Post Views: 90

THIS WEEK ON BOSTON POPS AT HOME:

NEW CONTENT AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME INCLUDES CONDUCTOR KEITH LOCKHART WITH AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION WITH GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING MUSICIAN RHIANNON GIDDENS ABOUT HER CAREER AND PASSION FOR EXPLORING THE MULTIRACIAL ORIGINS OF AMERICAN MUSIC

ALSO, AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE OF REDEFINING AMERICAN MUSIC: REDISCOVERING THE INCREDIBLE BLACK COMPOSER, CURATED BY GIDDENS

AND, NOT SEEN SINCE 1995, KEITH LOCKHART’S DEBUT ON EVENING WITH POPS

PLUS THE DELIGHTFUL VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OF LEROY ANDERSON’S BUGLER’S HOLIDAY BY THE BOSTON POPS TRUMPET SECTION

BOSTON POPS AT HOME AND BSO AT HOME OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF NEW AND RETROSPECTIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO CONTENT, AVAILABLE FREE EACH WEEK BY VISITING WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME AND WWW.BSO.ORG/ATHOME

SINCE LAUNCHING BSO AT HOME ON MARCH 23, BSO REPORTS WEBSITE TRAFFIC HAS DOUBLED AND MORE THAN 8.5 MILLION INTERACTIONS ON WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS; BSO AT HOME, BOSTON POPS AT HOME, AND BSO HOMESCHOOL AUDIO AND VIDEO CONTENT SERIES WERE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO CONCERT CANCELLATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS DUE TO CONCERNS OVER THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

FOR PHOTOS, BIOS OF KEITH LOCKHART, ARTISTS, AND PRESS KIT, CLICK HERE: https://app.box.com/folder/114123774026

NEW BOSTON POPS AT HOME CONTENT AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME

CONVERSATIONS WITH KEITH SERIES, THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2 P.M. AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME: AN INTERVIEW WITH RHIANNON GIDDENS
MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner Rhiannon Giddens talks with Keith about her complex and various artistic inspirations. When she performed with the Pops on July 4, 2018 and the following year for a weeklong residency at Symphony Hall, Pops audiences experienced her multi-instrumental and vocal talents as she performed music with influences in roots, jazz, blues, gospel, and Celtic. In their conversation, Rhiannon shares some of the historic hidden truths and racism that has created the prevailing history of American music, and also celebrates the blending of music and culture that has created great “American” music in many styles.

MONDAY AUDIO STREAM AVAILABLE NOW AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME: RHIANNON GIDDENS AND FRIENDS IN REDEFINING AMERICAN MUSIC: REDISCOVERING THE INCREDIBLE BLACK COMPOSER
Recorded and aired by Boston’s WCRB-FM, this audio stream is a compilation of works performed from May 22 through May 25, 2019 at Symphony Hall in Boston. We share it this week to amplify and honor voices of Black composers whose works have far too often been absent from symphonic stages.

Rhiannon Giddens curated this dynamic concert last spring to reintroduce us to the great Black composers who have been hiding in plain sight in every genre of music. Enjoy the music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor whose choral music once rivaled Handel’s Messiah to Billy Strayhorn, the genius behind Duke Ellington who wrote “Take the A-Train” and “Day Dream,” and Eubie Blake, composer of the groundbreaking Broadway musical  Shuffle Along. She also remembers the ladies with Florence Price, the first Black woman to have her symphony performed by a major orchestra, and Hazel Scott, the jazz and piano prodigy who became a Hollywood, Broadway, and television star. Giddens is joined by vocalist Darius de Haas (Broadway’s Shuffle Along) and pianist Lara Downes, whose playing has been described as “luscious, moody and dreamy” by the New York Times.  Audio courtesy of WCRB.

BUGLER’S HOLIDAY, A VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE BY THE BOSTON POPS TRUMPET SECTION, AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY, JUNE 19 AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME
When Massachusetts native Leroy Anderson composed the Bugler’s Holiday in 1954, he said he wanted to imagine what three military buglers would do on their day off. The four members of the Boston Pops trumpet section–Tom Rolfs, Ben Wright, Tom Siders, and Michael Martin–bring this delightful piece to life in a virtual performance.

HEROIC PERFORMANCES SERIES, SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 3 P.M. AT WWW.BOSTONPOPS.ORG/ATHOME: FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1995, KEITH LOCKHART’S FIRST CONCERT ON EVENING AT POPS
Enjoy a rare peek back into the archives with Keith Lockhart’s first Evening at Pops television show–not seen since it aired in 1995 and shared here in honor of Keith Lockhart’s 25th anniversary as conductor of the Boston Pops (canceled for this season and rescheduled for 2021). The orchestra is joined by soprano Sylvia McNair and Broadway singer Mandy Patinkin, with special tribute appearances by conductor laureate John Williams and the legendary Doc Severinsen. With special thanks to WGBH.

Heroic Performances is the Boston Pops’ contribution to the Boston Globe’s “ArtsAlive” series and is accessible at www.bostonpops.org/athome. The video stream is available for free on-demand viewing on Sunday, June 21 at 3 p.m. EDT for a 45-day duration.

AVAILABLE FRIDAY AT 10 A.M. ON YOUTUBE.COM/BOSTON SYMPHONY, A NEW NOTES OF APPRECIATION WITH POPS VIOLINIST WENDY PUTNAM
Boston Pops players are showing their appreciation for local healthcare workers through the BSO’s “Notes of Appreciation” program. Each week, a new video “note” is delivered to area hospitals from an orchestra member in which he/she thanks the hospital staff for what they are doing and the sacrifices they are making to keep all of us safe during this crisis. The musician then plays a favorite piece selected for the front line COVID-19 heroes. For this week, BSO and Pops violinist Wendy Putnam performs selections from J.S. Bach’s Violin Partita in E major. The video will be available Friday at 10 a.m. at www.youtube.com/bostonsymphony.

Created in response to concert cancellations due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, BSO at Home, BSO HomeSchool and Boston Pops at Home are designed to entertain, enlighten, and engage audiences around the world with complimentary online and radio content. Although nothing can take the place of a live performance, these audio and video presentations help to lift spirits in these trying times. Since the start of the BSO at Home series on March 23, the BSO’s website and social media platforms have received more than 8.5 million interactions, with website traffic doubling.

Boston Pops at Home programming began running on May 11 with each day of the week scheduled to bring a different activity. Mondays feature a 20–30-minute playlist that draws from the Boston Pops audio archives. Tuesdays on Boston Pops social media channels, fans can play a “Name That Tune” game based on recent Pops performances. Wednesdays include Pops HomeSchool content for elementary and middle school students. “Conversations with Keith” airs on Thursdays, consisting of one-to-one interviews between Pops conductor Keith Lockhart and select guests. Each Friday brings a new video segment and musical demonstration from a Boston Pops player. Saturdays recap previously recorded material and on Sundays, 99.5 WCRB rebroadcasts complete Pops performances.

BSO at Home and BSO HomeSchool continue with special projects and family-friendly educational content, including the ongoing Bach Project, featuring BSO violinists performing selections from J.S. Bach’s solo violin sonatas and partitas. BSO at Home, BSO HomeSchool, and Boston Pops at Home programming lasts through July 4.

Boston Pops at Home is sponsored by Fidelity Investments. Additional support provided by Fairmont Copley Plaza, Official Hotel of the Boston Pops; Commonwealth Worldwide Executive Transportation, Official Chauffeured Transportation Provider; American Airlines, the Official Airline of the Boston Pops.

# # #

Please follow and like us: