http://www.PacificSymphony.org
Hey Yea! Classical music meets classic rock when Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO) joins Steve Miller for the premiere of “Rock Symphony,” a new fusion of extreme talent. The concert, which takes place at the Steve Miller Amphitheatre at the Fender Center in Corona on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.), stars the iconic Miller performing some of his greatest hits. These include “The Joker,” “Fly like an Eagle,” “Abracadabra,” and “Hey Yea,” off his critically acclaimed blues album “Bingo,” arranged specially for this concert by Conductor Rune Bergmann with participation by the PSYO and Fender Center’s KRF® rock band, the Fender Benders. And a special heads up: the music and interaction of violin virtuoso David Coucheron and concert pianist Julie Coucheron should be among the highlights. The stage where the concert is being performed was named in Miller’s honor for his decade of dedicated work on behalf of the Fender Center’s “Kids Rock Free” music education program.
General admission prices are: Grandstand, $35; Preferred Lawn GA, $50-$100;
Plus, also available are Limited Exclusive VIP Seated Sponsorships that include sound-check dinner with Miller before the performance and a specially designed Fender guitar autographed by Miller. For tickets and information, contact Amy Sanders at (951) 735-2440, ext. 207; amy@fendermuseum.com; www.FenderCenter.org. For more information about Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, contact Melissa Craig at (714) 876-2346 or visit: www.PacificSymphony.org.
FREE®. This exclusive VIP fundraising event is dedicated to raising money for the now 1,000-child waitlist for KRF and celebrates its 800 children who received free and low-cost music lessons as a result of the fundraising efforts since 2009 and further brings awareness to the Fender Center Museum’s Kids Rock Free® National Educational Program. The event is even more special because the rock symphony arrangement by Bergmann is a tribute to Miller and a gift to the Kids Rock Free music education program from John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, mentor Jens Moe and his wife, Karin.
This black tie/leather optional event is sure to be unlike any other as Fender Center takes its concert content and educational quality to the next level. The event features all access to the museum exhibits, a silent and live art auction. For more media information, contact Debbie Shuck at (951) 735-2440, ext. 200; dshuck@fendermuseum.com.
“Our PSYO musicians are super excited to have this opportunity to play with a rock legend like Steve Miller!” says Melissa Craig, Pacific Symphony’s director of Youth Ensembles. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for these very talented young musicians who have dedicated so much time and energy into perfecting their music skills. It’s going to be a very memorable night and we just hope everyone comes out to support this terrific event.”
Featured in its first rock symphony, the awe-inspiring PSYO, comprised of talented musicians ages 11 to 21, has just returned from their first highly successful European tour through Bulgaria, where they performed concerts to strong acclaim in the cities of Varna, Plovdiv and Sofia. The oldest of the Symphony’s three youth ensembles, PSYO, led by Maxim Eshkenazy, also benefits from the artistic vision of Pacific Symphony’s Music Director Carl St.Clair. The PSYO presents a popular three-concert subscription series in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, in addition to other
community performances. Members of the PSYO, who earn their place in the orchestra through a very competitive audition process, have the opportunity to rehearse, receive coaching sessions and perform “side-by-side” on a Family Musical Mornings series concert with the Symphony’s professional musicians. In addition, students receive free tickets to the Symphony’s concerts, exclusive access to rehearsals and enjoy opportunities to meet world-class guest artists.
Together, the PSYO, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings and Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble complete the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles (PSYE). The mission of the PSYE is to provide young musicians with an ensemble experience marked by educational excellence through a unique relationship with Pacific Symphony.
Here are the performers giving the Major Key to this uptempo night of classics:
Steve Miller – Artist: One of rock music’s all time greats, the Steve Miller Band has sold more than 30 million records in a career spanning more than 40 years. His trademark blues-rock sound made him one of the key artists in classic rock radio. His band plays sold out shows every year across the country. The Steve Miller band is brand name rock millions have come to trust. Steve has been passionately involved with the Fender Center Museum and Kids Rock Free music program since its inception and over the years has performed numerous benefit concerts. Recently Steve has invited students to tour with his band, in order to raise awareness about the importance of music education, raise funds for the school, and is currently leading the charge to take the KRF program nationally and have schools throughout the country. This fall, the first National KRF school will open in Temecula, CA for 300 middle school children (in a public school) and offer up to 500 children lessons in their after-school program.
