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Tag: Orchestra

  • Philadelphia Orchestra to embark on its 13th tour of China, more than any other U.S. ensemble

    Philadelphia Orchestra to embark on its 13th tour of China, more than any other U.S. ensemble

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    When the Philadelphia Orchestra returns to China this week for an 11-day tour, it will set a record — and not the musical kind.

    The ensemble is embarking on its first tour of the country since 2019 and 13th overall, the most by any American orchestra. The concerts kick off with a Thursday evening performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

    MORE: Oscar-winning film editor from Philly makes directorial debut with wrestling movie ‘Unstoppable’

    Later stops on the tour include the cities of Chengdu and Haikou, which the orchestra has never visited. Its concerts in Haikou will mark the first time an American orchestra has traveled to the Hainan province, a collection of islands in the South China Sea. The orchestra will also visit Tianjin, one of Philadelphia’s sister cities.

    Principal guest conductor Marin Alsop will lead the tour.

    Musical selections include works from Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The orchestra will also debut a new commission from Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates, inspired by the classic Chinese poem “Spring River Flowers by Moonlight.” That piece will have its world premiere Saturday in Beijing.

    The Philadelphia Orchestra’s history with China dates back to its inaugural tour in 1973. The visit was the first by any American orchestra, following then President Nixon’s pivotal tour of the nation the year prior. The United States and China formally resumed diplomatic relations in 1979.

    Although the entire Philadelphia Orchestra has not traveled to China in five years, a small 14-member delegation performed in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai in 2023. The visit was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original 1973 tour. President Joe Biden wrote a letter ahead of the occasion, thanking the orchestra for serving “as a bridge between our nations, strengthening the bonds that bring our people together.”

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    Kristin Hunt

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  • Eden Muñoz Leads a Showcase of Mexican Music at 713 Music Hall

    Eden Muñoz Leads a Showcase of Mexican Music at 713 Music Hall

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    Eden Muñoz
    Como En Los Viejos Tiempos Tour
    713 Music Hall
    August 17, 2024

    I wasn’t expecting to cry at a concert, but last night my emotions got the best of me and the tears rolled down my face. On stage was Eden Muñoz, formally of the Norteño-Banda group Calibre 50, and the song that caused me to shed a tear was “Corrido De Juanito.” It tells a story of a Mexican man who crossed over to work in the United States to obtain a better life, working long, hard hours in constant fear of deportation, all the while longing to revisit his home and family back in Mexico. His mother dies and he isn’t able to pay his last respects, and all he wants to do is hug his father once again.

    And yet, through all of this, he’s still supremely proud to be “Mexicano hasta al tope!” After a quick scan through the crowd, I wasn’t the only one feeling sentimental while listening to this song. It just hits so hard, especially hearing it live in a room full of your fellow Mexican community, knowing that we have all experienced some form of these hardships at least a few times in our life.

    But like true Mexicans, with good music playing we are able to transition from sadness to joy in an instant. And out of all the Regional Mexican concerts I’ve seen this year, Eden Muñoz has probably been my favorite so far. He began the show with “A La Antigüita” which provided a jolt of energy into the crowd, causing yelps of joy and dancing through 713 Music Hall.

    click to enlarge

    Eden Muñoz exudes a love for life and country that resounds loudly in his music.

    Photo by Marco Torres

    I remember being introduced to the music of Muñoz’s former band Calibre 50 while I was visiting Monterrey, Nuevo Leon over 10 years ago. There was something magical about his attitude and songwriting, a love for life and country that resounded loudly in his music.

    Muñoz was surrounded on stage by a large banda orchestra, with an entire brass section of trumpets, tuba, and trombones joining in harmony with the saxophones, clarinets, and accordion. He wore an oversized button up shirt, jeans, boots, and a dark black cowboy hat, which he often tilted down and at an angle to cover his gaze, providing a mysterious aura around him.

    Do you ever see somebody and say “that guy really loves his job!” That’s exactly what I felt as I watched Muñoz dance across the stage, playing his accordion and laughing with the crowd. “I get emotional when I drink” he said en Español, holding his glass of tequila (or maybe whiskey) high as he toasted the crowd with a “salud, raza!”

    click to enlarge

    Eden Muñoz provided an energetic and lively set during his performace at 713 Music Hall.

    Photo by Marco Torres

    He took a seat and traded his accordion for a guitar, strumming the opening notes to “Simplemente Gracias” along with the piano player and saxophone. A fan near the front row took this opportunity to propose to his girlfriend at his very moment. They caught the attention of Muñoz, who stumbled over his lyrics as he congratulated the couple.

    “I wrote that song six years ago for my soon-to-be wife, specifically to sing at our wedding” said Muñoz as the crowd clapped for the happy couple. He asked their names, which were Luis and Riley, and toasted his best wishes once again.

    “Les gustan los corridos, Houston?!” he asked before playing “Javier El De Los Llanos” and “Consejos Gratis.” I swear, the list of hits that Eden has written is so extensive, and all are crazy good.

