The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Proudly Presents 2017 Holiday Concert, "Sounds of the Season - Music from the Movies with Sara Andon" December 16 at Kalamazoo's Chenery Auditorium

    KALAMAZOO, MI, November 28, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is proud to present this year's Sounds of the Season concert, Music from The Movies with Sara Andon, including music from your favorite holiday movies: The Polar Express, Frozen, Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas and many more. With KSO Resident Conductor/Interim Music Director, Daniel Brier, at the podium the concert will feature international flute soloist and recording artist, Sara Andon, along with the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus, directed by Fred Sang.

This family friendly concert will also feature the KSO's 2017 Youth Soloist Competition winner, violist, Sava Velkoff, performing her winning selection, the first movement of Forsyth's viola concert in G minor. Baritone and Youth Soloist Competition runner-up, Alex Smith, will also perform with the Kalamazoo Symphony leading the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus and audience members in a holiday sing-along.

"I am so happy to welcome world-renowned flutist Sara Andon to the KSO family of guest artists," said Peter H. Gistelinck, President & CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. "Sara is just an amazing soloist and we are so fortunate to have her join us for our annual holiday concert extravaganza."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Daniel Brier
Daniel Brier is Resident Conductor and Interim Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra he joined as Assistant Conductor in 2014. In recent seasons, he has guest conducted the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Adrian Symphony, Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, Andrews Symphony Orchestra and has also cover conducted for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has also collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Rachel Barton Pine, Bobby McFerrin, and more.

Highlights of Daniel's 2017-18 season include two live movies (Star Wars: A New Hope and A Jungle Book), three performances of The Nutcracker, and his Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Series debut featuring Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" and collaborations with violinist Jennifer Frautschi and Pulitzer Prize winning composer George Walker.

An ardent advocate for contemporary music, Daniel collaborated with the studios of Michael Daugherty and Bright Sheng to premiere works by Peter Shin, Zac Lavender, Jon Boggs, and Nate May. In addition to his support of emerging composers, Daniel has recently conducted works written by contemporary masters including George Walker, Jennifer Higdon, John Adams, Mason Bates, Jessie Montgomery, and more. In 2016, he commissioned and conducted the world premiere of Daniel Cappelletti's The Night Before Christmas, with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

Previously, Daniel was Music Director of the Spectrum Orchestra, Assistant Conductor for the Lexington Philharmonic, and conductor of the University of Michigan Orpheus Singers. In 2010, he was awarded a prize for his "exceptional conducting" during the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic's International Conducting Competition. Later, in 2012, Daniel received an invitation to study privately with John Nelson at the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. Mr. Brier has conducted in masterclasses with Giancarlo Guerrero, Hugh Wolff, Jorma Panula, Alexander Polishchuk, Victor Yampolsky, Carl Topilow, and Ragnar Bohlin.

Daniel Brier received his musical training at the University of Michigan's renowned conducting program earning degrees in orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler and choral conducting with Dr. Jerry Blackstone. While at the University of Michigan, he served as an assistant conductor for the world premiere recording of Milhaud's L'Orestie d'Eschyle conducted by Kenneth Kiesler.

Recorded live on Naxos, the album earned a GRAMMY nomination in 2015. He is a recipient of the Julian and Vera McIntosh scholarship for promising young musicians and conductors, the Dr. Charlene Archibeque scholarship for choral conductors, and the Dorothy Greenwald scholarship.
Updated July 2017
*Please disregard all previous materials

Sara Andon

Sara is an international soloist and recording artist known for her ravishing tone and deeply engaging musical interpretations. A versatile performer in many music genres including solo, chamber, symphonic, opera, ballet, new music, jazz and Broadway, she has performed all over the world in major concert venues, TV and radio broadcasts, as well as on video game, TV and motion picture soundtracks.

Ms. Andon is a graduate of USC and Yale School of Music, and is the Artist Teacher of Flute at the University of Redlands School of Music and the Idyllwild Arts Academy. She has performed with several orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Redlands Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Ms. Andon records frequently with the Hollywood Studio Orchestras and her countless film score recordings include such blockbusters as Disney's The Jungle Book (2016), Ice Age: Collision Course, Furious 7 & 8, The Wolverine, Tron, Straight Outta Compton, Fences, Rush Hour 3, and X-Men: Apocalypse working with composers such as Marco Beltrami, Lalo Schifrin, Brian Tyler, John Debney, John Powell, Rolfe Kent, Christopher Young, John Ottman, Austin Wintory, Mark Isham and Jeff Beal.

She is featured regularly on scores for video games in live performances and for recordings, including the Grammy -nominated Journey, World Of Warcraft, and WildStar. Andon has recorded with such varied artists as Placido Domingo; Daft Punk, including their Grammy -winning album, Random Access Memories; Neil Diamond; Barry Manilow; and Billy Childs. In addition, Andon is a featured soloist on recent Varese Sarabande recordings.

