New Sounds February 21, 2009

Queens Symphony Orchestra
Presents

New Sounds
part of the Masterworks Concert Series Bernstein & Friends

Constantine Kitsopoulos, Music Director/Conductor
Spiros Exaras, Guitarist & Composer

Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm
New! Pre-Concert Lecture Series at 6:30 pm
Queensborough Performing Arts Center
(56th Avenue & Springfield Blvd., Bayside)

QSO COMBINES JAZZ FUSION, GREEK RHYTHMS AND TONALITIES WITH THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO CREATE A NEW GENRE!

Join Queens Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Constantine Kitsopoulos on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm for the second concert in our Masterworks Concert Series Bernstein & Friends, entitled New Sounds. This event will be held at our artistic home, QPAC (Queensborough Performing Arts Center) in Bayside. To remember Leonard Bernstein on what would have been his 90th birthday this season, QSO will present works by composers that influenced him greatly; Prelude & Fugue for Strings, Op. 29 by Benjamin Britten and Suite from “Pulcinella” by Igor Stravinsky. The second half of the evening, QSO will perform a world premiere work by Spiros Exaras featuring the Spiros Exaras World-Jazz Ensemble combined with the symphonic orchestra. Greek guitarist and composer Exaras has combined Greek elements including Greek instruments, rhythms, and tunings with his jazz fusion ensemble and the entire symphonic orchestra to create a completely new sound. This is a groundbreaking event not to be missed.

QSO also invites you to attend our new Pre-Concert Lecture Series at 6:30 pm. Maestro Kitsopoulos will have an informative talk about the evening’s program for 30 minutes prior to the event. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet and learn more about this exciting new premiere from our guest artist and composer, Spiros Exaras. Subscribers receive this series for free, but any ticket buyer may attend for only $5! This event is endorsed by the Consulate General of Greece and is sponsored in part by Roslyn Savings Foundation, Marathon Bank, TD Bank, New York State Council of the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and media sponsors Aktina FM, Cosmos FM, NEO Magazine, ANT1 Satellite and the Greek American News Agency.

Maestro Constantine Kitsopoulos, in his third season as QSO Music Director, is only the third Music Director in the Queens Symphony’s 56-year history. Constantine Kitsopoulos has made a name for himself as a conductor whose musical experiences comfortably span the worlds of opera and symphony, where he conducts in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and musical theater, where he can be found leading orchestras on Broadway. Maestro Kitsopoulos is General Director of Chatham Opera and has conducted opera productions in this country and around the world. He has conducted symphony orchestras around the world including the San Francisco, Baltimore, Detroit, Hartford, Milwaukee, Mobile, Princeton, Virginia, Santa Barbara, Annapolis, New Jersey and Madison Symphonies as well as the Hong Kong, Calgary, and Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestras. On Broadway Mo. Kitsopoulos was the Music Director and Conductor of the Tony-nominated play, Coram Boy, Tony Award winning Baz Lurhmann’s production of La Boheme, Frank Wildhorn’s Dracula, Les Miserables, and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. Maestro Kitsopoulos studied conducting with Vincent La Selva. He recently finished a successful run as Music Director for the new Broadway musical A Catered Affair, starring Harvey Fierstein. QSO is delighted to have him at the baton. For additional information on our Music Director, please visit his website at www.kitsopoulos.com.

Born and raised in Greece, Spiros Exaras studied classical guitar and music composition at the Athens Conservatory of Music, where he obtained his Master's degree. He also attended a two-year seminar in jazz improvisation and orchestration. The lead guitarist at the Greek National Radio and Television Orchestra (ERT) for two years, he has also performed in several projects with the Orchestra of Colors (Homage to Leonard Bernstein, 1996 and Tribute to The Beatles, 1996). In 1992 Spiros released his first personal CD with MBI Records. The same year he relocated to the US and focused mainly on jazz music and works with prominent performers and composers such as Randy Brecker, Harvie S., Mark Egan, Philip Hamilton, Mike Pope, Andy Middleton, Sal Giorgiani, Donny McCaslin, Charles Blenzig, Etienne Stadwjick, Richie Morales, Joel Rosenblatt, Tom Schuman and the Grammy Award winner Dave Valentin. He crossed over into pop music by playing the guitar solo in the Mariah Carey's single hit My All (Sony Music 1998). His appearance credits include Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center (NYC), Saint John the Divine (NYC), Megaron Musikis Music Hall (Athens, Greece), and Herod Atticus Theater (Athens, Greece). Phrygianics is Spiro's latest Jazz CD in which he crosses-over into World Music, bringing together some of the world's most renowned musicians as Henry Hey, Matthew Garisson, Gene Lake, Arto Tuncboyaciyan and Lefteris Bournias. It was released by Blue Note Records in 2003. Please visit his website at www.spirosexaras.com.

Now in its 56th season as the only professional orchestra in Queens, QSO continues its mission of bringing the best in classical, chamber, pops, and arts-in-education to the residents of this international borough. For further information about QSO and its programs, please visit www.queenssymphony.org.Concert tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the QSO office at 718-326-4455, ext. 20.

Official Website: www.queenssymphony.org