Greenville Symphony will perform live during city’s annual fireworks display for 1st time

Boston does it. So does the nation’s capital. Why not Greenville?

“It” is a live performance of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra to accompany Greenville’s annual fireworks display at Unity Park.

It’s the first time the city has had a live performance rather than recorded music.

Fireworks at Unity Park presented by Clemson MBA will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m Thursday, July 2.

July 4 is the Greenville Drive’s Freedom Fest at Fluor Field, which also includes fireworks, a hot dog eating contest and family activities. Gates open at 6 p.m.

The Unity Park event will feature a full orchestral score.

“The 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding offers a remarkable moment for Greenville,” Mayor Knox White said. ”It’s a chance not only to honor our country’s heritage, but to celebrate the vibrant, united community we have built here together.”

The Symphony’s Music Director Lee Mills will conduct a “patriotic program designed to complement the fireworks display,” the city said in a news release.

That will include classics such as Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

“There is something uniquely powerful about experiencing live orchestral music in the open air, especially alongside a fireworks display,” Mills said.

Amelia Rogocka, director of artistic operations with the symphony said performing with fireworks can be a “bit hard, but we are so excited about it.”

She said the biggest challenge is being outside.

“A lot of the instruments don’t do well in the heat and in the humidity, so we have to be cautious about what time of day we do things outside and make sure there is coverage of some sort.,” she said.

Jessica Satava, executive director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, said the event serves as a capstone to the symphony’s American Season, which included music from Hollywood, New York City, folk songs and current composers.

She said it was a “meaningful opportunity to bring music directly into the community to help create a shared experience for thousands of people across Greenville.”

The Unity Park event will feature live entertainment, food and beverage vendors, and the fireworks finale.

Mills has been with the Greenville Symphony since 2024. Originally from Belgrade, Montana, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in conducting from Whitman College. He later earned two graduate diplomas from the Peabody Institute, where he studied with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop.

He is also executive director of the Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic in California.