Dr. Thomas Bookhout Appointed as The Phoenix Symphony’s Interim Chorus Master
Dr. Thomas Bookhout Appointed as
The Phoenix Symphony’s Interim Chorus Master
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Symphony Association appointed Dr. Thomas Bookhout as its interim Chorus Master. Dr. Bookhout’s appointment is for the 2012/13 season.
“We are very excited to have someone with Thomas’s diverse background leading our chorus this season. Our full-time professional volunteer choir, which donates more than 12,000 hours of service to the Symphony each year, will reach new heights of musical excellence under the direction of Dr. Bookhout” says Jim Ward, The Phoenix Symphony’s President and CEO.
Bookhout has vast experience in the choral art, including symphony, opera, university, community, school, and church choruses. In addition to The Phoenix Symphony Chorus, Bookhout is the Director of Performing Arts at Scottsdale Christian Academy and the Sanctuary Choir Director at Camelback Bible Church, which performed a featured concert this summer at the AZ conference of the American Choral Directors Association and toured Poland in 2010. He is on the executive board of the AZ American Choral Directors Association and is a member of numerous professional organizations.
Dr. Bookhout draws on his experience as a conductor, educator, and administrator to produce consistently excellent choral ensembles that perform an extremely wide range of repertoire. Before moving to Phoenix nine years ago, Dr. Bookhout also served as Music Director of the Taghkanic Chorale (succeeding two internationally-known conductors, Johannes Somary and Dennis Keene, in that position), Director of Choral Activities at the University of Charleston (WV), Director of the Women’s Chorus and Assistant Conductor of the Concert Choir for the Arizona State University, Director of Music at The Stony Brook School (Long Island, NY), and headmaster of a private school in upstate New York.
See Dr. Bookhout and The Phoenix Symphony Chorus this season in Carmina Burana, The Planets – An HD Odyssey, Liszt’s Dante Symphony, Holiday Pops, and Handel’s Messiah.
This is TEST’S test
Phoenix-area ballet, symphony and opera plan joint show
Instead of choosing from among the ballet, opera or symphony when making a donation to the arts, patrons of any one of those Phoenix organizations now can write a single check and support all three.
Ballet Arizona, the Phoenix Symphony and the Arizona Opera are for the first time in their collective 132 years hosting a joint annual fundraiser in February. The mega-gala, called Trio, allows the three cultural groups to share hosting expenses and revenue while tapping a larger group of arts patrons who may see fit to support more than one group.
It’s a way to survive in a time as corporate and individual giving has nosedived and tried-and-true annual grants have become less dependable.
This month, the Scottsdale League for the Arts announced that, for the second year in a row, it will not disperse its approximate $300,000 in annual grants.
And the Arizona Commission on the Arts has seen its funding decrease from $4.09million in 2007-08 to $1.61million for the 2011-12 fiscal year.
Other organizations are starting to rebound. The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture reinstated $150,000 in lost grants and grew its grant budget by an additional $250,000 for the new fiscal year.
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and the Scottsdale Cultural Council have seen the grants they award remain steady.
Still, the uneven landscape of funding has caused arts organizations to retool their business models. The non-profits are joining forces to share resources, space and talent or dreaming up money-making ventures to shore up funding.
Helping to steady an arts organization amid a shifting financial climate is a key factor when considering a grant award, said Judy Jolley Mohraz, president of the Piper Trust.
The trust is among the largest Valley grant providers, bestowing $2.4million so far this year.
Mohraz said that, when perusing grant applications, reviewers want to see organizations that are innovating or collaborating.
“We understand the financial stresses that arts organizations are under,” she said. “And that they are looking to stabilize their fiscal status, cut costs or increase revenue. We want to assist them in bringing creative thinking.”
Jim Ward, Phoenix Symphony president, said hosting a joint gala, which brings in a huge share of the organizations’ annual funding, makes economic sense.
The symphony’s annual budget shrank from $12million five years ago to $8.5million today. When Ward was hired last year to stem the symphony’s downward financial trend, he noticed the three Phoenix-based arts organizations had duplicate activities.
“Particularly in the back office,” Ward said. “The goal was to reduce cost and increase impact.”
The groups put in place a new plan to increase efficiencies and maximize fundraising under one umbrella called the Arizona Consortium for the Arts.
The consortium also is working toward sharing one software program by November to eliminate multiple programs among the organizations and put them on the same ticketing system.
Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Opera currently use third-party ticketing systems, which take a share of the ticket revenue that is passed onto patrons.
The new system will allow the organizations to share patron and donor data and to offer discount pricing deals when buyers purchase tickets to multiple organizations’ performances at the same time.
“We have really taken ego out of the equation,” said Scott Altman, Arizona Opera general director. “We have a group of executives and a group of community leaders who are very interested in seeing how the three can work together and garner great support for what we do.”
The hope is that the joint Feb. 8 gala at Symphony Hall will earn each organization as much or more as previous gala fundraisers.
The gala will feature dinner, separate performances from each institution and a shared-stage performance of all three.
The hope is that fans of one organization might also become fans of another.
The word “competition” for fans or donors is becoming outdated, said Megan Jefferies, manager of institutional giving for Ballet Arizona.
“It’s unhealthy for us to look at each other as competition,” Jefferies said. “We all have similar goals. And you can’t tell donors what to like. You can’t make someone go to a Chinese restaurant if they don’t like Chinese. They will never eat it. But maybe you’ll get them to believe in the value of art.”
Ballet Arizona learned the importance of exposure to different audiences from its “Topia” performances in May.
It staged a 45-minute outdoor ballet performance at the Desert Botanical Garden. The ballet exceeded its goal of covering costs for the performance, and the ballet is in discussions for another Desert Botanical Garden performance.
Other organizations, dependent on grants, corporate sponsorship and individual donations, are seeking ways to replace their lagging revenue streams.
