Photo courtesy of Pete Schulte, Lucky Dog Images

The North Valley Symphony Orchestra (NVSO) is set to transport audiences to the rugged frontier with their upcoming concert, “Spirit of the American West.” This epic orchestral event is scheduled for Saturday, May 20, at 7 p.m. in the North Canyon High School Auditorium, located at 1700 E. Union Hills Dr.

This thrilling musical journey will feature a diverse range of film scores from beloved westerns such “The Magnificent Seven.” In addition to these cinematic gems, the concert will showcase timeless orchestral classics, including Copland’s “Rodeo” and Grofe’s “On the Trail” from the Grand Canyon Suite.

“We are very excited to present so much iconic music reflecting America’s western culture. The concert will feature not only scores from movies such as ‘Silverado,’ ‘How the West was Won,’ ‘The Cowboys,’ ‘Dances with Wolves,’ and ‘The Big Country,’ but we will also feature Copland’s “Four Dance Episodes” from Rodeo, and Grofe’s “On the Trail” from the Grand Canyon Suite. The Copland piece is by far my favorite, and we will end the concert with ‘Hoe-Down’ from that suite,” says NVSO Music Director and conductor, Kevin Kozacek.

“Most audience members will easily recognize that movement as the background music from the 1992 Beef Industry Council commercials featuring the slogan ‘Beef – It’s What’s for Dinner.’ What many don’t know is that Robert Mitchum was the voice behind those commercials! We hope our audience members will thoroughly enjoy the raucous and fun theme of the concert.”

In line with their mission to make concert tickets affordable for all, NVSO is offering tickets for this exhilarating event at just $5 each. Secure your seats by visiting, northvalleysymphony.org or by calling 623-980-4628. The Crouch Group has generously sponsored NVSO’s 11th season, and sponsorship opportunities remain available for the May concert and the entire season.

NVSO is partially funded by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture through appropriations from the Phoenix City Council and support from the Arizona Commission of the Arts.