Costume Volunteers Sought

For Immediate Release
June 9, 2014

MOVIE COSTUME VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS CONCERT ON JULY 19

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is looking for costumed volunteers to greet arriving patrons and pose for a photo or two for The Music of John Williams concert on July 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Heinz Hall.

Volunteers are needed to dress as characters from movies with a John Williams score, such as “Harry Potter,” “Indiana Jones,” “Star Wars,” “E.T.” or “Superman.” Participants will receive two free tickets to the concert and should arrive at the hall by 1 p.m. Photos also will be used on social media.

Interested volunteers should email a photo of themselves in costume to Rachel Howard, rhoward@pittsburghsymphony.org, along with contact information by June 30. Finalists will be notified by July 9.

###

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

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PSO Scores with The Magical Movie Music of John Williams at Heinz Hall

For Immediate Release
Jan. 9, 2014

“THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS” WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TAKES AUDIENCE ON A TOUR OF MAGICAL MOVIE MUSIC

PITTSBURGH – Darth Vader stalking through the Death Star…Harry Potter and Indiana Jones dodging danger at every turn…E.T. finally going home. Composer John Williams has orchestrated some of Hollywood’s most iconic and indelible movie scores and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra celebrates his musical accomplishments with the fourth PNC Pops concert, “The Music of John Williams,” on Jan. 23-26, 2014.

Photo Credit:  Rob Davidson

Led by Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh, the Pittsburgh Symphony will take the audience on a whirlwind tour through Williams’s movie magic, from “Star Wars” to “E.T.” to “Jaws” (and everything in between). The concert kicks off with the stirring “Olympic Fanfare,” spreading the Olympic spirit through Heinz Hall. This concert, featuring solos from the Pittsburgh Symphony principal harp Gretchen Van Hoesen and principal contrabassoon James Rodgers, promises to be a thrilling ride through the unmistakable melodies of Williams’ masterful movie music. Audiences can also expect some hijinks and fun from Loh, a self-admitted “fanboy” of Williams’ movies and music.

“As a major fan, The Music of John Williams concert is a perfect opportunity for me to interact with the audience and have even more fun with my conducting,” says Loh. “You may even see a well-known character leading a piece or two during the weekend!”

Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Tickets, ranging in price from $21-99, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of PNC Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Loh is one of the most exciting young talents on the classical music scene today.  He was brought to national attention in February 2004, when he substituted last-minute for an ailing Charles Dutoit with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conducting Stravinsky’s “Petrouchka” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” Loh received enthusiastic acclaim from orchestra players, audience members and critics, alike. Since his appointment as music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic in 2005, the orchestra has flourished artistically, defining its reputation as one of the finest regional orchestras in the country. His leadership has attracted such artists as André Watts, Anne Akiko Meyers, Jon Nakamatsu, Zuill Bailey and Sharon Isbin.

John Williams is the winner of five Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys and five BAFTA Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Best known for his film scores and ceremonial music, Williams is also a noted composer of concert works and a renowned conductor.

Williams’ scores for such films as “Jaws,” “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Schindler's List,” as well as the Indiana Jones series, have won him multiple awards and produced best-selling recordings, and his scores for the original Star Wars trilogy transformed the landscape of Hollywood film music and became icons of American culture. Williams has composed the music and served as music director for nearly 80 films, including “Saving Private Ryan,” “Amistad,” “Seven Years in Tibet,” “The Lost World,””Sleepers,” “Nixon,” “Sabrina,” “Jurassic Park,” “Home Alone,” “Far and Away,” “JFK,” “Hook,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” “The Accidental Tourist,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Witches of Eastwick,” “Superman,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jaws” and “Goodbye Mr. Chips.” Williams has been awarded several gold and platinum records, and his score for “Schindler's List” earned him both an Oscar and a Grammy.

Williams was born in New York and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1948. There he attended UCLA and studied composition privately with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. After service in the Air Force, Williams returned to New York to attend the Juilliard School, where he studied piano with Madame Rosina Lhevinne. While in New York, he also worked as a jazz pianist, both in clubs and on recordings. He then returned to Los Angeles, where he began his career in the film industry, working with such composers as Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman and Franz Waxman.

In January 1980, Williams was named the 19th conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since its founding in 1885. He assumed the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor, following his retirement in December 1993, and currently holds the title of Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood. Williams has written many concert pieces, including a symphony, a sinfonietta for wind ensemble, a cello concerto premiered by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in 1994, concertos for the flute and violin recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, concertos for the clarinet and tuba, and a trumpet concerto, which was premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra and their principal trumpet Michael Sachs in September 1996. His bassoon concerto, “The Five Sacred Trees,” which was premiered by the New York Philharmonic and principal bassoon player Judith LeClair in 1995, was recorded for Sony Classical by Williams with LeClair and the London Symphony. His most recent concert work “Seven for Luck” – for soprano and orchestra – is a seven-piece song cycle based on the texts of former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove.