As a Varese Sarabande concert soloist, Andon has been featured in a series of international events beginning in 2013. She has also been featured and as a soloist in concerts performing the music of iconic composers Alex North, Elmer Bernstein, John Corigliano, John Barry, Georges Delerue, Vince Guaraldi, Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone, with arrangements by William Ross, Lee Holdridge and Randy Edelman. and more!

Andon premiered her new suite from the live action Beauty and the Beast at the 2017 Krakow Film Music in front of an audience of 15,000 people.

Fred Sang

Fred Sang is the Artistic Director and Director for the Touring Choir. Mr. Sang received his undergraduate and graduate training at Western Michigan University. Mr. Sang retired from Portage Public Schools after thirty-two years of teaching. During those thirty-two years he taught in London, England, Constantine, Hartford, Paw Paw and Portage Michigan. His public-school choirs received consistent Superior ratings at District and State Choral Festivals. His students have recognized Mr. Sang by nominating him to Who's Who among America's Teachers nine times. Mr. Sang is an active clinician and adjudicator for Michigan School Vocal Music Association and under their auspices began a mentor program for new and emerging choral directors in the public schools of Michigan. He was elected by his colleagues around the state to be the SSA Middle School State Honors Choir Director in 2012. He is also active as a mentor for teachers and maintains an active schedule visiting classrooms in the public schools. Mr. Sang continues to act as a consultant for and advocate of choral music in the public schools. He is also a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America. He is the recipient of the Greater Kalamazoo Arts Council Arts Leadership award for 2015.

Kalamazoo Children's Chorus

The Kalamazoo Children's Chorus has been providing outstanding choral music to our community for over 37 years. Starting as a single choir in 1980, the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus is now five choirs strong and KCC students range from 3rd grade to 12th grade. Each year about 200 children, ages 8 to 18, learn and perform in an atmosphere of artistic excellence, and by so doing, enrich the artistic life of our community.

The Touring Choir is KCC's most experienced choir, made up of an auditioned ensemble of middle and high school children under the artistic direction of Fred Sang. The Touring Choir has collaborated with every major musical organization in Kalamazoo and has sung with many artists who visit Kalamazoo to perform at Miller Auditorium and other venues. Over the years they have also shared the stage with: Numazu Boys and Girls Choir (Japan), Bloemfontein Children's Choir (South Africa), St. Mary's Children's Chorus (Canada) and The Young People's Chorus of New York City (America).

Singing a varied repertoire of sacred and secular music, the Touring Choir has sung throughout Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. In 2013 they performed in Rome, Florence, Mezza Villa, and in Venice at the Basilica of St. Mark's.

Learn more about the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's Youth Soloist Competition winners!

CALENDAR LISTING
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents

Sounds of the Season
Music of the Movies with Sara Andon
Daniel Brier, Conductor; Sara Andon, Flute; Kalamazoo Children's Chorus, directed by Fred Sang; Sava Velkoff, Viola; Alex Smith, Baritone

A KSO holiday tradition with a twist! Join us as we rediscover music from your favorite holiday movies: The Polar Express, Frozen, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas and many more. Los Angeles based and international acclaimed Flutist, Sara Andon and Kalamazoo Children's Chorus join the KSO. The evening will also feature the 2017 Youth Competition winners, violist, Sava Velkoff, and baritone, Alex Smith.

SILVESTRI Suite from The Polar Express
arr. Brubaker
FORSYTH Viola Concerto in G minor, First Movement
Sava Velkoff, 2017 Youth Soloist Competition Winner, Viola
WILLIAMS Three Holiday Songs from Home Alone
Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
HAGUE Medley from How the Grinch Stole Christmas
ANDERSON-LOPEZ Music from Frozen
arr. Brubaker
DEBNEY Suite from Elf
arr. Pesavento Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
GUARALDI Suite from A Charlie Brown Christmas
arr. Ross Sara Andon, Flute
Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
HERRMANN "On This Darkest Day of Winter" from A Christmas Carol
Sara Andon, Flute
Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
BERLIN "White Christmas"
arr. Capelletti Sara Andon, Flute
PIERPOINT "Jingle Bells"
arr. Legrand Sara Andon, Flute
MANCINI Christmas Rhapsody from Santa Claus: The Movie
TIOMKIN Suite from It's a Wonderful Life
Kalamazoo Children's Chorus

Saturday, December 16, 2017 | 8pm
Chenery Auditorium

Tickets: $60 - $24
Student & Veteran discounts available.
$5 Student Rush tickets available at the box office the night of the concert.

For tickets, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com, call the KSO Box Office at (269) 349-7759 or call Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at (269) 387-2300.

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.

The KSO is the third largest orchestra in the state of Michigan, with more than eighty musicians and professionals employed full or part time. Serving Michigan's fourth largest metropolitan area, the KSO provides more than thirty concert performances each year, reaching more than 50,000 music lovers with great symphonic music and world class guest artists. With an equally vibrant educational mission, the KSO offers school-based programs that music teachers rely on to support their curriculum, and afterschool programs that have been recognized by the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards and Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. KSO has been performing quality symphonic music, fostering tomorrow's audiences and elevating the careers of local musicians for over 95 years.

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