America Turns 250! Patriotic Pops and Veteran’s Tribute

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra presents a vibrant symphonic celebration of the music, culture, and shared spirit that define the nation. This exciting program spans Broadway, Hollywood, Americana, and beloved patriotic traditions, bringing together some of the most recognizable and uplifting music ever written.

Audiences will enjoy favorites by Leonard Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Walter Murphy, Leroy Anderson, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and George Gershwin, alongside iconic tributes such as the "Armed Forces Salute" (including the newest theme honoring the United States Space Force), the "Official West Point March," Victor Herbert’s "March of the 22nd Regiment," and the sweeping overture from "The High and the Mighty" by Dimitri Tiomkin. John Philip Sousa’s "Stars and Stripes Forever" captures the pageantry and joy of American celebration, while at the heart of the program stands the rarely performed arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Igor Stravinsky, who immigrated to California.

Recently voted #1 in the Tribune’s Best of the Central Coast for both Arts & Cultural Events and Live Theater—don’t miss this exciting OperaSLO production.