N E W S R E L E A S E CONTACT: Katherine Blodgett phone: 215.893.1939 e-mail: [email protected] Alyssa Porambo phone: 215.893.3136 e-mail: [email protected] DRAFT 7/20/2015 4:10 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2015 The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Kimmel Center Partner for FREE Neighborhood Concert in Verizon Hall and FREE Commonwealth Plaza Entertainment, July 30 from 4-8:30 PM Wells Fargo Presents Neighborhood Concert, conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève Neighborhood Concert will be LiveNote ® enabled and streamed live at www.philorch.org FREE tickets may be reserved beginning July 21 at 10 AM at www.philorch.org (Philadelphia, July 20, 2015)—The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Kimmel Center partner for a free Neighborhood Concert presented by Wells Fargo, and free entertainment in Commonwealth Plaza on Thursday, July 30. Beginning at 4 PM on the Plaza Stage, Philadelphia area musical theater actors Jeff Coon and Fran Prisco will perform a medley of classic Broadway songs, accompanied by their music director, John Daniels. From 5 PM to 6 PM, Brazilian duo Minas will entertain audiences with their innovative sound, blending Brazilian guitar, jazz piano, and mixed vocals. Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève conducts the Neighborhood Concert, which begins at 6:30 PM in Verizon Hall. Immediately following the Orchestra’s Free Neighborhood Concert, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. there will be a performance by jazz singer Shakera Jones bringing the evening of diverse musical entertainment to a close. All activities are free but tickets are required for the Neighborhood Concert, and will be available on July 21 at 10 AM through the Orchestra’s website. The free Neighborhood Concert will be streamed live on philorch.org at 6:30 PM, continuing the Orchestra’s expansion of community offerings that take its musicians into the lives of music-lovers throughout the Philadelphia region, and across the globe. Further, the Orchestra’s mobile app, LiveNote , will be enabled allowing concertgoers to access custom-created information about select works on the program, following along with the music in real time and presenting musical, emotional, and historical highlights. In true neighborhood fashion, guests are encouraged to come early, and bring a picnic and enjoy a memorable evening of fantastic free entertainment on the stage in Commonwealth Plaza. Picnic style food will also be available for purchase at the concession stand. Also on July 30, all Philadelphia Orchestra single tickets for the 2015-16 season become available for purchase. Those who purchase tickets in person at the Kimmel Center can take advantage of reduced ticket fees. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Neighborhood Concert Series The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Neighborhood Concert Series continues the Orchestra’s commitment to bringing the music of the world renowned ensemble to listeners of all ages in communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. By bringing the power, majesty, and fun of the music they create together into a variety of neighborhoods, the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra help ensure that music lives in the hearts of people for generations to come, no matter where they reside. The Philadelphia Orchestra has presented Neighborhood Concerts in such locations as Upper Darby, Allegheny West, Rittenhouse Square, Northeast Philadelphia, University City, Washington Township, NJ, South Philadelphia, Penn’s Landing, Montgomery County Community College, Villanova University, Camden, NJ, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia’s City Hall, East Falls, the Navy Yard, and the Curtis Arboretum. FREE Neighborhood Concert July 30 at 6:30 PM – Thursday evening – Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The Philadelphia Orchestra Stéphane Denève Conductor Williams Sound the Bells! Higdon blue cathedral (with LiveNote) Bernstein Overture to Candide Berlioz “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath,” from Symphonie fantastique Ravel La Valse (with LiveNote) This concert is presented by Wells Fargo, in partnership with Kimmel Center, Inc. It will be live-streamed on philorch.org. The concert is FREE, but tickets are required, and will be available beginning July 21, 2015, at 10 AM at www.philorch.org. Please note that free tickets do not guarantee seating. Seating is general admission and first come, first served. Stéphane Denève Stéphane Denève is principal guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra; he made his debut in 2007 and assumed his current position at the start of the 2014-15 season. He is also chief conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and in September becomes chief conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic and director of its Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire. From 2005 to 2012 he was music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Mr. Denève’s recent European engagements have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw and Philharmonia orchestras; the