Music @ AkronFCC
Our Music@AkronFCC Concert Series for the 2025-2026 season is underway! Make sure to reserve your ticket ahead of time (most are free).
Music@AkronFCC is funded by your generous donations. Consider how you can help support arts and culture in Akron!
- July 15, 2025: Arsis Handbell Ensemble, 7:00 PM
- September 21, 2025: Concert for Peace, 7:00 PM
- September 27, 2025: Press Play Orchestra, 7:00 PM
- October 19, 2025: Dr. Teresa Walters, piano, 4:00 PM
- December 7, 2025: UA’s ‘Tis the Season, 5:30 PM
- Early Spring, 2026: UA Jazz Band (tentative)
- April 19, 2026: Valerie Thorson, organ and George Pope, flute, 4:00 PM
- May 2, 2026: Metropolitan Chorus, 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Concert for Peace
Join Indivisible Akron as they host a vibrant and uplifting concert at AkronFCC. The doors open at 6:00 PM for a social hour (snacks and a cash bar).
The concert begins at 7:00 PM with some of the best NE Ohio songwriters and poets performing their social justice works. The Keynote Speaker for the evening will be Farhad Sethna, immigration lawyer and grassroots activist. The evening will be capped off with a performance by Jim Ballard and The Strangs.
Tickets: $10 online ($9 each for groups of 5+), or $15 at the door.
A freewill offering will be taken to support the Music@AkronFCC Concert Series.
Indivisible Akron is a welcoming, independent grassroots movement committed to protecting democracy and defending the rights of all people by engaging the community, holding leaders accountable, and promoting progressive activism, in order to ensure a just, inclusive, and democratic future. We welcome progressives from Akron and the surrounding areas, including Summit, Stark, Medina & Portage.
Press Play: Symphony of the Screen
Step into a world where timeless cinematic scores, beloved anime melodies, and legendary video game themes come to life in a thrilling symphonic celebration!
The Press Play Orchestra—the brand new ensemble created by the visionaries behind the acclaimed Video Game Symphony and Cinematic Symphony Orchestra—proudly invites you to its inaugural concert.
In the beautiful sanctuary of the First Congregational Church in Akron, you’ll be transported by sweeping strings, heroic brass, and an ethereal choir as they bring some of the most iconic scores ever written to life!
A freewill offering will be taken to support the Music@AkronFCC Concert Series.
Founded by local musicians with a passion for storytelling through music, the Press Play Orchestra unites a full symphony orchestra and choir to celebrate the artistry and emotional power of music from popular culture. Whether you’re a lifelong gamer, a movie buff, or an anime fan, this free concert is a heartfelt invitation to relive your favorite moments and make new musical memories together.
🕖 7:00–7:45 PM | Chamber Music Preshow
Enjoy an enchanting 45-minute preshow featuring intimate performances by our small ensembles! Wander through musical landscapes before the curtain rises on the main event.
🕗 8:00–9:00 PM | Full Orchestra & Choir Performance
Experience the magic of symphonic storytelling as the Press Play Orchestra & Choir perform spectacular selections from films, video games, and anime that helped shape generations.
🎶The Main Program: An Epic Musical Journey
The evening’s program is an adventure for all ages, featuring highlights from the silver screen of all your favorite digital worlds.
Featuring iconic music from:
Cinematic Favorites: The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean & more! 🎥
Video Game Legends: The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Galaxy, Final Fantasy, and more! 🎮
Anime Magic: Spirited Away 🎬
Dr. Teresa Walters, piano
This concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken to support the Music@AkronFCC Concert Series.
'Tis the Season
The University of Akron Choral, Brass, and Jazz Programs present ‘Tis the Season, a joyous celebration of the coming season including Christmas and Hanukkah music, as well as Secular pieces celebrating the Winter-time.
The concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken to support The University of Akron School of Music.
UA Jazz Band TENTATIVE
The University of Akron Jazz Band holds a cafe-style concert in the Upper Room. More info to come soon!
This concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken to support The University of Akron Jazz Program.
Valerie Thorson, organ & George Pope, flute
This concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken to support the Music@AkronFCC Concert Series.
As a professional organist and choir director for nearly fifty years, Ms. Valerie Thorson has served churches in Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio (she was Organist and Music Director here at AkronFCC for nearly 14 years!). Valerie has taught at Kenyon College, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Akron, and the College of Wooster. She was Co-Founder of the Chamber Music Society of Ohio, a professional chamber ensemble, and served as the principal keyboard/continuo player for the Akron Baroque Orchestra for nine years. Her performance of Handel’s Organ Concerto in F Major with that ensemble was called “clear and lively…eloquent,” by ClevelandClassical.com.
George Pope is Emeritus Professor of Flute at The University of Akron (1978-2013) and former Instructor of Flute at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory (2002-2023). Formerly the principal flute of The Akron Symphony from 1978-2002, he has also performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the Canton and Toledo Symphony Orchestras. He is currently Principal Flute of the Blossom Festival Band. Mr. Pope is a founding member of the Solaris Wind Quintet and the Chamber Music Society of Ohio, and serves on the Board of the Tuesday Musical Association in Akron.
Metropolitan Chorus
The Metropolitan Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Britt Cooper, is a unique adult choral ensemble focusing on a wide variety of music with intimately-performed works. Representing many diverse backgrounds, cultures, races and beliefs, these multi-generational singers are brought together by their love of the choral arts. They share a dedication to excellence, exploring and preserving choral repertoire from all over the world. SCS’s Metropolitan Chorus provides relevant, inspiring and ingenuitive programming throughout the greater Akron community.
This concert will be a double feature, with a program of Splendid Serenades by the Children’s Choir Program at 4pm and Mozart’s Requiem at 7pm by the Metropolitan Chorus.
This is a paid event, and each concert is ticketed separately.