E.T. The Extra Terrestrial In Concert Coming to Edinburgh’s Usher Hall

Tickets are on sale now at www.usherhall.co.uk

TM & © Universal Studios

Relive the magic of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial on the big screen accompanied by a magnificent, live performance of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Coming to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on Saturday 20 April, tickets are on sale now at: www.usherhall.co.uk.

Director Steven Spielberg's heart-warming masterpiece is one of the brightest stars in motion picture history. Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott. Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie that captivated audiences around the world, complete with John Williams’ Academy Award®-winning score performed live by a full symphony orchestra in sync to the film projected on a huge HD screen!

The concert will see the Czech National Symphony Orchestra return to the venue following their highly acclaimed performance as part of the Usher Hall’s Sunday Classics series in 2018.

The CNSO has gained a position among both Czech and Europe’s top symphonic ensembles. Renowned for its versatility, the orchestra presents annually a broad program ranging from classical music concerts through contemporary genre, film scores, jazz, or musicals.

Tickets:

£49.50 | £31.80 | £35.20 | £27.50 | Includes booking fee. at www.usherhall.co.uk and 0131 228 1155

Listings Information:

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial with Czech National Symphony Orchestra Sat 20 April 2019, 7.30pm Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh Conductor: Ben Palmer Classified U

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved. Available on Blu- ray and DVD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Media Contacts: [email protected] / 0131 202 6220

CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Celebrating its 25th birthday in 2018, the CNSO has earned an enviable reputation among both Czech and Europe’s top symphonic ensembles. Renowned for its versatility, the orchestra annually presents a broad programme ranging from classical music concerts to contemporary genres, film scores, jazz and musicals. Since 2005 the Czech National Symphony Orchestra has also organised the summer Prague Proms Festival, which with its impressive array of prominent international performers, appeals to a diverse audience year in year out. Composers, conductors, and performers such as Ennio Morricone, Lalo Schifrin, James Morrison, Branford & Wynton Marsalis, Pino Donnagio, Giuliano Taviani, José Carreras, Danny Elfman, Vince Mendoza, Giuseppe Tornatore, Carl Davis, Steven Mercurio, Marcello Rota, Christian Lindberg, Chick Corea, Vladimir Cosma repeatedly come back to Prague to either record with the orchestra or perform in the beautiful Smetana Hall at Prague’s Municipal House, the home concert stage of the orchestra. Highlights from recent concert seasons include a European tour with the legendary Ennio Morricone, and a Prague concert with Anna Netrebko. Meanwhile in the studio the orchestra worked on recording Plácido Domingo and Vittorio Grigolo’s new Christmas album, also collaborating with Ennio Morricone on his score for the new western film The Hateful Eight directed by Quentin Tarantino. Ennio Morricone then went on to win an Oscar after 500 movie credits! The soundtrack was recorded live and launched by Tarantino, Morricone, and the CNSO at Abbey Road Studios in December 2015. Following on from the collaboration with Columbia Artists Management Inc., the orchestra toured the USA in February and March 2016. In 2017, the orchestra toured extensively with Ennio Morricone and James Newton Howard. The CNSO has also renewed its longstanding cooperation with Andrea Bocelli, plus accompanied Rolando Villazon and Jonas Kaufmann. The orchestra has collaborated with some of the most prominent pop artists, such as Sting, George Michael, Natalie Cole, Dianne Reeves, Angélique Kidjo, Denise Donatelli, Ute Lemper, and great instrumentalists, such as James Morrison, Branford & Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Shew, Joe Lovano, John Abercrombie, John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Chick Corea and many more. Successful tours have taken place over the British Isles, USA, Canada, France, Spain, Dubai, Japan, Mexico, China, Korea, Oman, Australia and New Zealand. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra’s recordings go on sale worldwide, and the orchestra takes pride in having produced a number of Gold CDs (for more than 30 000 copies sold). Other accolades include the Gustav Mahler Prize, awarded for the interpretation of Mahler’s works, and the prestigious contract the orchestra signed with IMG Artists London and Columbia Artists New York. Achievements also include a long-standing recording project in association with Tokyo-based media company Victor Entertainment. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra was set up in 1993 by trumpet player Jan Hasenöhrl along with the legendary conductor Zdeněk Košler. In 1996, the American Paul Freeman took over as Chief Conductor, and remained in this position for an amazing ten years. At the beginning of the year 2007, Maestro Libor Pešek was named the Chief Conductor and he continues to hold down the post today.

BEN PALMER Ben Palmer is Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, and Founder and Artistic Director of Covent Garden Sinfonia. In 2018/19 he will debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonietta de Lausanne, Cinematic Sinfonia, City Light Chamber Orchestra (Lucerne), the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, and the Pilsen Philharmonic, as well as returning to the London Mozart Players, the BBC Singers, the Orchestra of Opera North and Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and touring extensively with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Recent guest conducting engagements include the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, and Southbank Sinfonia. In 2020 he will debut with the Heidelberger Sinfoniker, and return to the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg and the Pilsen Philharmonic.

