Familiar Face Among the BBC Concert Orchestra

You may recognize a familiar Fox Cities name among the composers for next Tuesday night's performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra. Alongside Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar and George Butterworth, you can expect to see Appleton resident and composer, Maury Laws.

Shortly before the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center opened in 2002, Maury Laws was asked to compose a "Fanfare" to be played over the sound system, reminding everyone that the performance was about to begin or resume. He wrote the 10 second fanfare for brass quintet.

In honor of the Center's 10th Anniversary, Laws has expanded the motif into a longer piece. Keith Lockhart agreed to include it in the program featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, so the modest reminder has become the opening fanfare of this special evening. The music suggests the activities that take place backstage as performers ready themselves for the opening curtain. The piece is called “Curtain Call.” 

Maury Laws began playing the guitar and singing at the age of 12. By age 16, he was a featured soloist with local dance bands and jazz groups in his native North Carolina. After returning from World War II, he performed in clubs and theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada. He eventually settled in New York where he pursued a formal education in music. Among his teachers was Tibor Serly, the associate of Bela Bartok. In the early days of television, he appeared with vocal groups on the most popular variety shows while writing arrangements for many of the top recording artists of the 1950s and ’60s. In 1964, Maury became the musical director for the animated production of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” 

He went on to compose, arrange and conduct music for more than 30
television specials and films including “The Hobbit,” which won a Peabody Award and received an Emmy nomination. He also composed for the off-Broadway theater and scored symphonic works for orchestras in the U.S. and Europe. His most recent works include “The Baseball Music Project” with Fred Sturm and featuring Hall of Fame great, Dave Winfield.
 
In 2011, Maury was inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He also received the 2012 Hanns Kretzschmar Award for Excellence in the Arts. More  information about his work can be seen at maurylaws.com.

Tickets for the BBC Concert Orchestra start at $35. 

Inside the BBC Concert Orchestra

 Versatility is the BBC Concert Orchestra’s hallmark. 

BBC Concert Orchestra musicians think nothing of starting a week with a concert celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain at RAF Northolt, then a tribute to Oliver! composer Lionel Bart fronted by Barbara Windsor at the Hackney Empire, and finishing with a sell-out Queen Elizabeth Hall gig of avant-garde electronica.

The orchestra’s commitment to BBC Radio 2 is genuinely legendary. They have been delivering the world’s longest-running music show, "Friday Night is Music Night," every week for an astonishing 60 years. The ensemble also broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and has provided the soundtrack to many BBC TV programs, including "The Blue Planet," "Frozen Planet," "Walking with Dinosaurs" and "ZingZillas." 

The BBC Concert Orchestra's current Composer in Association is none other than Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. The orchestra premiered Greenwood 's "Popcorn Superhet Receiver" in 2005 and more recently "Doghouse."

In August 2010, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Keith Lockhart was appointed principal conductor and Johannes Wildner its principal guest conductor, complementing conductor laureate Barry Wordsworth. 

2013 U.S. Tour

The BBC Concert Orchestra is headed out on its 2013 U.S. Tour and will make its first appearance at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 5. Tickets start at $35 and are on sale now at foxcitiespac.com!

Sources: cami.com and bbc.co.uk

Share Your Story for a Chance to Win!

Do you have a special memory of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center?  If you have tickets for Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis this Saturday, look for the camera station in the Main Lobby. You can Share Your Story and make your favorite moment part of a 10th Anniversary Celebration. By sharing your story, you will be entered for a chance to win two tickets to Fox Cities P.A.C. Fan Day with SCRAP•ARTS•MUSIC on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Up to 100 lucky winners will be selected at random!  WATCH: Click here to see just a few Fox Cities P.A.C. Moments Feeling Camera Shy? You can also Share Your Story by writing a short paragraph, submitting a photo or coloring a special entry form for kids. Click here to enter!  Upcoming Share Your Story Video Opportunities December 8 & 9 - The Makaroff Youth Ballet's The Nutcracker February 5 - BBC Concert Orchestra February 9 - Spirited Songs: A Celebration of Choral Music

Design Your Own Season Ticket Package

Last week, the Broadway-A-Day Sweepstakes took a close look at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s 2012/13 Kimberly-Clark Broadway Across America – Fox Cities Series. With Season Tickets you can secure your seats for all five series shows.

But Broadway Season Tickets are just one way to be a part of the 10th Anniversary Season. The Boldt ArtsAlive! Series is another option with a collection of unique performances that can both educate the beginner and engage arts enthusiasts. Season Tickets are on sale now for this series as well.

The Boldt Arts Alive! Series can best be described as an eclectic mix including performances by the BBC Concert Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller as well as L.A. Theatre Works’ Pride and Prejudice and the Freddy Cole Quartet, to name a few. Plus, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary Season, the Center is producing community focused events, including Spirited Songs: A Celebration of Choral Music and Makaroff Youth Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

 

For a complete list of Boldt Arts Alive! Series performances,
visit foxcitiespac.com/events!

With Boldt Arts Alive! Season Tickets, you can design your own package to suit your tastes. Start with a few shows you know you’ll love, and add a show that stretches your imagination. Select a minimum of four performances, and save up to 10%.* Select six or more shows, and save up to 25%!**

To learn more about Boldt Arts Alive! Season Tickets, visit foxcitiespac.com today!

*Discounts not available for Bill Cosby. **Save up to 10% on Mannheim Steamroller with the 6+ package.