The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Presents: The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

    KALAMAZOO, MI, September 24, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For their second concert of the 2014-2015 Symphonic Series, The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. The Grammy Award-winning ensemble brings their unparalleled energy to the KSO concert stage with a performance of Interchange, written for them by Brazilian composer Sergio Assad. Evocative works by Debussy and Bizet complete this colorful program.

"The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet is one of the most musically fascinating quartets around these days," said Peter H. Gistelinck, President & CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. "We are truly looking forward to this unique artistic collaboration."

The program opens with Claude Debussy's Nocturnes, composed in 1897-1899. While the "nocturne" was a well-established genre by that time - short, calm, lyrical works for piano - Debussy's Nocturnes varied from the rule. Instead, as was common with his compositions, Debussy found his inspiration outside of music. In this instance, a set of 1870s impressionist paintings by American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, titled Nocturnes, is where he found his muse. Debussy explained, "The title Nocturnes is to be interpreted here in a general and, more particularly, in a decorative sense. Therefore it is not meant to designate the usual form of the nocturne, but rather all the various impressions and the special effects of light that the word suggests." The piece offers intriguing insight into the "impressionist" musical style of the composer, Debussy.

Composed specifically for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Interchange for Guitar Quartet and Orchestra was written by top classical guitarist, Brazilian-born Sergio Assad. The composer has collaborated with classical musicians, like Gidon Kremer, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and YoYo Ma, as well as Brazilian jazz/Bossa nova star Luciana Souza, and Cuban saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera. A leading composer for the guitar (having written over 50 works), Assad used the varying personalities and musical interests of the LAGQ's members as inspiration for his composition. Assad comments, "Interchange represents my intention of using traditional musical styles of the world blended as a whole organic unit, while at the same time suggesting a casual meeting of different people on an LA freeway. The [movement] titles all have a sort of 'double meaning' with the musical styles and references to roads and driving."

Symphony in C was composed by a young Georges Bizet, at the age of seventeen, in 1855. The work was never performed during the composer's lifetime, and was presumably written as an assignment while studying at the Paris Conservatoire. Despite the piece possessing an obvious youthful genius, Bizet showed little interest in having the work published or performed. Nonetheless, after its discovery and subsequent debut in 1935, Symphony in C has become one of Bizet's most popular works, earning a steadfast spot in the standard Romantic repertoire. Embedded with rich, melodic qualities throughout, the symphony offers a charming conclusion to the concert.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Raymond Harvey
With an immediately noticeable style that has been described as "elegant, but suffused with energy," Raymond Harvey (conductor) has garnered critical acclaim on symphonic podiums throughout the United States. Maestro Raymond Harvey has served as Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and recently renewed his commitment to the KSO for an additional four years. Mr. Harvey was previously Music Director of the Springfield Symphony in Massachusetts and the Fresno Philharmonic in California.

Equally at home in the world of opera, Mr. Harvey served as Artistic Director of the El Paso Opera in Texas. Among the many productions he has conducted are Carmen, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Turandot, Aida, La Traviata, The Tales of Hoffman, The Marriage of Figaro, and Cosi Fan Tutte.

Recognized as an outstanding pianist, choral conductor and teacher, Raymond Harvey holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music. He has been a frequent guest teacher for the Conductors Institute at Bard College, and for the American Symphony Orchestra League's Conducting Workshops. He also serves as adjunct faculty conductor with the University of Houston's opera department.

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
The Grammy Award-winning LAGQ is one of the most multifaceted groups in any genre. The LAGQ is comprised of four uniquely accomplished musicians bringing a new energy to the concert stage with programs ranging from Bluegrass to Bach. They consistently play to sold-out houses world-wide. Their inventive, critically acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. Programs including Latin, African, Far East, Irish, Folk and American Classics transport listeners around the world in a single concert experience. Their 'Don Quixote' collaboration with Firesign Theater veteran, actor Philip Proctor, continues to expand and delight audiences.

Winner of a 2005 Grammy Award, their Guitar Heroes CD released on Telarc is a brilliant follow-up to their Grammy nominated LAGQ Latin. Spin (Telarc, Spring 2006) continues their explorations of jazz and contemporary music. LAGQ Brazil (2007), including collaborations with vocalist Luciana Souza, was released to rave reviews, and their newest recording of the Rodrigo "Concierto Andaluz" and Sergio Assad's "Interchange", written specifically for them, was released on Telarc in Spring 2010, and quickly climbed to top spot on the Billboard charts.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

About the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

# # #