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9/17/2008 - Inaugural Pops Series Opens on Oct. 11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2008
**ATTENTION CALENDAR LISTING EDITORS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA **
The Las Vegas Philharmonic Announces Premiere Concert in Pops Series
Pops I welcomes trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling performing a tribute to Louis Armstrong
with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
What:
In celebration of the 10th Anniversary season, the Las Vegas Philharmonic has added an exciting new pops series to its impressive line up of concerts. The pops series will feature contemporary music including jazz and Broadway guest musicians, as well as a Christmas concert celebration. Pops I will include the Las Vegas Philharmonic orchestra performing with trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling in a jazzy tribute to Louis Armstrong.
When:
Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 8 p.m.
Where:
Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall
University of Nevada Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Concert Ticket Prices:
Concert ticket prices range from $25 to $65, excluding tax and fees. To purchase concert tickets or to subscribe to the entire season of Pops concerts, please call the UNLV Box office at (702) 895-2787 or visit LasVegasPhilharmonic.com.
About Las Vegas Philharmonic:
Founded in 1998, the Las Vegas Philharmonic is the third largest arts organization in the state and six-time recipient of the Best Performing Arts Group award. The Philharmonic has grown into a nationally recognized orchestra, entertaining growing audiences with a continuously expanding program which currently includes: a Masterworks Series featuring some of the best touring artists in the world; a Connoisseur Series that presents top soloists performing in some of the city's most luxurious homes; a variety of special events; a new Pops Concert Series for 2008-2009; and its annual Fourth of July “Star Spangled Spectacular” concert. The Philharmonic has created an extraordinary impact on the cultural and educational life of Southern Nevada and will find its new home in the $475M Smith Center for the Performing Arts slated to open in 2011.
Press Contact:
Leslie Thuet
Preferred Public Relations & Marketing
(702) 254-5704
leslie@preferredpublicrelations.com
8/26/2008 - The Las Vegas Philharmonic Celebrates Israel’s 60th Anniversary
LAS VEGAS – August 26, 2008 – The Las Vegas Philharmonic will celebrate Israel @ 60 with an exclusive concert and grand gala event on Sunday, October 12, 2008 at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. The Israel @ 60 grand gala event begins at 6:30 p.m. VIP tickets to the grand gala reception and concert are $300 per person and includes premium concert seating. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and ticket prices are $30, $60 and $90, on sale now.
As Israel embarks upon its 60th anniversary, the Las Vegas Philharmonic will honor this significant milestone with a concert and grand gala celebration featuring a musical night filled with traditional Israeli and Jewish folk, patriotic, liturgical and Klezmer music. The concert will feature a special performance by world-renowned mezzo-soprano Eugenie Grunewald, performing the 3rd movement of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah,” and performances by the Las Vegas Hebrew Academy choir and four of the city’s top cantors, including Cantor Daniel Friedman (Temple Beth Shalom), Cantor Marla Goldberg (Temple Sinai), Cantor Philip Goldstein (Temple Ner Tamid) and Cantor Andres Kornworcel (Midbar Kodesh Temple). The celebration of Israel @ 60 will be lead by Las Vegas Philharmonic music director and conductor, David Itkin.
“The Philharmonic's concert celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary, which is being so generously supported by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson, is going to be one of the most exciting community-wide events in our history,” said David Itkin, music director and conductor of the Philharmonic. “We are very excited to be able to bring such a beautiful and unique celebration to Las Vegas and to take part in the ongoing international celebrations commemorating this historic occasion.”
The Las Vegas Philharmonic’s celebration of Israel @ 60 is supported by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson. Ticket sales will benefit the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Educational Campus and the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
8/20/2008 - The Las Vegas Philharmonic Announces New Executive Director
LAS VEGAS – August 20, 2008 – The Las Vegas Philharmonic announces new Executive Director Peter D. Aaronson. Aaronson will be responsible for all aspects of orchestra operations and will report to the Board of Trustees, working in tandem with the Philharmonic’s public relations and marketing firms, Guild and all other appropriate sub-organizations. Some of Aaronson’s duties include fund-raising, grant solicitation, audience development, internal operation policies and procedures, contract negotiations, program development in conjunction with the Philharmonic’s Music Director and Conductor David Itkin and all strategic short, medium and long-range planning.
“The Las Vegas Philharmonic is truly fortunate to have someone of Peter Aaronson’s caliber as its executive director,” said Philharmonic President and CEO, Barbara Lee Woollen. “Peter possesses a stellar background which combines business and performing arts in a way that can only lead to great things for the Phil.”
