Season Opener to feature immigrant composers, local actors
HYANNIS, MA—August 29, 2018
The moving story of the American immigrant coming to the shores of America will be told through the music of several immigrant composers of the 20th century, and through a multimedia presentation of music, historic images, and dialogue about the Ellis Island experience.
Passport to America: The Immigrant Story will launch the Cape Symphony’s 2018-19 season on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23.
Ellis Island: Dream of America
The highlight of the latest installment of the Symphony’s “Passport” series will be an original composition from GRAMMY-nominated composer Peter Boyer called “Ellis Island: The Dream of America.” The multimedia piece, for actors and orchestra, was nominated for a GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition and was filmed live in concert with Pacific Symphony for PBS’ Great Performances, aired earlier this year.
Boyer studied the Ellis Island Oral History project, listening to over 100 interviews. He selected seven stories of immigrants from Poland, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Ireland and Russia and fashioned short monologues from their actual words.
“This is a performance of immersion,” said Cape Symphony Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak. “With the help of actors from Cotuit Center from the Arts, we will tell the story of these seven immigrants. Audiences will see actual images of people arriving on the shores of America in search of a new life. Their words and memories will be brought to life through the actors, and the music will emotionally connect all the elements. It’s sure to be a moving journey.”
America’s Beginnings Through the Eyes of Four Immigrant Composers
A “Passport to America” concert wouldn’t be complete without patriotic music, including a version of “The Star Spangled Banner” that got Igor Stravinsky in some hot water, and a Stravinsky “Circus Polka” that was created for a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ballet featuring 50 dancers and 50 elephants.
Swedish composer Ernest Bloch wrote America, an Epic Rhapsody in Three Parts to portray the country’s beginnings. The three parts cover American History from Native Americans until the mid-1920s. The Cape Symphony will perform Part III, entitled “1926: The Present – The Future,” which reviews the tumultuous beginnings and then ends with musical imagery of the country’s promising future. The Chatham Chorale will be featured in this piece.
After writing film scores in Germany, Franz Waxman landed in Hollywood where he became an in-demand composer. His score for the Academy Award-winning 1950 movie Sunset Boulevard won Waxman the Oscar for Best Original Music Score.
Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng studied privately with Leonard Bernstein after moving to the U.S. in 1982, and received a MacArthur “genius” grant in 2001. The Cape Symphony will perform the overture from his opera Dream of the Red Chamber, which is based on the 18th-century Chinese novel of the same name, and premiered at the San Francisco Opera in September 2016.
The Cape Symphony will present Passport to America: The Immigrant Story on Saturday, September 22 at 7: 30 PM and Sunday, September 23 at 3:00 PM at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center, 744 West Main Street, Hyannis. For more information or to purchase tickets visit capesymphony.org or call 508.362.1111.
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About Cape Symphony & Conservatory
Cape Cod’s very own orchestra, Cape Symphony, performs at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis. From popular hits to magnificent classics, highlighting hidden gems and putting a new twist on standards, the emphasis is always on fun, surprises, and beautiful music. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak, the Cape Symphony provides an experience like no other. Cape Conservatory’s commitment to education for all ages includes musical instruction as well as classes in dance and art at campuses in West Barnstable and Falmouth. Its Pre-School program is known for blending traditional academics with the arts. Through MusicWorks! Everyday and other community outreach programs, Cape Conservatory brings an array of engaging programs to thousands of students on the Cape and Islands. Cape Arts & Entertainment is the home of the Cape Symphony & Conservatory. Visit www.capesymphony.org and www.capeconservatory.org for more information.