Free Arts of Arizona, a non-profit that provides free art therapy to homeless or disadvantaged children, is considering growing its earned revenue ledger by contracting with other groups or corporations that could benefit from artistic expression.
“You have to be so careful, though, that you’re not taking anything away from fulfilling your certain mission as a non-profit,” said Barbara Fenster, Free Arts director.
Jazz in AZ opened the Nash, a non-profit education and performance center in Phoenix.
The venue opened in April to present educational clinics for youths and to offer both free and ticketed jazz performances.
Whether the venue will increase earned revenue or not remains to be seen, but Jazz in AZ Executive Director Joel Goldenthal believes it can raise the organization’s profile. That could make it more attractive when attempting to fundraise, he said.
“You can’t ever rest on your laurels when you’re a non-profit,” Goldenthal said. “You’re in a constant state of raising money. And grant funders want to see you’re involved in the community and you’re galvanizing resources to have a broader impact.”
Phoenix Symphony Association Names Melani Walton to its Board of Directors
Phoenix Symphony Association Names Melani Walton to its Board of Directors. In addition, The Phoenix Symphony Support Foundation names Michael F. Casey and Douglas D. Scheetz to its own Board of Directors.
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Symphony Association names Melani Walton to its Board of Directors. At the same time, The Phoenix Symphony Support Foundation announces Michael Casey and Douglas Scheetz to its own Board of Directors. Walton, Casey and Scheetz all joined their respective Board of Directors in May, 2012.
“The board appointments we are announcing today provide the Phoenix Symphony with invaluable expertise and vision as we move the organization forward,” said C.A. Howlett, Chairman of the Board for The Phoenix Symphony. “We are truly fortunate to welcome such high-caliber individuals to our team,” he added.
Melani Walton is a philanthropist, accomplished athlete, and international multi-sport consultant and clinician. Based in Phoenix, she is currently an advisor for an innovative energy technology asset management firm, Greener Capital. Walton has specialized as a trainer for teams, clinics, and professional players while also coaching basketball for Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix. Currently, she is involved in many philanthropic organizations including ASU Women in Philanthropy, Arizona Science Center Foundation Board and The W.O.N.D.E.R. Center Chair, The Nature Conservancy of Arizona and many others.
Michael Casey, a certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA), is currently the Southwest Regional Managing Director at Abbot Downing, a national financial consulting firm. A veteran of considerable philanthropic work, Casey is chairman emeritus of the Herberger Theater Company in Phoenix. He has served as the former president of the Scottsdale Rotary Club, a member of the advisory board of the Arizona Community Foundation, and chairman of the internship program for students receiving financial aid at Phoenix’s Brophy College Preparatory School and is also on the Board of Directors for the University of South Dakota Foundation. Casey is also a previous board member and treasurer for The Phoenix Symphony.
Douglas Scheetz is a Tax Services partner for Ernst & Young’s Arizona and Colorado Tax practice, specializing in international and multinational tax. Holding active CPA licenses in both Arizona and Colorado, Scheetz brings further financial expertise from serving multi-national companies in Toronto, Chicago, Columbus and Denver. Douglas also serves as a Board Member for the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts and is the current treasurer and vice chair for The Phoenix Symphony.
For more information about The Phoenix Symphony visit www.phoenixsymphony.org
Savor The Symphony
The Phoenix Symphony is excited to announce that America’s Got Talent’s number one vocal group, The Texas Tenors, will headline Savor the Symphony, the inaugural women’s luncheon event Friday, October 26, 2012. Savor the Symphony is a fundraising event combining the joy of music and food to benefit The Phoenix Symphony’s highly regarded music education outreach programs.
The inaugural Savor the Symphony features a private rehearsal with The Texas Tenors of America’s Got Talent. During rehearsal in Symphony Hall the trio will demonstrate their impressive range of vocal talent by singing gospel, country, classical music and more. After the morning rehearsal with The Texas Tenors, guests stay for an authentic Texan lunch prepared by Chef Grady Spears, seen on the Food Network’s The Cowboy’s Kitchen. Chef Spears, The Texas Tenors and The Phoenix Symphony Resident Conductor Joseph Young will join the guests for lunch and remarks.
A native of Fort Worth, Grady Spears is the official “cowboy cook.” He has created menus items for countless restaurants, written several popular cookbooks and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Donnie and Marie, as well as various shows for The Food Network including The Cowboy’s Kitchen, Food Fights and others.
Proceeds from Savor the Symphony support The Phoenix Symphony’s education and community programs grounded in the belief that arts education is an essential element in ensuring a high quality of life for all Arizonans.
Cirque artists share the symphony stage
It’s an amazing combination of music and art. And this weekend, it’s lighting up the stage in Phoenix.
The Phoenix Symphony is performing with cirque artists in a show entitled Cirque de la Symphonie.
The aerialists, strong men, a contortionist and a juggler will perform on the same stage with a full symphony orchestra to classical selections.
The show promises to energize the crowd.
Performances run through Sunday at Symphony Hall.
An afternoon with The Texas Tenors of America’s Got Talent and Celebrity Cowboy Chef, Grady Spears
The Phoenix Symphony Presents an Inaugural Women’s Luncheon Event, “Savor the Symphony”
An afternoon with The Texas Tenors of “America’s Got Talent” and Celebrity Cowboy Chef, Grady Spears
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Symphony is excited to announce that “America’s Got Talent’s” #1 vocal group, The Texas Tenors, will headline Savor the Symphony, the inaugural women’s luncheon event Friday, October 26, 2012. Savor the Symphony is a fundraising event combining the joy of music and food to benefit The Phoenix Symphony’s highly regarded music education outreach programs.
The inaugural Savor the Symphony features a private rehearsal with The Texas Tenors of “America’s Got Talent.” During rehearsal in Symphony Hall the trio will demonstrate their impressive range of vocal talent by singing gospel, country, classical music and much more. After the morning rehearsal with The Texas Tenors, guests stay for an authentic Texan lunch prepared by Chef Grady Spears, seen on the Food Network’s “The Cowboy’s Kitchen.” Chef Spears, The Texas Tenors and The Phoenix Symphony Resident Conductor Joseph Young will join the guests for lunch and remarks.
