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Press Releases
Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra Emmy® Award-Winning Classical Music Television Series Launches Second Season
“This project offers an amazing roster of accomplished musicians from America’s leading orchestras, including many renowned principal players…the musicians bring vast, and palpable, experience to bear.” New York Times
August 11, 2014 (New York, NY)— This August 26-27, Maestro Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra will record the second season of its multi-Emmy Award-winning classical music television series, in the Great Hall of the Performing Arts Center in Purchase, NY. Intended for broadcast on public television stations nationwide in 2015, the All-Star Orchestra’s four new episodes feature high-definition multi-camera recordings of favorite works by Rimsky-Korsakov and Richard Strauss, the World-Premiere of Samuel Jones' Violin Concerto with renowned soloist Anne Akiko Meyers, and Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody in Blue in the rarely heard original jazz-orchestra version with rising star pianist Lola Astanova. In addition to television broadcasts, more than 250 educational videos will be generated from these new performance recordings, as well as from newly created interviews, instrument demonstrations, work analyses, guest lectures, “Within the Orchestra” segments, and Musical Literacy tutorials. These will be featured on the Khan Academy and the All-Star Orchestra websites. The four new programs to be recorded this August will build upon the success of the first eight programs that have been broadcast nationwide in 2013-2014 in partnership with WNET/Thirteen in New York, and American Public Television.
“Romance of 1001 Nights” – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s exotic orchestral showpiece Sheherazade is based on the famous 1001 Arabian Nights Tales that were one of the crowning literary achievements of the Abbasid Dynasty (762-1258), a time period that is often referred to as the “Golden Age of Islam.” This program will explore how different cultures can enrich each other through artistic collaboration.
“A Hero's Life” – Richard Strauss' orchestral autobiography from 1899, Ein Heldenleben, is a unique documentary in music, scored for extra-large orchestra – a sonic spectacular, and a showcase for the All-Star musicians. In this highly pictorial music, the listener follows the “hero” as he asserts his independence, falls in love, confronts his critics, engages in battle, creates a legacy of peace, and eventually comes to his life’s end. Documentary features will explore the links between musical, literary, and visual forms in “program music.”
“Violin and Posthorn” – Samuel Jones' Violin Concerto will receive its first-ever performance in this TV broadcast featuring renowned soloist Anne Akiko Meyers performing on the legendary “Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesu, considered to be one of the greatest instruments in the world. World-premieres of new classical works via TV broadcast are rare events. This program will showcase the collaboration between composer, soloist, and conductor in bringing a brand-new concerto to life. Rounding out the program will be selections from Mozart's evocative "Posthorn Serenade."
“The Jazz Influence and the Creation of American Music” - The showpiece will be Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the rarely heard original jazz-orchestra version from the 1924 premiere, featuring rising-star pianist Lola Astanova. This iconic work will be paired with Aaron Copland's 1925 jazz-age classic "Music for the Theatre." Educational features will include commentary on the mixing of African-American, European classical, and Broadway musical styles that occurred during the decade of the 1920s.
The All-Star Orchestra series aims to expose classical music to an even broader audience while keeping the listening experience informative and accessible. In addition to performances of classical and contemporary works, the programs also feature musical demonstrations, images, interviews and educational commentary by Maestro Schwarz, the All-Star Orchestra musicians, and special guests. Each episode also features a brief historical look at the life of the composer at the time he or she was composing that particular work.
Music Director Gerard Schwarz said, “I have such a strong belief in the power and importance of great music, and care so deeply about making it available to as many people as possible. Our goal is to bring musical masterpieces to life through innovatively filmed performances by outstanding musicians from America’s top orchestras. For all of us at the All-Star Orchestra the enthusiastic reception of the first season, and the Emmy® and ASCAP awards , are confirmation of the importance of all of the incredibly hard work we have done, and the affirmation of its impact and reach. We are so grateful to WNET, APT and all of the remarkable public stations in our vast country for believing in classical music, and it makes us very optimistic as we work toward a second season.”
Maestro Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra is comprised of top players from some of the country’s greatest orchestras including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Hartford, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York (the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the American Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra), Oregon, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, Utah, the National Symphony of Washington D.C., and more. Together these musicians perform on one stage under the leadership of Maestro Schwarz, who led the Seattle Symphony for 26 years and now serves as its Conductor Laureate.
In its inaugural season, All-Star Orchestra took home two Emmy® Awards at the 57th Annual New York Emmy® Awards. “Music for the Theatre,” the first program in the eight-episode classical music concert series (featuring Stravinsky’s Suite from the Firebird, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2, and Bright Sheng’s Black Swan) won in two categories: Special Event Coverage (Other than News and Sports) and Audio: Post Production. The All-Star Orchestra was also awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Broadcast Award in 2013. Programs from the first season have been released on DVD by Naxos of America and are available from Amazon and other retailers. All episodes are available to stream and via the free THIRTEEN Explore iPad App.
The All-Star Orchestra recordings are made made possible by Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, The M.J. Murdock Trust, The Gladys Rubinstein Trust, Van Ness Feldman LLP, David Gannett, Bruce and Jeanne McNae, The Agnes Gund Foundation, The Park Foundation, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, and others.
