The George A. Romero Foundation and Music Director Christian Kriegeskotte have announced the world premiere of “George A. Romero’s A Night at the Symphony,” a live symphonic concert celebrating the legendary horror director’s life and legacy.
Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, the one-night-only event takes place March 26, 2027, at the Byham Theater — the same venue where Romero premiered “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968.
The evening’s main highlight is a complete screening of Romero’s lost 1962 debut short film, “Expostulations,” featuring a new live orchestral score composed by Kriegeskotte. Believed to have been destroyed in a basement flood, a rediscovered 16mm print has been restored. It captures an early 1960s Pittsburgh, featuring a predominantly local Black cast and offering a rare glimpse into Romero’s early social and political commentary that would later define his work.
Alongside “Expostulations,” the two-hour program spans reimagined orchestral arrangements of iconic scores throughout Romero’s career, starting with Kriegeskotte’s original overture, “Beyond the Living Dead,” a theme and variations inspired by the first 10 notes heard in Night of the Living Dead. Guests will also hear music from Romero’s most celebrated films like John Harrison’s iconic synth score from Day of the Dead (performed in part on Harrison’s original Prophet-5 synthesizer), Donald Rubinstein’s lush music from “Martin” and “Knightriders,” music from “Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead,” among others.
“My dad was relentlessly curious, and his imagination was never confined to a single genre, medium, or moment in his career,” says Tina Romero, Acting President of the George A. Romero Foundation. “A Night at the Symphony gives audiences access to parts of that creative journey that are rarely seen together. Dad loved music and had a huge collection of movie scores on vinyl. He absolutely would have loved this project. To premiere it in Pittsburgh, in the very theater where Night of the Living Dead was introduced to audiences nearly six decades ago, makes the evening especially meaningful.”
All net proceeds from the concert will support the foundation’s initiatives, including creative scholarships, film preservation, and funding for the Horror Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
Tickets are on sale now starting at $29.50, with optional VIP merchandise and meet-and-greet packages available.