Aaronson has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, entertainment and special events at a director and vice president level. Most recently the Vice President of Entertainment, Systems and Staging for Norwegian Cruise Line, Aaronson’s extensive résumé includes Vice President of H&H of Nevada, where he handled operations of the C2K Showroom at the Venetian Hotel Casino Resort; Director of Entertainment for Bally’s Las Vegas; Director of Entertainment for Universal Studios Hollywood; Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events for Carnival’s Crystal Palace Resort and Casino in Nassau, Bahamas; and Entertainment Manager for the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ.
Aaronson earned a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, with additional studies at the Juilliard School of Music, and orchestra conducting at the Mozarteum Hochshule für Musik in Salzburg, Austria. He is past President of the Board of Opera Las Vegas (Southern Nevada Opera Association), past Advisory Board Member of the Mastersingers of Las Vegas and served as an adjunct faculty member in UNLV’s fine arts department.
8/19/2008 - The Las Vegas Philharmonic Announces New Board of Trustees
LAS VEGAS – August 19, 2008 – The Las Vegas Philharmonic announces its new Board of Trustees for 2008 – 2009. The Trustees include the executive officers - Barbara Lee Woollen, president and CEO; Jeri Crawford, vice president; Shea Gordon, treasurer; Patricia Pieper Fink, secretary.
Other Trustees include: Heather Allen M.D., James Frank Ph.D., William Freyd, Dan Henson, Richard Kaufman, Cristine Lefkowitz, David Mulkey M.D., Laura Mulkey, Sandra K. Murdock, Richard Plaster, Wendy Plaster, Lilian Prusan, Phyllis Schwartz, Kep Sweeney and Bruce Woollen.
“I am so very proud to be a part of this dedicated team that will catapult the Las Vegas Philharmonic forward to its next decade and into its new home at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts with recognition as a world renowned orchestra,” said Las Vegas Philharmonic President Barbara Lee Woollen.
A nationally recognized orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic continues to act as a tremendous cultural influence on Southern Nevada, but also prides itself on a sound record of organizational and fiscal management. With revenue projected to reach $3 million in 2008 – 2009, the Philharmonic has established a Permanent Endowment Fund that will assure the orchestra’s financial future.
4/17/2008 - Itkin Receives Full Professorship
Las Vegas, Nev.--The Las Vegas Philharmonic announced today that its Music Director David Itkin has been appointed full professor at the University of North Texas College of Music (UNT) as Director of Orchestral Studies, effective with the 2008-09 academic year. Itkin is concluding his first season with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and will remain as its Music Director in 2008-09 and future seasons. For the 2008-09 season he will also continue as Music Director of both the Arkansas Symphony and the Abilene Philharmonic orchestras. Conducting more than one orchestra is not uncommon for regional orchestras such as these.
UNT is recognized as one of the leading schools of music in North America. Itkin's appointment to its extraordinary faculty reflects favorably upon his skills as an orchestra builder. The Philharmonic’s Interim Executive Director Bill Granda adds, “We are honored that our Music Director was chosen for this prestigious position with the University of North Texas. It says that we made a great choice in picking Itkin to lead the Las Vegas Philharmonic into the next phase of our exciting growth.”
Itkin will conduct the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s expanded schedule of Masterworks, Pops and July 4th concerts in Las Vegas next season and will continue to bring his artistic vision to the Philharmonic as it prepares to enter into the new Smith Center for the Performing Arts in 2011.
Contact: Bill Granda, interim executive director The Las Vegas Philharmonic
(702) 258-5438 ext. 229.
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2/25/2008 - The Philharmonic's 2008-2009 Season
The 2008-2009 concert season marks the 10th anniversary of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
The Philharmonic will offer, for the first time, two series of concerts: the traditional Masterworks series and the new Pops series. In addition to the beautiful classical works offered in the Masterworks series, the Pops series will feature jazz, Broadway, and contemporary pieces over three concerts.
The Masterworks season opens on September 6 with Maurice Ravel''s one-movement Boléro, his most famous musical composition. World-renowned pianist Misha Dichter will then perform Edvard Grieg''s Piano Concerto in A minor. The evening closes with the tempestuous Symphony No. 7 in D minor by Antonín Dvořák.
Masterworks II on November 15 brings the magic of Scheherazade. The program begins with the Hebrides Overture (also known as Fingal''s Cave) by Felix Mendelssohn followed by Henri Tomasi''s Concerto for Alto Saxophone. This piece will highlight Eugene Rousseau, one of the leading saxophone performers and pedagogues in the world. The popular and epic Scheherazade by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff will wrap up the evening.
On February 14, 2009, Masterworks III is a special all-Tchaikovsky concert, making it the perfect show to see on Valentine''s Day. In paying tribute to the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the Philharmonic will start the evening with the passionate Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique. The next pieces, Roccoco Variations and Nocturne for cello and orchestra, will feature internationally acclaimed musician Zuill Bailey on cello. Finally, Tchaikovsky''s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy closes the romantic evening.
