Showing posts with label PSO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PSO. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2014

Jackie Evancho to Perform with PSO

For Immediate Release
Sept. 2, 2014


PITTSBURGH SENSATION JACKIE EVANCHO RETURNS TO HEINZ HALL TO PERFORM WITH MEMBERS OF THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PITTSBURGH – Jackie Evancho, the 14-year-old vocal sensation from Pittsburgh, returns to her hometown to perform with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on February 13, 2015.

Evancho, who first gained fame as a runner up on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” at 10 years old, releases her third studio album, “Awakening,” on September 23. Her performance with the Pittsburgh Symphony will feature the lush classical-crossover compositions for which she has become known, as well as the more contemporary material that can be found on her new album. Evancho also will sing several original songs and music from Broadway.

“Of course there are always going to be some classical pieces but I wanted to reinvent the pop songs and make them my own,” said Evancho of the new album. “The only thing that mattered was that the song spoke to me.”

Tickets, ranging in price from $39 to $179, go on sale September 8 and can be purchased through the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org.

Jackie Evancho dazzled American television audiences at age 10, gaining global recognition with her stunning debut on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” She was immediately signed to Columbia Records where she released a string of successful recordings including “O Holy Night,” “Dream With Me,” “Heavenly Christmas” and “Songs From the Silver Screen.” She has since acted in Robert Redford’s “The Company You Keep” alongside Susan Sarandon, Shia LeBeouf and Nick Nolte, and performed as a special guest in Cirque du Soleil’s “One Night for One Drop” benefit at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. She also starred in the fall 2012 GUESS Kids clothing campaign, and in June, she performed the classic film song “Over the Rainbow” at the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Evancho has participated in the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., where she delighted President and Mrs. Obama. She performed before 100,000 people in Russia with opera stars Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Sumi Jo prior to the opening of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, and has performed in Japan before the Royal Family at the Imperial Palace. Her first PBS special was one of the top pledge producing performances in PBS history. Her wide-ranging achievements caused Billboard to include her on its list of “music movers-and-shakers under the age of 21 in 2011 and 2012.

Editors Please Note:

Friday, February 13, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.

JACKIE EVANCHO WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
JACKIE EVANCHO, vocalist

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Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President for 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
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

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

Friday, August 29, 2014

PSO Announces Neighborhood Chamber Music Concerts

For Immediate Release
Aug. 14, 2014

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT EXPANDS TO INCLUDE THREE SEPTEMBER NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS


PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Music for the Spirit program is expanding to include three chamber music concerts at local churches in the North Side, East Liberty and Wilkinsburg in September.

The Music for the Spirit program explores the connection between music and spirituality during free Pittsburgh Symphony concerts, at both Heinz Hall as part of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics series and in rotating community venues. In September, the Music for the Spirit program adds three concerts featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Brass and which follow the Music for the Spirit concert format, melding music, poetry, readings and other spoken word pieces.

Monday Night Neighborhood Concerts will take place at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on the North Side on September 8, East Liberty Presbyterian Church on September 15 and Deliverance Baptist Church in Wilkinsburg on September 22. Each Monday Night Neighborhood Concert will present the same program.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Brass includes Craig Knox, tuba; Murray Crewe, bass trombone; Neal Berntsen, trumpet; William Caballero, horn; Peter Sullivan, trombone; and George Vosburgh, trumpet.

All concerts start at 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made at pittsburghsymphony.org/neighborhoodseries or 412-392-8991.

The annual Music for the Spirit concerts will take place on November 20 at Westminster Presbyterian in Upper St. Clair and November 22 at Cardinal Wuerl High School in Cranberry. More details about these concerts will be released in the fall.

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Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President for 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
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Former PSO Music Director Maazel Dies

For Immediate Release
July 14, 2014


STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF FORMER PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MUSIC DIRECTOR LORIN MAAZEL

PITTSBURGH— The entire Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra organization was saddened to learn of the passing Maestro Lorin Maazel, who served as the orchestra’s music director from 1984 to 1996. Maazel, age 84, died on July 13, 2014 in Virginia from complications following pneumonia.

Maazel was a world-renowned conductor, as well as a composer, mentor, father and husband, who devoted more than 75 years of his life to music-making. He took the baton of the Pittsburgh Symphony during a critical time in its history, following the departure of Andre Previn. The symphony developed an unrivaled international following under his leadership, gathering future stature as he led tours of Europe, Asia and the Americas, added first-rank players to vital positions and programmed season-long retrospectives that appealed to audiences and critics alike.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Maestro Lorin Maazel. There can be no doubt that he had a significant impact on the musical life of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the music world as a whole. I, myself, played many times under his baton and was struck by his prodigious talent and quest for perfection,” said Manfred Honeck, current music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. “He left behind a core of musical leaders that still define the Pittsburgh Symphony today and an incredible standard of playing. As one of his successors, I am deeply indebted to him for creating the ideal culture of musicians and the music-making exemplified in this orchestra. All of us at the Pittsburgh Symphony and our audiences, both here and around the world, continue to benefit from the work he did in Pittsburgh. I would like to express my deepest condolences to his family and his many friends and fans. We have truly lost one of the world’s greatest conductors.”

