40 Years and 20 Albums Later

Ruth Eckerd Hall Presents Yngwie Malmsteen

Ruth Eckerd Hall presents GRAMMY® nominee and world-renowned guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen on Saturday, July 24 at 8 p.m.  Tickets are limited as this concert will be presented at 50% capacity. 

Yngwie Malmsteen’s career has spanned over 40 years with over twenty albums to his name.  Drawing influence from classical composers such as Back, Paganini and Vivaldi, Yngwie is responsible for birthing the neo-classical genre to the world of rock. His first solo album, Rising Force (now considered the bible for neoclassical rock) was released in 1984 and made it to #60 on the Billboard charts, an impressive feat for a mostly instrumental album with no commercial airplay. 

The album also gained Yngwie Malmsteen a GRAMMY® nomination for best rock instrumental performance.  Recognition of Yngwie Malmsteen’s place in music history continues.  In 2009, TIME Magazine named him one of the “10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players.”  His most recent album, Blue Lightning (Mascot Records) was release in 2019. 

This Yngwie Malmsteen concert will be presented at 50% capacity. In addition to frequent multi-layer sanitization of the venue, new XONAR technology has been installed that uses thermal imaging sensors to detect elevated body temperature. Appropriate face coverings will be required inside the facility, contact is being minimized and hand sanitizer stations are readily available.  For more information, including social safety guidelines, please visit www.rutheckerdhall.com/facility-safety-protocols.
 
Tickets priced at $58.75, $58.75 and $32.75 are available by visiting www.RuthEckerdHall.com.  Tickets may also be purchased by calling The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall at 727.791.7400, Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4 p.m. only.   The Raymond James Central Ticket Office will open one hour prior to show time. for other performances coming to Destination Tampa Bay check out this award winning musical here. You may also be interested in the Friends of Music at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Also you may enjoy this story about a world renowned Drummer and Rock and Roll Artist here.

History on Ruth Eckerd Hall:

Ruth Eckerd Hall is a 73,000-square-foot performing arts venue, located in Clearwater, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area and is part of the Richard B. Baumgardner Center for the Performing Arts.  The concert hall is named after Ruth Eckerd, the wife of businessman Jack Eckerd, and is a regular performance venue for the Florida Orchestra.  Its 2,180-seat auditorium features continental seating, with no center aisle.

In 1977, the Kapok Tree Corporation donated 38 acres to the City of Clearwater with the stipulation that a performing arts center be built on the property. The bequest mandated that the construction begin within two years, and in 1979 a groundbreaking ceremony was held. At its inception, a group of dedicated volunteers in the community stepped forward to organize the effort and obtain the necessary resources for its completion. Among these leaders, Jack and Ruth Eckerd were instrumental in the project’s success.

The main auditorium is named in Mrs. Eckerd’s honor. The center’s main name recognizes Richard B. Baumgardner, the founder of the Kapok Tree Corporation. The facility is a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired building with Taliesin Associated Architects, led by William Wesley Peters doing the design work.[1] Construction cost $14.5 million with $9 million donated by the private sector and the remaining $5.5 million provided in the form of a mortgage. The Hall was dedicated and opened on October 15, 1983.

Created to own, manage, and maintain the land and the facility, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc. is a non-profit presenting organization, while the Ruth Eckerd Hall Foundation, Inc. obtains funding for debt retirement and the ongoing operation of the center after the Kapok Tree Corporation land donation.

Each year, over 350,000 adult and young audience members visit Ruth Eckerd Hall for performances ranging from world-renowned classical artists and dance companies to Broadway musicals and pop stars. Through its many arts education programs, the education department of Ruth Eckerd Hall serves nearly 100,000 students and adults annually.

The commitment of the Board of Directors of both organizations and the management staff is to continue to present the finest performing arts and provide educational opportunities in the performing arts to all segments of the community. (History content provided by Wikipedia).

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