    One of the highlights of the evening was the “Ruleta de Homenajes” that picked a seemingly random Mexican music legend for the band to cover. Last night, this included tributes to Selena, Valentin Elizalde, Vicente Fernandez, Joan Sebastian, Chalino Sanchez, Ramon Ayala, and Marco Antonio Solis. My favorite though was probably the cover of “Como Estás Tú” by the cumbia group Liberacion. If I had a date to this show, I definitely would have danced to this one!

    This show really felt like a celebration, as if the banda was playing en la feria or at a jaripeo. I’m sure Muñoz and his banda could easily play another two or three more hours, but alas… all good things come to an end.

    Gracias Eden. Simplemente, gracias!

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    Marco Torres

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  • ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ orchestral performance comes to Philly in October

    ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ orchestral performance comes to Philly in October

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    Yip yip! The world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is coming to Philly through an immersive music experience.

    “Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert,” which has been touring around the world since September, will stop by the Met on Oct. 19, and tickets go on sale Friday, April 19, at 10 a.m.

    The more than two-hour-long show centers around a live orchestral performance from the musical score of the Nickelodeon animated series, which was composed by Jeremy Zuckerman. Co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as well as the show’s original editor Jeff Adams, teamed up with Zuckerman to expand on the compositions for the concert series. The music will play as a full-size screen will show memorable scenes from the TV show.

    Along with violins, cellos and harps, the orchestra will feature the erhu, a two-stringed Chinese instrument, and the taiko, a Japanese drum.

    “It’s been incredibly satisfying and moving to see the audiences’ emotional response to these concerts, and to be a part of that atmosphere is a uniquely beautiful experience,” Zuckerman said in a statement. “I’m overjoyed that many more people — Avatar fans both new and old — will get to experience the show during this wider tour.”

    The celebrated show ran for three seasons from 2005 to 2008, winning Peabody, Emmy and Annie Awards. “The Last Airbender” also spawned a critically lambasted live-action film adaptation from Philly-area director M. Night Shyamalan in 2010 — many of the movie’s scenes were filmed in Reading and Philadelphia.

    A sequel animated show called “The Legend of Korra” aired from 2012 to 2014, and a production company called Avatar Studios formed in 2021 to create new shows and movies based in the universe. 

    A live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” began streaming on Netflix in February without the involvement of Avatar Studios. Several actors from that show will appear at Fan Expo Philadelphia in May.

    For fans of the original animated series, the concert will be a treat — certainly better than the last time the world of “Avatar” came to Philly.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert

    Saturday, Oct. 19

    The Met Philadelphia

    Tickets available starting April 19

    858 North Broad St., Philadelphia

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    Chris Compendio

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  • Loudoun Co. student gives back to middle school that sparked her interest in writing music – WTOP News

    Loudoun Co. student gives back to middle school that sparked her interest in writing music – WTOP News

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    Loudoun Valley High School senior Addison Miller started learning how to write her own music in middle school. Last fall, she conducted her own composition for the school’s orchestra.

    Addison Miller recently returned to the school that gave her the chance to capitalize on her creativity.(Courtesy Addison Miller)

    Bored of the music she was working with, Addison Miller started learning how to write her own as a student at Blue Ridge Middle School in Loudoun County, Virginia.

    She played the cello, and started recording herself playing different melodies. For fun, she recorded multitrack song covers. Sometimes, she’d look up sheet music of the baseline, then the melody line and the harmony line.

    Miller wondered if that was something she could do with her own music. That curiosity prompted her to write her first piece, called “Forest,” and show it to her teacher, who inquired whether it should be played at the spring concert.

    Miller conducted while her teacher played the cello, marking the first time she got to conduct her own piece.

    Addison Miller conducting a self-composed piece titled “The Final Encounter.” (Courtesy Addison Miller)

    Now a senior at Loudoun Valley High School, Miller is writing music for school plays and leading her peers. She’s auditioning for colleges, and still figuring out whether she wants to take the composition path, write music for movies or be a private teacher and performer simultaneously.

    “Composing has taught me to always jump at the opportunity, even if I’m unsure,” Miller said.

    When Miller was 4 years old, her parents bought her a toy piano, which sparked her interest in music. She started taking piano lessons soon thereafter, but said she quit, because she didn’t like the teacher telling her what to play.

    She decided to start playing the cello in the third grade, and has stuck to it ever since. After she finished writing her first piece, she had an itch to continue.

    “I just wanted to keep writing and keep experimenting,” Miller said.

    As an eighth grader, she wrote “Marvel’s Backup Song,” but it was never performed because the pandemic hit. That changed late last year.

    Jennifer Galang had Blue Ridge Middle’s orchestra learn the song, and invited Miller back to conduct. The students had been practicing and enjoying it, Galang told Miller.

    Addison Miller playing a cello on stage. (Courtesy Addison Miller)

    So in December, with her sister playing violin in the orchestra, Miller returned to the school that gave her the chance to capitalize on her creativity.

    “It was kind of surreal,” Miller said of the experience. “I mean, just being back on that stage where I first conducted anything, and it was the same podium, and I was conducting kids that were my age when I wrote that piece. It was a lot to wrap my head around.”

