ALL-STAR ORCHESTRA Premieres on PBS SoCal in Los Angeles Today

By: Oct. 01, 2013
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Renowned conductor Gerard Schwarz and his hand-picked team of musicians - including prominent principal players from major U.S. orchestras - come together to form a made-for-television classical music concert series premiering on the PBS SoCal Plus channel in Los Angeles, CA today, October 1, 2013 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. (Check local listings or visitallstarorchestra.org for updates on broadcast dates and times.)

The All-Star Orchestra, similar to Major League Baseball's All-Star team, is composed of the finest orchestral "athletes" from across the country. Featuring exceptional performances of symphonic masterpieces and contemporary works, The All-Star Orchestra programs seek to expose broad audiences to classical music through a format that is both informative and accessible. Naxos of America, the #1 independent classical music distributor in the U.S. and Canada, will release this unique series on DVD in October 2013.

Naxos founder Klaus Heymann said, "Naxos is delighted to support this important venture through its distribution network. It is a tribute to Jerry Schwarz that this project has finally been realized. He is a longtime recording partner for Naxos, and shares the Naxos commitment to music education."

Mr. Schwarz's All-Star Orchestra is comprised of musicians from leading orchestras based in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York (the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, the Tampa Bay Area, Washington, D.C., and more. Representing Los Angeles is Los Angeles Opera Orchestra associate concertmaster Jessica Guideri.

Each of the eight one-hour episodes was filmed over four days in the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York City in August 2012. Designed to appeal to the classical music neophyte and connoisseur alike, the programs were filmed with 19 high-definition cameras that were allowed unlimited access to each performance, roaming freely among the musicians to provide the audience with the best visuals and behind-the-scene glances. The Grand Ballroom, chosen for its acoustic integrity, has been the venue of choice for conductors such as Bernstein, Boulez, Mehta, and Toscanini for their own classical music recordings.

Under the leadership of Mr. Schwarz, who served for 26 seasons as music director of the Seattle Symphony, The All-Star Orchestra programs include musical excerpts, interviews, and educational commentary by Mr. Schwarz, the All-Star musicians, composers, and special guests. The website allstarorchestra.org is Being developed to offer additional interviews, footage, and educational resources aimed to bolster the classical music experience.

The eight episodes and their respective airdates are:

1. Music for the Theatre: Igor Stravinsky's Suite from The Firebird, Maurice Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2, and Bright Sheng's Prelude to BLACK SWAN.

  • Tuesday, October 1 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

2. What Makes a Masterpiece?: Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Philip Glass'Harmonium Mountain

  • Monday, October 7 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

3. The New World and Its Music: Antonin Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World,and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Avanti!

  • Monday, October 14 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

4. Politics and Art: Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5

  • Monday, October 21 at 1 a.m., 10 a.m., and 4 p.m.

5. Relationships in Music: Johannes Brahms' Academic Festival Overture and Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3("Rhenish")

  • Monday, October 21 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. (Episodes #4 and #5 will air back-to-back on the same day.)

6. The Living Art Form: Richard Danielpour's "A Hero's Journey" (from Piano Concerto No. 4),Soloist:Xiayin Wang; Samuel Jones' Concerto for Violoncello, Soloist: Julian Schwarz; and Joseph Schwantner's The Poet's Hour - Soliloquy for Violin, Soloist: Yevgeny Kutik

  • Monday, October 28 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

7. Music's Emotional Impact: Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and David Stock'sBlast!

  • Airdate TBA.

8. Mahler: Love, Sorrow, and Transcendence: Gustav Mahler's Rueckert Lieder (Songs from Latter Days),Soloist: Nancy Maultsby, and "Totenfeier"("Funerary Rites"), first movement from Symphony No. 2; Augusta Read Thomas' Of Paradise and Light; and Bernard Rands' Adieu

  • Airdate TBA.

For more information you can visit The All-Star Orchestra's Facebook page here.

The All-Star Orchestra seriesis a co-production of the All-Star Orchestra (John Forsen, Executive Producer; Paul Schwendener, Executive Director) and WNET (Stephen Segaller, Executive-in-Charge; Julie Anderson, Executive Producer).

Funding for The All-Star Orchestra is provided by Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, The Gladys Rubinstein Trust, The Garrigan Lyman Group, Van Ness Feldman LLP, David Gannett, Bruce and Jeanne McNae, Agnes Gund and the Hearst Foundation, and others.

About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York's flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, and a range of documentaries, children's programs, local news, and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah!, and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today, and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS content for free.

About American Public Television

American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations since 1961. APT also has distributed about half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles for nearly 10 years. Among its 300 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children's series, and classic movies.America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Rick Steves' Europe, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Moyers & Company, NHK Newsline, Lidia's Italy in America, Globe Trekker,Simply Ming, BBC World News,and P. Allen Smith's Garden Home join numerous documentaries and performance programs like Live from the Artists Den which are popular with public television viewers. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwideservice. Now in its 8th year, Create TV - featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming - is distributed by APT. APT also distributes WORLD, public television's premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

(Check local listings or visitallstarorchestra.org for updates on broadcast dates and times.) The All-Star Orchestra, similar to Major League Baseball's All-Star team, is composed of the finest orchestral "athletes" from across the country. Featuring exceptional performances of symphonic masterpieces and contemporary works, The All-Star Orchestra programs seek to expose broad audiences to classical music through a format that is both informative and accessible. Naxos of America, the #1 independent classical music distributor in the U.S. and Canada, will release this unique series on DVD in October 2013.

Naxos founder Klaus Heymann said, "Naxos is delighted to support this important venture through its distribution network. It is a tribute to Jerry Schwarz that this project has finally been realized. He is a longtime recording partner for Naxos, and shares the Naxos commitment to music education."

Mr. Schwarz's All-Star Orchestra is comprised of musicians from leading orchestras based in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York (the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, the Tampa Bay Area, Washington, D.C., and more. Representing Los Angeles is Los Angeles Opera Orchestra associate concertmaster Jessica Guideri.

Each of the eight one-hour episodes was filmed over four days in the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York City in August 2012. Designed to appeal to the classical music neophyte and connoisseur alike, the programs were filmed with 19 high-definition cameras that were allowed unlimited access to each performance, roaming freely among the musicians to provide the audience with the best visuals and behind-the-scene glances. The Grand Ballroom, chosen for its acoustic integrity, has been the venue of choice for conductors such as Bernstein, Boulez, Mehta, and Toscanini for their own classical music recordings.

Under the leadership of Mr. Schwarz, who served for 26 seasons as music director of the Seattle Symphony, The All-Star Orchestra programs include musical excerpts, interviews, and educational commentary by Mr. Schwarz, the All-Star musicians, composers, and special guests. The website allstarorchestra.org is Being developed to offer additional interviews, footage, and educational resources aimed to bolster the classical music experience.

The eight episodes and their respective airdates are:

1. Music for the Theatre: Igor Stravinsky's Suite from The Firebird, Maurice Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2, and Bright Sheng's Prelude to BLACK SWAN.

  • Tuesday, October 1 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

2. What Makes a Masterpiece?: Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Philip Glass'Harmonium Mountain

  • Monday, October 7 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

3. The New World and Its Music: Antonin Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World,and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Avanti!

  • Monday, October 14 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

4. Politics and Art: Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5

  • Monday, October 21 at 1 a.m., 10 a.m., and 4 p.m.

5. Relationships in Music: Johannes Brahms' Academic Festival Overture and Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3("Rhenish")

  • Monday, October 21 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. (Episodes #4 and #5 will air back-to-back on the same day.)

6. The Living Art Form: Richard Danielpour's "A Hero's Journey" (from Piano Concerto No. 4),Soloist:Xiayin Wang; Samuel Jones' Concerto for Violoncello, Soloist: Julian Schwarz; and Joseph Schwantner's The Poet's Hour - Soliloquy for Violin, Soloist: Yevgeny Kutik

  • Monday, October 28 at 2 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m.

7. Music's Emotional Impact: Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and David Stock'sBlast!

  • Airdate TBA.

8. Mahler: Love, Sorrow, and Transcendence: Gustav Mahler's Rueckert Lieder (Songs from Latter Days),Soloist: Nancy Maultsby, and "Totenfeier"("Funerary Rites"), first movement from Symphony No. 2; Augusta Read Thomas' Of Paradise and Light; and Bernard Rands' Adieu

  • Airdate TBA.

For more information you can visit The All-Star Orchestra's Facebook page here.

The All-Star Orchestra seriesis a co-production of the All-Star Orchestra (John Forsen, Executive Producer; Paul Schwendener, Executive Director) and WNET (Stephen Segaller, Executive-in-Charge; Julie Anderson, Executive Producer).

Funding for The All-Star Orchestra is provided by Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, The Gladys Rubinstein Trust, The Garrigan Lyman Group, Van Ness Feldman LLP, David Gannett, Bruce and Jeanne McNae, Agnes Gund and the Hearst Foundation, and others.

About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York's flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, and a range of documentaries, children's programs, local news, and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah!, and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today, and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS content for free.

About American Public Television

American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations since 1961. APT also has distributed about half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles for nearly 10 years. Among its 300 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children's series, and classic movies.America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Rick Steves' Europe, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Moyers & Company, NHK Newsline, Lidia's Italy in America, Globe Trekker,Simply Ming, BBC World News,and P. Allen Smith's Garden Home join numerous documentaries and performance programs like Live from the Artists Den which are popular with public television viewers. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwideservice. Now in its 8th year, Create TV - featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming - is distributed by APT. APT also distributes WORLD, public television's premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.



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