In what has become an annual Independence Day holiday weekend tradition, ideastream proudly presents coverage of the Cleveland Orchestra’s “Star-Spangled Spectacular Concert & Festival” scheduled for Thursday, July 1st.

As the media partner for this 15th annual Independence Day celebration, 90.3 WCPN will present a live broadcast of the Cleveland Orchestra concert and WVIZ/PBS will capture the day’s performances and project them on a large video screen for the Public Square audience.

90.3 WCPN will begin its pre-event coverage at noon, with Dee Perry presenting her daily, local arts and culture program, Around Noon, live from Public Square. The special broadcast will include a preview of the day’s free music festival, including interviews with participants as they prepare to perform. For the third year in a row, Perry, host of the popular 90.3 WCPN program “Around Noon,” and the WVIZ/PBS program “Applause” has been selected to be the master of ceremonies for the entire “Star Spangled Spectacular.”

A pre-concert festival featuring performances by Cleveland area musicians is scheduled to begin at 4pm.

The performances will be presented by ideastream to the Public Square audience on the large video screen. Throughout the day, between the live, on-stage performances ideastream will use the large-format screen to display additional programming to entertain and inform the Public Square audience.

The day’s main attraction begins at 9pm as Blossom Festival Director Jahja Ling leads the Cleveland Orchestra through a program of music including Tchaikovsky’s overture, “The Year 1812” and Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”. Following the Orchestra’s final number, the evening ends with a grand finale of a spectacular fireworks display.

For additional information about the day’s festival program and details about the Cleveland Orchestra’s performance, visit www.clevelandorchestra.org. Or log-on to www.wcpn.org for information about ideastream coverage and supporting programs and events.