Rune Bergmann – Conductor: As of December 1, 2011 Rune will be the chief conductor for Augsburg Opera and Symphony Orchestra. He is praised as dynamic and versatile conductor with an extensive classical, romantic, operatic, and contemporary repertoire. He started playing the trumpet at age 7. He is a graduate of the Oslo Conservatory of Music, Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and the Sibelius Academy in Finland.
No matter what musical style he conducts, whether classical, jazz, or rock under Rune Bergmann’s leadership the orchestras’ interpretations are energetic and brilliant. For more information: www.conducting.no
David Coucheron – Violinist: He is concert master with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a position he won in competition with more than 200 contestants, making him the youngest concert master in one of the leading US symphony orchestras. David obtained a bachelor of music degree at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Master of Music at the Julliard School of Music in New York, and Master of Performance from the Guild Hall School of Music in London.
David plays a Guadagnini violin from 1753. For more information: www.coucheron.com
Julie Coucheron – Concert Pianist: Julie won all the First Prizes in the Norwegian Youth Music Competitions from when she was 9 until she was 16. She has several international First Prizes from Germany, Italy and England, and has given concerts in Wigmore Hall, London; Verizon Hall, Paris; and the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C
Julie has studied music since she was 6. In Philadelphia she studied with pianist Jerold Frederic and in Germany, with Lazar Behrmann and Anatol Ugorski. Professor Christopher Elton was her principal teacher at the Royal Academy of Music where she obtained her Master of Arts degree in 2009. For more information: www.coucheron.com
Fender Benders: The Fender Benders is one of five combo bands currently part of the Kids Rock Free band program at the Fender Center. Developed and led by Band Director Lee Zimmer, who is also the Music Chairperson at the center, the program serves as both a platform for students to perform on stage while also promoting the Kids Rock Free music education program. Though members have changed, the Fender Benders as a band, has been a constant since the program’s beginning in 1998. They continue to perform at numerous local events; have opened for super-starts such as Steve Miller, Paul Rodgers, and Berlin; and in December 2011, have been given the opportunity to perform on the main stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.
Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra: One of three Youth Ensembles under the education arm of Pacific Symphony, this sprightly and dynamic youth-powered Orchestra embodies the 33-year-old arts organization’s philosophy that music education as a birth right. While led by Maxim Eshkenazy, PSYO also benefits from the artistic vision of the Symphony’s Music Director Carl St.Clair. Pacific Symphony has at its core a commitment to bring the gift of music to all and our performance with Steve Miller’s Rock Symphony is one such opportunity. The PSYO—which provides its 100+ orchestra members with opportunities to forge strong relationships with the Symphony’s musicians and the community—is fresh from a two-week tour of Eshkenazy’s native Bulgaria. For more information: www.PacificSymphony.org
About:
Fender Center Museum and Kids Rock Free: Founded in 1997, the nonprofit Fender Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to providing free and low cost music lessons to children ages 7 to 17. Located in Corona, California, the program has taught more than 16,000 students from 110 Southern California cities to play a musical instrument as well as gain a deeper appreciation for music, develop confidence in performing live in front of audience, and acquire the focused concentration required to master their skill on a musical instrument.
The goal of Kids Rock Free (KRF) is to make music education available to all children. The program instructs between 400 to 600 music students per week with four 8-week sessions per year. Students may receive free instruction for their first six months. After that, there parents pay a modes (subsidized) cost for lessons if they can afford it; if not, the lessons are discounted or free – with between 70% and 80% of students benefiting from this policy. At a time when most public schools are eliminating their music curriculums due to budget shortfalls, the Kids Rock Free program represents an important opportunity to bridge this gap.
CAMPAIGN 800: is a fundraising and marketing platform designed to address the needs of the 800+ children currently on a waiting list to participate in the Fender Center’s Kids Rock Free® music education programs. For more information: www.fendercenter.org
