News Release: Springfield Symphony portrays our great American landscape in American Pictures

 
February 6, 2020

NEWS RELEASE

 

Date:  February 6, 2020                                                                                                         Contact:  Lexi Locke

For Immediate Release                                                                                                       Phone:  417.864.6683

Photos Available Upon Request                                                                                           Cell:  417.860.9690

                                                                                                                                                           Fax:  417.864.8967

                                                                                                                           [email protected]

 

Springfield Symphony portrays our great American landscape in American Pictures

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Springfield Symphony looks to the great American landscape at its classical concert, American Pictures on Saturday, February 15th at 7:30 p.m.  The program will feature Dave and Chris Brubeck’s Ansel Adams: America, Aaron Copland’s Our Town, and Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark on Michael Torke’s Sky – Concerto for Violin. The performance will take place at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. 

“Our February concert entitled American Pictures is going to be an amazing evening of music and imagery of America,” Conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett explained. “On this concert we are performing two pieces that will be accompanied by a film of photographs to illustrate the music. The first is called Ansel Adams: America, written by the great jazz legend Dave Brubeck and his son, composer Chris Brubeck. It features the magnificent works of photographer Ansel Adams. Adams’ pictures capture the beauty and majesty of the American landscape, and the music is a fitting tribute to the natural wonders of our country.”

 “Our second film is to the music of Aaron Copland’s Our Town and it will feature photographs taken and submitted by Springfield Public Schools students of people and places around Springfield,” continued Pickett. “The Springfield Symphony teamed up with the Phelps Center for Gifted Education to gather these photographs. We are very excited to show this charming and heartwarming look at Springfield through the eyes of its young people. This will lead us into our final piece on the American Pictures concert. Sky, a bluegrass-inspired concerto by American composer Michael Torke, was written especially for our soloist Tessa Lark and is inspired by her Kentucky roots. Texas Public Radio describes the new concerto as if ‘it descended from the mountains only to run into Aaron Copland outside the concert hall.’ It’s a virtuosic endeavor that that is uniquely American, and the Springfield Symphony is thrilled to be one of the commissioning orchestras of this new piece.”

“Springfield Symphony audiences may remember Lark from her spectacular last appearance with the Springfield Symphony when she played the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto,” remarked Pickett. “She came back to the stage for her bows, kicked off her shoes, and brought down the house with a bluegrass encore in which she accompanied herself by thumping the back of her violin and singing along as she fiddled.  Don’t miss this amazing bluegrass-inspired concerto played by the one and only Tessa Lark.”

Join Pickett at a free monthly event, Behind the Baton, at Springfield Art Museum on Thursday, February 13th (1111 E. Brookside Dr) for the opportunity to meet Pickett and featured guest artist Tessa Lark. Attendees will hear about the music that will be performed at the February 15th concert, as well as the background of the guest artist.  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 by Mama Jean’s Natural Market.

On the evening of American Pictures, Saturday, February 15th, Pickett will deliver a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. from the stage 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. The American Pictures concert is made possible through sponsors Reliable Superstore, Bryan Properties, Mediacom, and U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Pickett is available for any interviews or questions.  Please feel free to email him at [email protected] or call at (417) 837-9422. 

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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