Born in Paris in 1930, Maazel began violin lessons at age five, and conducting lessons at age seven. He and his family moved to Pittsburgh so that he could study conducting with Vladimir Bakaleinikoff, who had become associate conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1939. Between ages nine and 15, he conducted most of the major American orchestras, including the NBC Symphony at the invitation of Arturo Toscanini. In the course of his decades-long career, Maazel conducted more than 150 orchestras in no fewer than 5,000 opera and concert performances. He made more than 300 recordings, including symphonic cycles of complete orchestral works by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Mahler, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Richard Strauss, winning 10 Grands Prix du Disques.

During his career, Maazel served as artistic director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and general manager of the Vienna State Opera, as music director of the Radio Symphony of Berlin, the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic, with whom he made an unprecedented visit to North Korea in 2008. He also was a highly regarded composer, with a wide-ranging catalog of works written primarily over the last 15 years.
“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra joins the international music community in mourning the passing of a Pittsburgh native who began his music career as a child prodigy and grew to become the most prolific conductor of perhaps all time. He conducted some 150 orchestras during his lifetime and we, in Pittsburgh, benefited from and deeply respected his time with us as music director. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Maazel family,” said James Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
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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
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

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 Closes Season with Classics

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2014


PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CLOSES SUMMER SEASON WITH TWO CLASSICAL CONCERTS

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra closes its summer season with two one-night-only classical concerts on July 25, “Symphonic Celebration,” and August 2, “Triple Play.”

Lawrence Loh (Rob Davison)

Pittsburgh Symphony Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra throw a musical party during “Symphonic Celebration,” a concert featuring Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Brahm’s Symphony No. 3 and a breathtaking performance of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with Russian pianist Olga Kern.
Olga Kern (Chris Lee)

On August 2, Chinese pianist Xiayin Wang and Italian guest conductor Christian Capocaccia present a concert with a unique format and a little musical something for everyone! This concert features several light classical favorites, virtuoso piano fireworks from Wang and music from the silver screen with two intermissions. “The Tales of Hoffmann,” suites from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises,” Ravel’s Concerto in G major for piano and orchestra, and much more will be performed.
For both concerts, tickets are $25 and $50 and can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visitingpittsburghsymphony.org.

Guest Conductor Christian Capocaccia

Pianist Xiayin Wang





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.

Olga Kern was born into a family of musicians with direct links to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff and began studying piano at the age of five. In 2001, she became the first woman in more than 30 years to receive the Gold Medal at the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Kern is a laureate of 11 international competitions including her first place win at the first Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at the age of 17 and has toured throughout her native Russia, Europe and the United States, as well as in Japan, South Africa and South Korea. Kern was the recipient of an honorary scholarship from the president of Russia in 1996 and is a member of Russia's International Academy of Arts. She studied with Sergei Dorensky at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Boris Petrushansky at the acclaimed Accademia Pianistica Incontri col Maestro in Imola, Italy. Kern’s performance career has brought her to many of the world’s most important venues, including the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Symphony Hall in Osaka, Salzburger Festspielhaus, La Scala in Milan, Tonhalle in Zurich and the Châtelet in Paris. She has appeared as a soloist with the Kirov Orchestra, the Bolshoi Theater, the Moscow Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, Russian National, China Symphony, Belgrade Philharmonic, La Scala Philharmonic, Torino Symphony and Cape Town Symphony Orchestras. Kern has collaborated with many prominent conductors in the world today, including Valery Gergiev, Leonard Slatkin, Manfred Honeck, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Termirkanov, Pinchas Zukerman and James Conlon.

Italian conductor Christian Capocaccia has distinguished himself as an artist of keen insight and musicianship. His ease on the podium and comfortable coaching style with singers has made him a favorite with orchestras, opera companies and vocalists. The 2013-2014 season continues a run of company debuts for Capocaccia, beginning with the Welsh National Opera. In his second season as music director of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, Capocaccia continues to expand the scope of the organization and realize his vision of a summer festival featuring symphonic and operatic performances. He made his company debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony, assisting on several performances in December and February, including a recording of Bruckner 4th Symphony, with Manfred Honeck, and covering Schumann 2nd Symphony with Gianandrea Noseda. In April, he makes his debut with the Manhattan School of Music conducting the rarely performed Haydn opera, “Orlando Paladino.” He concludes the season with another company debut, at the Cincinnati Opera, covering performances of “Madame Butterfly.” As a guest conductor he appears both in the United States and in Europe in venues such as the New Auditorium “Parco della Musica” and the Teatro Farnese in Rome and the Lyric Opera House of Baltimore at the head of the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio, The Moscow Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto, Orchestra Città Aperta, International Chamber Ensemble, Orchestra da Camera delle Marche and Orchestra Sinfonica di Pesaro among others. Born in Rome, he began studying the violin at the age of 9. He attended the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory. He earned his Diploma under Paolo Ciociola and completed his studies with world-renowned violinist Nina Beilina in New York. Subsequently he studied composition under Boris Porena and Luciano Pelosi, and conducting with Piero Bellugi and Donato Renzetti. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington under David Effron he has participated in master classes with Herbert Blomstedt, Gustav Meier and Leonard Slatkin.

As recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist in such venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Xiayin Wang has already achieved a high level of recognition for her commanding performances. In January 2014, Wang performed Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the National Gallery of Art Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Engaged as soloist in Gerard Schwarz’s acclaimed All-Star Orchestra, Wang was featured as part of a nationally broadcast series of performances on syndicated PBS stations throughout the United States in fall 2013. Wang was the focus of a five-part concert series at the Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, where she was heard with such ensembles as the Escher Quartet, Fine Arts Quartet and the Washington Soloists Chamber Orchestra under the baton of conductor Vladimir Lande. Wang’s latest recording, “American Piano Concertos,” featuring the Barber, Copland and Gershwin piano concertos, which she performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, was released on the Chandos label late last year. Wang has been heard as guest soloist with the Santa Barbara Symphony, CA, and toured South America with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. In 2011-2012, she made her London debut at Cadogan Hall in a program of Haydn, Liszt, Wild, Rachmaninoff and Ravel. Other concert and recital commitments have taken Wang throughout the United States to such venues and locations as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Jordan Hall in Boston, Tanglewood, the University of Miami, Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples Florida, the Caramoor Center in Katonah, NY, Saratoga Arts Festival, Coastal Carolina Arts Festival, the Meyer Concert Series at The Smithsonian in D.C. and the East Hawaii Cultural Center on the island of Hawaii. Xiayin Wang completed studies at the Shanghai Conservatory and garnered an enviable record of first prize awards and special honors for her performances throughout China, most notably in the Fu Zhou National Piano Competition, Hang Zhou Instrumental Competition, Zhe Jiang Competition and the National Piano Competition in Beijing. She began piano studies at the age of five, and subsequently came to New York in 1997 and, in 2000, was awarded the “Certificate of Achievement” by the Associated Music Teacher League of New York, winning an opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. She also pursued studies at the Manhattan School of Music and won the school’s Eisenberg Concerto Competition in 2002, as well as the Roy M. Rubinstein Award. Xiayin Wang holds Bachelor’s, Master’s and Professional Studies degrees from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Solomon Mikowsky and Nina Svetlanova.

For more than 116 years, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has been known for its artistic excellence. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians. This tradition was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900, the Pittsburgh Symphony is critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras. They have made more than 35 international tours, and recently returned from their 2013 European Festivals Tour, where enthralled audiences filled the PSO’s concerts in Grafenegg, Berlin, Bucharest, Paris, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lucerne and Bonn.

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 also hosts many other 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:
Friday, July 25, 7:00 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION
LAWRENCE J. LOH, conductor
OLGA KERN, piano

Antonin Dvorak                          Carnival Overture, Opus 92
Johannes Brahms                        Symphony No. 3 in F major, Opus 90
                                                            I. Allegro con brio
                                                            II. Andante
III. Poco allegretto
IV. Allegro

Sergei Rachmaninoff                   Concerto No. 2 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 18
                                                            I. Moderato
                                                            II. Adagio sostenuto
III. Allegro scherzando
Ms. Kern

Saturday, August 2, 7:35 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION
CHRISTIAN CAPOCACCIA, conductor
XIAYIN WANG, piano

Mikhail Glinka                           Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila
Franz von Suppé                        Overture to The Beautiful Galathea
(Ross Jungnickel)

Jacques Offenbach                      Intermezzo and Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann
Gioachino Rossini                       Overture to Guillaume Tell
Maurice Ravel                            Concerto in G major for Piano and Orchestra
I. Allegramente
II. Adagio assai
III. Presto
Ms. Wang
Klaus Badelt (Ted Ricketts)          Medley from Pirates of the Caribbean
Hans Zimmer (Ralph Ford)           Music from Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

John Williams                            Suite from Star Wars
                                                            Imperial March
                                                            Princess Leia's Theme
                                                            Main Title


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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

Saturday, June 21, 2014

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.

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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

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

The Music of Queen

For Immediate Release
June 11, 2014

WDVE PRESENTS THE MUSIC OF QUEEN WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT HEINZ HALL JUNE 24


PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will rock you with “The Music of Queen” on June 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Heinz Hall.

