PRESS INFO
April 16, 2007 Media Contact: Ellen Primack, Executive Director
(831) 426-6966 ellen@cabrillomusic.org
For interviews:
If you wish to interview Music Director Marin Alsop in support of your article, please contact us immediately at (831) 426-6966 to make arrangements. We will be happy to assist.
For photo images:
For photos to accompany an April 16th or later publication date, please contact us directly at (831) 426-6966.
For a quick scan of the season:
Please see SEASON HIGHLIGHTS at the end of this Press Release for lists of composers, guest artists and a condensed concert schedule.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL 2007 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT
CABRILLO FESTIVAL presents its 45th Anniversary Season, July 30 through August 12, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and Mission San Juan Bautista, California, with Music Director/Conductor Marin Alsop.
Cabrillo Festival Maestra Marin Alsop (Music Director Designate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) returns for her 16th season to conduct the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, which has become the ‘orchestra of choice’ for composers to premiere their newest works. 2007 includes an unprecedented five World Premieres, one United States Premiere, and six West Coast Premieres. There will be ten composers in residence including: Academy Award-winner John Corigliano, Pulitzer Prize-winner Aaron Jay Kernis, Grammy Award-winner Mark O’Connor, Michael Daugherty, Jennifer Higdon, Kevin Puts, Mason Bates, David Heath, Kenneth Fuchs, and Daniel Kellogg. A stunning array of soloists will appear, including sopranos Amy Burton and Susan Narucki, violinist Yumi Hwang Williams, saxophonist Timothy McAllister, narrator/actor Joseph Ribeiro, and timpanist Steve Hearn. The Festival’s reputation as the center of modern symphonic music in our nation continues to grow, as its dedication to new music for orchestra and a new experience for audiences propels it forward.
Opening Night Concert: COLOURFUL WORLD
Friday, August 3, 8pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
James MacMillan: Stomp (with Fate and Elvira) (U.S. Premiere)
David Heath: Colourful World (World Premiere)
Jennifer Higdon: Soprano Sax Concerto (Timothy McAllister, soprano saxophone) (World Premiere)
Mark O’Connor: Symphony No. 1, Variations on Appalachia Waltz (World Premiere)
It’s Opening Night with three world premieres, one U.S. premiere, and three composers-in-residence––quintessential Cabrillo. Maestra Alsop joins with the Festival Orchestra to set the stage for the season. They open with a work by Scottish composer James MacMillan, titled Stomp, of which the Financial Times said, “Imagine Mozart and Tchaikovsky in kilts, thrown into the middle of a highland fling.” British composer David Heath joins you next for a work dedicated to Alsop and the Festival, and inspired by his young son’s artwork of the same name, Colourful World. Heath’s music imagines, in Crayola coloration, the journey of an outer space visitor approaching our planet from afar, and then discovering the glorious beauty of Earth and its people. Familiar to Festival audiences, Jennifer Higdon is now one of the most performed living composers in the world. We welcome her back with the world premiere of her Soprano Sax Concerto featuring soloist Timothy McAllister of the acclaimed PRISM saxophone quartet. Mark O’Connor celebrated his 33rd birthday at the Cabrillo Festival premiering his first violin concerto. Now, more than a decade later and many more orchestral works to his credit, O’Connor returns on his birthday weekend to present the world premiere of his very First Symphony. O’Connor, a renowned violinist, joined with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer to birth the original Appalachia Waltz, a chamber piece based on traditional American folk themes, and now, years later, O’Connor brings the work into rich symphonic splendor. (Opening Night begins with an outdoor Pre-Concert Talk by Marin Alsop and a special ticketed dinner served alfresco at the Civic Auditorium.)