“I can’t think of a more exciting and delicious way to show our support for The Phoenix Symphony than with the amazing voices of The Texas Tenors and the incredible creativity of Cowboy Chef, Grady Spears,” remarked Jane Jozoff, Chair of Savor the Symphony. “Most of all I am thrilled to partner with our Symphony patrons and community to support the Symphony’s vital Education & Community Outreach programs through this exciting event.” Introduced to the nation on “America’s Got Talent,” The Texas Tenors have been wooing and wowing sold out audiences around the world. Marcus Collins, JC Fisher and John Hagen smoothly blend country, classical, gospel and Broadway with a decided touch of country humor and charm. Their debut album “Country Roots-Classical Sound” exemplifies their commitment to the preservation of timeless classics and inspirational themes. This album soared to #1 on both the classical and country charts in 2010.
A native of Fort Worth, Grady Spears is the official “cowboy cook.” Spears is both a creator and charismatic personality, that enthralls cooks of all levels of expertise with his endearing, joyous approach to hearty fare. He has created menus items for countless restaurants, written several popular cookbooks and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Donnie and Marie, as well as various shows for The Food Network including The Cowboy’s Kitchen, Food Fights and others.
Proceeds from Savor the Symphony support The Phoenix Symphony’s education and community programs grounded in the belief that arts education is an essential element in ensuring a high quality of life for all Arizonans. These programs include Classroom Concerts Series, Share the Music, Symphony for the Schools and many more. Altogether The Phoenix Symphony reaches more than 65,000 students annually from all social and economic backgrounds to bring an unforgettable educational musical experience.
Table reservations and sponsorships for Savor the Symphony are available by calling 602-452-0420.
The Texas Tenors are also performing three concerts with The Phoenix Symphony Friday, October 26, 2012 at 8pm, Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 8pm and Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 2pm. Single Tickets will be available August 1, 2012 or today as a part of The Phoenix Symphony’s Season Subscriptions at www.phoenixsymphony.org or by calling Patron Services at 602-495-1999.
For more information about The Phoenix Symphony visit www.phoenixsymphony.org
Cirque de la Symphonie blends music, acrobatics
Muscles tensed. Silk entwined. Through music they float on air. Engulfed by the notes of Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Saint-Saens, the suspended acrobats sway, raising the orchestral experience to dizzying new heights.
They are the Cirque de la Symphonie, an acclaimed group of acrobats and aerialists performing this week with the Phoenix Symphony.
Inspired by the extensive Russian travels of executive director and producer Bill Allen, the Cirque de la Symphonie is a marriage of Allen’s entertainment background and his close interaction with the Streltsov family of the Moscow Circus in the late ’90s. The Streltsovs were career circus performers and their son, Alexander, a rising cirque star performing in conjunction with the Bolshoi Ballet and before presidents Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin.
With Allen’s assistance, Alexander performed as an aerialist with the Cincinnati Pops in 1998 and quickly gained popularity on the U.S. cirque scene. Eventually settling in Atlanta and starting a family, Streltsov began collaborating with Allen to reproduce their success in Cincinnati. Staging similar circus-symphony collaborations throughout the country convinced Allen and Streltsov they’re idea was sound, according to a press release. Officially incorporating Cirque de la Symphonie in 2005, their first performance was with Maestro Michael Krajewski and the Houston Symphony.
Scorning garish gimmicks, Allen and Streltsov strive to enhance rather than detract from the symphony experience. They only allow one or two performers on stage at once and never use smoke machines, confetti or flashing laser lights.
Streltsov himself takes the ropes in some of the performance, dazzling audiences with his accompaniment to “Les Toreadors” from Bizet’s opera “Carmen” and Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz” from “Swan Lake,” performed in tandem with Female Olympic Athlete of the Year and acro-gymnastics hall-of-famer Christine Van Loo.
Performances this week are the finale for the Phoenix Symphony’s APS and Target Family Pop Series. Conducted by Maestro Hector Guzman of the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, the Friday and Saturday evening concerts and the Sunday afternoon concert are two hours with an intermission, while the Saturday matinee concert is an hour.
The concert is popular with those who don’t typically attend the symphony, said Mary McCauley, Phoenix Symphony marketing and public relations assistant. “It’s really a family concert,” McCauley said.
Cirque de la Symphonie at Symphony Hall in Phoenix
Attend a performance at Symphony Hall this Memorial Day weekend, and you may find yourself unable to take your eyes off the action on and above the stage. And most likely, neither will the orchestra members.
That’s because while the orchestra performs classical favorites on stage, performers from Atlanta’s Cirque de la Symphonie will literally be flying around them. Aerialists will spin and swoop overhead, strongmen will balance themselves on top of each other and a contortionist will bend her body like a rubber band.
The touring company joins the Phoenix Symphony for the second year, under the direction of guest conductor Hector Guzman of the San Angelo Symphony in Texas. As part of the APS Pops Series, the orchestra performs familiar classical songs paired with thrilling circus acts.
“The show has become so successful that virtually every symphony company in the U.S. has hosted it,” Guzman said. “It combines two artistic disciplines that are each so beautiful on their own.”
The audience loves the show, Guzman said.
“The audience can’t help it, and you hear ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ through the whole show. The show goes in a complete crescendo, building toward the aerial acts and then the strongmen act at the end.”
The repertoire changes from show to show, and the Phoenix performances will include pieces from “Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, Bizet’s “Carmen,” and Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor.”
While the music is all familiar, Guzman said it’s a challenge to have only two practice sessions with the orchestra, one with just the orchestra and one with the full cast.
“The music is quite difficult and the orchestra really doesn’t have a moment’s rest,” Guzman said. “When the acts take a break, the orchestra plays three or four solo pieces. We have to be very efficient and manage our time.”
