RPO Presents Power Trio: Kenton, DeSare & Tyzik

For Immediate Release:  March 28, 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 – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik present The Music of Stan Kenton, The Artistry of Tony DeSare on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.  Tickets start at $22 ($10 student tickets) 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.

Stanley Newcomb “Stan” Kenton (1911-1979) rose to fame in the mid-1940s as a pianist, composer, arranger and leader of one of the most innovative and influential jazz orchestras in the country. He later became very active as an educator, and the present-day “jazz clinic” format can be attributed to him. With almost 100 recordings to his credit, Kenton attracted some of jazz’s brightest and best players to his many big band incarnations, including Pepper Adams, Ray Brown, Peter Erskine, Maynard Ferguson, Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne, Zoot Sims and Kai Winding.

“Stan Kenton and his orchestra had a unique and very creative approach to the big band sound,” explains Tyzik, who won a Grammy Award for producing The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. 1. “I felt it would be fun and interesting to present his music on the concert stage with the RPO.”

The Music of Stan Kenton big band arrangements on the first half of the program include “Dynaflow,” “Concerto to End All Concertos,” “Artistry Jumps,” “Malaguena,” “Love For Sale” and “Peanut Vendor.”

The program’s second half – The Artistry of Tony DeSare – features the singer, pianist and songwriter who made his Carnegie Hall debut performing with the New York Pops. A Glens Falls, NY native, DeSare makes his RPO debut after appearing with the National and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras.  Named a “Rising Star” male vocalist in the DownBeat Critics Poll, he was personally selected by Sam Arlen – son of composer Harold Arlen – to perform with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Birdland for the Harold Arlen Centennial.  A frequent club performer, DeSare performs a mix of standards, originals, pop and rock that ranges from Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano” to Prince’s “Kiss” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire.” 

“I had the great pleasure of working with Tony last season in Vancouver, B.C., and I was really impressed with his vocal artistry and musicianship,” says Tyzik. “His renditions of standards are fantastic and his original songs are some of the best I’ve ever heard. Rochester is going to fall in love with Tony DeSare."

On Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m., the RPO and Principal Conductor of Outreach and Education Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) present this season’s third OrKIDStra concert, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, at the Performance Hall at Hochstein.  Conductor/composer Bill Elliott’s colorful, symphonic version of acclaimed actor John Lithgow’s best-selling children’s book of the same name illustrates the individual instruments of the orchestra and then brings them together for a rousing finish. Syracuse’s Michael Connor returns as narrator (Peter vs. The Wolf) and the concert also features the Hochstein Suzuki String Orchestra with talented young violinist, Helen Wong, performing Paganini. The program includes music of composer prodigies Mozart, Mendelssohn and Erich Korngold as well. Tickets are $15 adults/$10 children, or a four-ticket family pack (2 children, 2 adults) for $40 (20% off regular price), and 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.

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 are available upon request and at docs.google.com/folder.  Interviews, as well as photo and footage opportunities, can be arranged.