License to Thrill: Classic Bond

For Immediate Release:  January 31, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen (RPO), 585-749-1795, @PR4Arts
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com
 

Rochester, NY – Currently celebrating its 90th season, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise with the sixth offering in its Canandaigua National Bank & Trust/Fibertech Networks Pops Series: Classic Bond, on Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16, 2013, at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $22 and are available in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street) or at area Wegmans; by phone at (585) 454-2100; or online at rpo.org. $10 student tickets are available for this concert at rpo.org/students.

Guest conducting Classic Bond will be its creator, Carl Davis, a New York City native who has made his name as a conductor and composer in the U.K., where he has lived since 1961. Davis is a conductor with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and regularly guest-conducts major U.K. orchestras. He’s written music for more than 100 television programs, and his film scores include The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. Davis is perhaps best known for creating music to accompany silent films, and recently received huge critical acclaim for the U.S. debut of his score for Abel Gance’s 1927 silent movie, Napoleon, at the San Francisco Film Festival.  He has assisted in the orchestration of the symphonic works of Paul McCartney, and was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2005.  This is his RPO debut.

Also making her RPO debut, vocalist Mary Carewe is one of the most accomplished and versatile concert and recording artists in the U.K., with a repertoire ranging from musical theatre showstoppers and cabaret songs to contemporary music. Her long-established artistic relationship with Carl Davis – with whom she made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops – has led her to sing both James Bond and Oscar Winners programs worldwide. Recent highlights include a tour of Italy with the Toscana Orchestra, a James Bond program with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap, and a tour of Germany with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Classic Bond’s two dozen Bond themes range chronologically from Monty Norman’s original “The James Bond Theme” from Dr. No in 1962, to Adele’s Skyfall in 2012. Perhaps Bond’s most prolific composer, John Barry, is represented with 11 themes, including those from Goldfinger (1964), You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). From Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die (1973), to Marvin Hamlisch’s “Nobody Does it Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), to Madonna’s Die Another Day (2002), the program weaves in entertaining stories about the music, films and actors.

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 nearly 200 concerts a year, serving 250,000 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 19-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 15,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note:  High-resolution photos are available upon request and at docs.google.com/folder.  Interviews, as well as photo and footage opportunities, can be arranged.