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The Phoenix Symphony Kicks off Favorites Series with its "All American" Concert, October 16-19
Favorites series highlights light classical music inspired from locales around the globe
PHOENIX - The Phoenix Symphony will perform throughout the East Valley during the 2008-09 Favorites series, beginning with "All American Classics" October 16 and 19. Guest conductor Laura Jackson leads a program of music featuring American composers with selections including works by Gershwin, Copland, Barber, Adams, as well as Spotlight Composer Jennifer Higdon. The program concludes with music from Leonard Bernstein's memorable Candide. Performances are on Thursday evening October 16th at 7:30 p.m. at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, and a Sunday matinee on October 19th at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center. Tickets to Thursday's concert are $30; admission to Sunday's concert ranges from $19 to $49. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or by visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org.
The Phoenix Symphony's Favorite series continues throughout the season, with this year's focus on light classics inspired by exotic locales around the globe. Series tickets are still available for a variety of packages, and range from $50 - $156. Please note: Due to the renovation of Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Phoenix Symphony Favorites Series for Scottsdale will be held in various locations around the city.
Future Favorites concerts include: "A Night in Vienna" November 20-23 with Bösendorfer USASU International Competition Winner Sangyoung Kim, "España" January 22-25 and "Arabian Nights" featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's compelling Scheherazade February 26 and March 1.
A Night in Vienna
Sangyoung Kim, winner of the Bösendorfer USASU International Competition, debuts with The Phoenix Symphony November 20, 21 and 23, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in a celebration of the music of Vienna. Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan leads these concerts which include Spotlight Composer Franz Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 100, and two waltzes from the master of the Viennese waltz, Johann Strauss. Thursday evening's performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, and Friday evening's concert at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church also begins at 7:30 p.m. A Sunday matinee performance begins at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.
España
The music of Spain takes center stage in "España" January 22, 23 and 25. Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan leads works by Spanish composers de Falla and Turina as well as music from Bizet's Carmen and Rimsky-Korsakov's energetic Capriccio espagnol. Thursday evening's performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, and a Friday evening concert at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church also begins at 7:30 p.m. A Sunday matinee performance begins at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.
Arabian Nights
The Phoenix Symphony's Favorites Series comes to a close with "Arabian Nights" February 27 and March 1. Works such as the Overtures to Lawrence of Arabia and Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri join the Arabian Dance from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Rimsky-Korsakov's mystifying Scheherazade. Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan leads these programs performed around the Valley. Friday evening's concert at the Tempe Center for the Arts begins at 8 p.m., and a Sunday matinee performance begins at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.
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About Laura Jackson: Laura Jackson recently completed an appointment as the Assistant Conductor and American Conducting Fellow of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra where she conducted the Young People's Concerts, Symphony 360º Series, Summer Classical Concerts and on the Classical Subscription Series. Last season Ms. Jackson appeared with the symphonies of Detroit, Berkeley, Sacramento, Alabama, Wyoming and Montana as well as with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and the New World Symphony. Other engagements include the symphony orchestras of Winnipeg, Toronto and Baltimore. In 2005 she performed with the Colorado Symphony as winner of the Taki Concordia Fellowship. Prior to her appointment in Atlanta, Ms. Jackson was the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2003.
About Sangyoung Kim: Last year was a special one for pianist Sangyoung Kim, who won both the David Katzin Gold Medal and First Prize at the Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition. A graduate of the Yewon Art School and the Korean National Institution of Art, Ms. Kim has garnered numerous prizes from national competitions in Korea, as well as First Prize in both the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition (2004) and the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition (2006). Recent recitals have included performances at the Courchevel Music Festival in France, and as a soloist, she has appeared with the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, the Yewon Orchestra, NEC Philharmonia Orchestra and the Concord Orchestra. Ms. Kim is a student of Wha Kyung Byun at New England Conservatory where she is a recipient of the Carol and Robert T. Henderson Presidential Scholarship Award.
About Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan: Lawrence Golan joined the conducting staff of The Phoenix Symphony as Resident Conductor at the start of the 2006-07 season. In this role, he leads concerts in each of the symphony's major series -- including Classics, Pops, and Family presentations. In conjunction with his role as Resident Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony, Mr. Golan leads the Phoenix Youth Symphony, helping to prepare these young musicians for future careers in music. He is also Music Director of Boulder Baroque and the Boulder Bach Festival in Colorado, and of the Portland Ballet Company in Maine. In addition, he continues his work as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music, where he teaches graduate conducting and leads the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theatre.
About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.
Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.
The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.
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ALL AMERICAN CLASSICS Scottsdale and Mesa Concerts No. 1
October 16 - Thursday evening at 7.30 p.m. Chaparral High School 6935 E Gold Dust Avenue, Scottsdale October 19 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Mesa Arts Center
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Laura Jackson, conductor
From the canyons, rivers and prairies, to the bustling cities of New York and Chicago, our great country has inspired some of the most evocative and melodic compositions. Join us as The Phoenix Symphony salutes America's finest composers, from Aaron Copland to the legendary Leonard Bernstein.
Scottsdale: $30 Mesa: $21, $31, $41, $51 (includes $2 facility fee) PHOENIX SYMPHONY BOX OFFICE: 602-495-1999 or www.phoenixsymphony.org
A NIGHT IN VIENNA Scottsdale and Mesa Concerts No. 2 Pinnacle Concert No. 1
November 20 - Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. Chaparral High School 6935 E Gold Dust Avenue, Scottsdale
November 21 - Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church 25150 N Pima Road, Scottsdale
November 23 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Mesa Arts Center
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Lawrence Golan, conductor Sangyoung Kim, piano
Spend an evening in Vienna as The Phoenix Symphony takes you on a tour down the beautiful Danube! The evening features the celebrated music of the Austrian capital, with Strauss waltzes, a Haydn Symphony, and a Mozart piano concerto performed by Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition winner Sangyoung Kim.
Scottsdale: $30 Pinnacle: $30 Mesa: $21, $31, $41, $51 (includes $2 facility fee) PHOENIX SYMPHONY BOX OFFICE: 602-495-1999 or www.phoenixsymphony.org
ESPAÑA Scottsdale and Mesa Concerts No. 3 Pinnacle Concert No. 2
January 22 - Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. Arcadia High School 4703 E Indian School Road, Phoenix
January 23 - Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church 25150 N Pima Road, Scottsdale
January 25 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Mesa Arts Center
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Lawrence Golan, conductor
The sensual countryside and culture of Spain have inspired composers and artists for centuries. Come hear these fiery melodies and exotic harmonies captured in this brilliant concert, España, with selections such as Bizet's Carmen and Rimsky-Korsakov's dazzling Capriccio espagnol.
Arcadia: $30 Pinnacle: $30 Mesa: $21, $31, $41, $51 (includes $2 facility fee) PHOENIX SYMPHONY BOX OFFICE: 602-495-1999 or www.phoenixsymphony.org
ARABIAN NIGHTS Scottsdale and Mesa Concerts No. 4
February 27 - Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. Tempe Center for the Arts
March 1 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Mesa Arts Center
Hear the adventures of a thousand and one Arabian nights as The Phoenix Symphony performs works depicting the exotic orient. From the Overture to Lawrence of Arabia to Tchaikovsky's Arabian Dance from the Nutcracker, the delectable evening concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov's magnificent orchestral masterpiece: Scheherazade.
Tempe: $10, $20, $30 Mesa: $21, $31, $41, $51 (includes $2 facility fee) PHOENIX SYMPHONY BOX OFFICE: 602-495-1999 or www.phoenixsymphony.org
--------------------------------------------------------- The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.