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

Editors Please Note:
Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 24, 8:00 p.m.
Jan. 25, 8:00 p.m.
Jan. 26, 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PNC POPS
LAWRENCE LOH, conductor
GRETCHEN VAN HOESEN, harp
JAMES RODGERS, contrabassoon

Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Theme from Jurassic Park
Suite from Jaws: The Shark Theme
Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
“A Prayer for Peace” (Avner's Theme) from Munich
“Dartmoor, 1912” from War Horse
“Finale” from E. T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)
Suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Hedwig's Theme
Suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Fluffy and His Harp
Mr. Rodgers and Ms. Van Hoesen
Suite from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chamber of Secrets
“The Imperial March” (Darth Vader's Theme) from The Empire
Strikes Back
“Across the Stars” (Love Theme from Star Wars Episode II)
Music from The Star Wars Saga
Here They Come
Luke and Leia
The Forest Battle/Main Title
 “Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PSO to Perform Williams' Music at WVU

For Immediate Release
Feb. 14, 2013

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM OSCAR-WINNER JOHN WILLIAMS’ MUSIC AT WVU

March 4 concert showcases music from ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Schindler’s List,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘E.T.,’ ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ ‘Hook,’ Harry Potter movies

Academy Award Winning Composer John Williams

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will showcase the very popular music of Academy Award-winning composer John Williams at a concert at West Virginia University next month.

The concert, led by PSO Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh, will be at 7:30 p.m., Monday, March 4, at WVU’s Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre. Tickets, priced at $26.50 and $43, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office toll free at 1.800.743.8560, or by visiting the PSO online at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/wvu. Tickets also will be available at the theater on the evening of the concert. Students can purchase their tickets online in advance or at the door for $12 at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/wvustudent. Discounted student tickets are made possible through the generosity of William and Loulie Canady in memory of their daughter Valerie. Due to the popularity of this concert, the demand for tickets has been high. Limited tickets are available for the concert.

Quite possibly the most famous composer of movie music, Williams has won five Academy Awards. His legendary film work includes the music for Jaws, Schindler’s List, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Lincoln, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan, The Accidental Tourist, War Horse, The Adventures of Tintin, JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, the first three Harry Potter movies and, of course, the unforgettable music for Star Warsand all four Indiana Jones films. In 1971, he adapted the score for the film version of Fiddler on the Roof, for which he composed original violin cadenzas for renowned virtuoso Isaac Stern.

Jim Cunningham, artistic director of WQED-FM, Pittsburgh, will conduct a pre-concert lecture on stage at 6:30 p.m., discussing the music to be performed during the concert. The lecture is free to ticket holders.

The concert is part of the Canady Symphony Series at West Virginia University. The 2012-2013 title sponsors of the Canady Symphony Series at WVU are William and Loulie Canady in memory of their daughter Valerie. The PSO would like to recognize and thank Chesapeake Energy Corporation for its sponsorship of this performance.

Lawrence Loh

Resident Conductor of the PSO and music director of both the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Loh is one of the most exciting young talents on the classical music scene today.  He was brought to national attention in February 2004, when he substituted last-minute for an ailing Charles Dutoit with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conducting Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Berlioz’sSymphonie Fantastique, Loh received enthusiastic acclaim from orchestra players, audience members and critics, alike. Since his appointment as music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic in 2005, the orchestra has flourished artistically, defining its reputation as one of the finest regional orchestras in the country. His leadership has attracted such artists as André Watts, Anne Akiko Meyers, Jon Nakamatsu, Zuill Bailey and Sharon Isbin.

-30-
Contact: James Barthen. Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

2013-2014 PNC Pops Season Announced

STREISAND SONGBOOK, ‘SMASH’ STAR MEGAN HILTY SINGING SINATRA, BUGS BUNNY & FRIENDS, JOHN WILLIAMS’ MUSIC, BROADWAY TUNES
HIGHLIGHT PSO’S 2013-2014 PNC POPS SEASON

PITTSBURGH – Songs made famous by Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra, the music of Oscar-winning composer John Williams, Broadway tunes, Bugs Bunny and friends, along with singing sensations Ann Hampton Callaway, Smash star Megan Hilty, and Brian Stokes Mitchell highlight the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) 2013-2014 PNC Pops season at Heinz Hall.

Seven-concert subscriptions range from $122.50 to $659.75, and can be purchased by calling 412.392.4900, or visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale around Labor Day.

The season opens with Tony Award-winning actor and singer Brian Stokes Mitchell joining the PSO on stage for Broadway and Beyond (Oct. 17-20), featuring songs from classic Broadway musicals, including Porgy and Bess, South Pacific and Funny Girl. Dubbed “the Broadway baritone extraordinaire,” he has enjoyed a rich and critically acclaimed career on Broadway, film and television, as well as in some of America’s finest concert halls. Ted Sperling, music director and conductor of the first Broadway revival of South Pacific, which won seven 2008 Tony Awards, will conduct. In 2005, Sperling won the Tony and Drama Desk awards (with Adam Guettel and Bruce Coughlin) for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza. Stephen Holden of The New York Times called a March 2011 concert conducted by Sperling, “the ultimate embodiment of the romantic myth that sustained the Broadway musical during its golden years.”