The Masterworks IV concert on April 4, 2009 first begins with the Overture to Don Giovanni, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart''s opera buffa or "comic opera." The program continues with Niccolò Paganini''s dramatic yet melodic Violin Concerto No. 1 and then concluded with the popular Symphony No. 5 in D minor by Dmitri Shostakovich. Young violin prodigy Shannon Lee is the featured guest artist.
The Masterworks grand finale on May 16, 2009 opens with Darius Milhaud''s La Création du Monde, but the feature of the evening is Ludwig van Beethoven''s majestic masterpiece, Symphony No. 9 in D minor—the "Ode to Joy." Collaborating with The Philharmonic are the Las Vegas Master Singers, directed by Jocelyn K. Jensen, Ph.D., and the Desert Chorale, directed by Nancy Helm. Soloists for the evening will be soprano Veera Asher, mezzo-soprano Juline Barol-Gilmore, tenor Mark Thomsen, and baritone Paul Rowe.
The inaugural Pops series begins on October 11, 2008 paying tribute to American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong. Trumpet virtuoso and showman Byron Stripling will bring the influential jazz musician''s sound to life.
On December 13, 2008, Pops II presents "A Christmas Celebration!" with classic holiday songs. There will be a matinee show at 2 p.m. for the whole family as well as the evening show at 8 p.m.
Pops III on March 21, 2009 features a night on Broadway with Brent Barrett, star of "Phantom - the Las Vegas Spectacular." The Philharmonic and Barrett will perform a program called "You and the Night and the Music."
At-a-Glance:
Masterworks I
September 6, 2008
Maurice Ravel, Boléro
Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A minor, Misha Dichter.
Antonín Dvořák,.Symphony No. 7
Masterworks II
November 15, 2008
Felix Mendelssohn, Hebrides Overture “Fingal’s Cave”
Henri Tomasi, Concerto for Alto Saxophone, Eugene Rousseau, alto
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff, Scheherazade
Masterworks III
February 14, 2009
All-Tchaikovsky concert
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique
Roccoco Variations
Nocturne for cello and orchestra, Zuill Bailey, cello
Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy
Masterworks IV
April 4, 2009
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Overture to Don Giovanni
Niccolò Paganini, Violin Concerto No. 1, Shannon Lee, violin
Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Masterworks V
May 16, 2009
Darius Milhaud, La Création du Monde
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Pops I
October 11, 2008
Tribute to American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong
Byron Stripling on trumpet
Pops II
December 13, 2008
“A Christmas Celebration!”
Matinée at 2 p.m.
Evening show at 8 p.m.
Pops III
March 21, 2009
“You and the Night and the Music.”
A night on Broadway with Brent Barrett
Performances begin at 8 p.m. in Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas unless otherwise noted. Subscriptions are available by calling 895-ARTS (2787), or by visiting our website. Single tickets go on sale August 6, 2008. Visit www.lvphil.com for more information.
Shuttle bus service to the concerts departs from the Starbright Theatre Parking Lot in Summerlin about 6:20 p.m. the evening of the show. To sign up, call 895-2787.
1/10/2008 - Longtime Executive Director to Lead Development Efforts
The Las Vegas Philharmonic (LVP) today announced that it has appointed Philip Koslow as its first full time director of development. Mr. Koslow previously served as executive director of the Philharmonic. A search for a new executive director has begun.
“The board of the Philharmonic has implemented an aggressive growth strategy with the appointment of our new music director and in anticipation of the orchestra’s move in to its new home at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts,” said LVP Board Chairman William Freyd. “We are fortunate to have a person of Phil’s professional capabilities to assume this crucial new position for our growing organization.”
Mr. Koslow was engaged by the LVP in December of 2002. During his tenure, the LVP’s operating budget grew 70 percent, the Masterworks Series of concerts was expanded, the LVP Guild and the Young Professional Organization (Muse) were both launched and the Youth and Education program was established highlighted by the “Kids to Concerts” fund that underwrites the LVP’s Youth Concerts for Clark County School District fourth and fifth graders.
“The opportunity to serve the organization as its first effective full time development director fulfills my professional and personal goal to continue to contribute to the LVP’s success,” said Mr. Koslow.
LVP Music Director David Itkin commented, “The Las Vegas Philharmonic is poised to become one of the nation’s leading regional musical institutions. The organization has made impressive strides in recent years and our musicians have re-committed themselves to a program of artistic growth and exploration. To achieve our promise, we must be financially sound and I am personally gratified that Phil is taking on this enormously important role within the LVP family.”
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