SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – The South Bend Symphony Orchestra celebrates our country’s independence with the Shein Trust Community Series “Salute to Freedom” concert on Friday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Morris Performing Arts Center. Under the baton of Music Director Alastair Willis, the Orchestra will once again captivate audiences with patriotic tunes and tributes to the armed forces, featuring popular songs such as “American Salute,” “God Bless America,” “1812 Overture,” and “An American Celebration,” with former Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw as our guest narrator! Guest soloist Jennie Sophia helps bring some of these special songs to life!
Thanks to the generous support of Shein Trust, this family-friendly concert is free!
“There’s nothing quite like coming together as a community to celebrate Independence Day through music,” says Music Director Alastair Willis. “The ‘Salute to Freedom’ concert is one of our most joyful and unifying traditions. This yearly concert is full of powerful patriotic works and beloved American classics. We hope to see you there!”
Following the performance, enjoy a fireworks show provided by the City of South Bend as you exit the Morris. Bring your family and celebrate with the South Bend Symphony—ring in summer with Salute to Freedom!
Salute to Freedom is presented by Shein Trust. In addition, this concert is made possible by partnerships with South Bend Venue Parks and Arts, as well as the Morris Performing Arts Center. Fireworks display is made possible by the City of South Bend.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS / TICKETS
Subscriptions
Discounts, priority seating, and other exclusive benefits are available to season subscribers. Subscribe at www.southbendsymphony.org or by phone at (574) 232-6343.
Free Tickets Available
Online – www.southbendsymphony.org
Phone – Morris Performing Arts Center Box Office 574-235-9190
(10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday & Wednesday, 10 – 5:30 p.m., Thursday & Friday)
In-person – Visit the Morris Box Office (211 N. Michigan St., South Bend) during the times listed above or two hours before any performance or stop by the Symphony Office (127 N. Michigan St., South Bend) between (10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday – Friday).
To VIEW the 2025-26 Season schedule, visit www.southbendsymphony.org
Dates, programs, and venues are subject to change.
For questions or media appearances, please contact Sarah Perschbacher, sperschbacher@southbendsymphony.org or 574-230-4875
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About the South Bend Symphony Orchestra
The South Bend Symphony inspires the community with the transformative power of orchestral music in all its forms by producing 20 mainstage programs, serving more than 29,000 attendees annually. As the region’s only professional orchestra, the Symphony is committed to diverse sound and a robust arts community in Michiana that entertains and connects people to music.
In addition to being recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other state and local arts funding organizations, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra is the recipient of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which recognizes the best-run nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
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About Jennie Sophia
Jennie Sophia is thrilled to be joining SBSO for the Salute to Freedom concert. She has portrayed many iconic musical-theater heroines and sung in various concerts across the Midwest, from Fiona/Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre) and Nellie Forbush/South Pacific (Broadway national tour, also Ogunquit Playhouse) to Fantine/Les Misérables (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Laurey/Oklahoma! (Marriott Lincolnshire), Mrs. Potts/Beauty and The Beast (Paramount Theater), Guinevere/Camelot (Light Opera Works), and Lily/The Secret Garden (Court Theatre). At the Lyric Opera, she played Olga/The Merry Widow, starring Renee Fleming. At the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, she played Mistress/Passion. Jennie grew up in Goshen, IN, where she began her performance career at various regional theaters and concert venues. Among her leading roles at Wagon Wheel Theatre have been Maria/The Sound of Music, Madge/Picnic, Laurey/ Oklahoma!, Cinderella/Cinderella, and Hope Harcourt/Anything Goes!. She has also appeared at the American Girl Theatre as Cornelia and Tia Dolores/Circle of Friends and at The Round Barn Theatre as Belle/Beauty and the Beast, Katie and Hilda/ Plain and Fancy, Lili/ Carnival, and Hodel/Fiddler on the Roof. She resides in Wheaton, IL, with the loves of her life, Dan, Gavin, and Norman (the dog).
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About Muffet McGraw
Muffet McGraw is a Hall of Fame basketball coach best known for her legendary tenure at Notre Dame, where she served as head coach from 1987 to 2020. Under her leadership, the Fighting Irish made 26 NCAA tournament appearances, including nine Final Fours and seven championship games, winning national titles in 2001 and 2018. She became the sixth Division I coach to win multiple NCAA championships.
A Pennsylvania native, McGraw played at Saint Joseph’s University and briefly competed professionally before beginning her coaching career. She coached at Lehigh University from 1982 to 1987 before joining Notre Dame. Over her career, she earned over 900 wins and received numerous accolades, including the Naismith Coach of the Year (2001), USBWA Coach of the Year, and the Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. She was inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2017).
Since retiring, McGraw has worked as a studio analyst for the ACC Network and teaches sports leadership at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. She is also active in local politics.