NEWS RELEASE
Date: September 16, 2019 Contact: Lexi Locke
For Immediate Release Phone:417.864.6683
Photos Available Upon Request Cell: 417.860.9690
Fax: 417.864.8967
lexi@springfieldmosymphony.org
Springfield Symphony portrays the glamour and grit of the Big Apple on opening concert
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Springfield Symphony kicks off its 85th consecutive season, American Playlist, in Big Apple style. The classical concert, New York Night, will feature pianist Alexander Tutunov on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue on Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The concert is being sponsored by Reliable Superstore, Margo S. Armstrong, Ozarks Fox KRBK and Meyer Communications.
“I absolutely love the music that tells the story of New York City. It’s some of the best American music we have,” exclaimed Kyle Wiley Pickett, music director/conductor for the Springfield Symphony. “New York offers wonderful shows on Broadway and you can hear amazing music at Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera. You can wander the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art and see incredible works of art. You can get Chinese food at 2:00 in the morning and New York’s delis always have my favorite sandwich–a Reuben piled with corned beef and covered in Russian dressing. There is no place like New York.”
In planning this concert, Pickett worked to depict New York’s best dazzling hits in presenting this Big Apple in Springfield, MO. “The music of Gershwin conjures a jazzy, bustling, ambitious city, bursting with passions, sensuality, and potential; it’s undeniably thrilling,” said Pickett. “No one has ever written musicals that so completely embody New York City like Leonard Bernstein. West Side Story tells us of the tragedy of the city—of star-crossed lovers, of racism and street violence and dreams that don’t always come true on the island of Manhattan. On the Town shows us the comic side of the city—foolish love and zany characters and wild antics all in a day designed solely for fun in the city. I’m thrilled to dedicate a night—one night—to the music of New York City, to celebrate its glamour and glitz and its tragedy and grit, in some of the most American music of all time. ”
There will be a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. and pre-concert music will begin at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall box office, and can be purchased by calling (417) 836-7678 or online at www.hammonshall.com. Ticket prices range from $10 – $40 and discounts are available for students and seniors.
Join Pickett at our free monthly event, Behind the Baton, at the Springfield Art Museum on Thursday, September 19th (1111 E. Brookside). Take the opportunity to meet conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett and soloist Alexander Tutunov while hearing about the music that will be performed at the September 21st concert. The meet & greet begins at 5:15 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:45 p.m. Food and drink will be available for purchase and will be provided by Mama Jean’s Natural Market.
Pickett is available for any interviews or questions. Please feel free to email him at kwpickett@gmail.com or call at (417) 837-9422. For more information on this and the Springfield Symphony’s upcoming events, visit the Symphony office at 411 N. Sherman Parkway, or visit www.springfieldmosymphony.org/.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and an Equal Opportunity Employer. Additional funding for all Springfield Symphony Orchestra programming is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, visit www.springfieldmosymphony.org or www.facebook.com/springfieldsymphony.
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