The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, with Milwaukee County Parks, Presents Two Free Outdoor Concerts, 6/8 and 6/12

By: Jun. 03, 2014
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As a thank you to the Milwaukee community for its support during the season, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks presents a free outdoor concert on Sunday, June 8, 2014 in Cathedral Square Park, led by Associate Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong. The MSO will also perform a free outdoor concert on Thursday, June 12, 2014 in Boerner Botanical Gardens, led by guest conductor Jeff Tyzik. Concerts are free and open to the public.

The Cathedral Square concert will include a variety of light classical favorites from Brahms, Bernstein, Copland, and John Williams. Several local restaurants will have food and beverages available for purchase.

The Boerner Botanical Gardens performance features an evening of patriotic tunes, including the music of John Phillip Sousa, John Williams, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Admission to the gardens will be free after 6:00 p.m., and Milwaukee County Parks Concessions will have food and adult beverages available for purchase.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Francesco Lecce-Chong, currently associate conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, is active with the orchestral and operatic repertories on the international stage. In his role with the MSO, Mr. Lecce-Chong works closely with renowned Music Director Edo de Waart and is directly responsible for leading over forty subscription, tour, education, and community concert performances annually. Mr. Lecce-Chong has led an acclaimed gala concert with Itzhak Perlman, a statewide tour of Wisconsin, and conducted a special three-weekend chamber series. Mr. Lecce-Chong's international appearances include leading the Hong Kong (China), Pitesti (Romania), and Ruse (Bulgaria) philharmonics and the Sofia Festival Orchestra (Italy). Equally at ease in the opera house, Mr. Lecce-Chong has served as principal conductor for the Brooklyn Repertory Opera and as staff conductor and pianist for the Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Lecce-Chong is a 2012 recipient of The Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award and The Presser Foundation Presser Music Award. He is also the recipient of the N.T. Milani Memorial Conducting Fellowship and the George and Elizabeth Gregory Award for Excellence in Performance.

As a trained pianist and composer, Mr. Lecce-Chong embraces innovate programming, champions the work of new composers and, by example, supports arts education. His 2012.13 season presentations included two MSO-commissioned works, two United States premieres, and twelve works by composers actively working worldwide. He brings the excitement of new music to audiences of all ages through special presentations embodying diverse program repertoire and the use of unconventional performance spaces. Mr. Lecce-Chong also provides artistic leadership for the MSO's nationally-lauded Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, one of the largest arts integration programs in the country.

Mr. Lecce-Chong is a native of Boulder, Colorado, where he began conducting at the age of sixteen. He is a graduate of the Mannes College of Music, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree with honors in piano and orchestral conducting. Mr. Lecce-Chong also holds a diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied as a Martin and Sarah Taylor Fellow with renowned pedagogue Otto-Werner Mueller. Follow his blog, Finding Exhilaration, at www.lecce-chong.com.

Jeff Tyzik is one of America's most innovative and sought after pops conductors. This season, he begins a new role as principal pops conductor of the Seattle and Detroit symphonies and the Florida Orchestra. In the 2013.14 concert season, Tyzik celebrates his twentieth season as principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and continues to serve as principal pops conductor of the Oregon Symphony. Highly sought after as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with the Boston and Cincinnati pops; Dallas, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Indianapolis symphonies; Philadelphia Orchestra; and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Tyzik made his UK debut in 2010 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In May 2007, the Harmonia Mundi label released his recording of Gershwin works with pianist Jon Nakamatsu and the RPO, which stayed in the Top 10 on the Billboard classical chart for over three months. Alex Ross of The New Yorker called it "one of the snappiest Gershwin discs in years."

Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Chris Botti, Matthew Morrison, Wynonna Judd, Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O'Connor, Doc Severinsen, and John Pizzarelli and has created numerous original programs that include the greatest music from jazz and classical to Motown, Broadway, film, dance, Latin, and swing. Tyzik holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music. For more information about Jeff Tyzik, please visit www.jefftyzik.com.

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES

Free Community Concert
Sunday, June 8, 2014 | 6:30 p.m. Cathedral Square Park
Francesco Lecce-Chong, conductor

Free Community Concert
Thursday, June 12, 2014 | 7:30 p.m. Boerner Botanical Gardens
Jeff Tyzik, conductor

Special thanks to Milwaukee County Parks for their support.

ABOUT THE MSO

Ranked among the top orchestras in the country, the MSO is the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the orchestra has received critical acclaim for artistic excellence. The orchestra's full-time professional musicians perform more than 135 concerts each season. A cornerstone organization in Milwaukee's arts community, the MSO provides enrichment and education activities for audiences of every age, economic status, and background.



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