Next, award-winning singer-songwriter and Tony Award-nominee Ann Hampton Callaway performs unforgettable songs made famous by one of the most powerful and enduring musical artists, Barbra Streisand. The Streisand Songbook (Nov. 14-17) features timeless classics from Streisand’s extraordinary five-decades-long career. Callaway crafts a loving musical portrait of the legendary performer, while putting a unique pop/jazz spin on unforgettable songs from Streisand’s Broadway years to her film and pop album works. PSO Assistant Conductor Fawzi Haimor will conduct.

The hugely popular Highmark Holiday Pops (Dec. 12-15 & 20-21), returns for two weekends. Todd Ellison, hailed by The New York Times as one of “Broadway’s electric conductors,” leads the PSO in the concerts that feature the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and a host of guest artists. Currently music director and conductor of the new Broadway production of Annie, Ellison’s credits include Monty Python’s Spamalot, La Cage aux Folles, and Michel Legrand’s Amour. He also was the late Marvin Hamlisch’s music director and worked with Hamlisch on productions of Ballroom and The Nutty Professor.

The PNC Pops begins 2014 in grand fashion when the PSO’s Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh leads a weekend of concerts featuring the music of John Williams (Jan. 23-26), quite possibly the most famous composer of movie music. The winner of five Academy Awards, Williams has written music for Lincoln, Jaws, Schindler’s List, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan, The Accidental Tourist, War Horse, The Adventures of Tintin, Born on the Fourth of July, the first three Harry Potter movies and the unforgettable themes for Star Wars and all four Indiana Jones films.

The PSO brings some razzle-dazzle to Heinz Hall when celebrated Broadway stars and conductor Jack Everly join the orchestra for All That Jazz: A Symphonic Celebration of Kander and Ebb (March 6-9). One of Broadway’s most successful songwriting teams, composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb wrote such hits as Chicago, Cabaret, New York, New York, and The Scottsboro Boys. The concerts feature favorites, including “All That Jazz,” “Razzle Dazzle,” “Mr. Cellophane,” “Cabaret,” “Me and My Baby,” “Maybe This Time” and “Don’t Tell Mama!”

Audiences can experience a fantastic fusion of classical music and classic animation with Bugs Bunny at the Symphony (April 10-13). Created and conducted by Emmy Award-winner George Daugherty, the concert features favorite Warner Bros. Looney Tunes characters on screen in their most memorable moments, all with live accompaniment by the PSO. Bugs Bunny will be joined by his well-known cohorts Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Daffy Duck, Tweety and more. In a review of Daugherty’s “Bugs Bunny on Broadway” concert, The Chicago Tribune raved, “The roaring kettledrums, the sweetly confiding strings, the braying brasses, and luxuriant woodwinds were every bit as vibrant as the colors and choreography of the animation on screen.”

The PNC Pops season concludes with Megan Hilty, star of NBC’s hit television show, Smash, acclaimed conductor Steven Reineke and the PSO paying tribute to songs Ol’ Blue Eyes made famous. In a weekend of concerts titled, Luck Be a Lady (June 19-22), Hilty will perform Sinatra staples such as The Lady Is a Tramp, Moon River, and I’ve Got You Under My Skin, as well as other classics, including Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, Someone to Watch Over Me and Almost Like Being in Love. The concert will be led by Steven Reineke, newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, and Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The PSO will continue the popular tradition of hosting Pops Talks, an insider’s look at the concerts, following each Thursday performance.

The PSO would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of the PNC Pops, marking PNC’s 13th consecutive year as title sponsor of this series. The PSO would also like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2013 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the PSO.

Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2:30 p.m.
Broadway and Beyond with Brian Stokes Mitchell
Ted Sperling, conductor
Brian Stokes Mitchell, vocalist

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2:30 p.m.
Ann Hampton Callaway presents The Streisand Songbook
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
Ann Hampton Callaway, vocalist

Vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway

Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2:30 & 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2:30 & 8 p.m.
Highmark Holiday Pops
Todd Ellison, conductor
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

John Williams

Thursday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2:30 p.m.
The Music of John Williams
Lawrence Loh, conductor





Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 7, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 8, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 9, at 2:30 p.m.
All That Jazz: A Symphonic Celebration of Kander & Ebb
Jack Everly, conductor

Thursday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 11, at 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 12, at 2:30 & 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 13, at 2:30 p.m.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony

George Daugherty, conductor

Megan Hilty

Thursday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 21, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 22, at 2:30 p.m.

Luck Be a Lady: Megan Hilty Sings Sinatra and More

Steven Reineke, conductor

Megan Hilty, vocalist

All artists, programs and dates are subject to change.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh