keyboard, and Ian Shaw on drum kit. Pre-concert lobby music features the SideNote vocal quartet.
The Orchestra of Southern Utah gratefully acknowledges support from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Cedar City RAP Tax, the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, Visit Cedar City–Brian Head, and many generous individual donors.
Tickets are $15 general admission at myosu.org.