Featuring conductor/arranger Brent Havens’ vision of classic rock coupled with classical music and the soaring vocals of Brody Dolyniuk and a full rock band, this concert wraps the familiar sounds of Queen’s iconic tunes with the support of a full orchestra and the visuals and energy of a live rock concert. Fans of Queen and Freddie Mercury will enjoy songs from many of their albums — forgotten gems as well as popular hits — including “Classic Queen,” “A Night at the Opera,” “Heart Attack” and “A Kind of Magic,” as Dolyniuk and his band stay true to the originals while the orchestra adds something special to the performances. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is just the start of the fun in this tribute to one of the best bands that ever rocked.

The band includes Havens and Dolyniuk (guitar/vocals) as well as Dan Clemens (bass/background vocals), Powell Randolph (drums/background vocals), George Cintron (guitar/background vocals) and Bart Kuebler (keyboards/background vocals). Havens and Dolyniuk were last seen at Heinz Hall during summer 2013 for “The Music of Led Zeppelin.”

Tickets, ranging in price from $25 to 75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visitingpittsburghsymphony.org.

Berklee-trained arranger/conductor Brent Havens has written music for orchestras, feature films and virtually every kind of television. His TV work includes movies for networks such as ABC, CBS and ABC Family Channel Network, commercials, sports music for networks such as ESPN and even cartoons. Havens has also worked with the Doobie Brothers and the Milwaukee Symphony, arranging and conducting the combined group for Harley Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Birthday Party Finale attended by more than 150,000 fans. He has worked with some of the world's greatest orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the San Diego Symphony and countless others. Havens recently completed the score for the film “Quo Vadis,” a Premier Pictures remake of the 1956 gladiator film. Havens is arranger/guest conductor for seven symphonic rock programs – the “Music of Led Zeppelin,” the “Music of the Doors,” the “Music of Pink Floyd,” the “Music of the Eagles,” the “Music of Queen,” the “Music of Michael Jackson” and most recently, the “Music of The Who”!

Guest vocalist Brody Dolyniuk is a gifted, self-taught musician, capable of playing several instruments, with a particular knack for capturing the voices and mannerisms of classic characters from music, TV, and movies. His first professional gigs were at piano bars in several U.S. cities, where he learned to charm audiences and expand his musical repertoire. With a longing to perform the music of the many rock bands that inspired him, Brody assembled Yellow Brick Road, unquestionably Las Vegas' most successful classic rock band. Since 1997, YBR has been reshaping the casino entertainment scene by bringing a rock concert atmosphere to showrooms previously reserved for Top-40-style lounge acts. Along the way, Dolyniuk has made numerous radio and TV appearances, and earned a spot in the finals of two national singing competitions, and even self-produced several large rock production-style shows utilizing multimedia, lasers, comedy and special effects. In 2007, Dolyniuk lent his vocal talents by singing several tracks on the mega-hit video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and has already done several more for the new Konami game Rock Revolution. As a devout classic rock/Queen fan, Dolyniuk’s enthusiasm, vocal ability and on-stage energy were the perfect fit for The Music of Queen show.

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 also hosts many other 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.

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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
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

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

Gladiator Live

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2014

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS GLADIATOR LIVE ON JULY 12

PITTSBURGH — “My name is Gladiator.”

The words and music of the Oscar-winning film “Gladiator” will ring throughout Heinz Hall when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents “Gladiator Live” on July 12 at 7:30 p.m.

“Gladiator Live” brings Ridley Scott’s epic sword-and-sandals film to U.S. concert halls for the first time. Winner of five Academy Awards and countless other honors, “Gladiator” remains one of the most popular films in its genre of all-time, and its remarkable score, by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, is still one of the most recognizable soundtracks of all time.

Featuring world-renowned vocalist Clara Sanabras and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Symphony will perform the groundbreaking score while Gladiator plays overhead in high-definition on the big screen. Fans both old and new will experience the film in an exciting and unique way.

Tickets, $25-90, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visitingpittsburghsymphony.org.


Clara Sanabras enigmatic voice and multi-instrumentalism features in top Hollywood soundtracks such as “The Hobbit,” “The Hunger Games,” “Snow White and The Huntsman,” “For Greater Glory,” “The Lord of The Rings in Concert” and “Gladiator in Concert.” Born in France, raised in Barcelona, now a Londoner, Sanabras is an exceptionally versatile musician and captivating performer. She sings and accompanies herself on baroque guitar, Indian harmonium, oud, charango, her music being as varied as her background.

