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Target World Music Festival Kicks Off The Phoenix Symphony's 2008-09 Season
Inaugural Festival Features Two Weeks of Outstanding Guest Artists and Unique Concerts
PHOENIX - With the support of Target, The Phoenix Symphony presents its inaugural Target World Music Festival around the Valley September 11-21. The Festival features a stunning roster of world-renowned guest artists including Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster, Chinese pipa sensation Wu Man and the Kronos Quartet. "We wanted to both explore and celebrate the incredible diversity of music around the globe," says Music Director Michael Christie. "The Target World Music Festival gives us the opportunity to bring traditional music from South America, Pacific islands, Europe and Asia right here to the Valley." The broad series of concerts includes Classics, Pops and Family concerts performed at Symphony Hall as well as Special Event performances at the Orpheum Theatre and the Mesa Arts Center. "At Target, we are committed to making the arts affordable and accessible to youth and families across the country," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "By partnering with The Phoenix Symphony on the first-ever Target World Music Festival, we hope to foster an appreciation and understanding of various cultures, traditions and points of view through the power of music." Single tickets to the Target World Music Festival concerts go on sale to the general public on August 3rd and can be purchased by visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org or by calling the Box Office at 602-495-1999.
Wu Man and the Romashka Gypsy Folk Troupe
World Music phenomenon Wu Man joins The Phoenix Symphony as they open the 2008/09 Classics Concerts and the inaugural Target World Music Festival with "Bartók Concerto for Orchestra: The Heritage of World Folk" September 11 and 13. Wu Man is the world's foremost Chinese pipa virtuoso (an instrument similar to a lute with a rich, centuries-long tradition in China), and was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "the artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western world." She has performed as soloist with many of the world's major orchestras including the Symphony Orchestras of Boston and Chicago and the New York Philharmonic, and was the first artist from China to perform at the White House. She performs American composer Lou Harrison's Pipa Concerto, a work she premiered and recorded.
Along with Wu Man and the Chinese pipa, these concerts will feature traditional sounds from East and West, with Bartók's revered Concerto for Orchestra - in which the composer disguised traditional Hungarian folk songs - to works by Japan's seminal composer Toru Takemitsu. The Romashka Gypsy Folk Troupe also joins the Symphony with traditional Gypsy song and dance, demonstrating how classical composers like Bartók were informed and influenced by folk music. Formed in 2003, the troupe moved from cafes and all-night jams, apartment parties and subway stops to museums and music festivals, quickly becoming a driving force in the burgeoning New York gypsy and Balkan music scene. Both Thursday evening's 7:30 p.m. concert and Saturday evening's 8:00 p.m. concert are at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.
Kronos Quartet
The groundbreaking Kronos Quartet performs around the Valley September 12 and 14. Over their decades-long performing and recording career, the Kronos Quartet has commissioned new works and fearlessly incorporated elements and arrangements of rock music in their concerts. In the process, they have become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time by performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than forty recordings, collaborating with many of the world's most eclectic composers and performers from Terry Riley and Philip Glass to David Bowie and expanding the literature and context of the string quartet. The Kronos Quartet has been featured prominently in such films as Requiem for a Dream, 21 Grams and Dracula, and has garnered numerous awards, including a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance and 2003 "Musicians of the Year" award from Musical America.
September 12 - Friday evening's 8 p.m. performance at the Orpheum Theatre showcases the Kronos Quartet's wide repertoire as they perform selections by composers from around the globe.
September 14 - Special guest Wu Man performs Chen Yi's multimedia work Ancient Dances and joins the Kronos Quartet in a work Terry Riley wrote specifically for these five extraordinary performers: The Cusp of Magic. This Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.
Please note: The Phoenix Symphony does not perform on these concerts.
Tania Libertad
Peruvian singer Tania Libertad performs her distinctive Afro-Peruvian style of soulful song September 17 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tania Libertad, born in the small town of Zana in northern Peru but a long-time resident of Mexico, has amassed an amazingly diverse discography of three dozen albums that includes forays into the stylistic realms of salsa, nueva cancion (protest songs), Brazilian music, her trademark boleros and other genres. Despite this versatility, it is consistently the spirit of Peru's small but culturally vibrant Afro-Peruvian community that shapes her artistic life. The Wednesday night concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Please note: The Phoenix Symphony does not perform on this concert.
Natalie MacMaster
The exciting fiddler Natalie MacMaster joins The Phoenix Symphony to kick off the Pops series with performances September 19 and 20. A consummate entertainer, Natalie MacMaster delights audiences around the world with high-energy Celtic fiddling and step-dancing. She has appeared with dozens of distinguished symphony orchestras, has been on national television programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has shared the stage with a diverse range of musical stars including Santana, Paul Simon, Faith Hill and Luciano Pavarotti. While her albums consistently receive accolades, such as the 2005 East Coast Music Awards "Best Female Artist of the Year" and "Best Roots/Traditional Solo Recording," it is the popularity of her music and the intensity of her performance that makes her an audience favorite again and again, and a Pops experience not to be missed. Both Friday and Saturday night performances begin at 8:00 p.m. and are located in Symphony Hall. Natalie MacMaster also opens the Symphony's Family series with "Celtic Fiddlin'" on September 20. As with all The Phoenix Symphony's Family concerts, pre-concert activities begin at 1:30 p.m. and the performance in Symphony Hall begins at 2:30 p.m.
