First Orchestra Tour Since the Start of the Pandemic Comes to Miami Beach

Contact:  Carter Sligh / 703-683-6040 x212 / carter@classicalmovements.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

FIRST ORCHESTRA TOUR SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC COMES TO MIAMI BEACH

Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras and Classical Movements plan trailblazing tour to Miami this month

 

Alexandria, VA, USA - Classical Movements is pleased to announce the upcoming tour of Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, under the direction of Maestro Hanrich Claassen. The orchestra will travel from their hometown of Orlando to Miami for a short but dynamic three-day tour, culminating in a free concert at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach, a notable outdoor venue in the area. The orchestra joins an all-star line-up of multi-genre concerts to celebrate the return of the summer music season.

The first orchestra tour since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, FSYO and Classical Movements are partnering to celebrate the return of live classical music, an industry that has suffered more than most over the last year. All concert and travel arrangements have been made by Classical Movements.

The orchestra is preparing a diverse and exciting program that ranges from Stravinsky and Copland to tributes to Gloria Estefan and Louis Armstrong.

Maestro Hanrich Claassen says, “"....and against all odds, we're doing it! We, the FSYO tour orchestra, are touring at the end of this month to Miami with a concert on June 27 at the North Beach Bandshell. I am very excited to bring a range of fun repertoire to life by Shostakovich, Kabalevsky, Copland, Stravinsky and our commissioned work, Meditations and Dances by Composer-in-Residence Brandon Martin. I hope this will signal a time of hope and new beginnings for our community.”

Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has served Central Florida for over sixty-four years. In the early 1950's, Rollins College music professor Alphonse Carlo recognized a need for a youth orchestra program in the Orlando area and accordingly organized free Saturday classes for string students in the community. Mr. Carlo's ultimate dream of forming a youth orchestra came to fruition when the popularity of his ensemble reached its stride in 1957 and the first public FSYO concert was stage in November 1959. For the first 20 years of its existence, FSYO was supported by both Rollins College and the Florida Symphony Orchestra.

Today, FSYO serves nearly three-hundred students and is comprised of seven ensembles: three symphonic orchestras, one string-training orchestra, a chamber orchestra, and two jazz orchestras. Additionally, FSYO organizes two supplementary string programs during the fall and summer months: Sing-Song, String-Along and Stringmania Summer Camp. FSYO's program is carefully structured to encourage a student's growth throughout their primary and secondary years. Our full range of ensembles gives each student a place to excel with peers at a similar level, and an opportunity to collaborate with seasoned music professionals on local, national, and international levels. Beyond the regular season, students in FSYO's Touring Orchestra participate in life-changing experiences through annually alternating international & national tours.

“…a ravishing display by the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras and their uncommonly musical, lyrically sensitive conductor, Hanrich Claassen.” – New York Concert Review

Maestro Hanrich Claassen is a passionate cellist, conductor and educator who believes that a balance between educating and performing music is the key to true artistic enlightenment.

Mr. Claassen obtained his Bachelor of Music in both piano and cello at the University of the Free State in South Africa under Albie van Schalkwyk and Arend Brink. He furthered his cello studies with Dalena Roux at the University of Stellenbosch, where he completed both a Music Honours Degree and his Masters Degree in Chamber Music. Mr. Claassen was awarded the Teacher's Licentiate from the University of South Africa with distinction before furthering his cello studies with Miguel Rocha in Portugal in 2003 at the Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas.

Mr. Claassen most recently served as Instrumental Music Teacher and Lower Strings Specialist at the Montverde Academy Fine Arts Conservatory. The current 64th season is Mr. Claassen's fifth year as Music Director for Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) and conductor of the Symphonic and Chamber Music ensembles. Mr. Claassen led the FSYO on their first international tour of the past 20 years with a successful tour of Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, and Munich in the Summer of 2017. During this tour, the orchestra was invited to participate in the prestigious Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Festival and was awarded the Second prize with Outstanding Achievement in the Symphonic Orchestra Category. This led to the orchestra's invitation by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) to perform at the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York City during the summer of 2018. New York Concert Review said of this performance: "The afternoon began with a ravishing display by the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras and their uncommonly musical, lyrically sensitive conductor, Hanrich Claassen. All the principal players (in fact, all the players) were first-rate, with burnished, plush strings and confidently played winds."

FSYO under the baton of Mr. Claassen ended the 62nd Season with an exciting summer concert tour of China, preforming in Beijing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Highlights from the past (shortened) 63rd Season included a run of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with Orlando Ballet as well as being awarded first prize in the Youth Orchestra Division at the American String Teachers Association's National Orchestra Festival.

 

Concert Details

MIAMI BEACH

Sunday, June 27 – 1:00 PM

North Beach Bandshell

7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141

Free concert

 

Repertoire

Program order subject to change

 

Six Pieces from the First Ballet Suite, Op. 84

Dmitri Shostakovich

Comedians

I. Prologue

II. Gallop

III. Pantomime

IV. Lyrical Scene

V. Epilogue

Dmitri Kabalevsky

Suite for Small Orchestra #1

Igor Stravinsky

Meditations and Dances

Brandon Martin

Variations on a Shaker Melody

Aaron Copland

Downton Abbey Suite

arr. Douglas E. Wagner

Gloria Estefan Rocks

arr. Victor Lopez

Satchmo! (A Tribute to Louis Armstrong)

arr. Ted Ricketts

 

About Classical Movements, Inc.

Classical Movements is the premier concert tour company for the world’s great orchestras and choirs, creating meaningful cultural experiences through orchestra tours and choir tours with their music in 145 countries. An industry leader since 1992, they understand both the travel and the performance needs of professional symphony orchestras and choruses, as well as conservatory, university, and youth ensembles. Producer of two international choir festivals—Ihlombe! in South Africa and Serenade! in Washington, D.C.—and the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival. Through the Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program, they have commissioned over 97 works from Grammy, Oscar, Pulitzer, and MacArthur-winning composers. Since its founding in 1992, as a truly global enterprise, Classical Movements remains committed to facilitating cultural diplomacy across the world.

 

During the time of COVID-19, Classical Movements has led the way to be the first to present live, in-person, classical music concerts in the “Secret Garden” of their office, The Rectory on Princess Street with 40 concerts from June to December 2020. They created their own Choir of Hope & Harmony as well as the Hope & Harmony Ensemble, made up of professional musicians from 14 major orchestras, for a virtual “Inauguration Fanfare in Honor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.” In addition, they launched the “Ossia! Orchestral Academy,” a virtual educational program for orchestral students, and partnered to create a virtual choral festival called “Vox Virtual.” Finally, by using their resources and expertise in the fields of music and travel, they have developed a wide range of national and international tours for individuals and small groups including itineraries highlighting the American journey for civil rights.

 

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