Aerialist Christine Van Loo has been touring with the company since it was formed in 2007.
“Performing with the live music, with a symphony orchestra beneath you, is just amazing and so classy,” she said.
Van Loo has two acts in Cirque de la Symphonie. One is a duo aerial ballet with fabric, and the other is a solo act in which she climbs a rope and spins around it like a helicopter.
While Van Loo and her fellow performers have their acts memorized, sometimes so do the musicians.
“I remember an orchestra member told me once that he memorized the entire concert so he could watch us during the performance,” she said.
All of last year’s performances sold out, so patrons are encouraged to buy tickets early
The Phoenix Symphony to present 10-day Rachmaninoff Festival
He was called a “six-and-a-half-foot-tall scowl.”
He was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.
He is one of the most popular classical-music composers with audiences.
And Lord, how the critics love to hate him. Still.
Sergei Rachmaninoff, the dour Russian emigre, wrote two of the most famous piano concertos ever (his Second and Third) and followed it with the “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” with its rich and romantic 18th variation, a section so deeply and longingly romantic, he knew it would make audiences swoon.
“I wrote it for my agent,” he said, ironically.
The Phoenix Symphony will present a seven-concert, 10-day “Rachmaninoff Festival,” during which pianist Olga Kern will play all four of Rachmaninoff’s concertos and the “Rhapsody” — the kind of marathon that would leave most pianists with bandaged fingers. All told, there are more than 100,000 notes to be memorized and played.
“I ask myself how is it possible,” Kern says. “But when you want to play something, it just comes to your head and hands.”
Yet, there has been a kind of snobbery aimed at the composer. The 1954 “Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians” called his music “monotonous in texture” and said it consists “mainly of artificial and gushing tunes.”
Critic Paul Rosenfeld complained that Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto is “a little too much like a mournful banqueting on jam and honey” and that “there is something strangely twice-told.”
Modernist composer Robert Simpson complained of “lyrical inflation” and “forced climaxes.”
So, there is a tendency among the musical establishment to be just a little embarrassed by the composer’s sustained popularity with audiences. For them, it reeks of the vulgar adoration of Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church or the notorious Three Tenors. Noses elevate.
I mention this because it is something I have dealt with myself. I love Rachmaninoff’s music. I don’t hold it to be a guilty pleasure. I am straight-out a fan.
But I have several friends — deeply informed music lovers — whom I cannot convince. They dismiss Rach as a Tchaikovsky epigone. I have sent them recordings of some of the composer’s less-well-known music to try to pique their interest. One of those friends has refused even to listen to my pleadings or the recordings I sent him.
“Heart-on-sleeve stuff,” he says. “Why bother?”
Why bother, indeed. When your mind is made up, why listen to the evidence?
So, right here, I want to make the case that Rachmaninoff is not only a worthy composer, but that he has been grossly misunderstood. He is a 20th-century composer.
Of course, just by the calendar, that is prima facie the case: Although some of his early works were written before 1900, all of the music he is best known for was written in the 20th century, including the Second Piano Concerto, which premiered in 1901. But it is more than mere chronology.
Victim of revolution
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was born near Novgorod in Russia in 1873. He received his early training in St. Petersburg, and at the outset of the Russian Revolution, he fled first to Finland and, eventually, to the United States.
Most early-20th-century composers were impacted by the First World War, but Rachmaninoff’s scars came from the Bolshevik Revolution: It left him without a home.
To make ends meet for his family, he became a touring pianist and was a towering giant on the concert stage. With his long sunken face, cropped hair, gangly arms with gigantic hands, he looked perhaps more like an undertaker than an entertainer. Even now, his recordings remain in print and can be overwhelming experiences.
In between, he tried to find time to compose new music. He was not a prolific composer: three symphonies, four piano concertos, the “Rhapsody,” the “Symphonic Dances,” some choral music, songs and a pile of solo piano music, including the Prelude in C-sharp Minor that he came to loathe because audiences expected it of him at every concert.
He died in Beverly Hills in 1943.
What makes him a modern composer, despite the lushness of his harmonies and orchestrations, is that there is always an irony under the surface. A very 20th-century irony.
As he matured, his music became sparer and more concentrated. There is a squinty-eyed gaze at the world around him. It is most apparent in the later works, like the “Rhapsody,” with its clever twists on a simple tune, and the “Symphonic Dances,” which tweak waltzes and foxtrots. But it is always there.
There’s also a subtle influence of jazz. Rachmaninoff was there for the premiere of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and loved it. He played jazz for himself when at home. There is a surprising saxophone solo in the “Symphonic Dances.”
Piled harmonies
If there is a single characteristic of his music, it is that it is emotionally layered. While it might be possible to listen to it hearing only the prettiness, there is always something else going on.
You can hear it in the piling up of harmonies. In most music, there are notes that fit into the chords that underlie them, and the notes in between: “passing notes,” they are called.
In Rachmaninoff, there are passing chords: One set of chords, changing quickly, over another set of chords, moving slowly underneath.
One is reminded of Doc in John Steinbeck’s “Sweet Thursday.” At his microscope, Doc sees the paramecia wiggle under the lens and hears it as a surface voice, a kind of soprano, carrying the tune, but he also hears a second voice, that is the voice of all life, not just the microscopic ones he is observing. And yet, under it all is a profound bass that says to him, “lonesome, lonesome.”
Those piled harmonies in Rachmaninoff say something very like.
And far from being a failed Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff sounds like no one else in music. His musical voice is as distinct as Beethoven’s or Debussy’s.
Those who complain about a facile emotion in Rachmaninoff are mistaking emotion for sentimentality. All real art is about emotion on some level.
But sentimentality is pretending to feel the emotions you’re “supposed” to feel. Rachmaninoff’s emotions are never pretend. For Rachmaninoff, the longing is real. The nostalgia is for something he actually lost.
“It’s all about his heart and his feelings,” Kern says.
Exile left Rachmaninoff longing for his home.