Classically trained as a singer and pianist (Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Conservatori Superior del Liceu Barcelona), she has worked in the fields of early music, world music, jazz, folk and contemporary and now writes her own music. In an impressive back catalogue of recordings, theatre and screen credits, Sanabras has appeared at many international festivals and venues, including Glastonbury, The London Jazz Festival, Womad, Sydney Opera House, La Scala Milan, KKL Lucerne, Tokyo Casals Hall, and mingled with artists from all disciplines. Working alongside Howard Shore as the soloist of “The Lord of The Rings in Concert” and “The Hobbit,” she has also collaborated with James Newton-Howard (“The Hunger Games”), Nigel Kennedy, Terry Edwards & London Voices, Jocelyn Pook, Alberto Iglesias, Avshalom Caspi, Rachel Portman, Natacha Atlas, Eliseo Parra, Jarvis Cocker, The Harp Consort, John Rutter, RPO, Sydney Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon, OAE, Ludwig Wicki & 21st Century Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony, Theatre of Voices, The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain, Theatre of the Ayre, Charivari Agréable, Israel Camerata, eX Ensemble & The Dufay Collective. Her song “Nada Igual,” as heard in La Reina del Sur was no. 1 in the iTunes charts (Mexico) in June 2011.

Since she burst into the global music scene in 2006, with the highly acclaimed album “Clara & The Real Lowdown” (Smudged Discs), produced by maverick producer and composer Harvey Brough (Harvey and The Wallbangers), they’ve recorded another two albums: “Hopetown House” featuring The Real Lowdown, a collective of the finest folk, jazz and world musicians in London, and “The Emblem,” released in February 2012. With her latest album and after the success of her critically-acclaimed soundtrack credits and world tours, she returns to her roots with an elegy to exile, told in Spanish, Catalan, French and English. “Scattered Flight: Songs of Spanish Exile” features stellar guests including Eliseo Parra, Cobla Sant Jordi and The Elysian Quartet, and is produced by Harvey Brough and recorded by Peter Schwier (Dexys).

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (MCP), a chorus of 120 which includes a 20-voice professional core, is renowned for its versatility, singing oratorio, opera, Broadway, folk and symphonic repertoire. Founded in 1908, the MCP holds the distinction of being Pittsburgh’s oldest continuously performing arts organization. The choir, in its 104th season and sixth under the direction of Betsy Burleigh, is known for its mastery of the great choral classics. The MCP is a Steinway Artist, the only chorus holding that designation.

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 also hosts many other 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.

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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
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

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

Friday, June 20, 2014

Loh Named Music Director of Symphoria

For Immediate Release
May 27, 2014


LAWRENCE LOH NAMED MUSIC DIRECTOR OF SYMPHORIA

PITTSBURGH—Lawrence Loh, resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, was named music director of Symphoria, a not-for-profit professional symphony orchestra located in Syracuse, N.Y, the organization announced this month. He will join Symphoria at the start of the 2015-2016 season.

“I am truly thankful for the experiences I have had at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,” says Loh, who has served as resident conductor since 2008. “I am looking forward to the opportunities that await me in Syracuse as I continue to conduct and enjoy the next season with my colleagues and friends at the Pittsburgh Symphony.”

Founded by nearly 50 members of the former Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Symphoria is one of only two co-op orchestras in the U.S. Loh will be the organization’s first full-time music director, serving as primary conductor and providing artistic leadership for the orchestra, including major roles in programming, artistic personnel and outreach.

“Larry has been an integral part of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the last nine years and we are honored to have had him in Pittsburgh for so long,” says Manfred Honeck, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. “His talent and dedication are undeniable. Symphoria is quite fortunate to have him as their new music director. He will do great things in Syracuse.”

Along with his role as resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Loh is the music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, a position he will maintain, and music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. He was brought to national attention in February 2004 when he substituted last minute for an ailing Charles Dutoit with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His association with the Pittsburgh Symphony began as assistant conductor in 2005-2006. He was promoted to associate conductor in 2006-2007 and to resident conductor in 2007-2008. The 2014-2015 season will make his 10th year with the Pittsburgh Symphony.

In May 1998, Loh received his artist diploma in Orchestral Conducting from Yale University, also earning the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize, given to the most outstanding conductor in the Yale graduating class. He received further training at the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival and School and has additional degrees from Indiana University and the University of Rochester. Loh was born in southern California of Korean parentage and raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Hilary.

“It has been an honor to be part of Larry’s growth and success as a conductor, music director and leader,” says James Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “We appreciate the opportunity to spend the next year with him as he adjusts to his new role in Syracuse. I do not view this opportunity as his saying ‘goodbye to Pittsburgh’ and I hope he returns often. He will be missed and leaves some big shoes to fill.”

For more information about Symphoria, visit experiencesymphoria.org. For more information about the Pittsburgh Symphony, visit 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

Monday, March 24, 2014

Patinkin Performs with the PSO

For Immediate Release
March 17, 2014


ACTOR, SINGER MANDY PATINKIN TO PERFORM WITH PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT HEINZ HALL

PITTSBURGH—Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. The acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller will appear on the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m. in his most electrifying role — concert performer.

Known for his Broadway roles in “Evita” and “Sunday in the Park with George” and beloved for his characters from film and television, such as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride” and Saul Berenson in “Homeland,” the Tony and Emmy Award-winning performer joins your Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to present an unforgettable evening of popular song and Broadway classics.