August 11, 2014 (New York, NY)— This August 26-27, Maestro Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra will record the second season of its multi-Emmy Award-winning classical music television series, in the Great Hall of the Performing Arts Center in Purchase, NY. Intended for broadcast on public television stations nationwide in 2015, the All-Star Orchestra’s four new episodes feature high-definition multi-camera recordings of favorite works by Rimsky-Korsakov and Richard Strauss, the World-Premiere of Samuel Jones' Violin Concerto with renowned soloist Anne Akiko Meyers, and Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody in Blue in the rarely heard original jazz-orchestra version with rising star pianist Lola Astanova. In addition to television broadcasts, more than 250 educational videos will be generated from these new performance recordings, as well as from newly created interviews, instrument demonstrations, work analyses, guest lectures, “Within the Orchestra” segments, and Musical Literacy tutorials. These will be featured on the Khan Academy and the All-Star Orchestra websites. The four new programs to be recorded this August will build upon the success of the first eight programs that have been broadcast nationwide in 2013-2014 in partnership with WNET/Thirteen in New York, and American Public Television.
“Romance of 1001 Nights” – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s exotic orchestral showpiece Sheherazade is based on the famous 1001 Arabian Nights Tales that were one of the crowning literary achievements of the Abbasid Dynasty (762-1258), a time period that is often referred to as the “Golden Age of Islam.” This program will explore how different cultures can enrich each other through artistic collaboration.
“A Hero's Life” – Richard Strauss' orchestral autobiography from 1899, Ein Heldenleben, is a unique documentary in music, scored for extra-large orchestra – a sonic spectacular, and a showcase for the All-Star musicians. In this highly pictorial music, the listener follows the “hero” as he asserts his independence, falls in love, confronts his critics, engages in battle, creates a legacy of peace, and eventually comes to his life’s end. Documentary features will explore the links between musical, literary, and visual forms in “program music.”
“Violin and Posthorn” – Samuel Jones' Violin Concerto will receive its first-ever performance in this TV broadcast featuring renowned soloist Anne Akiko Meyers performing on the legendary “Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesu, considered to be one of the greatest instruments in the world. World-premieres of new classical works via TV broadcast are rare events. This program will showcase the collaboration between composer, soloist, and conductor in bringing a brand-new concerto to life. Rounding out the program will be selections from Mozart's evocative "Posthorn Serenade."
“The Jazz Influence and the Creation of American Music” - The showpiece will be Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the rarely heard original jazz-orchestra version from the 1924 premiere, featuring rising-star pianist Lola Astanova. This iconic work will be paired with Aaron Copland's 1925 jazz-age classic "Music for the Theatre." Educational features will include commentary on the mixing of African-American, European classical, and Broadway musical styles that occurred during the decade of the 1920s.
The All-Star Orchestra series aims to expose classical music to an even broader audience while keeping the listening experience informative and accessible. In addition to performances of classical and contemporary works, the programs also feature musical demonstrations, images, interviews and educational commentary by Maestro Schwarz, the All-Star Orchestra musicians, and special guests. Each episode also features a brief historical look at the life of the composer at the time he or she was composing that particular work.
Music Director Gerard Schwarz said, “I have such a strong belief in the power and importance of great music, and care so deeply about making it available to as many people as possible. Our goal is to bring musical masterpieces to life through innovatively filmed performances by outstanding musicians from America’s top orchestras. For all of us at the All-Star Orchestra the enthusiastic reception of the first season, and the Emmy® and ASCAP awards , are confirmation of the importance of all of the incredibly hard work we have done, and the affirmation of its impact and reach. We are so grateful to WNET, APT and all of the remarkable public stations in our vast country for believing in classical music, and it makes us very optimistic as we work toward a second season.”
Maestro Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra is comprised of top players from some of the country’s greatest orchestras including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Hartford, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, New York (the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the American Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra), Oregon, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, Utah, the National Symphony of Washington D.C., and more. Together these musicians perform on one stage under the leadership of Maestro Schwarz, who led the Seattle Symphony for 26 years and now serves as its Conductor Laureate.
In its inaugural season, All-Star Orchestra took home two Emmy® Awards at the 57th Annual New York Emmy® Awards. “Music for the Theatre,” the first program in the eight-episode classical music concert series (featuring Stravinsky’s Suite from the Firebird, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2, and Bright Sheng’s Black Swan) won in two categories: Special Event Coverage (Other than News and Sports) and Audio: Post Production. The All-Star Orchestra was also awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Broadcast Award in 2013. Programs from the first season have been released on DVD by Naxos of America and are available from Amazon and other retailers. All episodes are available to stream and via the free THIRTEEN Explore iPad App.
The All-Star Orchestra recordings are made made possible by Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, The M.J. Murdock Trust, The Gladys Rubinstein Trust, Van Ness Feldman LLP, David Gannett, Bruce and Jeanne McNae, The Agnes Gund Foundation, The Park Foundation, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, and others.
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