Music Under the Stars
Celebrated Traditional Returns With Wheeling Symphony Orchestra
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WHEELING - There are not many events where you can see people watching a live orchestra from horseback. The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra's annual Music Under the Stars concert is one of them.
Taking place at the Oglebay Amphitheater the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, this annual tradition combines live orchestral music with the great outdoors.
Thousands are expected to attend, with some sitting in the amphitheater, some bringing a picnic and watching from the lawn, and some that ride their horses from the Oglebay stables.
For this year's Music Under the Stars, the WSO has planned a program that previews its 2026-27 season.
"Our 2026-27 season is titled Joy, and that is exactly what we hope people feel when they walk into the concert hall this year," said WSO Music Director John Devlin. "From the Beatles to Beethoven, Harry Potter to Leonard Bernstein, our season is full of joy-inspiring favorites and tributes."
Indeed, Music Under the Stars will begin with Leonard Bernstein's "Overture" to "West Side Story," a nod to the WSO's November performance, Bernstein in Story & Song, which features vocalist Morgan James and Bernstein's daughter, Jamie Bernstein, who will narrate the performance with stories of her famous father.
Representing the WSO's pops series, Music Under the Stars will feature a Beatles medley and several film scores composed by John Williams, such as the theme from "Jurassic Park" and "Harry Potter." Listeners will also hear several classical works that will appear on the WSO's Masterworks concerts, including Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol and Mozart's Symphony no. 40. Smaller works of composers such as Beethoven and Brahms round out the program.
"We are so grateful to Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal and Oglebay for once again supporting this beloved Wheeling tradition," said WSO Executive Director Marc Zyla. "Our community concerts are excellent opportunities for the greater Ohio Valley to experience the WSO free of charge, and we are thrilled to return for another beautiful evening of music against the beautiful backdrop of Oglebay Park."
"Music Under the Stars often acts as a precursor to our Capitol Series, and that is especially true this year," Devlin said. "This performance will give everyone a preview of what's to come, and when the music is based on a season called 'Joy,' how can the evening be anything less than absolutely joyful?"
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Oglebay Amphitheater.
Music Under the Stars is presented by Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal and the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation, with additional support provided by Oglebay and the Musician's Performance Trust.