The first part of the evening will feature the Pittsburgh Symphony, led by Assistant Conductor Fawzi Haimor, only. Patinkin will join the orchestra in the second half, under the direction of veteran Broadway conductor and arranger Eric Stern.

Tickets, ranging in price from $35 to $115, are on sale now and can be purchased from the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org.

Mandy Patinkin (Brigitte LaCombe)
In his 1980 Broadway debut, Mandy Patinkin won a Tony Award for his role as Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role as George in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George. In 1991, he returned to Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden and, in 1997, played a sold-out engagement of his one-man show, Mandy Patinkin in Concert, with all profits benefiting five charitable organizations. Patinkin’s other solo concerts — Dress Casual, Celebrating Sondheim and Mamaloshen — have been presented both on- and off-Broadway.

In 2009, he celebrated the 20th anniversary of performing his solo concerts with a two-week run of all of his concerts in rep at New York’s Public Theater, the very space he began his concert career. Patinkin continued the celebration with a critically acclaimed two-week run of Mandy Patinkin in Concert in London’s West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre. His feature film credits include “Wish I Was Here” (upcoming), “The Wind Rises” (upcoming), “Everybody’s Hero,” “The Choking Man,” “Pinero,” “The Adventures of Elmo In Grouchland,” “Lulu on the Bridge,” “Men with Guns,” “The Princess Bride,” “Yentl” (1984 Golden Globe nomination), “The Music of Chance,” “Daniel,” “Ragtime,” “Impromptu,” “The Doctor,” “Alien Nation,” “Dick Tracy,” “The House on Carroll Street,” “True Colors,” “Maxie” and “Squanto: Indian Warrior.” Patinkin won a 1995 Emmy Award (as well as a Golden Globe nomination) for his performance in the CBS series Chicago Hope and starred in the CBS series Criminal Minds as FBI profiler Jason Gideon and in the Showtime Original Series Dead Like Me as the reaper Rube Sofer. Patinkin returned to TV in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Showtime Original Series Homeland as CIA Division Chief Saul Berenson. In 1989, Patinkin began his concert career at Joseph Papp's Public Theater. This coincided with the release of his first solo album, entitled Mandy Patinkin. Since then he has toured extensively, appearing to sold-out audiences across the United States, Canada, London and Australia, performing songs from writers including Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Randy Newman, Adam Guettel and Harry Chapin, among others. Patinkin resides in New York City with his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody.

Fawzi Haimor is in his second season in the position of assistant conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his Pittsburgh appointment, he was the assistant conductor of the Alabama Symphony for two seasons. In Pittsburgh, he conducts a variety of concerts including subscription, pops, education and outreach. Haimor also has worked with the Jacksonville Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Amman Symphony in the Middle East and, in Europe, Orquestra Sinfonico do Porto. He has also served as a cover conductor to esteemed conductors including Manfred Honeck, Leonard Slatkin, Gianandrea Noseda, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Yan Pascal Tortelier. In the current season, his guest engagements include the Erie Chamber Orchestra and a return to Alabama and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras, as a guest artist. Passionate about the education of young musicians, Haimor was the first music director of the newly formed Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra where he was involved in the development of a brand new premier level youth orchestra for the state of Alabama. He was also the founder and first music director of the Davis Summer Symphony, an organization geared towards the education and outreach of classical music to residents of the Davis, California community. He has subsequently been invited to guest conduct youth ensembles across the United States. He is also a committed advocate of contemporary music and has performed works by composers such as Kevin Puts, Bela Fleck, Mohammed Fairouz and Avner Dorman. Born in Chicago in 1983, Haimor was raised in the Middle East and the San Francisco Bay Area. He began playing the violin at the age of 4 and completed his training at the Jacobs School of Music in Indiana University. He has earned bachelor’s degrees in both music and neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, and a master’s degree in conducting from the University of California-Davis before completing his second master’s in instrumental conducting from Indiana University.

Eric Stern is a veteran Broadway conductor and arranger with more than 15 Broadway musicals and 30 albums to his credit. He has worked with a fascinating list of people including Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince, Elaine Stritch, Tyne Daly, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jule Styne, Mickey Rooney, Marla Maples, Cy Coleman and countless others. Outside the theatre, Stern has built a reputation as a concert and broadcast conductor. He has led many of the country's major orchestras including The Boston Pops, The Chicago Symphony and The Cleveland Orchestra. He conducted a long list of ground-breaking recordings for the Nonesuch label, including a string of albums with Dawn Upshaw, Mandy Patinkin and Audra MacDonald. His albums include the highly successful Leonard Bernstein's New York and three complete Gershwin musicals: Lady Be Good, Pardon My English and Oh, Kay! Stern has concertized and recorded with such varied artists as Thomas Hampson, Betty Buckley, Jessye Norman, Debra Voigt, Fred Hersh, Dianne Reeves and Richard Stoltzman. Stern has been a frequent guest conductor for the BBC's national Orchestra of Wales. He has established himself as an authentic interpreter of American concert music, specializing in the works of Bernstein, Gershwin and Copland. In Europe, he has conducted gala performances of Porgy and Bess and Bernstein’s Mass as well as many programs of American film music.

