For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tom Evans
602.448.5483 | [email protected]
The Phoenix Symphony Celebrates Contemporary Music with REVERB
Contemporary Music Festival Curated by Two of America’s Top Current Composers
PHOENIX (March 22, 2022) — The Phoenix Symphony will launch the inaugural presentation of REVERB: a Contemporary Music Festival, which celebrates newly composed music through the eyes (and ears) of 12 of contemporary classical music’s most respected living composers and performers in two fast-paced, musically accessible concerts. The performances will take place over two evenings on Wednesday, April 6 and and Friday, April 8, at Central United Methodist Church, 1875 North Central Avenue, Phoenix.
Virginia G. Piper Music Director Tito Muñoz will lead The Phoenix Symphony in both programs featuring the works of curators Christopher Cerrone and Daniel Bernard Roumain. The April 6 performance will feature the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s, The Age of Wire and String.
REVERB I on April 6 will feature Cerrone’s program, and REVERB II on April 8 will feature Roumain’s program.
Program for REVERB I, Wednesday, April 6, curated by Christopher Cerrone:
Oliver Knussen, Notre Dames des Jouets from Two Organa
Nico Muhly, Two Motets by William Byrd
Cassandra Miller, Just So
Ted Hearne, Shizz
Angélica Negrón, Marejada
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Andante from Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major, K.364 (320d)
Michael Nyman, Drowning By Numbers Suite
Christopher Cerrone, The Age of Wire and String (World Premiere)
Program for REVERB II, Friday, April 8, curated by Daniel Bernard Roumain:
Daniel Bernard Roumain, Klap Ur Handz
Fernanda Aoki Navarro, Glottogony
Allison Loggins-Hull, The Inheritors Overture
Gabriela Lena Frank, Elegia Andina
Jody Rockmaker, A Desert Walk At Sunset
Johann Sebastian Bach, Concerto No.3 in G Major, BWV 1048
Daniel Bernard Roumain, Voodoo Violin Concerto
Christopher Cerrone is internationally acclaimed for compositions characterized by a subtle handling of timbre and resonance, a deep literary fluency, and a flair for multimedia collaborations. Recent commissions include In a Grove, a new opera co-produced by LA Opera and Pittsburgh Opera, a violin concerto for Jennifer Koh and the Detroit Symphony, an antiphonal brass concerto for the Cincinnati Symphony, a piano concerto for Shai Wosner and the Phoenix and Albany Symphonies; a percussion concerto for Third Coast Percussion; and three works for the LA Philharmonic. His first opera, Invisible Cities, based on Italo Calvino’s novel, was a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize and he is the recipient of multiple GRAMMY nominations. He is also the winner of the 2015-2016 Rome Prize.
Daniel Bernard Roumain is a prolific and endlessly collaborative composer, performer, educator, and social entrepreneur. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), DBR has worked with artists from Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones to Lady Gaga; appeared on NPR, American Idol, and ESPN; and has collaborated with the Sydney Opera House and the City of Burlington, Vermont. Acclaimed as a violinist and activist, DBR’s career spans more than two decades, earning commissions by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. The widely acclaimed artist is currently Institute Professor and Professor of Practice At Arizona State University.
“These performances will spotlight some of the finest new musical compositions of the modern day while paying homage to the masters of the past,” Muñoz said. “REVERB promises to be an exciting and invigorating celebration of the best modern works in music, brought to life by exceptionally talented artists and musicians.”
Muñoz, Cerrone and Roumain are available for interviews to discuss these groundbreaking performances. Please contact Tom Evans to schedule interviews.
The 75th Anniversary includes a robust mix of classics, pops and special performances, with some truly innovative and attention-grabbing programs scheduled. The entire season schedule can be viewed at www.phoenixsymphony.org.
All audience members attending The Phoenix Symphony’s concerts will be required to show either a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours (3 days) of the performance OR proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine authorized by the Centers for Disease Control PLUS a photo ID.
In addition, all guests attending Symphony Hall, ASU Gammage and Orpheum performances must maintain appropriate face coverings in accordance with current CDC guidelines except when eating or drinking.
The Phoenix Symphony was founded in 1947, and has grown over the years to become one of the state’s largest performing arts organizations. Its 75th Anniversary season comes on the heels of the cancellation of the 2020-21 season, and provides a unique opportunity to not only celebrate the organization’s history, but to celebrate its return as well.
About The Phoenix Symphony
Founded in 1947 as a part-time orchestra in Phoenix, a city of less than 100,000 people, and run by passionate volunteers, The Phoenix Symphony has grown alongside the capital city to become Arizona’s only full time orchestra. In addition to performing traditional and modern repertoire in the fall and spring in Symphony Hall, year round our world class musicians are actively engaged in the community. Through generous foundation, corporation, and individual support, TPS is strengthened by collaborating with the best guest conductors and artists across the nation and internationally. The core mission of The Phoenix Symphony is to provide the joy of music as a catalyst for discovery, knowledge, compassion, and connection. Annually, our orchestra members empower more than 120,000 students through education and outreach partnerships and create opportunities for healing and deeper connection for tens of thousands of adults experiencing homelessness, in Alzheimer’s care facilities, in hospitals, and in hospice. To learn more, please visit phoenixsymphony.org.
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