GBYO Winter Concert
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sun, 02/28/2016
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GREATER BRIDGEPORT YOUTH ORCHESTRAS WILL PREMIERE TWO NEW WORKS AT WINTER CONCERT, FEB. 28, 2016 AT THE KLEIN IN BRIDGEPORT
Imagine the resonance of steel pan drums, wood sticks, and bamboo combined with the rich sound of a full orchestra in an historic concert hall. Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras will deliver on this musical promise when it premieres “Beyond the Bridge” by world-famous composer Gary Gibson at its Winter Concert, 3 pm, Feb. 28, 2016 at The Klein in Bridgeport, CT. The Jim Royle Drum Studio “A-Team” of student musicians, along with several professional percussionists, including Jim Royle himself, will join the GBYO Principal Orchestra in this world premiere.
In addition, the GBYO Jazz Ensemble will premiere “Title Wave,” a new piece by Emmy award winning composer and Jazz Ensemble conductor, Dr. Rex Cadwallader.
The Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, six ensembles in all, is comprised of 285 student musicians in grades 5-12 from over 30 towns in Connecticut. Rehearsals are held weekly in Fairfield, and at least three concerts per year are performed at the Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport. Special concerts and trips offer student musicians additional playing opportunities, such as the Pequot Library Lawn Concert scheduled for May 21, 2016. GBYO will tour in Italy this summer.
“Beyond the Bridge” was commissioned in 2015 by GBYO, with input from percussionist Jim Royle. Mr. Royle envisioned an orchestral suite programmed around the captivating history of the steel pan, from its roots in African drumming through the social changes in Trinidad, which resulted in the creation of the modern instrument.
Composer Gary Gibson says, “I am honored to be working with the GBYO and Jim Royle's groups. After their performance of my "Caprice" in 2012, I was impressed with the preparation and staging, and look forward to hearing my new work premiered by them this month. When Mr. Royle suggested the piece be based on the history of the steel pan, I grabbed the idea and ran with it, as I immediately saw how that storyline could provide a great framework for a suite of this scale. It is always a special honor for a composer to be entrusted by a group of performers to write them interesting music; this particular commission is even more special.”
For more information about GBYO and the Winter Concert, and to purchase tickets, visit gbyo.org.
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