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 also hosts many other 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:

Saturday, April 5
Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
FAWZI HAIMOR, conductor
ERIC STERN, conductor
MANDY PATINKIN, vocalist
First half orchestra only:

Leonard Bernstein (adpt. Peress)               Overture to West Side Story

Frederick Loewe (arr. Bennett)                 Selections for Orchestra from My Fair Lady
Klaus Badelt (arr. Ricketts)                       Medley from Pirates of the Caribbean
Second half featuring Mandy Patinkin:
Tateh’s Theme
It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Mr. Arthur’s Place
           Bohemian Rhapsody
Doodle Doo Doo Medley
           Somewhere Over the Rainbow
           Rock-a-Bye Your Baby
Anyone Can Whistle
           Children and Art (piano)
Sunday
Rock Island
Ya Got Trouble
           The Band Played on Medley
           Soliloquy
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Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs
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 Spotlights American Composers

For Immediate Release
March 13, 2014

AMERICAN COMPOSERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT DURING PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS PERFORMANCE

PITTSBURGH—Salute the red, white and blue with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during the BNY Mellon Grand Classics “American Fanfare” weekend on March 28-30 at Heinz Hall.

With conductor Michael Stern, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will be the centerpiece of a program featuring some of the most beloved works of American composers, including “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland and George Gershwin's “An American in Paris,” among others.

Each BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert is part of the Explore & Engage program, which includes pre-concert talks, exhibits, display boards and interactive activities that illuminate the music, composers and the time in which they created. This weekend, Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh will conduct a pre-concert talk one hour before each performance.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging in price from $25.75 to $105.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or by visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.


Conductor Michael Stern is in his eighth season as music director of the Kansas City Symphony, hailed for its remarkable artistic growth and development since his tenure began. Stern and the orchestra, joined by an amazing collection of guest artists, have performed to critical acclaim and sold-out audiences in their new world-class performance home, Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Stern also is the founding artistic director and principal conductor of IRIS Orchestra in Germantown, Tennessee. This unique group, now in its second decade, has been widely praised for its virtuosity and programming, and has produced a string of recordings and acclaimed commissioned new works by American composers. Other positions include a tenure as the chief conductor of Germany’s Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra (the first American chief conductor in the orchestra’s history) and as permanent guest conductor of the orchestre National de Lyon in France, a position which he held for five years, and a stint as the principal guest conductor of the Orchestre National de Lille, France. Stern received his music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where his major teacher was the noted conductor and scholar Max Rudolf. He is a 1981 graduate of Harvard University, where he earned a degree in American history.

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

Saturday, March 22, 2014

PSO Recording Wins Award

For Immediate Release
March 5, 2014


PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S “STRAUSS” RECORDING NAMED A GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE FOR MARCH

PITTSBURGH—Gramophone magazine picked “Strauss,” the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s recent recording of Strauss tone poems on Reference Recordings Fresh! label, as one of its “Editor’s Choice” recordings for March 2014.

Reviewer Ivan March said of the recording, “This is one of the outstanding Strauss CDs of the year; the quality of playing and recording makes it very recommendable indeed.” He also credited Music Director Manfred Honeck for his interpretations, “which vividly bring out the music’s emotional and pictorial detail.”

The CD was released in November 2013 and has received numerous positive reviews. A second release in the collaboration with Reference Recordings will be released in July and features work by Dvoøák and Janáèek.  “Strauss” was recorded and mastered by the team at Soundmirror, whose outstanding orchestral, solo, opera and chamber recordings have received more than 70 Grammy nominations and awards. FRESH! is part of Reference Recordings’ mission to encourage artists and give them a strong platform for promotion and sales nationally and internationally.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra recordings are made possible by a generous grant from BNY Mellon.

For more than 116 years, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has been known for its artistic excellence. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians. This tradition was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900, the Pittsburgh Symphony is critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras. They have made more than 35 international tours, and recently returned from their 2013 European Festivals Tour, where enthralled audiences filled the PSO’s concerts in Grafenegg, Berlin, Bucharest, Paris, Düsseldorf,Frankfurt, Lucerne and Bonn.

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Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs
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

Friday, March 21, 2014

PSO Pops Season Delivers Eclectic Mix

For immediate release

FROM DISNEY TO TEXAS HEARTTHROBS, THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S 2014-2015 PNC POPS SEASON DELIVERS ECLECTIC MIX OF MUSICAL FAVORITES

Highlights:
•         Hugely popular Chris Botti returns to Heinz Hall performing romantic ballads and standards in his signature jazz style.
•         The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will be “Singin’ in the Rain,” performing the soundtrack to the classic movie musical.
•         “America’s Got Talent” sensation The Texas Tenors make their Heinz Hall debut.

