SALEM — Salem State College will host a concert next month to benefit the city's public schools. This is the third major fundraiser since the community learned of the School Department's midyear, $5.8 million deficit, which brought layoffs and budget cuts.
The Hillyer Festival Orchestra will perform on Saturday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall on the college's Central Campus. All of the funds will go to the Salem Education Fund.
The Hillyer Festival Orchestra is well-known on the North Shore and has played at the city's July Fourth celebration.
Dirk Hillyer, the conductor, is a professor in the music department at Salem State. He conducted a series of sold-out "Evening of Opera Arias" in the city several years ago. He also has performed on a bigger stage, doing workshops at Carnegie Hall and conducting for the International Women's Forum featuring Maya Angelou and Coretta Scott King.
"As an educator and someone who has strong ties to the Salem community, I felt it was important to try to help the city raise funds to help Salem teachers and the Salem school system," he said in a press release. "Many of the members of the HFO are also teachers, and they quickly committed to help in this fundraising effort."
The concert, which will range from swing to classical music, will feature vocal performances by Salem High student cast members of the school's musical "Crazy For You."
Other local fundraising events were held at the Peabody Essex Museum and the Knights of Columbus.
Tickets are $25 for the concert, which will be held in the 190-seat recital hall. Tickets can be obtained by calling City Hall at 978-745-9595, ext. 5676, or by e-mailing etalkowsky@salem.com.
