The average summer day in Redlands can accurately be described as a hellish nightmare. Thankfully, the Redlands Bowl’s Summer Concert Series will make things a little more bearable with exciting concerts lined up all summer long.
The Bowl, a Redlands landmark and one of the most definable aspects of the city, will be entering it’s 89th year in operation and the lineup this year might just be one of its finest.
On June 22 (Today, actually!) at 8:15 PM, The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra will perform with their new maestro, Frank Paul Fetta. Fetta replaces the dashingly handsome Carlo Ponti, who has presumably left to go on to bigger, more European things. Fetta is no stranger to the festivities, having served as a conductor and an artistic advisor for the Redlands Summer Concert Series since 1985. Pianist Yana Reznik will electrify the crowd with some glorious Gershwin, and vocalist Haqumai Sharpe will be singing a multitude of musical pieces from Broadway to pop (I hope they play Thriller).
If you miss the Symphony’s performance the first time around, they will perform at the Bowl for a second time on August 17 during the “Grand Finale”, which will feature Russian cellist extraordinaire Ruslan Biryukov and fireworks that will serve as a beautiful do svidaniya to the Bowl crowd. Fetta will also conduct the Redlands Symphony Orchestra on July 20.
On June 23, The Bowl will play host to the Navy Band Southwest, one of the oldest and most distinguished Navy bands in the country. The musical military maestros will command the stage, performing everything from patriotic to pop (God I hope they play Thriller).
The Bowl will play host to the future of classical music on June 26 as the winners of the 61st annual Young Artist Auditions, presumably the most rigorous and cutthroat young artist auditions in the entire country, will perform under the musical supervision of Karen Thurman-Palmer. On June 29, Redlands will get a little jazzier than normal as the all-female big band and swing exhibition, “A Tribute to Benny Goodm
an and the Female Vocalists of the Big Band Era,” will electrify the crowd with their lively singing and dancing.
The California Guitar Trio, who are known far and wide for their massive catalogue of genres set to a sick rock and roll vibe, will liven up the Bowl on July 6, playing everything from Beethoven to Bohemian Rhapsody (hopefully at the same time). The Four Preps will turn back the clock to the 1950s on July 10, playing all the songs your grandparents probably made out to.
The Carpe Diem String Quartet, a wild, genre-bending group of string enthusiasts who perform everything from jazz to rock to pop to classical and everything else in between, will be performing at the Bowl on Friday, July 13. Combining expert programming and an unbelievable stage presence, Carpe Diem will rock you to your musical core.
“Oliver!”, a rousing play based on the Charles Dickens classic, will be performing throughout July on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The classic tale of an underprivileged orphan boy who overcomes his numerous hardships has racked up dozens of Tony awards and other accolades and will surely be one of the brightest moments of the summer series. Wrapping up the month of July will be the celebrated Jazz group Tizer, who will enthrall the Redlands audiences with their mind-blowing jazz-rock fusion.
“The Glories of Opera” will dramatically kick off the month of August with an impressive performance complete with solo and ensemble arias. On August 9, the predominantly Caucasian population of Redlands will be thrilled by Tlen-Huicani’s traditional indigenous 
Mexican music that will be centered around the “harpa jarocha,” or folk harp. “Oh my goodness, look at all the pretty colors!” They will say.
On August 10 and 11, the State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara will be performing “The Secret Garden.” One of the most celebrated ballet companies in the region, the SSB of SB will enthrall the Redlands audiences with the classic tale of a sad little girl who discovers a magical garden on the grounds of her Uncle’s estate. The ballet will add a touch of class to the summer festivities.
Wrapping up the summer series will be the Armory Band, a historical music group that pays homage to the people of the Civil War era by playing with restored instruments from that era. It will surely be a fun and educational show and hardtack will presumably be given out to everyone.
Whatever you’re into, the Redlands Summer Concert Series will have something for you. The Inland Empire staple will be an awesome display of the arts both local and abroad and you would be a downright fool to miss it.
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