“I grew up with grandparents, in a summer house close to the place where Rachmaninoff was born, not far from Novgorod — which is the oldest city in Russia,” she says. “And nature there is so endless. Land, land, land, with different colors of flowers and very green, and beautiful forests with different berries and different fruits.
“In summertime, it is just gorgeous, with beautiful lakes and rivers, and all this he was missing very much.
“It is very important to have a big heart to play his music.”
And that is what audiences have recognized for more than a century.
The Rat Pack! opens tonight at downtown’s Symphony Hall
The Phoenix Symphony will be offering a number of performances to get your summer started on a high note.
The first is “The Rat Pack!” April 27-29 at the Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, which celebrates the music of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. The 90-minute show features three Broadway veterans as they croon the classics of the Rat Pack, accompanied by an orchestra comprised of nearly 70 musicians and led by conductor Joseph Young.
“It’s not just the orchestra plays and the singers sing — there’s going to be a lot of interaction between the orchestra, singers and the audience to get them back into that kind of smoky, bar scene with these singers,” Young said. “I think it’s a lot of fun and it’s a different kind of experience if you haven’t seen this kind of show with the orchestra.”
This is Young’s second season with the Phoenix Symphony, having been a conductor at both John Hopkins University and the Buffalo Philharmonic in Buffalo, N.Y. He rehearsed with the soloists on Thursday and the orchestra for a mere two hours the morning of the show, which is both thrilling and daunting for Young.
“The only challenge is there’s a lot of music,” Young said. “I didn’t grow up in that era and a lot of conductors may not even need to look at the music or listen to the music because they know the songs so well. For me, I actually have to listen to the original recordings of the songs and really get to know some of (them).”
A few of his favorite songs from the show include “Black Magic” and “Mr. Bojangles” by Sammy Davis Jr., along with Sinatra’s “My Way,” which will be performed by all three soloists. Young believes the Rat Pack and their songs transcend age and appeal to many generations of people.
“I think the best part of it is it’s really music,” Young said. “This is music that’s not using any electronics or electric guitar — it’s just pure music, and I’m glad that this is a show everyone can relate to. They’re really going to bring us back to that time.”
Another big event is the two-week Rachmaninoff Festival beginning May 3, with performances at both the Symphony Hall and Scottsdale Center for the Arts. The festival will feature five concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff, a classical Russian composer at the turn of the 20th century.
“They’re among the most known pieces of music among classical music works,” Phoenix Symphony Music Director Michael Christie said. “The pieces are for that highly athletic, big, kind of weighty piano-playing technique. They just have this lush, compulsive lyricism that people go gaga over.”
The concertos will be played by Olga Kern, an award-winning Russian pianist who has played the works of Rachmaninoff across the country. She holds the distinction of being a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner and has been widely lauded for her talent.
“The response, even years afterward, people are still buzzing about what she does with these pieces,” Christie said. “I think she’s renowned for playing this music, and she just has that pathos for this kind of music. The fact that she has done this before successfully is just the stamp of approval that this is a workable idea.”
Like “The Rat Pack!” performances before it, Christie believes that audiences will have a strong emotional response to the music of Rachmaninoff. He says the festival is a wonderful showing of what the Phoenix Symphony has to offer and hopes that audiences will continue to support their work.
“Even though it’s very big music and everybody on stage really has to give a lot, audience members still feel a very personal connection to it,” Christie said. “I think if there were lyrics to these pieces, they’d be very tender, very caressing and very probing lyrics in a way, like they could really dig into someone and the depths of their emotions.
“I think people’s imaginations really light up when they hear these pieces because of what he’s written and I think it’s really why he’s stood the test of time.”
For more information about the Phoenix Symphony or to purchase tickets, visit www.phoenixsymphony.org or call (602) 495-1999.
Scouts Day at The Phoenix Symphony
Scouts Day at The Phoenix Symphony
Scouts who attend in uniform will receive a limited-edition “Scout Day” patch prior to the Musical Fables concert
Who: Arizona’s Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and The Phoenix Symphony orchestra under the baton of resident conductor, Joseph Young.
What: The Musical Fables concert and pre-concert activities provide Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts the opportunity to earn credit toward music and pet merit badges. The pet merit badge is supported by activities from PetSmart, sponsor of the Musical Fables concert. Scouts who attend in uniform will receive a limited-edition “Scout Day” patch. Use the promotional code SCOUT for a special 50% discount.
Where: Pre-concert activities at 1:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall
Musical Fables concert at 2:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall
When: Saturday April 28, 2012
Why: Musical Fables, a concert that combines a love of reading with a love of music in order to promote literacy, captivates the audience with Aesop’s fables including childhood favorites like The Tortoise and The Hare, Goldilocks and The Three Bears and Cinderella. Each character in the suite is represented by a musical instrument and narration.
For Boys and Girl Scouts who wish to volunteer for service credit hours please contact Jacquelyn Williams at [email protected]
For tickets please visit www.phoenixsymphony.org or call 602-495-1999
The Phoenix Symphony Announces Contest Where the Fans Become the Stars
Fans are asked to send in their favorite Rat Pack rendition by video for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind concert experience.
Phoenix Symphony Provides Free Concerts across the Valley Orchestra to Play in Schools and College Campuses
PHOENIX – The week of April 3 to April 6 is a huge education week for The Phoenix Symphony as musicians will tour elementary and middle schools in the morning and college campuses in the afternoon. The college concerts are part of the Symphony Connections program, a unique partnership with Maricopa County Community Colleges that provides honors music students with free tickets to the Symphony’s Classics Concerts series throughout the year. The Symphony’s Chamber ensemble performs concerts in college campuses for music students, faculty and the surrounding community. Concerts are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. The Symphony Connections concerts will take place on:
• Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 2 p.m.: Mesa Community College Student Union’s Navajo Room.
• Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 2 p.m.: Phoenix College Bulpitt Auditorium (tentative).
• Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 2 p.m.: Glendale Community College Student Union.
• Friday, April 6, 2012 at 2 p.m.: Estrella Mountain Community College Estrella Hall.
The elementary and middle school morning concerts will take place at four Valley schools as part of the Symphony’s wildly popular Classroom Concerts series. Classroom Concerts are often performed in school cafeterias and gymnasiums. The program utilizes core concepts found in the Arizona State Arts and Learning Standards. The Science of Sound program helps students understand how science concepts such as vibration, frequency, resonance and amplification are relevant when playing classical orchestral instruments. Science principles, such as how to change frequency, how sound is amplified and what causes sound to vibrate, are emphasized through the tonality, timbre and resonance of each instrument. The Classroom Concert series will take place in the following elementary and middle schools:
• Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 1:50 p.m.: Western Valley Middle School (Phoenix)
• Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.: Franklin Northeast Elementary (Mesa)
• Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.: Freedom Academy North (Scottsdale)
• Friday, April 6, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.: Gompers Habilitation Center (Phoenix)
Phoenix Symphony expands education outreach
The Phoenix Symphony is expanding its education-outreach programs despite limited resources.
Phoenix Symphony comes to Ahwatukee Foothills
With a recent grant, the music program at St. John Bosco Catholic School in Ahwatukee Foothills will be expanding its music program and was able to invite guests to the school for a unique performance on Tuesday.
The Phoenix Symphony String and Woodwind ensembles visited the school and played two different performances for the students on March 6. It was a way for the students to see professional musicians at work and encourage them, if they have the desire, to strive for it as a professional goal themselves, one teacher said.
“They get to see an application of what they are learning in the classroom and they are seeing a live representation of the instruments,” music teacher Roberta Hamilton said. “I usually pre-teach before a performance like this and we talk about the four families of instruments, string family, names of instruments, so they have live instruments to see.”
The school received a $2,000 grant from Target and part of that was used to bring the Phoenix Symphony String and Woodwind ensembles to the school. The rest will go toward buying additional string instruments for the school’s own groups.
“This year we have the chamber orchestra and some of the money will be used to purchase instruments that the students can borrow instead of paying for their own, because it can be expensive,” Hamilton said. “It’s important to play with other kids and it’s a way of sharing with the community.”
The String Ensemble, comprised of 20 members of The Phoenix Symphony string section, has presented programs for the greater Phoenix area for nearly 30 years and has engaged Valley students from all over.
The Woodwind Ensemble will move into its third year of performing throughout the Valley — serving to develop student understanding of the orchestra’s instrument families.
“We started a string program at school this year and part of the money brought the symphony here,” Hamilton said. “I got my request in very early to make sure they would make it.”
• Contact writer: (480) 898-4903 or [email protected]
Phoenix arts organizations seek new funding
Amid a lack of funding in the arts community, Phoenix-based art organizations are seeking new methods to spark interest and support.
This year the arts face drastic cuts in an attempt to balance Arizona’s budget, said Bob Booker, executive director at Arizona Commission on the Arts.
The cuts included the remains of a $20 million endowment, which had supported grants and workshops to better the arts in the state.
At a local level, there has also been support from grassroots movements attempting to bolster the arts in their communities.
To show their support, Booker said, he has seen many individuals step forward and reach out to officials about the value of arts in their community. Citizens have sent letters and arranged meetings.
But leaders in the arts community think more than letters and conversations are needed for the arts in Phoenix to continue.
“We know there is more audience out there for us,” Erica Black, managing director at Actors Theatre of Phoenix, said. “We just have to find them in this very spread-out Valley.”
Some arts organizations have reached out via social media, a method that has been successful for Actors Theatre, Black said.
The Arizona Commission on the Arts Facebook site has over 6,000 likes, the third largest number of any state arts agency in the country, behind the pages for California and Washington, D.C.’s agencies, according to Booker.
Dependency on federal and state funding is something that Jim Ward, president and CEO of the Phoenix Symphony, said the arts community needs to veer away from.
Federal money accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of the funding for the symphony, which is a main reason why the cuts have not hurt the organization as much, Ward said.
Still, the past few years have not been easy.
The symphony underwent large budget cuts and management restructuring in 2011 to make the company more efficient.
The symphony also released a new narrative on the mission and vision they provide to the Phoenix community, which has increased support as a result, Ward said.
The biggest impact the symphony has seen is ticket sales.
Although subscriptions to the symphony have decreased recently, single ticket sales have increased. Ward said concert-goers are less likely to spend more money for a subscription, given the state of the economy.
The Actors Theatre has also found aid from a place Black believes Phoenix’s arts are going to survive on: contributions from individual patrons.
Two local music icons, Dennis Rowland and Walt Richardson, headlined a concert for the theater which proved to be a great success for drawing both attendees and money, Black said.
The theater also plans to add a summer season to expand its community outreach.
To kick off the program, Actors Theater teamed up with the state’s centennial celebration, which recognized the theater’s production of “The Wallace and Ladmo Show” as a part of their celebration, Black said.
These events are all part of a larger goal to raise $500,000 by June 30 to keep the theater open.
The three-part fundraiser has proven successful so far. The theater is on its final effort to raise $260,000 after an extremely successful first leg and nearly reaching the goal for the second leg, Black said.
This week House Bill 2265, which would reauthorize the Arizona Commission on the Arts, is under sunset review in the state Senate after passing the House, Booker said.
If the bill had failed, the loss of the commission would have taken with it the attention of politicians as well as the commission’s funds, said Catherine “Rusty” Foley, executive director for Arizona Citizens for the Arts.
“There are some signs of optimism,” Foley said. “But, we’ve got a lot of work to do to rebuild the arts community in this state.”
Contact the reporter at [email protected]
Brian Mulligan’s Triumphant Return to The Phoenix Symphony
Brian Mulligan’s Triumphant Return to The Phoenix Symphony
Baritone Brian Mulligan Performs Puccini
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Symphony welcomes Brian Mulligan back to Symphony Hall following his incredible 2010/11 Season performance.
