Hello friends and media partners,

I’m pleased to share Western Piedmont Symphony’s latest press release,
below and attached, featuring SIDE/SHOW, our free evening of live music
throughout downtown Hickory on Thursday, September 17, presented as part of
the Downtown Hickory Art Crawl.

Thank you, as always, for helping us spread the word about live music and
the arts in our community. If you have any questions, need additional
information, or would like photos or other materials, please feel free to
reach out.

We appreciate your continued support of Western Piedmont Symphony and the
arts across our region.

With appreciation,

Alicia

_____________________________________

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

marketing@wpsymphony.org
828-324-8603

* WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN FOR SIDE/SHOW **Annual
evening of free live music returns as part of the Downtown Hickory Art
Crawl on September 17.*

*HICKORY, N.C. (September 14, 2026) –* Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the
professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents
*SIDE/SHOW* in downtown Hickory on *Thursday, September 17, 2026*.
*SIDE/SHOW* features WPS chamber ensembles and guest musicians performing a
variety of music at locations throughout downtown. The performances are
free and open to the public and are presented as part of the* Hickory
Downtown Development Association’s Fall Art Crawl*. *SIDE/SHOW* is
presented with generous support from the *City of Hickory*.

Throughout the evening, visitors can explore the Art Crawl, discover local
art, visit downtown businesses, grab a bite or a drink, and enjoy live
music along the way.

*SCHEDULE, PERFORMERS, LOCATIONS *
*SIDE/SHOW*
Thursday, September 17, 2026
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Various locations in downtown Hickory
*FREE*

*SIDE/SHOW Performances will occur from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.*

*HICKORY WINE SHOPPE **(238 Union Square NW – indoor venue)*
* WPS Maestro’s Quartet* – The professional string quartet of the Western
Piedmont Symphony, the Maestro’s Quartet features members of the Orchestra
and Music Director Matthew Troy. They perform a diverse repertoire spanning
classical, folk, pop, and rock, bringing energy and artistry to every
performance.

*COMMSCOPE STAGE **(CommScope Stage, Union Square – outdoor venue)*
* Bob Sinclair and the Big Deals* – original, upbeat, gypsy-jazz and
Americana music, blending Southern storytelling, chamber music, and
jazz-influenced melodies.

*BARLEY MARKET **(109 Government Ave. SW – indoor venue)*
*Harp Duo *– Grace Wepner Lutdke and Frank Volz perform jazz standards and
classical hits featuring the distinctive sounds of the harp.

*CRESCENT MOON **CAFÉ* *(256 1st Ave NW – indoor venue)*
*WPS Brass Quintet* – A WPS and Friends chamber ensemble bringing the bold
and dynamic sound of brass to downtown Hickory.

Up next, *WESTERN PIEDMONT SYMPHONY* continues its 62nd season with
*MASTERWORKS:
MYSTIC HORIZONS* on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Monroe
Auditorium in Hickory. The program features internationally acclaimed tabla
virtuoso *Sandeep Das* and music by Max Richter, Behzad Ranjbaran, Dinuk
Wijeratne, and Rimsky-Korsakov, including Wijeratne’s Tabla Concerto and
Rimsky-Korsakov’s mesmerizing *Scheherazade*. For more information about
Western Piedmont Symphony concerts and events this season, visit
*wpsymphony.org*. <https://wpsymphony.org/faq/&gt;

*Please note: all programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject
to change.*

*About Western Piedmont Symphony: *Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the
professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina and is
led by Music Director Matthew Troy. For 62 years, WPS has enriched and
engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality
symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational
opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring
classical Masterworks series (at PE Monroe Auditorium in Hickory), a fun
and entertaining Foothills Pops series (at JE Broyhill Civic Center in
Lenoir), leads two youth ensembles (Debut Strings and the Youth Symphony),
presents Explore the Orchestra! music education concerts to more than 3,500
4th and 5th grade students in the region, presents summer pops concerts in
Boone and Banner Elk, and education and community engagement programs in
the Catawba Valley. Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North
Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources,
is a funded affiliate of Arts Culture Catawba, and is a member of the
League of American Orchestras. Business offices are located at the SALT
Block, 243 Third Avenue NE, Ste. 1-N, in Hickory, NC. Box Office hours are
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wed. – Fri. For more information about Western
Piedmont Symphony, visit wpsymphony.org, call 828-324-8603, or email
info@wpsymphony.org. Follow Western Piedmont Symphony on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/WesternPiedmontSymphony&gt;, Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/wpsymphony/&gt;, YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/c/WesternPiedmontSymphony&gt;, TikTok
<https://www.tiktok.com/@wpsymphony&gt;, or X <https://twitter.com/wpsymphony&gt;
.
Alicia Blackburn
Marketing Manager
Western Piedmont Symphony <https://wpsymphony.org/&gt;
marketing@wpsymphony.org