EVER WANTED TO PLAY WITH THE RPO? Side by Side: RPO & Community Orchestra Concert is Jan. 22

For Immediate Release:  December 11, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com; Margaret Reichert, 585-428-6694, Margaret.Reichert@cityofrochester.gov
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and the City of Rochester present the first-ever Side by Side: RPO & Community Orchestra Concert on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre. The free concert will feature community musicians playing alongside RPO musicians, an idea which evolved from last May’s City-sponsored RPO Community Chorus Concert that featured a 200-voice community chorus singing with the RPO.

“The RPO Community Chorus Concert was such a great experience for everyone involved that we wanted to expand upon it by offering the region’s talented amateur musicians the opportunity to sit side by side with our musicians in a concert experience in beautiful Kodak Hall. I know that the RPO musicians are looking forward to meeting area instrumentalists who share their love for performing orchestral music as well,” says RPO President and CEO Charles Owens. “We’re grateful to the City of Rochester for helping us to continue to reach out to the community in meaningful new ways.” 

“The Rochester community is blessed with countless gifted artists,” says Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “Together with the RPO, we are creating programming that provides greater opportunities for the community to participate and enjoy our first-rate cultural assets.”

A frequent RPO guest conductor, Roberts Wesleyan’s Paul Shewan will lead the concert, for which there will be two rehearsals at Kodak Hall: Wednesday, Jan. 8 and Tuesday, Jan. 21. Participants must be present for both rehearsals and the concert to be eligible. The repertoire will be divided between a more advanced group of musicians that will perform Liszt’s Les Preludes tone poem, and a less advanced group that will perform two movements from Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2, as well as Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op. 46. The RPO will fill out the rest of the program.

Interested musicians need to apply online at http://tinyurl.com/RPOcommunityorchestra by December 22, and will be notified by January 1, 2014. Auditions are not required, but applicants will be chosen and assigned parts based on their availability, current performance experience, available seats and some self-assessment. The RPO will provide music, but instrumentalists will need to provide their own instruments and prepare the music in advance.

Side by Side: RPO & Community Orchestra Concert is free, but tickets are needed. They’re available in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street) or may be reserved for pickup by phone at (585) 454-2100. A $5 donation per ticket is recommended.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents up to 150 concerts a year, serving nearly 200,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Notable former music directors include Eugene Goossens, José Iturbi, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman; Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his 20-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches 14,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children. The RPO’s 2013-14 season highlights include Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik’s 20th anniversary celebration, and a performance at Carnegie Hall on May 7, 2014, as part of the Spring For Music festival.