Baritone Brian Mulligan is not a stranger to Symphony Hall as his celebrated career has included multiple collaborations with Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie and The Phoenix Symphony. Mulligan’s outstanding performance in the 2010/2011 production of Elijah solidified his unparalleled appeal within the symphony community in Phoenix. In 2006, Mulligan was the only American in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Vocal Competition to win the prestigious prize in the competition’s history. For his performance, Mulligan will interpret Italian opera composer, Giacomo Puccini’s “Crisantemi”.
Known for his operas Madama Butterfly, La Boehme, Tosca and Turandot, Giacomo Puccini was one of the leading composers of the romantic era. His composition, “Messa di Gloria,” is a full mass for chorus and orchestra first performed in the late 19th century. “Crisantemi,” written in a single night, was composed in 1890 to commemorate the death of Amadeo di Savoia, Duke of Aosta. The orchestra will also perform selections from Gustav Mahler’s Leider aus “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” (The Youth’s Magic Horn).
During the March 2 Coffee Classics concert, the orchestra will perform Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) rather than Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria.”
The US Airways Classics Series: Brian Mulligan Performs Puccini and Mahler will be held at Symphony Hall on March 1 at 7:30 p.m., March 2 at 11 a.m. and March 3 at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Brian Mulligan Performs Puccini and Mahler start at $18 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or by visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org.
Other highlights of The Phoenix Symphony include: Elgar: Enigma Variations March 22 and 24, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 April 19 to the 21 and a two-week Rachmaninoff Festival with world-renowned pianist Olga Kern May 3 through May 13 at Symphony Hall.
Phoenix Symphony performance honors Arizona’s 100th birthday
The Phoenix Symphony will celebrate Arizona’s 100th birthday in a performance at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Yavapai College Performance Hall.
State Senate President Steve Pierce will be the narrator for the performance, which will feature Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” led by Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie.
Originally titled “Five Pictures of the Grand Canyon,” Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite” represents five movements of a typical canyon experience: “Sunrise,” “Painted Desert,” “On the Trail,” “Sunset” and “Cloudburst.” “Grand Canyon Suite” entertains riders on the Disneyland Railroad, is featured in the 1983 film “A Christmas Story” and in “Grand Canyon,” a Walt Disney short that won an Academy Award in 1958.
Grofe, an American composer, arranger and pianist, became famous for “Grand Canyon Suite,” which came out in 1931 and was recorded for RCA Victor with the NBC Symphony, conducted by Arturo Toscanini in Carnegie Hall in 1945.
Concert tickets range from $26 to $35 and are available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Yavapai Symphony Association office in the Mountain Artists Gallery building, 228 N. Alarcon St. or by calling 776-4255. Tickets will also be available at the door, beginning at 1:30 on Sunday, at the Performance Hall box office. The pre-concert lecture will take place at 2 p.m.
Distinguished International Conductors Highlight The Phoenix Symphony’s 2012/13 Season
Guest Conductors and major artists come together for Michael Christie’s final season
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Symphony today announced an exceptional 2012/13 season featuring a historic array of internationally known, world-class guest conductors and artists, major works of the classical repertoire and creative programming from Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie for his final season that promises to delight and entertain audiences. This is the orchestra’s 65th season since its founding in 1947.
“From traditional classics to popular favorites, the upcoming season offers something for music lovers of all tastes,” said Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie. “I’m proud of the diverse lineup that reflects the spectacular growth and development of The Phoenix Symphony during the past seven years that I’ve had the privilege to lead the orchestra.”
The 2012/13 season features 14 maestros, 14 classical programs, eight pops concerts, seven performances in the Scottsdale series, five family programs and several specials performed around the Valley in Symphony Hall, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Mesa Arts Center and various churches during the holiday season.
The season opens with the exciting Sarah Hicks on the podium September 20 and 22 at Symphony Hall conducting Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with nationally recognized violinist Elena Urioste. Hicks was heralded by the New York Times as part of “a new wave of female conductors in their late 20s through early 40s” securing her place in “the next generation of up-and-coming American conductors.”
“This is truly the year of the conductor,” said Phoenix Symphony President and CEO Jim Ward. “It will be Michael Christie’s triumphant final season and we will also be able to enjoy the greatest talents of the next generation of orchestra conductors.”
Including Sara Hicks on opening night, the Symphony’s Classics Series features a line-up of superstar conductors and dynamic artists. Highlights include:
Ignat Solzhenitsyn, the former music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the son of the famed Nobel Prize winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, conducts the orchestra in Stravinsky’s Petrushka, and guest violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama performing Bartok’s Viola Concerto.
Mei-Ann Chen returns to Arizona following her triumphant debut during the 10/11 season. Maestro Chen leads The Phoenix Symphony in Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7.
Tito Muoz, direct from the Cleveland Orchestra and the Opera National de Lorraine, conducts Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major
Andreas Delfs, world renowned conductor laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony, conducts Bach’s Double Violin Concerto featuring Anne Akiko Meyers and Phoenix Symphony Concertmaster
Steven Moeckel
Additonal guest conductors and artists include Benjamin Hockman, Thomas Wilkins, Miriam Freid, Andreas Delfs, , Paul Jacobs, Andrew Constantine, David Shifrin, Edwin Outwater and William Wolfram.
The orchestra performs audience favorites including Holst’s The Planets and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Michael Christie conducts six concerts in his final season with his finale concert as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director featuring Dvork’s Scherzo Capriccioso, Mozart’s Prague Symphony and Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra.
Under the baton of Phoenix Symphony Resident Conductor Joseph Young, the Pops Series begins September 28, 29 and 30 at Symphony Hall. Opening night The Phoenix Symphony presents Wicked Divas, a concert of diva showstoppers from Broadway, opera and popular music highlighted by selections from Gypsy, Titanic, Phantom of the Opera, and the Tony Award-winning musical Wicked. Other highlights of the 2012/13 Pops season include:
The Texas Tenors, introduced to the nation on America’s Got Talent, blend country, classical, gospel and Broadway with great voices and a decidedly Texas tenor flavor.