Under his leadership since 2007, Covent Garden Sinfonia is firmly established as one of London’s most dynamic and versatile professional orchestras. He took up the position of Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck in September 2017, opening his tenure with a performance of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with soprano Carolyn Sampson. His second season includes the original version of Bruckner’s Third Symphony at Kloster Eberbach, and Mahler’s Seventh at the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.

Ben Palmer is one of Europe’s foremost specialists in conducting live to film, leading more than 40 film-with-orchestra performances each year. In 2018/19 he will conduct Jurassic Park (the 25th anniversary UK tour), Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Home Alone, Casino Royale, Back to the Future, The Pink Panther (European premiere) and Brassed Off, in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the KKL Luzern, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and Symphony Hall Birmingham. He has a repertoire of more than 20 films, including Psycho, Casablanca, Under the Skin, Metropolis, and Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush. He conducted the first performances of 2017 silent film London Symphony, of Neil Brand’s scores for The Lodger and Oliver Twist, and in 2018 led the German premiere of Casino Royale. In 2017 he was invited by the Philharmonia Orchestra to assist Vladimir Ashkenazy with a screening of Battleship Potemkin.

As well as conducting his own concerts with the Royal College of Music Philharmonic and period-instrument Classical Orchestras, he has been invited to prepare the RCM Symphony Orchestra for Bernard Haitink and Sir Roger Norrington. He worked closely with Norrington between 2011-16, acting as his assistant conductor for concerts, recordings, and at the BBC Proms.

In addition to his work as a conductor, Ben Palmer is sought after as a composer, arranger and orchestrator. His recordings include a critically-acclaimed disc of choral/orchestral music by Antonio Lotti with The Syred Consort (selected as BBC Radio 3 Record Review’s ‘Disc of the Week’, and chosen as one of Presto Classical’s Top Ten CDs of 2016), a recording of his own work, Bach Dreams, with the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, and a live CD of film music with the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, due for release in late 2018.

A trumpeter and composer by training, he studied music at the University of Birmingham, graduating with first class honours in 2003. He stayed on at Birmingham to complete an MPhil in composition, before moving to London in 2005 to study composition at the Royal Academy of Music. He was made an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARAM) in 2017, and is almost three quarters of the way through his lifetime ambition to conduct all 107 Haydn symphonies.

THE USHER HALL The Usher Hall is Scotland's only five-star concert hall hosting a range of concerts from rock, pop, classical, jazz, world and folk music. The venue has hosted concerts and events since it opened way back in 1914! A beautiful Edwardian building with a modern twist, which is well loved by performers and audiences all over the world due to its magnificent acoustics.

It is said that Andrew Usher sparked the idea of a ‘concert hall for Edinburgh’ whilst chatting away over the counter of his jewellers in Rose Street. His ‘desire and intention’ was that this Hall ‘should become and remain a centre and attraction to musical artistes and performers and to the citizens of Edinburgh and others who may desire to hear good music...’

On 23 June 1896 it was formally announced that Andrew Usher had gifted £100,000 to The City of Edinburgh. The purpose of the money was to provide a City Hall, to be used for concerts, recitals, or other entertainments or performances of a musical nature, and for civic functions, or such other performances as the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council saw fit. Above all it was to be about the music. Edinburgh was very much lacking a hall for such musical and civic purposes, as stated in the Scotsman the following day; ‘The necessity for a great hall in Edinburgh under city management has been pressed upon the attention of the public for many years.’ Sadly Andrew Usher died before his dream was realised. State Visit

19 July 1911 saw the state visit of King George and Queen Mary and one of their duties while in the city was to lay two memorial stones. Within the foundation stone is a lead casket containing all the coins of the realm, a copy of the City Chamberlain’s accounts, a copy of The Scotsman the Edinburgh Evening News, a list of city officials, a list of the Town Council, and a copy of Andrew Usher’s deed of gift.

Usher Hall Opens

The building was officially opened by Andrew Usher’s widow on 16 March 1914. Three celebratory concerts took place featuring music from Handel, Bach, MacCunn, Wagner and Beethoven. 'It is not too much to say that those present, who saw the hall for the first time, were greatly struck with its dignified proportions, its open and airy aspect, and the character of its decorative detail'. The Scotsman (7 March 1914).

Today

Today, the much praised acoustics make it one of the best concert halls in Europe with many of the world's finest musicians performing here. The Usher Hall is the city's key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947, hosting legendary artists such as composers Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich, contralto singer Kathleen Ferrier and cellist Jacqueline Du Pre to name but a few.

The venue is a centre of excellence embracing the widest range of music and events, including rock, pop, jazz, world and blues. It is Edinburgh’s go-to venue for today’s mid-large scale rock and pop acts, with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, The National, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, George Ezra and Echo & the Bunnymen having performed on its stage. Usher Hall also hosts a broad spectrum of comedy, talks, school concerts, conferences, sponsorship events, ceremonies, lectures and recording sessions.