Concert: RAISE THE ROOF
Saturday, August 4, 8pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Michael Daugherty: Raise the Roof (Steve Hearn, timpani) (West Coast Premiere)
Michael Daugherty: Ghost Ranch (West Coast Premiere)
John Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (Amy Burton, soprano) (West Coast Premiere)
A Saturday night to remember––with two composers in the house, three west coast premieres, two stellar soloists, and two American icons as our muses. The Festival’s own principal timpanist Steve Hearn comes center stage to Raise the Roof in an opening work by Michael Daugherty for timpani and orchestra. A showman by nature, Hearn will seize the opportunity in this tour de force work. A Festival favorite, Daugherty made a niche for himself in the music world by composing concert music inspired by American popular culture. Ghost Ranch takes its inspiration from artist Georgia O’Keefe and the landscape of her home in the New Mexico desert. The work’s three movements, titled Bones, Above Clouds, and Black Rattle, take us on a musical journey into a stark terrain of extremes and contrasts. Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning composer John Corigliano returns to the Festival for the west coast premiere of Mr. Tambourine Man a song cycle that uses the poetry of Bob Dylan’s songs as its text, but without any musical references to Dylan’s own folk classics. The lyrics of Blowin’ in the Wind, Masters of War, and Chimes of Freedom, resonate as meaningfully now as they did in the 1960s, but with the new and powerful symphonic voice of Corigliano. Soprano Amy Burton starred in the work with solo piano on Broadway this year, and now makes her debut in the orchestral version as featured soloist. (A Talkback Session with Marin Alsop, guest artists and composers follows the concert.)
Concert: FREE FAMILY CONCERT
Sunday, August 5, 1:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (Free)
Begins with the popular petting zoo-style Tour of the Orchestra
James MacMillan: Stomp (with Fate and Elvira) (Conducted by Carolyn Kuan, Cabrillo Festival Assistant Conductor)
Daniel Kellogg: Pyramus and Thisbe (Joseph Ribeiro, narrator) (West Coast Premiere)
The Cabrillo Festival’s Free Family Concerts have become legendary––a staple in the musical education and upbringing of area youngsters, and a no less entertaining and engaging experience for their parents. Kids start with an up-close-and-personal chance to meet the orchestra players, then return to the theatre for a grand concert experience with Maestra Marin Alsop and the full Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. Actor Joseph Ribeiro, of Shakespeare Santa Cruz fame, will join them for the west coast premiere of Daniel Kellogg’s Pyramus and Thisbe, a work commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra with a narration written by Tony Award-winner Mark O’Donnell and based on a scene from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In this salute to the Bard, Ribeiro will navigate an astounding cast of characters, from Narrator to Pyramus, Thisbe, the Lion, the Wall, and even the Moon! Of the world premiere, the Washington Post reported, “the many children…laughed uproariously.” It’s a mustn’t miss family experience!
Special Event: BEHIND THE NOTES with Marin Alsop
Sunday, August 5, 8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Anyone who has seen Marin Alsop conduct her now legendary ‘talk show host-style evenings’ knows she’s a natural, and there’s not a chance that something extraordinary won’t happen this evening. Match Alsop with a line-up of preeminent composer/performers, and insights, humor, and quick repartee are bound to bounce across the stage between interludes of brilliant playing. Renowned violinist Mark O’Connor yields the spotlight to acclaimed pianist Kevin Puts, flautist David Heath, jazz pianist Michael Daugherty, and electronica star Mason Bates (a.k.a. DJ Masonica). You’ll get an intriguing look into these composers and the influence their performance side has on their work. Everyone has a story, unique and compelling, and Alsop has a special way of coaxing the conversation. What’s behind the composer? What’s behind the performer? What’s behind the notes? Find out in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Included in the evening is a cameo appearance by Formerly Known as Classical, a remarkable group of young performers from the San Francisco Bay area, led by 18-year-old composer/performer Matthew Cmiel (recently featured on NPR’s From the Top). It promises to be an evening that’s insightful and inspirational.
A Very Special Post-Concert Event: BIRTHDAY ENCORE RECITAL & RECEPTION
Encore Reception ticket holders are invited to join Marin Alsop and our featured guests for an intimate gathering to celebrate Mark O’Connor’s 46th birthday. Complete with cake, candles and champagne, you’ll experience a party where the ‘birthday boy’ comes center stage to grace you with an unforgettable encore performance! Attendance is limited and Full Subscribers will be given priority on a date received basis.
Fundraiser: MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS
Thursday, August 9, 6:30pm Kennolyn–Soquel
Program TBA with a special appearance by Susan Narucki, soprano.