HAPA
The inaugural Target World Music Festival comes to a festive finale with the island sounds of HAPA performing at the Orpheum Theatre September 21. Like the Hawaiian Islands themselves, HAPA's Pan-Polynesian music is an amalgam of influences ranging from ancient genealogical chants to the strummed ballads of Portuguese fishermen, Spanish cowboys and the inspired melodies and harmonies of the traditional church choirs of the early missionaries. HAPA's self-titled debut album swept the 1994 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy Awards), becoming the best-selling CD by any group in the history of Hawaiian music. Recording success has consistently translated into performance success with sold-out shows across the globe from Tokyo to New York. Topped off with a bit of American acoustic folk/rock, HAPA's sound exemplifies the all-encompassing scope of the Target World Music Festival. The Sunday matinee performance begins at 2:00 p.m. Please note: The Phoenix Symphony does not perform on this concert.
Festival Events
The Phoenix Symphony Education and Community Engagement Office will present two fun-filled afternoons of activities in conjunction with the Target World Music Festival. Wu Man's performance with the Kronos Quartet on September 14 coincides with the Chinese Moon Festival, the second most important event in Chinese culture. Before the concert, audience members can learn about the Moon Festival and the fascinating Chinese pipa. This event will take place at the Mesa Arts Center from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Similar pre-concert festivities will precede HAPA's Orpheum Theatre concert on September 21. Downtown Phoenix will come alive from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. in an event for the whole family to explore Pan-Polynesian song, dance and culture.
Target Family Matinee Package
Thanks to the generosity of Target, a limited number of tickets will be available for the Target World Music Festival matinee performances at a special price of $15 adults, $10 children. These specially-priced tickets are located throughout the theatre and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Let the child in your life experience the wonders of world music! To order, ask for the Target Family Matinee price when calling the Box Office, or enter TARGET as a promo code when ordering online at www.phoenixsymphony.org.
TARGET WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
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BARTÓK: CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA THE HERITAGE OF WORLD FOLK Symphony Classics Concert No. 1
SEPT 11 - Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. SEPT 13 - Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. Symphony Hall
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Michael Christie, conductor Wu Man, Chinese pipa With special guest, Romashka Gypsy Folk Troupe
Take a musical tour around the world without leaving your seat in Symphony Hall. As a part of The Phoenix Symphony's inaugural World Music Festival, the orchestra explores folk music from across the globe including the exotic sounds of the Chinese pipa and the Hungarian folk songs disguised in Bartók's mesmerizing Concerto for Orchestra.
Tickets: $72, $62, $52, $42, $32, $22
KRONOS QUARTET Special Event Concerts
SEPT 12 - Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. Orpheum Theatre
The Kronos Quartet--David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello)--is arguably the most celebrated and influential group of our time. With its extraordinary creativity, the Kronos Quartet encompasses a spirit of fearless exploration as it expands the range and context of the string quartet. Join us for this fascinating journey as one of the outstanding quartets of today displays its fresh and exciting approach to music-making.
Tickets: $56, $46, $36, $26
SEPT 14 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Mesa Arts Center
With special guest, Wu Man, Chinese pipa
Wu Man joins the renowned Kronos Quartet for an evening of unique and captivating music. She performs Chen Yi's multimedia work, Ancient Dances, and shares the stage with the quartet in performing a work Terry Riley wrote specifically for Wu Man and the Kronos Quartet: The Cusp of Magic.
Tickets: $58, $48, $38, $28 (includes $2 facility fee)
*Please note: The Phoenix Symphony does not perform on these concerts.
TANIA LIBERTAD Special Event Concert
SEPT 17 - Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. Orpheum Theatre
Born in Peru and based in Mexico City, the intoxicating singer Tania Libertad's fearless and evocative voice has established her as one of the most important singers in World Music today. She has a truly multi-cultural style; drawing inspiration from the African influence along Peru's Costa Negra to the boleros and romantic ballads sung all across Latin America. Tania brings her unique style to Phoenix for one night only for this soulful and stirring concert.
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Please note: The Phoenix Symphony does not perform on this concert.
NATALIE MACMASTER Pops Concert No. 1
SEPT 19 - Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. SEPT 20 - Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. Symphony Hall
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Michael Christie, conductor Natalie MacMaster, Celtic Fiddle
With a talent that remains both raw and wondrously refined, Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster continues to delight crowds around the globe with her feverish fiddling and rhythmic intensity. Performing with an "irresistible, keening passion" (Los Angeles Times), Natalie joins The Phoenix Symphony for the Target World Music Festival to kick off the Pops Season with this spectacular, high-energy concert.
Tickets: $76, $66, $56, $46, $36, $26
Celtic Fiddlin' Family Concert No. 1
SEPT 20 - Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Symphony Hall
The Phoenix Symphony Michael Christie, conductor Natalie MacMaster, Celtic fiddle
Take a journey to the Emerald Isle as Natalie MacMaster and The Phoenix Symphony bring the magic of Celtic and folk music to life. Kids of all ages will enjoy this rollicking, foot-stomping afternoon as fiddles and step-dancing take center stage.
Tickets: $18, $14, $10
SEPT 21 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Orpheum Theatre
HAPA's Pan-Polynesian music is an amalgam of influences: from ancient chants to their strummed ballads; from the majestic tones of the oli (chant) and mele (song), to the elegant movements of the sacred dance known as hula. This ground-breaking group transports audiences to a heavenly place of beauty and serenity, and shows why they are considered the most exciting contemporary Hawaiian music group on the planet.
Adult Tickets: $25 Kids Tickets: $15
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About Music Director Michael Christie: Michael Christie begins his fourth season as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony with the 2008/09 season. He also serves as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival and of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has appeared with orchestras across the United States, Europe, and Canada, as well as with the Finnish National Opera, Queensland Opera and Zürich Opera. In 1995, Mr. Christie was awarded a special prize at the First International Sibelius Conductor's Competition. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony. Michael Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, Eiji Oue and Peter Jaffe.
About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.
Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.
The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.
About Target: Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,613 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Since 1946, the corporation has invested five percent of its income in the communities it serves. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Target partners with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.
--------------------------------------------------------- The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.
