Dreamweaver Marketing Associated News and Views, PSO and Cinema's Most Romantic Movie, Casa Blanca

For Immediate Release

January 30, 2015

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS CINEMATIC SYMPHONY EVENT WITH CASABLANCA ON FEBRUARY 15

PITTSBURGH – Fall in love all over again when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents “Casablanca,” a symphonic cinema event led by American conductor Emil de Cou, for one special night on Sunday, February 15 at 8 p.m. in Heinz Hall.

The 1942 American romantic film classic tells the dramatic story of a man torn between love and virtue, featuring iconic performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. This monumental film will be shown in high definition with Max Steiner’s Oscar-nominated score played live by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra!

Tickets for “Casablanca” range from $22.75 to $82.75 and are on sale at pittsburghsymphony.org or 412-392-4900. 

American conductor Emil de Cou appears regularly as guest conductor with orchestras across the United States. After serving as associate

conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra for eight years, he was recently appointed as music director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, a position he began in 2011. He was an active participant in a wide range of National Symphony Orchestra performances and events since his debut at Wolf Trap in 2000. In 2002, de Cou formally joined the National Symphony conducting staff and, in addition to being associate conductor, in the summer, serves as the conductor of the NSO at the Wolf Trap Festival. 

In that capacity, his responsibilities include leading several of the NSO's concerts at Wolf Trap, and acting as a spokesperson for the overall summer season. He also has led the Labor Day Weekend Capitol Concerts on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol annually since 2002. He has appeared as guest conductor with many leading orchestras, including those of Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Saint Louis, Detroit, Montreal, Boston Pops, Minnesota, Denver, Portland and San Francisco, where he also served as principal pops conductor. He was acting music director for the San Francisco Ballet and conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for eight seasons conducting performances at Lincoln Center as well as national and international tours. 

scene from "Casa Blanca"

De Cou made his Carnegie Hall debut as guest conductor for the New York Pops, and also appeared at the gala tribute to Beverly Sills at Lincoln Center with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and a stellar roster of soloists. His innovative concerts at the Wolf Trap Pavilion have included the first screenings of “The Wizard of Oz” with the score performed with live orchestra, the first ever live Twitter program notes (Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony) and live in-time pod cast for a concert called “Fantastic Planet.” In 2008, he conducted the first performance of “Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Movies.” In 1985, de Cou was hired by Mikhail Baryshnikov to be the conductor of the American Ballet Theatre afterward joining the staff of the San Francisco Ballet where he ended his tenure there as music director in 1998. 

He has also worked with the New York City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Suzanne Farrell Ballet and others. Emil de Cou was born in Los Angeles and studied with Daniel Lewis at the University of Southern California. He was the subject of a documentary on National Public Radio and was chosen from 200 candidates to study in Leonard Bernstein's master class at the Hollywood Bowl. He makes his home in San Francisco.

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Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Communications and External Relations
Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsciannameo@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Joyce DeFrancesco, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: jdefrancesco@pittsburghsymphony.org

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