RPO KIDS’ CONCERTS BLOOM IN MAY: Tiny Tots’ Alien Encounter, OrKIDStra’s The Shoe Bird

For Immediate Release:  May 9, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com, @PR4Arts
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – Along with the rest of Rochester, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is blooming this month – with concerts for kids and their families: Tiny Tots Concerts (May 14-17) and the final OrKIDStra concert of the season, Eudora’s Fable:  The Shoe Bird (May 19).

As part of the RPO’s education concert series that includes the Intermediate and Primary Concerts (which took place in February and March in Kodak Hall and were attended by 10,000 young people in a nine-county area), the RPO presents a series for pre-school and kindergarten children called Tiny Tots Concerts.  Performed a number of different venues in the greater Rochester area and open to children ages 3-6 that are part of a pre-registered day care, nursery school or kindergarten classroom, the concerts engage youngsters in participatory activities that help them learn about basic music terms, how to listen, and the instruments in the orchestra.  The 2013 Tiny Tots Concerts, entitled Alien Encounter, feature a friendly alien by the name of Schnoodle – played by Eastman School of Music Professor of Double Bass, James VanDemark – who comes to earth to discover the magic of an orchestra. The lively program, conducted by RPO Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair), includes RPO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik’s Woodwind Whirlwind, Britten’s Boisterous Bourée and John Williams’ “Adventures on Earth” from E.T.  Performances are May 14 at 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. at Roberts Wesleyan College, May 15 at 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. at Browncroft Community Church, May 16 at 9:45 a.m. at Canandaigua Academy, and May 17 at 9:45 a.m. at Temple B’rith Kodesh.

On Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, Butterman conducts the last OrKIDStra concert of the season:  Eudora’s Fable:  The Shoe Bird.  With narration by actress, writer and violinist Jennifer Carsillo, the orchestra brings Eudora Welty’s children’s book, The Shoe Bird, to life with music by former RPO conductor Samuel Jones. The concert will also feature the Canandaigua Academy Girl’s Chorus directed by Amy Story.

 “Bringing music to young people is a joy and privilege,” says Butterman, who was the first education/outreach conductor in the country 13 years ago. “It’s exciting to see their wide-eyed amazement as they marvel at the power and vividness of orchestral music. It is our hope that, through these concerts, we can create a spark of curiosity that will lead them to a life-long connection with great music.”

OrKIDStra tickets are $15 (adults), $10 (children ages 12 and under), or a family four-pack (two children, two adults) for $40 (20% off regular price).  Tickets 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.  They’re also available one hour prior to concert at the Performance Hall at Hochstein (50 N Plymouth Ave, 14614).

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 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 12,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note:  High-resolution images of these RPO education programs are available upon request or at docs.google.com/folder, and photo, footage and interview opportunities can be arranged.