Tag Archives: Cheap Trick

Las Vegas Backstage Access has learned that prominent conductor Edwin Outwater will be joining the “Sgt. Pepper Live” project once again to lead the full symphony orchestra for “Sgt. Pepper Live” featuring Cheap Trick at the Las Vegas Hilton, the concert previously written on by Las Vegas Backstage Access on Aug. 26. 

Outwater was the guest conductor at both “Sgt. Pepper Live” shows at the Hollywood Bowl and will be guest conducting the Las Vegas Hilton shows, Sept. 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23.   He is currently the the music director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Ontario, Canada. Prior to his current position, he served as resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and held the post of music director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. In both capacities, he worked closely with Michael Tilson Thomas, accompanying the orchestra on tour and conducting numerous concerts each season. He made his subscription debut in 2002, with Kurt Masur conducting Britten’s “War Requiem,” and has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie and many others. His consistently innovative programs have featured the works of composers such as John Adams, Thomas Adès, Chen Yi, Gabriela Lena Frank, HK Gruber, Lou Harrison, Robin Holloway, Nathaniel Stookey and Tan Dun. 

Internationally, Outwater has appeared with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Adelaide Symphony, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand. He has put together many music education programs for youths and has been on the faculties of the University of Tulsa, the Idyllwild Arts Academy and the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2004, he was awarded the Leonard Bernstein award for excellence in educational programming and the MET LIFE award for community outreach. Outwater is a Harvard University graduate with a master’s degree in conducting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

Cheap Trick is best known for its classic singles “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender.” The band recorded the album All Shook Up in 1980 with Sir George Martin and Geoff Emerick, producer and engineer of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Emerick will continue to be in charge of the audio production for “Sgt. Pepper Live.”  He received Grammy awards for the engineering of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.