Saturday night in the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts in Idaho Falls will include a unique opportunity for the audience attending the opening concert for the Idaho Falls Symphony’s Season 76, Season of Wonder. Among the pieces the Symphony will play is Jennifer Higdon’s “All Things Majestic” while the audience watches a film commissioned for the event.
Emmy-award winning outdoor filmmaker Kris Millgate poured over 20 years-worth of outdoor footage to find the right shots for the 20-minute film. She says Idaho Falls Symphony Executive Director Carrie Athay reached out to her and unexpectedly offered her the opportunity and she excitedly agreed to put the film together.
“I love out of the box concepts,” Millgate said. “And if there’s a way for me to bring the wild to people and we can do it with symphony, what a fantastic idea. What a way to help people connect in a way that I haven’t tried yet.”
Millgate says it was a new experience putting a film together for music that was already written. She’s usually commissioning composers to write music for her films she’s already made.
“Somebody else had had a vision for this piece and I had to figure out how to add visuals to their musical vision,” she said, “and it was quite a challenge.”
Jennifer Higdon originally wrote “All Things Majestic” for the Grand Teton Music Festival for its 50th anniversary in 2011. It includes four movements called “Teton Range,” “String Lake,” “Snake River” and “Cathedrals.” Millgate decided to also divide her film into four parts, or seasons, starting with Fall.
Putting this film together gave her a chance to go through 20 years of outdoor footage. She says she’s on the cusp of celebrating 20 years as the CEO of Tight Line Media.
“It really makes you reflective when you have the opportunity to look back at 20 years of work,” she said.
This concert begins Music Director Thomas Heuser’s 15th and final season with the Idaho Falls Symphony. It’s also the Symphony’s Pink Ribbon Concert, so audience members are encouraged to wear pink.
This is a one-time event and Millgate hopes audience members walk away with a renewed appreciation of the outdoors.
“I think a lot of people don't realize how accessible the outdoors are where we live,” Millgate said. “And here, it's top of the top of the country. You have access to rivers and woods and places to escape the crazy. And I want them to realize that that is so easy for them to touch just because of where they have chosen to live.”
The Symphony will also play Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite” and Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.”
The concert is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts with a special “Prologue” with Heuser who goes behind the music at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. You can buy tickets here.
Millgate will be at the event signing and selling her books, “My Place Among Men,” “My Place Among Fish” and “My Place Among Beasts.” She says she will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Idaho Falls Symphony.