Exaltation! Biblical Stories Through Music August 14, 2011

LOS ANGELES JEWISH SYMPHONY
PRESENTS
“EXALTATION! BIBLICAL STORIES THROUGH MUSIC”

Sunday, August 14, 2011, 7:30 p.m. at Ford Amphitheatre

Performance Under the Stars Features Music Inspired by Bible’s Rich Literary Heritage with
Special Guests: Celebrated Vocalist and Two-Time Grammy Nominee
Amick Byram and Fifteen-Year-Old Violin Virtuoso Stephen Waarts

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (LAJS), lauded for its exploration of Jewish culture, presents EXALTATION! BIBLICAL STORIES THROUGH MUSIC, a performance celebrating music inspired by the Bible’s rich literary heritage, on Sunday, August 14, 2011, 7:30 pm, under the stars at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. The concert, led by Artistic Director Noreen Green, features a variety of classical, film and musical theatre works. Among the guest artists are celebrated vocalist and two-time Grammy nominee Amick Byram and fifteen-year-old violin virtuoso Stephen Waarts, described by critics as “poetic,” “engaging” and “something special.”

“The Bible is a source of inspiration and tradition for many of the world’s religions,” says Green, who has brought neglected as well as new and familiar orchestral works on Jewish themes to the concert stage. “Our program celebrates the commonality of the Bible’s timeless and heroic stories of love and betrayal, of prophets and people, of kings and shepherds and of good and evil, which serve to link different religions and cultures together.”

The evening includes music from Franz Waxman and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, two film composers among the elite group of European émigrés that immeasurably enriched the cultural life of Los Angeles. On the program are Waxman’s lushly romantic film score, The Story of Ruth, a stirring depiction of loyalty, romance, faith and devotion; and Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s brilliant and seldom-played Violin Concerto #2, subtitled The Prophets, a musical portrait of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah, featuring Waarts. Additionally, Byram performs music from stage and screen ranging from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Steven Schwartz’s Prince of Egypt to Jerry Bock’s The Apple Tree, Alan Menken’s King David and Shuki Levy’s Masada The Musical Saga. Byram was in the original cast of Masada The Musical Saga, which was presented in Israel for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the state.

The mission of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (LAJS), founded by Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Noreen Green in 1994, is to perform orchestral works of Jewish composers (both known as well as not commonly recognized); establish opportunities for the presentation of new compositions by Jewish artists; serve as a professional resource for aspiring Jewish and non-Jewish musicians; act as an educational medium for Jewish music and composers; and provide educational opportunities for diverse populations of school age children. Since its debut performance in 1994, LAJS has served over 60,000 people through 49 full symphony concerts, 54 community events and fund raising concerts and 25 educational concerts. The Symphony has premiered 33 works by Jewish composers and works never before performed in America, as well as world premieres and Israeli premieres in Israel. LAJS has provided aspiring musicians of all ethnicities and backgrounds an opportunity to play with a full orchestra, and more than 12,000 students have participated in LAJS' music education programs. In May 2000, members of the Symphony performed two concerts in Israel with the New Symphony Orchestra of the Samuel Rubin Israel Academy of Music of Tel Aviv University. In recent years, Dr. Green has taken her unique programming and repertoires to South Africa, Canada, and Israel where she served as guest conductor for local orchestras. In September 2008, the Symphony was the featured performing arts group at the historic raising of the Israeli flag in front of the Israeli Consulate’s building in Los Angeles. http://www.lajewishsymphony.org

Official Website: http://www.lajewishsymphony.org