Grammy and Oscar-winning singer Patti Austin joins The Phoenix Symphony performing a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.
Bond and Beyond concert with vocalist Debbie Gravitte, Maestro Michael Krajewski and The Phoenix Symphony in such classics as Secret Agent Man, Sooner than Later, the music from Goldfinger and many more.
Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winnner Marvin Hamlisch returns with his versatile style and recognizable music.
Audience favorites like Holiday Pops and a Salute to the Troops complete the Pops season.
The Phoenix Symphony combines a love of reading with a love of music in its Family Series with concerts based on books. These fun-filled Saturday afternoons combine lively music and literacy education aimed at children ages 4-12. Every family concert is preceded by a variety of free “Creation Stations” featuring the popular Instrument Petting Zoo; theatre, storytelling, and craft activities showcasing the selected book; and the “Conductor’s Corner” with Resident Conductor Joseph Young.
The Family Series begins October 27 as The Phoenix Symphony observes Da de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with music, dance and art that celebrates Latin culture. The concert features performances by Mexican Folklore dance company Ballet Folklorico; altar-making contests; and pre-concert activities based on the children’s book Frida Khalo: Artist. Highlights of the Family Series include:
Home for the Holidays featuring the orchestra playing Howard Blake’s soundtrack to The Snowman while the animated classic film plays above, the Symphony’s sing-along and timeless classics and holiday favorites.
Marvelous Mysterious Orchestra delves into the mysteries of the orchestra and explores little known facts about the many instruments you hear featuring the story of Tubby the Tuba.
In The Plundering Pirates of Symphony Hall the musicians present favorites for the entire family featuring music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Pirates of Penzance.
The final concert of the series is Carnival of the Animals based on Francis Poulenc’s classic Babar the Elephant.
The Phoenix Symphony continues its Scottsdale Series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts increasing the number of concerts to seven performances ensuring that the variety of conductors on the podium this season are seen both in Phoenix and Scottsdale. In addition to the series, the Symphony will be performing Handel’s Messiah at the Scottsdale venue as one of its Specials presented throughout the Valley. Highlights of the Scottsdale Series include:
Three of the guest conductors performing at Symphony Hall, including Sarah Hicks, Ignat Solzhenitsyn and Edwin Outwater.
Two concerts under the baton of Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Piazolla’s Four Seasons and his Scottsdale finale concert.
Two additional conductors exclusive to the Scottsdale Series, Daniel Meyer and Robert Moody.
2012/13 Series Tickets
Season tickets to the 2012-13 season are now on sale, with a variety of packages offered for the Classics, Pops, Family and Scottsdale series. Packages provide subscribers with savings of up to 30 percent off ticket prices to the general public. Only subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits such as flexible ticket exchanges, pre-sales, and special offers. Package prices start at $58 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 602-495-1999 or visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org.
2012-13 Season Calendar
CLASSICS SERIES
(*denotes Coffee Classics)
Sarah Hicks Conducts
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
September 20 and 22
Symphony Hall
Andreas Delfs
Conducts Bach’s Double Violin Concerto
February 7 and 9
Symphony Hall
Tito Muoz Conducts
Ravel’s Piano Concerto
October 18, 19* and 20
Symphony Hall
Mei-Ann Chen
Conducts Elgars’s Cello Concerto
March 7, 8* and 9
Symphony Hall
Ignat Solzhenitsyn
Conducts Stravinsky’s Petrushka
November 8 and 10
Symphony Hall
Michael Christie
Conducts Bach’s Saint-Sans Organ Symphony
March 21, 22* and 23
Symphony Hall
Michael Christie
Conducts Carmina Burana
November 23 and 24
Symphony Hall
Andrew Constantine
Conducts Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2
April 11 and 13
Symphony Hall
Michael Christie
Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
January 3 and 5
Symphony Hall
Michael Christie
Conducts Liszt’s Dante Symphony
April 25, 26* and 27
Symphony Hall
Michael Christie
Conducts The Planets
January 10 and 12
Symphony Hall
Christies Farewell Concert
May 9, 10* and 11
Symphony Hall
Thomas Wilkins
Conducts Brahms’ Violin Concerto
January 31, February 1* and 2
Symphony Hall
Edwin Outwater
Conducts Prokofiev’s
Symphony No. 5
May 16 and 18
Symphony Hall
POPS SERIES
Wicked Divas
September 28, 29 and 30
Symphony Hall
James Bond and Beyond
March 15,16 and 17
Symphony Hall
The Texas Tenors
October 26-28
Symphony Hall
TBA
April 19, 20 and 21
Symphony Hall
Holiday Pops
November 30, December 1 and 2
Symphony Hall
Marvin Hamlisch Returns to
The Phoenix Symphony
May 24, 25 and 26
Symphony Hall
Patti Austin Sings Ella and
“The Duke”
January 18 and 19
Symphony Hall
Salute to the Troops
May 31, June 1 and 2
Symphony Hall
SCOTTSDALE SERIES
Sarah Hicks Conducts
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
September 21
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Robert Moody Conducts
The Phoenix Symphony
March 28
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Michael Christie Conducts
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
October 4
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Christies Farewell Concert
May 10
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Ignat Solzhenitsyn
Conducts Stravinsky’s Petrushka
November 9
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Edwin Outwater
Conducts Prokofiev’s
Symphony No. 5
May 17
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Daniel Meyer Conducts
The Phoenix Symphony
February 28
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
FAMILY SERIES
Da de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead)
October 27
Symphony Hall
Family Holiday Celebration
December 1
Symphony Hall
Tubby the Tuba
January 19
Symphony Hall
A Pirate’s Adventure
March 16
Symphony Hall
Carnival of the Animals
May 25
Symphony Hall
