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DATE: August 13, 2008 MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Farmer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE cfarmer@pamusacad.org
717-399-9733INAUGURAL CONCERT SEASON AT PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF MUSIC FEATURES DIVERSE MUSIC STYLES, COLLOQUIA, MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATIONS
Lancaster, Pa. - From sonatas with colloquia to jazz to a birthday bash honoring George Gershwin, the upcoming inaugural concert season at the new Pennsylvania Academy of Music has diverse offerings with wide appeal. Utilizing its expanded capacity and multi-media capabilities, the Academy is premiering three new concert series in addition to the longstanding Twilight and Next Generation programs as part of its “Masters and Maestros” season. The new series joining this year’s lineup are Beethoven Piano and Colloquia, American Inspired, and Jazz at the Academy.
“We want music lovers from many different genres to come and enjoy the crystal clear acoustics that Cyril Harris designed for Steinman Hall,” says Michael Jamanis, who co-founded the Academy with his wife Frances Veri.
The concert season in Steinman Hall, which begins September 5 and runs through May 3, includes:
Beethoven Piano and Colloquia Series
All 32 piano sonatas from one of the world’s greatest composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, are performed in a series of eight appearances by one of the foremost interpreters of his music, Ann Koscielny. Performances are enhanced by insights into the political, social, and cultural influences on each composition during pre-concert lectures by noted experts. Lectures at 2 p.m.; concerts at 3:30 p.m. the first Sunday of each month October through May.American Inspired Series
The Pennsylvania Academy of Music salutes the best of American music and heritage with a series of concerts and multi-media programs in Steinman Hall. From legends to living composers, performances take audiences on a visual and musical journey of American culture and the art it inspires. Series concerts are Veri & Jamanis All Gershwin Concert and Celebration on the occasion of George Gershwin’s 110th birthday, September 26; The Newstead Trio in a world premiere of a piece by American composer Seymour Barab, November 7; and the Academy Chamber Players in a multi-media program celebrating the life and music of Pennsylvania native son Samuel Barber.Twilight Concert Series
Continuing a popular tradition, Academy artists and guest performers from around the world provide chamber music on select Friday evenings throughout the season. Concerts are provided by Ensemble la Bernardinia, September 5; Ann Fontanella, October 3; The Guarneri String Quartet as part of its farewell tour, October 10; pianist Chetan Tierra, January 23; The Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass, February 6; Guitar Virtuosi in Concert, March 20; The Newstead Trio, April 3; and a Virtuosi String Quartet, May 1.Jazz at the Academy
New this year is a series reflecting the variety of instrumentation, styles, and cultures that are molding the unstructured genre of jazz. This series captures every mood with sophisticated stylings, hints of homeland folk tunes, and signature licks and runs from some of the world’s finest jazz musicians including the Mitchell-Ruff Jazz Duo, December 6; Tord Gustavsen Trio, January 17; and Dave Leonhardt Trio, February 14..Next Generation Chamber Music
This series of choral and instrumental concerts showcases Academy students in various solo and ensemble performances. Programs include a Choral Festival Concert premiering “Circlesong,” a piece with Native American text set for two choirs by British choral composer and conductor Bob Chilcott, and featuring the Wheatland Chorale performing selections from their summer 2008 European tour, November 23; Student Concerto Concert, December 5; and All School Concert, December 19.Located at 42 N. Prince Street in Lancaster, the Pennsylvania Academy of Music recently opened a new $25-million school and professional performance center, the last performing arts venue designed by the late Philip Johnson with acoustics by Cyril Harris, who also designed the acoustics for Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Kennedy Center. For subscriptions, tickets, and more information about the Academy’s inaugural season, call 717-399-9733 or go to www.pamusacad.org.
The Pennsylvania Academy of Music is a non-profit pre-collegiate institution dedicated to the musical advancement of its students. Founded in 1990, the Academy attracts students from an immediate nine-county area as well as from around the world, who study disciplines ranging from instrumental, chamber music, orchestra, opera and vocal performance to music composition and theory, improvisation, accompanying ,jazz and recording. The Academy has a widely accomplished international faculty and is one of only 12 autonomous pre-collegiate music schools in the country accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