Bavarian Radio, Swedish Radio, Vienna, and London symphonies; the Munich Philharmonic; the Orchestra Sinfonica dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome; the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; and the Orchestre National de France. In North America Mr. Denève made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2012 with the Boston Symphony, with which he is a frequent guest. He appears regularly with the Chicago and San Francisco symphonies, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and he made his New York Philharmonic debut in 2015. He has conducted productions at the Royal Opera House, the Glyndebourne Festival, La Scala, the Saito Kinen Festival, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie, and the Opéra National de Paris. He enjoys close relationships with many of the world’s leading artists, including Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Leif Ove Andsnes, Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Nikolaj Znaider, Gil Shaham, Emanuel Ax, Lars Vogt, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Vadim Repin, and James Ehnes. Mr. Denève has won critical acclaim for his recordings of the works of Poulenc, Debussy, Roussel, Franck, and Connesson. He is a double winner of the Diapason d’Or, was shortlisted in 2012 for Gramophone’s Artist of the Year award, and won the prize for symphonic music at the 2013 International Classical Music Awards. A graduate of, and prizewinner at, the Paris Conservatory, Mr. Denève worked closely in his early career with Georg Solti, Georges Prêtre, and Seiji Ozawa. Jeff Coon Jeffrey Coon has been a member of Philadelphia’s theater community since attending the University of Pennsylvania. He has performed in nearly 100 productions and worked at most of the area’s theater companies including Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Act 2 Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Prince Music Theatre, and is extremely excited to be producing his own event with The Summer Club. He is a 10-time Barrymore Award nominee, winning for his performance as Dominique in The Baker’s Wife at Arden Theatre Company. Favorite roles include Georges Seurat (Sunday in the Park with George), Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire), Charles Lindbergh (Baby Case – World Premiere), Che Guevara (Evita), Father Flynn (Doubt), and Harold Hill (The Music Man). Fran Prisco A Philadelphia native and resident, Fran Prisco has developed a reputation as one of his hometown's favorite performers. His resume boasts over 20 productions at the Walnut Street Theatre, including two Barrymore Nominations. He also has performed for Philadelphia’s excellent theater companies including The Arden, The Wilma, Philadelphia Theatre Co., 1812 Productions, 11th Hour, and the Delaware Theatre Co., among others. Last summer he had the honor of returning to his college campus to portray Ali Hakim in Oklahoma! for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. His performing career has taken him all over the country. including two National Tours of Forever Plaid and to Denver, Colorado for a production of My Way! A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. He is also a respected cabaret artist. Cabarets he's created and performed include A Tribute to Johnnie and An Evening of Break Up Songs for Stupid Valentine’s Day! The New Jersey shore has, as for most Philadelphians, been Fran's home away from home, for relaxation and work. He's spent summers at the Showplace and Music Man Ice Cream Parlours in LBI and Lavalette respectively. He's also acted at the Surflight Theatre on LBI, and The Tropicana in AC. Minas Minas takes Brazilian and American roots to create a sound that is fresh and innovative, from ballads tinged with melancholic traits of Blues and Choro, to Folk coasting on the subtle coolness of a Bossa Nova pulse, to upbeat Sambas elaborated with instrumental jazz improvisation, scat singing and whimsical whistling. With recordings of original music and a collection of over 100 songs, Orlando Haddad’s and Patricia King’s compositions have been compared to classics by Cole Porter and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Capturing the essence of great songwriting with memorable melodies, inventive harmonies, and poetic lyrics, the music of Minas is engaging and timeless. Shakera Jones A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Shakera Jones has been singing since age four. Influenced by her parents’ love for jazz and soul music, Shakera began performing and singing at every opportunity. Shakera moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in jazz voice. While attending Temple University, Shakera formed the Shakera Jones quartet, which includes George Burton on piano, Wayne Smith, Jr. on drums, and Jason Fraticelli on bass. Early performances consisted of mostly jazz standards with original arrangements. While studying for her master’s degree in jazz studies at the University of the Arts, Shakera began to try her hand at songwriting. Since then, she has developed a style all her own, winning audiences with her sultry voice, impressive range, personal lyrics, and jazz/soul influenced accompaniment.