Target Music in the Park Offers FREE Afternoon of Music, Family Fun and More at Steele Indian School Park

Phoenix Symphony Partners with Target

in Celebration of Music

(PHOENIX) - The Phoenix Symphony and Target are giving back to the local community with a fun-filled outdoor musical event on Sunday, March 9, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at Steele Indian School Park. The fourth annual Target Music in the Park is a free event designed for families and music lovers of all ages showcasing a variety of music including Broadway tunes, African hand drumming, jazz and Latin funk. Featured entertainers are local favorites including the Phoenix Boys Choir, Chicano Power Revival, a Canine Crooning Competition, and the urban dance troupe FootKlan. The afternoon concludes with a fantastic hour-long performance by The Phoenix Symphony followed by a stunning fireworks display.

Kids' Activities for Target Music in the Park include exploring musical instruments in the Instrument Petting Zoo, face-painting, clowns, balloon artists and more. Target Music in the Park also features a variety of food sold by local vendors.

"The Phoenix Symphony is extremely pleased to host and perform in this special event again this year," says Maryellen Gleason, President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony. "We are grateful to once again have Target as our partner for Music in the Park. Target gives so much back to the community, and we are thrilled to work with them to provide our community with great musical experiences. "

Champions of promoting education and enriching the public, both Target and The Phoenix Symphony actively seek out opportunities to contribute to the communities they serve. In keeping with this philosophy, both organizations feel it is important to offer a sampling of local musical talent to participate in this free musical celebration.

"Target is proud to join with The Phoenix Symphony for a fourth year to bring free concerts to residents in the Valley of the Sun and make arts events and programs accessible to all audiences," says Laysha Ward, Vice President of Community Relations at Target. "Target Music in the Park is a wonderful opportunity for the Valley community to share musical experiences together at the beautiful Steele Indian School Park."

Target gives back more than $3 million each week to communities where it operates stores to support arts and education programs. The partnership between Target and The Phoenix Symphony was developed in order for both organizations to give back to the community in a way that celebrates and promotes musical education. Each year, the Symphony's musical education programs reach 80,000 students and adults, working with 275 schools valley-wide in 40 school districts and 35 cities state-wide, while the Symphony's public concert presentations help music touch the lives of over 300,000 citizens annually.

Target Music in the Park on Sunday, March 9, 2008 takes place from 2:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at Steele Indian School Park located at 300 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix, with free admission throughout the day. Major musical performances will be presented throughout the afternoon with Master of Ceremonies and KEZ 99.9 FM's own Marty Manning. Free parking is available for all just inside the park. The public is encouraged to come for the entire event or to choose any part of the afternoon that tickles their musical fancy. Entertainment includes:

• 2:15 p.m. - Voices of Valley Youth Theatre - Comprised of some of the best young vocal talent in the Valley, this nationally recognized group presents hits from celebrated Broadways shows.
• 2:45 p.m. - Capitol Elementary School Drummers - Talented students from Capitol Elementary will be performing on African hand drums.
• 3:00 p.m. - Chicano Power Revival (C.P.R.) - Voted many times as the Best Latin Band in Phoenix, this ten piece band performs a variety of styles including jazz, Latin, funk and more.
• 3:50 p.m. - FootKlan -The urban dance troupe seeks to unify communities through its presentations of street dance and creative arts.
• 4:10 p.m. - Phoenix Boys Choir - The Grammy Award Winning choir comprised of boys age 7-14 is internationally known for its superb performances.
• 4:50 p.m. - Canine Crooning Contest - Dogs from across Phoenix compete in this elite competition for singing pooches.
• 5:30 p.m. - The Phoenix Symphony - Your Phoenix Symphony, under the direction of Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan, performs works celebrating America including selections from Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite and Copland's Rodeo.
• 6:45 p.m. - Fireworks Display - The evening concludes with a spectacular fireworks display that will light up the sky.

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About Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan: Lawrence Golan joined the conducting staff of The Phoenix Symphony as Resident Conductor at the start of the 2006-07 season. In this role, he leads concerts in each of the symphony's major series - including Classics, Pops, and Family presentations. In conjunction with his role as Resident Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony, Mr. Golan leads the Phoenix Youth Symphony, helping to prepare these young musicians for future careers in music. He is also Music Director of Boulder Baroque and the Boulder Bach Festival in Colorado, and of the Portland Ballet Company in Maine. In addition, he continues his work as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music, where he teaches graduate conducting and leads the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theatre.

About The Phoenix Symphony: Celebrating its 60th Anniversary Season, The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length Classical and Pops concerts at Sym­phony Hall in downtown Phoenix, along with a variety of symphonic and community performances in Mesa, Prescott, Scottsdale, and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.

About Target: Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,591 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.