Panoramic views of the Monterey Bay, redwood covered hilltops, lush sprawling lawns, and a Spanish-style hacienda with flower-laden arbors and tiled terraces—all these embellish the resplendent site for the Festival’s beloved, annual benefit event. This season, Festival goers return to Kennolyn’s Hilltop Hacienda for another extravagant sensory feast beginning with the perfect pairing of wines and foods from Santa Cruz County’s finest restaurateurs and vintners. With wineglass in hand, and the sweet smell of summer in the air, guests may stroll the property and partake of the culinary riches. Fifteen luxury baskets are offered in a small auction and included in your mix of pleasures! And when your palate is sated and twilight begins to break, you’ll join Concertmaster Yumi Hwang Williams and members of the Festival Orchestra, along with 2007 Festival guest artist, soprano Susan Narucki, for an enchanting chamber music concert. A beautiful location and a perfected tradition promise to delight once again. (Basket Auction bidding begins online in July.)
Concert: CONCENTRIC PATHS
Saturday, August 11, 8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Mason Bates: Rusty Air in Carolina (Mason Bates, electronica)
Thomas Adés: Concentric Paths, Op. 24 (Yumi Hwang Williams, violin)
Philip Glass: Symphony No. 8 (West Coast Premiere)
Thirty-year-old composer Mason Bates is as comfortable appearing as a DJ spinning vinyl at San Francisco’s club scene and Museum of Modern Art openings as he is writing for orchestra. A protégé of John Corigliano, he’s made a huge impression in the symphonic world with his distinctive blend of today’s trip-hop sound and technology with the classic art form. Bates may well be the face of the future. And he makes his Festival debut with Rusty Air in Carolina, a piece that uses electronics performed on laptop computer and drum pads by Bates himself, to bring the white noise of katydids and cicadas on a Southern summer night into the concert hall. Composer Thomas Adès maintains his status as the UK’S ‘wunderkind’ and as one of Alsop’s favorites here at the Festival. His most recent violin concerto, Concentric Paths offers a perfect vehicle for the intelligent and stylish interpretations of concertmaster Yumi Hwang Williams, a commanding soloist. The concerto is in three movements, Rings, Paths, and Rounds––all circular in nature. Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 8 represents a return, after a number of major works, to writing orchestral music where the subject of the work is the language of music itself, as in the tradition of the 18th and 19th century symphonies. It’s also a work in three movements––each markedly different from one another in length, texture and internal musical procedures. The New York Times said, “[Symphony No. 8] is about continuous change…the chromaticism that has crept into Mr. Glass’ music since ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ is now more extreme, and more fluid. Indeed, the great attraction of the work is the unpredictable orchestration.”
Grand Finale Concerts: MUSIC AT THE MISSION
Sunday, August 12, 4:00pm & 8:00pm Mission San Juan Bautista
Kenneth Fuchs: United Artists (World Premiere)
Aaron Jay Kernis: Valentines (Susan Narucki, soprano) (West Coast Premiere)
Kevin Puts: Symphony No. 4 (World Premiere––Commission)
There are few settings more spiritual or profound in which to experience music than the Old Mission at San Juan Bautista. For more than 30 years the Festival has presented Grand Finale performances in the church’s sanctuary that leave audiences deeply moved and transcendent. Maestra Alsop closes the 2007 season with another such program––two world premieres and a west coast premiere with all three composers in attendance. Composer Kenneth Fuchs makes his Festival debut for the world premiere of United Artists, a work commissioned for the London Symphony Orchestra for an upcoming recording. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis returns for his steering song cycle sung by Grammy Award-winning soprano Susan Narucki. Titled Valentines, the piece is set to poems by contemporary British poet Carol Ann Duffy. We move from one love song to another. The concert ends with a work by composer Kevin Puts. Commissioned by Howard Hansen in honor of his wife Carrie for the Festival’s world premiere performances at Mission San Juan, Puts’ Symphony No. 4 takes its inspiration from the musical legacy of the Mutsun Indians of San Juan Bautista. 200 songs were transcribed in the first half of the 19th century by a friar working at the Mission and now preserved in a manuscript at the University of California/Berkeley library. Puts makes this a tribute celebration and preservation of the Mutsun music at the Mission. And a powerful close to another extraordinary Festival season.
