Hail to the Veterans!

Pairing the music of conflict against the voices of innocence, the Michigan Philharmonic is excited to feature three children’s choirs during our “Hail to the Veterans” concert. The largest of the choirs is the Detroit Children’s Choir. