For its Fourth of July celebration, Red, White, and Boom, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) will feature lights in the sky and thunder on the stage, thanks to some help from the Buffalo State Music Department faculty.

Percussionists Brad Fuster, chair and associate professor of music, and Mark Hodges, lecturer of music, will join Jim Tiller and the RPO, Saturday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) in Canandaigua.

Performing Russell Peck's concerto The Glory and the Grandeur, the three percussionists will provide the centerpiece for this evening of patriotic music.  Peck’s challenging, dynamic piece requires its players to swiftly move from one instrument to the next. The presentation is distinctly visual, as the musicians must sprint from drum kits to xylophones, vibes, and other instruments to complete each measure. In one section of the concerto, the percussionists assemble at a single marimba and synchronize their mallet hits to deftly strike each bar.

In addition to his role as head of Buffalo State’s music program, Fuster regularly plays with the RPO and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). As a performer, Fuster has toured and recorded on six continents as a symphonic percussionist and timpanist. Hodges is currently principal percussionist with the BPO and has been the featured soloist for a number of National Public Radio programs.

Red, White, and Boom also features Gershwin’s American standard Rhapsody in Blue, such holiday favorites as the 1812 Overture and Stars and Stripes Forever, and, of course, dazzling fireworks.

For tickets, call (716) 454-2100, visit the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street, Rochester), or use Ticketmaster outlets.