Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Closes 20178-18 Season with Disney's The Jungle Book in Concert

    KALAMAZOO, MI, May 04, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is proud to present the final concert in their three-year exclusive partnership with Disney - Disney's original The Jungle Book, in concert. Families are invited to join the KSO as they present this classic, animated film in high-definition on the big screen while the charming and delightful score, by composer George Bruns, is performed live by symphony musicians under the direction of Maestro Daniel Brier.

This season's KSO@The Movies! concert will be presented at 3pm to accommodate families with younger children and tickets are only $10. The orchestra partners with several local organizations to showcase young local musicians and ensembles prior to most of their concerts. The concert's Student Performer Showcase will feature the Kalamazoo Youth Jazz Combo. This performance will begin at 2:30 in the Grand Tier Lobby for patrons.

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 The 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 Capelletti'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

CALENDAR LISTING

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents

KSO@The Movies!
Disney's The Jungle Book in Concert
Daniel Brier, Conductor

Join your KSO as they perform live the music of Disney's classic The Jungle Book. This animated, iconic film features the charming and delightful score by the one and only George Bruns and includes such beloved songs as "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wan'na Be Like You" composed by one of the most famous songwriting teams in history, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts © All Rights Reserved

Saturday, May 26, 2018 | 3pm
Miller Auditorium

Tickets: $10

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.

ABOUT THE KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization and the state's third largest orchestra. Serving Michigan's fourth largest metropolitan area, the KSO provides more than thirty concert performances each year, reaching more than 80,000 adults and youth per year 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. 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 establish its innovative Artists in Residence program.

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