RPO’s orKIDStra Steps Into the World of Peter and the Wolf
Rochester, NY – Since 1936, “Peter and the Wolf” by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev has introduced classical music to countless children the world over. In Rochester on Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 pm at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, a new generation can be included when Michael Butterman (the Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) conducts the piece with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra on its orKIDStra series (INTERSECTIONS: Music + Theater) with the narrative magic of guest storyteller Jay Stetzer.
The musical piece tells the story of the adventurous boy Peter, who – with the help of his trusty animal friends – stands up to the dreaded Wolf. Utilizing the talents of individual RPO musicians, each “character” in the story is represented by various instruments playing different parts with different sounds and emotional effects: Peter, his Grandfather, the Duck, the Bird, the Cat, the Hunters, and the Wolf.
Jay Stetzer will guide children and their families through Peter’s tale. An accomplished professional storyteller, Stetzer is inspired by his lifelong love of stories, music and performing arts. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music and taught performing arts at the Harley School for many years. Stetzer frequently appears with orchestras, blending his storytelling talents with well-known musical works.
General admission tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for kids, available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org, by phone (454-2100) and in-person from the RPO Box Office. RPO Box Office Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (non-concert Saturdays, 10:00 am-3:00 pm).
The RPO orKIDStra concerts are sponsored by Wendy’s Restaurants of Rochester. RPO performances are made possible in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; the State of New York; Monroe County; and the City of Rochester.
Celebrating its 86th season in 2008-09, the RPO inspires and enriches the community through the art of music, presenting nearly 200 performances each season to a combined audience of an estimated quarter of a million people, including more than 70,000 who experience the RPO’s broad range of educational and community programs. The
Orchestra is passionately dedicated to outstanding musical performance at the highest artistic levels, and has a unique tradition of musical versatility, commitment to music education in the broadest sense and a deep and enduring engagement with the community. The RPO has been honored with the New York State Governor’s Arts Award and two recent ASCAP awards for adventurous programming.
