BANGOR – The Bangor Symphony Orchestra will honor Billy Miller with a 50th anniversary celebration concert to open its 112th season at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, at the Bangor Auditorium.

Billy Miller performed his first concert with the BSO in October 1957. During that concert, he played the triangle – waiting an hour into the concert for his debut before an audience that included wife Gloria, brother Stephen, and his parents, Frieda and Abe Miller.

The Miller family was known to many in the Bangor area for their soda fountain, which would evolve into the full-service Miller Drug store. Like the symphony, Miller Drug stands out as a community landmark.

For the last 50 years, Miller has played a major role in the orchestra’s growth and its place within his community, serving as musician, board member, personnel manager, fundraiser and problem solver. He remains its mightiest cheerleader.

Join music director and conductor Xiao-Lu Li for an afternoon of live music as he takes the podium for his sixth season. The hills will be alive with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” Ravel’s provocative “Bolero,” and Tchaikovsky’s dazzling “Capriccio Italien,” plus a few surprises.

Tickets for the opening concert range from $13 to $40, with senior and youth discounts available. Make reservations by calling the Bangor Auditorium at 947-5555. More information is available online at bangorsymphony.com or by calling the Bangor Symphony office at 942-5555 or (800) 639-3221.

Through the BSO’s Access Music! program, complimentary tickets will be available for the opening concert for Bangor Public Library card holders under age 17 and for all music students. Reservations for Access Music! tickets must be acquired in advance of the concert. All youth must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is subject to availability.