Williams Bay, Wis.—Maureen McGovern and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra will open Aurora University’s eighth annual Music by Lake series on Saturday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Performances are held in The Ferro Pavilion at George Williams College of Aurora University, located on the shores of Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wis.

McGovern and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of renowned conductors Michael Berkowitz and Jeffrey D. Harris, will perform a program of Henry Mancini’s best loved tunes and McGovern’s signature selections.

With a spectacular career spanning 35 years, her “Stradivarius voice” and dramatic gifts have garnered countless awards and nominations, including several Gold certified recordings. Her artistic output in addition to recordings includes concerts, Broadway productions, films, television, radio and composing.

With a vocal range of unparalleled purity and a technique that defies description, McGovern began her recording career with a No. 1 chart-topping, Oscar winning International Gold record “The Morning After” from the blockbuster film, “The Poseidon Adventure.”

She replicated this success with “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno,” and “Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold.” She has received International Gold records from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and the Philippines.

Other hit records include the John Williams/Leslie Bricusse love theme “Can You Read My Mind” from the motion picture “Superman,” and “Different Worlds,” the theme from the ABC television series “Angie.”

McGovern’s Broadway career began with the role of Mabel in Joseph Papp’s “The Pirates of Penzance,” and includes Polly Peachum in the Tony Award winning production of “Nine,” opposite Sting in “3 Penny Opera,” as well as starring roles in “The Sound of Music,” “South Pacific,” “Guys & Dolls,” “I Do, I Do,” her own creation of “The Bengal Tiger’s Ball” which premiered in 1999, the revival of “The King and I” and the premiere of “Little Women.”

She has recorded highly acclaimed albums of the music of George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Richard Rogers, Jeffrey D. Harris and others. Her list of accomplishments continues to expand as this premiere artist adds new triumphs to her distinguished career.

Michael Berkowitz will conduct. As the leader of the Gene Krupa Orchestra, he plays all over the world. In the United Kingdom, he has played three command performances at London’s Palladium Theatre.

Dubbed a “drummer conductor extraordinaire,” Berkowitz has performed on the Academy Awards, The Tonight Show, the Tony Awards, Live from Lincoln Center and concerts at the White House, among others. Equally in demand on Broadway, he has played many leading shows, including “Evita,” “The Tap Dance Kid,” “Do Re Mi,” and Jerome Robbins’ “Broadway.”

The Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra includes many of the finest instrumentalists in the Chicagoland area. As past and present members of the Ravinia Festival and Grant Park orchestras, they have collaborated with many of the leading musicians in the world.

Single tickets are available for this performance in the rear orchestra seating area for $55, terrace seating area for $30 and the lawn area for $12. Lawn seating packages, four tickets redeemable at any Saturday Main Stage Series performance, are available for $40. Separate ticket prices are available for other performances. For tickets, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call (262) 245-8501 or (866) 843-5200, toll free.

For the first time, the summer season of eight performances includes the Main Stage Series, with four Saturday evening performances; the Sundays at 4 Series, featuring classical chamber music performances; and the season finale Spotlight Concert.

The Main Stage series continues with:

• The Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four, a celebration of American folk music classics, Saturday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. The artist underwriter is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation.

• “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss, the most popular operetta in the world, featuring marvelous melodies, wonderful characters and unforgettable waltzes, Saturday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m. The opera underwriter is The Bell Family Foundation.

• Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band with Patti Austin, an 18-piece big band jazz ensemble with a contemporary sound, and the 2008 Grammy winning artist for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year, Saturday, Aug. 9, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is supported by the Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund.

This year’s Sundays at 4 Series features:

• Prometheus Trio, acclaimed string ensemble in residence at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Sunday, July 20, at 4 p.m.

• “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss, the most popular operetta in the world, featuring marvelous melodies, wonderful characters and unforgettable waltzes, Sunday, July 27 at 4 p.m. The opera underwriter is The Bell Family Foundation.

• Chicago Brass Quintet, music of all periods and styles with a dose of good humor, Sunday, Aug. 3, at 4 p.m.

The following individuals helped to establish the new Sundays at 4 Series: The Bell Family Foundation, Opera Underwriter; Mr. Harold Hartshorne, Jr., Sundays at 4 Series Underwriter; and the Judith and John Graff Charitable Fund, Sundays at 4 Silver Sponsor.

For tickets to any of the Sundays at 4 Series performances, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call (262) 245-8501 or (866) 843-5200, toll free.

This year’s Spotlight Concert features:

• Kenny Loggins, two-time Grammy Award winning superstar, in the season finale Saturday, Aug. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The artist underwriter is The J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. For tickets, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call (262) 245-8501 or (866) 843-5200, toll free.

Music by the Lake guests are invited to purchase a gourmet box dinner prior to performances. Box dinners are available for the June 28, July 12, July 26, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 concerts. Dinners are $24.95 each and must be ordered seven days before a performance. To place box dinner orders, call (262) 245-8501.

For the July 26-27 performances of the "Die Fledermaus" operetta, a dinner featuring Viennese cuisine will be served. The dinner is at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 27, at GWC's Beasley Campus Center. Tickets are $30 per person, $55 for two people (performance tickets not included). To place dinner orders, call (262) 245-8501.

The 2008 Music by the Lake concert series is generously supported by presenting sponsor Keefe Real Estate; platinum sponsors AT&T, FairWyn Investment & Development, Gage Marine and Lake Geneva Cruise Line, and Scherrer Construction, Inc.; gold sponsors Aurora Health Care, Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, HGA Architects and Engineers, and Larson Sheet Metal, Inc.; and silver sponsors The Abbey Resort, Balestrieri Environmental & Development, Inc., First Banking Center, Johnson Bank, M&I Wealth Management, Sodexho Campus Services and Walworth State Bank, and Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund.

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university’s Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 14 academic programs, unique conference facilities and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs.