Scott Ellaway Conducts Orchestra Europa
The second of these concerts is February 24 at 8:00pm (Eastern) 5:00pm (Pacific).
By: Stephi Wild
During the pandemic, Orchestra Europa presents a newly performed digital concert series under the banner of the American Orchestra Europa Foundation and made available to home audiences with an ensemble of ten freshly minted California based Orchestra Europa Fellows, newly graduated from conservatoires including Colburn and USC.
The second of these concerts is February 24 at 8:00pm (Eastern) 5:00pm (Pacific). In this fifty-minute concert, Ellaway leads Orchestra Europa Fellows through a performance of two pieces composed by American composers and conductors of the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms featuring vocals from members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Notturno by Michael Tilson Thomas, scored for Flute, Harp and String Quintet. The concert features excerpts from Jamie Bernstein's Famous Father Girl, A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein, read between movements of her father's composition. As a composer/conductor himself, Ellaway sees a progression of musical styles in these works, crafted by these acclaimed composers, leading towards new works being composed by himself and others today. Tickets priced at $25 (student and seniors at $10) are available by emailing tickets@orchestraeuropafoundation.org Earlier in the day, a student version screens and is delivered at no cost in cooperation with OpusYou, a world leader in the field of K12 music education, Wednesday, February 24 at 3:30pm (Eastern) 12:30pm (Pacific) www.opusyou.com. Lasting 25 minutes, the program features Ellaway exploring the Bernstein Chichester Psalms, and Michael Tilson Thomas' Notturno, guiding students and educators through a musical journey, followed by a question and answer session with Ellaway and guests. Students are invited to deepen their exploration further with accompanying online resources. In the evening, Orchestra Europa presents this second digital concert scheduled for the2020-2021 season via Zoom. During this time when local events are cancelled and people are encouraged to stay at home, Orchestra Europa and OpusYou are presenting live music in a Socially Distanced Format to audiences via streaming. The third concert in this series is scheduled for May 12 featuring Viri Galilael by Patrick Gowers. Orchestra Europa performs under the auspices of the non-profit American Orchestra Europa Foundation. The concert is broadcast from a large warehouse facility operated by Gravity Media in Van Nuys, a leading global provider of complex live broadcast facilities and production services to content owners, creators and distributors. Gravity Media uses the collective pull of their team and resources to capture, craft and create world-class content, serving clients across the sport, media, news and entertainment industries from bases in the UK, Australia, USA, France, Germany and Qatar. "Artistic performances are a universal experience that offer healing and hope in times of darkness," said Artistic Director Scott Ellaway. "I'm honored to take performing arts into the digital realm so our communities can continue the appreciation and practice of music - no matter the circumstances."