The Discovery Orchestra Wins Its Eleventh Telly Award For Its Latest TV Special

The Discovery Orchestra (TDO), the Summit, New Jersey-based orchestra known for its teaching concerts in performance halls and on the small screen, has just won its eleventh Telly Award. The ensemble, which has introduced millions around the world to the pleasures of classical music listening, is a Bronze Telly Winner in Television – Cultural for Discover Saint-Saëns' “Organ” Symphony, a compelling exploration of the soaring Finale of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns' tour de force Symphony No. 3. The special is hosted by TDO Founder and Artistic Director George Marriner Maull, who helps audience members build their listening skills, which is the core mission of the arts nonprofit. TDO has previously received Telly Awards, the world's largest honor for video and television across all screens, for its specials Discover Beethoven's 5th, Discover Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Fall in Love with Music and Discover The Firebird.

Discover Saint-Saëns' “Organ” Symphony is now available to stream on The WNET Group's AllArts.org and on the free ALL ARTS app on all major streaming platforms, including Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Distributed nationally by American Public Television, the one-hour program is now being featured on public television stations across the country (check local listings).

Established in 1979, The Telly Awards received nearly 13,000 submissions from all 50 states and 5 continents for its 44th annual edition. 

Credited for the 2023 Telly Award win are Writer/Host/Conductor George Marriner Maull; Executive Producers Virginia Johnston and Rick Kaller; Producer/Director Dave Emmerling, Midnight Media Group; Producer/Director Walter Schoenknecht, Midnight Media Group; and Sound Designer David Walters, David Walters LLC.

“Receiving this wonderful acknowledgement from The Telly Awards energizes us to expand our commitment to helping people emotionally connect with classical music,” said Maull. “The benefits are myriad. Unfettering the pathway to this wonderful musical genre allows individuals to slow down their thoughts and to be present in the moment as they learn how to listen better.”

Viewers will gain a better understanding of the “Organ” Symphony Finale as the 91-piece symphony orchestra — featuring organist Mark Miller — performs Saint-Saëns' masterpiece, led by Maull, who provides insights into the composition's melodic themes, recurring patterns and much more. Copies of The Discovery Orchestra's listening guide for this public television special, digitally recorded in September at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, can be found at: https://bit.ly/DSSListeningGuide. 

The program was made possible with the generous support of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as Elliot and MaryJeanette Dee, Bob and Cynthia Hamburger, Michael Johnston, The F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Kosloski Family Foundation, Robert Scott of Main Street Wealth Management, The Bill and Patricia O'Connor Charitable Fund, David and Ellen Williams, Lee and Jennifer Pierson, The V.A. Johnston Charitable Fund, Daniel and Gail Kopp, and Rachel Weinberger and Ed McGann.

Details about The Discovery Orchestra are available at www.discoveryorchestra.org. For program information, check www.aptonline.org or local listings. Connect with the Orchestra on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About The Discovery Orchestra:

The Discovery Orchestra (the Orchestra), a 501(c)(3) music education organization based in Summit, New Jersey, teaches the attentive listening skills that help people of all backgrounds better experience and emotionally connect with classical music. Founded in 1987 by Artistic Director George Marriner Maull, the Orchestra uses a welcoming, lighthearted approach to classical music listening education for the general public. It engages audiences through its live interactive Discovery Concerts, community outreach events, television productions and online digital content and its twice-monthly public radio show, Inside Music, broadcast on WWFM 89.1 The Classical Network and heard worldwide at wwfm.org. Its Emmy-nominated programs Bach to the Future, Discover Beethoven's 5th and Discover Vivaldi's Four Seasons; Telly Award-winning Discover The Firebird; and Telly Award-winning series Fall in Love with Music are all available on Amazon Prime Video. Fall in Love with Music and Discover Vivaldi's Four Seasons can also be viewed on PBS Passport free of charge to PBS station members.

About APT:

American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and more than one-third of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT's diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children's series and news and current affairs programs. Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, America's Test Kitchen, AfroPoP, Rick Steves' Europe, Pacific Heartbeat, Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television, Legacy List with Matt Paxton, Lidia's Kitchen, Kevin Belton's New Orleans Kitchen, Simply Ming, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, Live From the Artists Den, James Patterson's Kid Stew and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT's programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes CreateTV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — and WORLD, public television's premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.