On February 11, 2023, Darcy Hepner is bringing Beatlemania back to FirstOntario Concert Hall with our highly anticipated SOLD OUT concert, Come Together! HPO Performs the Beatles. This feelgood production conducted by Darcy includes a stellar line-up of guest vocalists including Ian Thomas, Jamie Oakes, Jay Gordon Wright, Tom Wilson and his son Thompson Wilson, and Queen Pepper. Legendary artist Bill Dillon plays lead guitar with the band alongside Dusty Micale on Keyboards, Paul Inston on Bass and Steve Heathcote on Drums.
A bit about Darcy
A seasoned performer, and accomplished composer/arranger, Hamilton native Darcy Hepner has worked with such legendary figures as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Sergio Mendes, Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé and Henry Mancini. In New York City, he worked in the Big Apple jazz scene as well as playing on various Broadway and off-Broadway shows. From 1999-2004, he toured as a regular member of the world-renowned jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears. He has taught at New York University, The Berklee College of Music, Selkirk College and Mohawk College.
Since 2005, he has led the Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra and recorded and performed with the Cowboy Junkies, Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton, Tom Wilson’s “LeE HARVeY OsMOND,” as performer/arranger for Ian Thomas recording “A Life in Song” and as conductor/arranger for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Beatles shows since 2017. Darcy lives in Hamilton with his wife Astrid who is the founder/CEO of the Hamilton Music Collective/An Instrument for Every Child program.
From Concept to Concert with Abigail Richardson-Schulte and Darcy Hepner
Watch the latest installment of our interview series From Concept to Concert (hosted by Abigail Richardson-Schulte) to learn about how Darcy prepared for this show, from creating the orchestral arrangements and set list to getting ready for concert night.
Timestamps:
0:44 – Origins of this concert
2:43 – Creating the setlist
8:07 – Transcribing and arranging Beatles songs for an orchestra
14:06 – Vocalists and assigning songs
16:43 – Rehearsing
17:44 – ‘A Day in the Life’ of Darcy Hepner leading up to the Beatles concert
19:20 – What Darcy loves about this concert
Our upcoming Beatles events
Come Together! HPO Performs the Beatles (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, February 11 at 7:30pm
FirstOntario Concert Hall
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*A Hard Day’s Night with the HPO (SOLD OUT)
Friday, January 27 at 7pm
The Westdale (1014 King St W, Hamilton)
Learn more
*We are also excited for a very special event, A Hard Day’s Night with the HPO, a concert and movie night at The Westdale theater.
Darcy Hepner, Bill Dillon, Jamie Oakes, Jay Gordon Wright, and the HPO String Quartet perform Beatles music from 7pm to 7:40pm before we enjoy a screening of their 1964 musical comedy A Hard Day’s Night at 8pm.
We can’t wait to see you at our upcoming Beatles events and as said by The Beatles, “We hope you will enjoy the show!”