Concerts in the Garden

Fort Worth's favorite summer festival blooms with musical tributes and symphonic sparklers

"Star Wars & Beyond" is back.

Photo by Julien Lambert

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's Concerts in the Garden festival is back to provide the soundtrack of summer for its 30th year. The 2020 season is packed with tribute artists, favorite returning shows, and a few symphonic sparklers.

Highlights of the series include tributes to Queen, The Rolling Stones, Selena, The Beatles, and The Eagles; an evening with singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe; music from Star Wars and Harry Potter, and much more. Per tradition, all shows will take place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and will end with a fireworks display.

Here's a look at the lineup, with descriptions provided by FWSO:

Friday, June 5-6: The Music of Queen
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Brent Havens, conductor
Mig Ayesa, vocalist

The Music of Queen kicks off the 30th Annual Concerts In The Garden Summer Music Festival. Last year, this concert was the breakaway hit, so this year, it’s expanded to two nights. Experience favorite hits by the classic rock band including “I Want It All,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “We are the Champions,” and the chart-topping “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Sunday, June 7: 1812 Overture and Symphonic Sparklers
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Alex Amsel, conductor

It’s the annual evening of symphonic masterpieces culminating with Tchaikovsky’s popular 1812 Overture set to a stunning fireworks display — no waiting until the concert ends for the sky to light up on this night.

Friday, June 12: The Music of Harry Potter
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Alex Amsel, conductor

“Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here.” — Albus Dumbledore. Escape to the world of your choosing with music from all eight of the magical Harry Potter films.

Saturday, June 13: The Music of The Rolling Stones
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Martin Herman, conductor
Mick Adams, vocalist

“Satisfaction” is guaranteed when the music of the Rolling Stones fills the air. The concert will include hits like “Get Off Of My Cloud,” “Paint it Black,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and more with a full rock band and the full orchestra.

Sunday, June 14: The Music of The Eagles
Terry Brock, lead vocalist

The ever popular Music of The Eagles returns to the Concerts In The Garden lineup for that “Peaceful, Easy Feeling.” Get up and dance with your sweetheart during ballads like “Best of My Love” and “Tequila Sunrise,” then rock out to “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Heartache Tonight,” and of course, “Hotel California.” This concert will be performed without orchestra.

Friday-Saturday, June 19-20: Star Wars and Beyond: A Sci-Fi Laser Light Spectacular
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Alex Amsel, conductor

Jedis young and old will gather for two performances of "Star Wars & Beyond: A Sci-Fi Laser Light Spectacular." On the first half, the audience will behold favorite melodies from the realm of Sci-Fi films and television. Then after the sun sets, everyone can fire up their light sabers and enjoy some out-of-this-world music from the Star Wars franchise, enhanced by a stunning laser light show.

Sunday, June 21: A Tribute to Elvis with Kraig Parker
Fort Worth's favorite Elvis tribute artist, Kraig Parker, and his Royal Tribute Band pay homage to King. Parker has toured with Presley’s original vocal groups The Jordanaires, The Stamps Quartet, and The Sweet Inspirations, and critics have called this show “as close as it gets” to the real thing. This concert will be performed without orchestra.

Friday, June 26: The Music of Selena
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Martin Herman, conductor
Isabel Marie Sánchez, vocalist

This concert will honor the legacy of the “Queen of Tejano Music.” Vocalist Isabel Marie Sánchez will perform iconic hits like “Dreaming of You,” “Como la Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “No Me Queda Más,” and “I Could Fall in Love.” It promises to be a stirring tribute to Selena Quintanilla.

Saturday, June 27: Classical Mystery Tour
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Martin Herman, conductor

Classical Mystery Tour performs The Beatles’ timeless classics with beautiful orchestration by the FWSO. Favorite hits by the Fab Four include “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Yesterday,” “All You Need is Love,” “Penny Lane,” and much more.

Sunday, June 28: Sarah Jaffe
Known for her distinctively clear vocals, singer/songwriter and Texas native Sarah Jaffe brings her eclectic style to the Concerts In the Garden stage. “The raspy and hauntingly beautiful vocals her fans value haven't gone anywhere — but everything surrounding them is bolder and richer than before," raves Interview Magazine. This concert will be performed without orchestra.

