Music at Noon: The Logan Series presents Fireworks Ensemble September 22, 2010

The 21st season of Music at Noon: The Logan Series will open with a burst of sonic fireworks.

Fireworks Ensemble, eight classically-trained but musically omnivorous young virtuosi who pride themselves on being able to play music regardless of style, time period or instrumentation, will perform at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 22, in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The lunchtime performance is free and open to the public.

Fireworks’ striking, rock-inspired reinvention of the Igor Stravinsky masterpiece The Rite of Spring established its national reputation. Its acclaimed Dance Mix program featuring 700 years of dance music—called “the most madly eclectic program of the year” by The New Yorker’s Alex Ross—will be excerpted for Fireworks’ Logan Series performance.

In February, Fireworks Ensemble worked with Velvet Underground legend and composer Lou Reed to perform his 1975 distorted-electronica work “Metal Machine Music” at Columbia University in New York City. The group frequently presents its musical portrait of the late iconoclast composer Frank Zappa.

Fireworks has premiered over a hundred new works, promoting emerging composers worthy of wider recognition and commissioning works by established masters such as Glenn Branca, Scott Johnson, and Nick Didkovsky. Passionate about its work with young people, the ensemble devotes a large part of its time each year to outreach activities, and has provided a doorway into contemporary and traditional classical music for hundreds of students in elementary, middle and high schools. As part of The Logan Series, Fireworks will perform two mini-residencies at the city’s Diehl Elementary School in addition to its free public performance at Penn State Behrend.

Music at Noon, an innovative program to introduce classical music in an informal atmosphere rather than an intimidating concert hall, is celebrating its 21st anniversary season. Founded at Penn State Behrend by Warren philanthropist and arts advocate Kay Logan, the series’ unique musical outreach has been honored with an Adventurous Programming Award by Chamber Music America and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The series receives major support from the Kay Logan Trust and additional funding from the Penn State Behrend Student Activity Fee, Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts and the Erie Arts Endowment of ArtsErie.

For more information about The Logan Series or Fireworks Ensemble’s appearance, contact Logan Series director Gary Viebranz at 814-898-6289.