The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is making room for two more performers this weekend when it kicks off its annual Pop Series.
Australian band Air Supply is scheduled to perform 8 p.m. Saturday with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at the Ohio Theatre.
The duo, comprised of guitarist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock, met on May 12, 1975, and has been honing a career in music ever since. The band has had seven Australian top-five singles, some of which include songs “All Out of Love,” “Lost in Love” and “The One That You Love.”
“The first part of the show will be a variety of music played by the symphony alone,” said Tom Battenburg, acting principal trumpet for Columbus Symphony Orchestra. “The second half with Air Supply will be mellow love songs.”
Battenburg said the orchestra will start out the concert with a piece written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and wrap up the show with a more complex piece.
“Our last piece is a demonstration piece that includes a narrator pointing out each section of the orchestra who then plays a bit,” he said.
Founded in 1951, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is the longest-running professional orchestra in Central Ohio. Its music is expected to be heard by more than 175,000 people this season, according to a press release.
The symphony has a Masterworks series, which has 12 performances and runs from October to May, and a Pops Series, comprised of six performances between October and April, Battenburg said, adding the Pops Series performances always feature a guest artist.
Air Supply has toured nearly worldwide, performing from China and Taiwan to the United States. And Saturday won’t mark the first time the band has played with an orchestra.
“We’ve had many shows with an orchestra. Sydney Opera House, Nashville, New York, all over the place,” Hitchcock said. “We only rehearse for 15 to 20 minutes before the show. We’re dealing with professional musicians of high caliber so that makes it a lot easier.”
Russell said the high caliber won’t alter Air Supply’s performance too much though because it still wants to cater to its fans.
“Obviously we will be playing songs that fans are familiar with, but we will also be playing three or four songs people haven’t heard. This will give something new for the people that are willing to come,” Russell said. “We have a few new guys in the band. Every time we add someone new, they bring something entirely different to the picture that makes for a great performance.”
Kyle Bergman, a second-year in mathematics, said he’s heard a few songs by Air Supply.
“I wouldn’t personally pay to see them, but I can see how they would put on a good show with the orchestra,” Bergman said. “I have gone to see the orchestra before and it was a good show. I would recommend going to see it.”
Tickets for the show start at $25 and can be purchased at the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts ticket center or through Ticketmaster. The Ohio Theatre ticket office is scheduled to be open two hours prior to each performance.