Thursday-Saturday, July 2-4: Old-Fashioned Family Fireworks Picnic
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Stephanie Rhodes Russell, conductor
Ryan Kuster, bass-baritone

Pack a picnic, gather the whole family, and join the annual all-American July 4th celebration at the Old-Fashioned Family Fireworks Picnic. Filled with patriotic songs and heart-pounding marches, the exhilarating Independence Day celebration offers one of the best fireworks displays in the area.

Passes and tickets
Festival passes allow patrons to attend multiple performances at a discount. A full festival pass, which includes all programs, or a mini-pass, which includes your choice of five programs, are offered. Passes offer a savings of up to 15 percent on concert tickets as well as other benefits, FWSO says.

Regular concert prices range from $25 for adult lawn tickets to $38-$78 for table seats. Children ages 10 and younger are admitted free on the lawn. Pre-Sale for FWSO subscribers and donors of $250 or more start March 17. Festival passes will be available to the public Marh 19. All single tickets go on sale to the general public beginning April 6. Purchase tickets online at www.fwsymphony.org or by calling the FWSO Box Office at 817-655-6000.

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Ancient Sculpture News

Fort Worth museum one of only 3 in U.S. to get rare sculpture exhibit

Lorenzo di Masi/Torlonia Collection

The Torlonia Nile

A major exhibition of ancient Roman masterworks is coming to the U.S. for the first time to be viewed at only three museums — including the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

Called Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection, it's an assemblage of works stewarded by the Torlonia Family beginning in the early-19th century, and will be installed at the Kimbell from September 14, 2025 – January 25, 2026.

As part of the Foundation’s mission to showcase these historical works to the public, the exhibition will premiere at the Art Institute of Chicago on March 15 through June 29, before traveling to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Its third stop will be at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, from March 14 - July 19, 2026.

The Torlonia Collection was established during the course of the 19th century by the Franco-Italian banker Prince Giovanni Torlonia and his son Alessandro, then handed down over generations, eventually growing into the largest private collection of ancient Roman sculptures.

Today, the Torlonia Foundation represents the culmination of the Family’s continued passion for art. Created at the behest of Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1925–2017), the Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the Torlonia Collection and Villa Albani Torlonia.

In 1876, Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1886) created a museum to house and exhibit the Family’s holdings, which was open to small groups until its closure at the onset of World War II. The sculptures remained unseen by the public from that time until the Foundation’s first exhibition at the Musei Capitolini in Rome in 2020. That was followed by a stint at the Louvre, the first presentation of the collection outside of Rome, where it has drawn more than 600,000 visitors to date, an unprecedented feat.

The exhibit
The curators of Myth & Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection are Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff of the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition is co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and The Museum Box. All of the sculptures in the exhibition have been restored by the Foundation with the support of Bvlgari.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue co-published by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, edited by Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff, with essays by Silvia Beltrametti and Salvatore Settis.

The North American presentation will feature 58 highlights from the Torlonia Collection, including 24 newly restored works that have not been on view in nearly a century. The sculptures date from approximately the 5th century BCE to the early 4th century CE, with the majority of the works dating to the High Imperial period (1st–2nd centuries CE). Highlights include examples of the most emblematic genres of ancient marble sculpture, acquired by the Torlonia Family from the most prominent collections of Rome’s patrician families, as well as from excavations made on the Family’s own estates throughout Italy.

“The Foundation is excited to be sharing the Torlonia Collection with audiences in North America for the first time. This exceptional group of ancient sculptures is a testament to the enduring cultural legacy of ancient Rome, as well as the vision and passion of multiple generations of the Torlonia Family,” said Alessandro Poma Murialdo, President of the Torlonia Foundation.

The presentation is organized thematically in six sections, featuring sculptures found on the Torlonia Family’s properties in Rome and the surrounding suburbs and their estate in Porto, Portugal, as well as a number of exceptional sarcophagi (stone coffins), among the largest sculpted works in marble to survive from ancient Rome.

The tour reinforces the work of the Foundation to advance the appreciation and understanding of this unparalleled collection and the rich cultural heritage it represents. The Foundation’s mission is carried out through a continuous joint effort between the public and private sectors, including with the cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The Foundation is supported by a longstanding collaboration with Bvlgari as the principal sponsor of the restoration project since its inception in Rome and throughout the global tour, and Chiomenti, who has lent invaluable support to the Foundation’s core activities.

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