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Festival tickets range from $6-$40 (“Music in the Mountains” fundraiser is $100) with many events free and open to the public. As of April 16, the public may access information on the 2007 Festival website at www.cabrillomusic.org or call (831) 426-6966. Tickets may be ordered by mail beginning in May through the Festival’s Advance Ticket Order Form; and then via phone, walk-up, or on-line beginning June 15.
2007 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Maestra Marin Alsop conducts the award-winning Cabrillo Festival Orchestra for five World Premieres, one U.S. Premiere and six West Coast Premieres
FEATURED COMPOSERS:
Thomas Adès
Mason Bates*
John Corigliano*
Michael Daugherty*
Ken Fuchs*
Philip Glass
Dave Heath*
Jennifer Higdon*
Daniel Kellogg*
Aaron Jay Kernis*
James MacMillan
Mark O’Connor*
Kevin Puts* *participation confirmed
WORLD PREMIERES
Ken Fuchs: United Artists
Dave Heath: Colourful World
Jennifer Higdon: Soprano Sax Concerto
Mark O’Connor: Symphony No. 1, Variations on Appalachia Waltz
Kevin Puts: Symphony No. 4 (Festival commission)
U.S. PREMIERE
James MacMillan: Stomp (with Fate and Elvira)
WEST COAST PREMIERES
John Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
Michael Daugherty: Raise the Roof
Michael Daugherty: Ghost Ranch
Philip Glass: Symphony No. 8
Daniel Kellogg: Pyramus and Thisbe
Aaron Jay Kernis: Valentines
GUEST ARTISTS
Amy Burton, soprano
Saturday, August 4, 8:00pm: Performing the West Coast Premiere of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
Steve Hearn, timpani
Saturday, August 4, 8:00pm: Performing the West Coast Premiere of Michael Daugherty’s Raise the Roof
Timothy McAllister, soprano sax
Friday, August 3, 8:00pm: Performing the World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Soprano Sax Concerto
Susan Narucki, soprano
Thursday, August 9, 6:30pm: TBA at the Music in the Mountains Fundraiser
Sunday, August 12, 4:00 & 8:00pm: Performing the West Coast Premiere of Aaron Jay Kernis’ Valentines
Yumi Hwang Williams, violin
Thursday, August 9, 6:30pm: TBA at the Music in the Mountains Fundraiser
Saturday, August 11, 8:00pm: Performing Thomas Adès’ Concentric Paths, Op. 24
CONCERTS
OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3: COLOURFUL WORLD
8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Dave Heath: Colourful World (World Premiere)
Jennifer Higdon: Soprano Sax Concerto (World Premiere) featuring Timothy McAllister, soprano sax
Mark O’Connor: Symphony No. 1, Variations on Appalachia Waltz (World Premiere)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4: RAISE THE ROOF
8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Michael Daugherty: Raise the Roof (West Coast Premiere) featuring Steve Hearn, timpani
Michael Daugherty Ghost Ranch for orchestra (West Coast Premiere)
John Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (West Coast Premiere) featuring Amy Burton, soprano
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5: FREE FAMILY CONCERT
1:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (Free)
Daniel Kellogg: Pyramus & Thisbe (West Coast Premiere) featuring Joseph Ribeiro, actor
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5: BEHIND THE NOTES with Marin Alsop
8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Featuring Mason Bates, Dave Heath, Michael Daugherty, Mark O’Connor, Kevin Puts, and Formerly Known as Classical
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9: MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS FUNDRAISER
6:30pm Kennolyn – Soquel
Program TBA including a special appearances by Susan Narucki, soprano and Yumi Hwang Williams, violin
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11: CONCENTRIC PATHS
8:00pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Mason Bates: Rusty Air in Carolina
Thomas Adès: Concentric Paths, Op.24 featuring Yumi Hwang Williams, violin
Philip Glass: Symphony No. 8 (West Coast Premiere)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12: MUSIC AT THE MISSION
4:00pm & 8:00pm Mission San Juan Bautista
Ken Fuchs: United Artists (World Premiere)
Aaron Jay Kernis: Valentines (West Coast Premiere) featuring Susan Narucki, soprano
Kevin Puts: Symphony No. 4 (World Premiere - Commission)
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CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC is America's longest running new music festival dedicated to orchestra, and winner of the national A.S.C.A.P. Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for twenty-four consecutive years (1982-2005).
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