    Miller has always been advanced, playing with the seventh grade orchestra as a sixth grader and with the eighth grade orchestra as a seventh grader.

    As a junior, she wrote 20 to 30 minutes of a piano score for the spring play. Miller wrote more music for a different play, and most of the critics at the show mentioned her music in their reviews.

    Kelly Holowecki, director of choirs and orchestras at Loudoun Valley, said Miller stood out during her audition at the high school. Now, she’s catching the attention, and ears, of her peers.

    “They eat up everything that she says and puts in front of them,” Holowecki said. “They love her music. She’s a great leader for the orchestra. And when she’s in front of them, you can see the attention, and they’re very ready.”

    Miller also plays field hockey, and is in the top 5% of her class. But still, it’s her love of creating music that motivates her every day.

    “I really couldn’t imagine myself not doing music full time,” Miller said. “I couldn’t really see myself being happy doing anything else.”

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Violin Society of America to Hold Convention & Competition in Anaheim, CA

    Violin Society of America to Hold Convention & Competition in Anaheim, CA

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    Event will be the 48th Annual Convention and the 24th International Competition spotlighting contemporary makers of string instruments and their bows

    Press Release
    –

    Nov 3, 2022


    ANAHEIM, Calif., November 3, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Over 350 attendees, 26 speakers, and 60 vendors and sponsors will convene Nov. 13-18 for a week of programming to celebrate string instruments and bow making. This is the first live event of its kind by the Violin Society of America since 2018.

    The event culminates on the evening of Nov. 17 with the announcement of winners in the new instrument-making competition. The VSA administers the contest with strict judging standards to identify excellence in artisanship and tone. Over 400 violins, violas, cellos and their bows have been entered by amateur and professional makers, the most in The VSA’s history. A panel of internationally recognized experts will spend four days studying each entry to determine Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Certificates of Merit awards. The awards ceremony will be live-streamed via Instagram and Facebook, followed by a public viewing of the competition instruments on Nov. 18 at the hotel.

    “This is one of the most consequential events for violins today,” says Bill Scott, VSA President. “The VSA Competition confirms a new standard in contemporary violin and bow making.”

    Other programming themes include:

    ● Innovation & Sustainability – highlighted with presentations on the future of pernambuco & other endangered tone woods and their emerging alternatives

    ● Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – featuring a Women’s Luncheon honoring the achievements of female members, and a Diversity Mixer celebrating the recent expansion of the organization’s charter with stronger non-discrimination policies to protect VSA membership and enjoyment for everyone

    ● Acoustics, varnish, historical instruments & bows and more

    Admission is open to the public for $300 for the week plus VSA membership or $115/day.

    Musicians interested in viewing instruments and bows from the Competition can do so for free with a VSA Musician’s Pass.

    Founded in 1974, The Violin Society of America is a non-profit organization that promotes the art and science of making, repairing and preserving stringed musical instruments and their bows. The VSA holds events, publishes journals, and awards scholarships and grants to expand the field of lutherie. Membership is open to all and includes over 1,000 makers, dealers, players and enthusiasts. 

    Visit vsaweb.org for more information.

    Source: Violin Society of America

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  • Tampa-Based Gator Co. Releases Instrument Covers for School Band and Music Education

    Tampa-Based Gator Co. Releases Instrument Covers for School Band and Music Education

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 24, 2020


    TAMPA, Fla., August 24, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    In its commitment to help school band and music programs continue while adhering to health and safety standards, Gator Co. is now offering instrument and face cover solutions that follow recommendations from the NFHS (National Federation of State High Schools) study. Gator’s product designs incorporated the study findings and insights.

    Based in Tampa, FL, with offices and operations in Indiana and Nova Scotia, Canada, the Gator brand is a global leader and manufacturer of cases, bags, gear, stands, system storage solutions and accessories for the music, pro-audio, AV, DJ, event, and creative industries.

    “We wanted to be very thorough and thoughtful in our research and development, so we connected directly with NFHS on their scientific studies to ensure our product adhered to data-driven recommendations,” said Crystal Morris, CEO of Gator Co. “NFHS was very receptive and helpful in developing and refining our designs to create a high-quality, effective product that would be well-received and help ensure the health and safety of students and educators.”

    The instrument bell covers with a pocket for a replaceable MERV 13 filter (included) are made from a breathable, non-woven polypropylene fabric with little to no back pressure or acoustic loss during performance. The fabric and the filter are expected to greatly reduce the spread of aerosols. The bell covers are available in multiple sizes ranging from 4-32 inches in diameter to fit various instruments. 

    The instrument face masks are specially designed with a front flap opening for easy playing while staying safe and are available in youth and adult sizes.

    For orders or sales inquiries, please contact orders@gatorcases.com​ or 813.221.4191.

    Images and face mask size chart available in the Media Download Center below – credit Gator Co.

    For media inquiries, please contact marketing@gatorcases.com.

    Media Download Center

    Source: Gator

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