The Snow Park Amphitheater will be rocking with the music of The Police when the Utah Symphony kicks off its 18th annual Deer Valley Music Festival on July 1.

The first concert out of the gates is scheduled to be “Stewart Copeland— Police Deranged for Orchestra,” which will feature the drummer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band as he celebrates his career, said Meredith Kimball Laing, Utah Symphony and Utah Opera interim president of marketing and communication. 

“Audiences will hear songs like ‘Roxanne,’ ‘Message in a Bottle’ and ‘Every Breath You Take,’ all the hits you would expect,” she said. “And what is cool is that Stewart will be joined by a full rock band and backed by our wonderful symphony.”

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The July 1 concert is one of 12 big shows that will take place at the Snow Park Amphitheater that has served as the perfect setting for these types of celebratory performances since its beginnings in 2003, according to Laing.

It means so much to us that people are connecting with each other and our music through these concerts,” Meredith Kimball Laing, Utah Symphony and Utah Opera interim president of marketing and communication

“It’s such a community tradition where people bring friends and family to picnic and hear amazing performances from our extraordinary artists of Utah Symphony on the hill with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains,” she said.

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The Deer Valley Music Festival concerts at the Snow Park Amphitheater also include singer LaKisha Jones who will perform Patriotic Pops on July 2, Disney in Concert on July 8 and Hot Sardines with Nellie Mckay on July 9. (See accompanying schedule).

“Disney in Concert is perfect for families — not that kids are the only ones who love Disney, of course,” Laing said with a laugh. “But as far as a family show it is ideal.”

The performance is close to sold out, according to Laing.

“So, it’s best to get tickets as soon as possible,” she said.

Hot Sardines has been called the “Best Jazz Band in New York” by Forbes magazine, Laing said.

“Nellie McKay is a fantastic singer, who has a very broad range,” she said. “So the concert will be a vivacious show that ends with a Bourbon Street-style parade.”

The Snow Park Amphitheater concerts will also welcome back Capathia Jenkins and Kristin Chenoweth this season, Laing said.

Jenkins will perform “Aretha: A Tribute with Capathia Jenkins on Aug. 5, and Chenoweth will sing on Aug. 6.

“Capathia is hugely popular with our audiences, and what could be better than to hear her sing the music of Aretha Franklin?” Laing said. “We all love Aretha, and Capathia will sing all the iconic hits.”

Chenoweth has performed with the Utah Symphony many times, according to Laing.

“Kristin has a great history and rapport with the orchestra, and we’re so excited to have her back,” she said. “You know when she’s on stage it will be a fun night.”

While picnics and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome at the Snow Park Amphitheater, no outside alcohol will be allowed, and coolers and bags will be subject to search due to changes in licensing, Laing said.

“Deer Valley’s food and beverage staff is going above and beyond this year to create a lot of special food and drink options that will include specialty menus and cocktails,” she said. 

In addition to the big-stage concerts, the Deer Valley Music Festival will present a five-performance chamber series at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, starting on July 6, Laing said.

“The chamber series is more classically focused and takes place in a more intimate setting,” she said. “St. Mary’s is a smaller venue where you can get up-close and personal with the artists and hear kind of the ‘greatest hits’ of classical music, including works by Beethoven and Mozart.” 

The series will include performances by Idaho native Cecilia Violetta López singing compositions by Barber and Mozart on July 6.

“Cecilia is a fantastic singer who will perform some great arias,” Laing said. “If you are a person who loves the voice, she has a gorgeous voice, and this concert is not to be missed.”

Other chamber concerts will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.

Two Utah Symphony artists — violinist and Associate Concertmaster Katheryn Eberle and principal violist Yuan Qi — will perform the Sinfonia Concertante on July 20, Laing said.

“It’s amazing to see our very own musician take the spotlight,” she said.

Adding to the excitement of the scheduled concerts, the Deer Valley Music Festival will also feature community pop-up performances, Laing said.

“They are called ‘pop-ups’ for a reason,” she said with another laugh. “I can’t disclose the dates, so the best way to stay tuned is to check utahsymphony.org or deervalleymusicfestival.org and our socialmedia pages regularly, where we usually announce them a day or two before they happen.”

Utah Symphony staff and artists are honored to call Park City its summer home while they present the Deer Valley Music Festival, Laing said.

“Our main stage is in Salt Lake City, so it means a lot to us to get out and perform for different communities,” she said. “I have seen so many selfies with big smiles, and it means so much to us that people are connecting with each other and our music through these concerts. We couldn’t ask for a better summer home.”