PITTSBURGH—Familiar friends and new sensations take their turns on the Heinz Hall stage during the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2014-2015 PNC Pops season, one that promises an eclectic mix of favorites and surprises.

The season opens with a concert that gives the ageless fight between good and evil a musical twist with “Heroes and Villains” (Oct. 17-19, 2014). Conductor Lucas Richman leads a program full of epic plots, dangerous villains, thrilling battles and dastardly deeds. Join us for a concert where the notes will fly faster than speeding bullets!

Put on your Spock ears and “Live long and prosper,” when Jack Everly returns to the PNC Pops series to conduct “Sci-Fi Spectacular” (Nov. 14-16, 2014), an “out-of-this-world” concert featuring vintage TV themes, cult movie scores and music from epic space films.

The Pittsburgh holiday tradition Highmark Holiday Pops (Dec. 12-14, 2014; additional performances on Dec. 20 & 21) with conductor Todd Ellison returns! This annual concert has become a series favorite and a Pittsburgh tradition. Ellison, a prominent Broadway conductor who joined the Highmark Holiday Pops last year, is back at Heinz Hall, bringing with him the warmth and charm that made him an instant audience favorite! Classic carols and holiday favorites performed by an all-star cast of guest artists and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will have even Santa dancing in his seat!


Trumpeter and fan-favorite Chris Botti (Feb. 6-8, 2015) has firmly established himself as a major artist on the world’s stage. Add to that his Grammy nominations and three #1 albums and Botti's status as a jazz superstar is firmly cemented. With the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony backing Botti, this concert is not to be missed!

Grab an umbrella and get ready to sing along when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents “Singin’ in the Rain” (March 13-15, 2015), the classic movie musical beloved for generations. Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds will once again dance into your hearts to the swelling orchestral accompaniment of the Pittsburgh Symphony.


The Texas Tenors (April 24-26, 2015), a trio of dashing cowboys ride into town to headline PNC Pops in April. Since their success on “America’s Got Talent,” the Texas Tenors have performed more than 500 concerts around the globe, and their debut album, “Country Roots — Classical Sound,” is the only independent album to hit number one on both the country and classical charts.

The 2014-2015 PNC Pops season concludes with a program that will thrill kids of all ages, “Disney in Concert: A Tale as Old as Time” (June 19-21, 2015), featuring a quartet of Disney in Concert singers performing songs from favorite Disney movies like Frozen,Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and many more!

Seven-concert season ticket packages range from $122.50 to $659.75, and can be purchased by calling 412-392-4900, or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale around Labor Day.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2014-2015 title sponsorship of the PNC Pops, marking PNC’s 14th consecutive year as title sponsor of this series.The Pittsburgh Symphony also would like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2014 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
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2014-2015 PNC Pops Season at a Glance
Programs, artists and dates are subject to change

October 17-19, 2014
Heroes and Villains
Lucas Richman, conductor
All-Star College Choir (Christine Hestwood, director)
Fly to Heinz Hall as the battle between good and evil begins! Armed with epic music from stage and screen, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will once again save the day with notes that fly faster than speeding bullets.

November 14-16, 2014
Sci-Fi Spectacular
Jack Everly, conductor
Kristen Plumley, vocalist
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Betsy Burleigh, director)
Join the Pittsburgh Symphony for a program that's out of this world! From vintage sci-fi television themes to the movie music of epic space films, this concert is an out-of-this-world musical adventure.

December 12-14 (and Dec. 20 & 21), 2014
Highmark Holiday Pops
Todd Ellison, conductor
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Betsy Burleigh, director)
The Pittsburgh tradition returns! Enjoy favorite carols and much-loved holiday music from an all-star cast of guest artists (including Santa Claus) and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in this festive concert.

Conductor Lawrence Loh
February 6-8, 2015
Chris Botti
Lawrence Loh, conductor
Best-selling jazz instrumentalist Chris Botti returns bringing his inimitable velvet tone and sublime phrasing. Hear why he and his trumpet hold multiple Grammys, Gold and Platinum records, and the hearts of millions of music lovers.

March 13-15, 2015
Singin’ in the Rain
Lawrence Loh, conductor
Topping the American Film Institute’s list of the 25 Greatest Movie Musicals of all time, this film masterpiece features live orchestral accompaniment by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and award-winning on-screen performances by Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds.

April 24-26, 2015
The Texas Tenors — Marcus Collins, J.C. Fisher, John Hagen
Lawrence Loh, conductor
“America’s Got Talent” stars, these three classically trained singers present a one-of-a-kind mix of Broadway, classical, country and gospel music.

June 19-21, 2015
Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time
Lawrence Loh, conductor
A feast for the ears and eyes, a quartet of Disney in Concert singers perform to film clips of favorite Disney movies.

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