PSO to Present 'The Composer is Dead' Concert, Today

On Saturday, May 16, at 2:30 pm at Richardson Auditorium, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents Lemony Snicket's musical performance piece for children The Composer is Dead, a not-to-be-missed family concert in the grand tradition of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." Narrator Julian Grant unveils and interrogates every instrument of the orchestra as he solves Lemony Snicket's playful and perplexing murder mystery set in the symphony hall. Blending in more magical and bewitching music, the concert also features John Williams' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Suite and Anatol Liadov's Baba-Yaga, Op. 56. PSO. Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts.

PSO's Family Concert brings to life Lemony Snicket's irreverent and hilarious book The Composer is Dead in which dreadful news of a composer's demise is traced through all the instruments of the orchestra, coming to a surprising ending. The enormously popular Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) joined forces with composer Nathaniel Stookey and fulfilled a long-held dream to create a narrated, musical introduction to the orchestra to captivate young children. Narrator Julian Grant serves on the PSO's board of trustees. He is a composer, writer, educator, music journalist and broadcaster, and father of two girls.

In the second half of the concert, children of all ages will recognize music from the Harry Potter movies. One of the most famous, "Hedwig's Theme," will be performed, along with other excerpts from John Williams' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Suite including "Sorcerer's Stone," "Nimbus," and "Harry's World." Williams, a prolific film and orchestra composer, became a household name after writing the Oscar-winning music for Star Wars in 1977.

Written at the turn of the 19th century, Anatol Liadov's Baba-Yaga, is a classic piece based on a Russian fairytale depicting the witch Baba-Yaga who flies around in a giant pestle with a broom made of silver birch and lives in a hut set on chicken feet. With delightfully inventive orchestration, Liadov's score evokes the fairytale's other-worldly atmosphere and vivid sense of adventure.

PSO Music Director Rossen Milanov is thrilled to welcome families to the magic of live orchestra music. Don't miss the rollicking fun of Lemony Snicket's sinister tale in this special hour-long concert for families presented by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets for The Composer is Dead are general admission: $10 adult, $5 child and available at www.princetonsymphony.org or (609) 497-0020.

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