Up in the Eastman Theatre, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Cirque!
Rochester, NY – When music meets magic next month, the result will captivate and transform the Eastman Theatre. At 8:00 pm on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10, 2009, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with guest conductor Michael Krajewski plays host to Cirque de la Symphonie, a new form of entertainment combining orchestral music with the “cirque” style of performance art that blurs the line between reality and imagination.
Part of the Wegmans WPOP series, Cirque de la Symphonie will showcase many of the best cirque artists in the world – from aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists and dancers, to jugglers, balancers, and strongmen. Cirque de la Symphonie showcases acts perfectly choreographed to musical works by such composers as Rimsky-Korsokav, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, and John Williams that lend themselves to an entirely new interpretation of physical artistry. The eight featured performers are some of the most accomplished veterans of exceptional cirque programs and include world record-holders, gold-medal winners, and Olympians. They include aerial artists Alexander Strelstov and Aloysia Gavre, the strength and agility of hand-balancers Jarek and Darek, acrobat and dancer Shana Lord, mime and juggler Vladimir Tsarkov, gymnast and dancer Elena Tsarkova (the “Lady in White”), and hoop acrobat extraordinaire Larissa Sherman.
Guest conductor Michael Krajewski frequently conducts Cirque de la Symphonie with orchestras throughout North America including the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Edmonton, New Mexico, and Naples (FL). He most recently appeared with the RPO in February, 2008.
Tickets for these performances range from $24-$70, and are available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org, by phone (454-2100); in person from the RPO Box Office, Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (non-concert Saturdays, 10:00 am-3:00 pm); and seven days a week at area Wegmans. A convenience fee may apply. Students and senior citizens are entitled to a 20% discount on advance single ticket purchases as well as half-price rush tickets beginning at 10:00 am on the concert day, subject to availability. Special rates for groups of 10 or more also are available from the RPO Box Office; call 454-2100.
The WPOP Series is sponsored by Wegmans; this concert is sponsored by Zimmer Sales & Service and Mrs. Dawn and Dr. Jacques Lipson. The Friday, January 10 concert also will honor local through statewide governmental support for the RPO and the arts in 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 ASCAP awards for adventurous programming.
