Red Rock Rondo

Red Rock Rondo was filmed on location in and around Zion National Park in southern Utah, and was a signature project of Zion National Park's "A Century of Sanctuary" anniversary celebration in 2009.

Red Rock Rondo, a one-hour, high-definition musical documentary was produced by the Western Folklife Center in partnership with KUED-TV in Salt Lake City.

Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards 2010:
Best Arts Entertainment Program (Hal Cannon & Taki Telonidis producers)
Best Musical Composition (Phillip Bimstein, composer)
2010 NETA (Public Television) Program Production Award for KUED-Salt Lake

http://www.westernfolklife.org Red-Rock-Rondo When Louise Excell was growing up in Springdale, Utah, there were fruit-bearing mulberry trees lining both sides of the street all the way through town. They were full of fruit-white mulberries, black mulberries, red mulberries-which attracted huge flocks of birds (inspiring Louise to be a life-long birder).

Red Rock Rondo explores this spectacular place and its people through their stories put to music by Phillip Bimstein, former mayor of Springdale, Utah, which borders the Park, weaving together the contemporary and historical, creating a rich portrait of this spectacular place and the people whose lives are so intricately connected to and affected by it. These songs cover the pioneering of Virgin River Valley by Mormon settlers in the mid-19th century, the founding of Zion National Park in the 20th century, and up to modern times where retirees, artists and urban refugees have come to find their own piece of paradise.

Performed by an all-star ensemble on a lively assortment of guitars, violins, oboe, English horn, mandolin, banjo, mandocello, harmonica, button accordion, jaw harp, upright bass and vocals, the film also features the local residents whose stories inspired Red Rock Rondo's songs. Red Rock Rondo: Zion Canyon Song Cycle is composed by Phillip Bimstein with musicians Charlotte Bell, Phillip Bimstein, Flavia Cerviño-Wood, Harold Carr, Hal Cannon, and Kate MacLeod. The film was produced by Hal Cannon and Taki Telonidis for the Western Folklife Center.

The DVD and a companion CD are available in our Gift Shop. Purchase the DVD online or give us a call at 775-738-7508 or toll free 1-888-880-5885 (ext. 234) to purchase. (The companion CD is not yet available online.

Major funders for Red Rock Rondo included:

and the Simmons Family Foundation; with additional support from Zion Natural History Association, American Composers Forum, and others.

Banner image: Jessica Brandi Lifland; Red Rock Rondo cover painting by Kate Starling.

Red Rock Rondo

Red Rock Rondo was filmed on location in and around Zion National Park in southern Utah, and was a signature project of Zion National Park's "A Century of Sanctuary" anniversary celebration in 2009.

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