'Hogwarts in Aiken' premieres at Etherredge Center

This weekend, the Aiken Civic Orchestra performed its first annual Harry Potter concert event at the Etherredge center.

The performance consisted of selections from the scores of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Seasonal orchestral favorites such as “In the Hall Of The Mountain King” were also present, punctuated by scarcely accurate narration about the plots of the films in question. 

Attendees were encouraged to dress up for the event, so there were quite a few Hogwarts students in attendance. Several members of the orchestra also donned their wizarding robes for the performance including Dr. Donald Portnoy who conducted the orchestra dressed as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

The orchestra played while a series of low-resolution Harry Potter images were projected to around 12-feet high on the backdrop of the stage and looped repeatedly in a slideshow.

The Aiken Civic Orchestra produced this event to inspire young people to engage with the orchestra as performers and as patrons.

The Aiken Civic Orchestra plans to repeat the event next year.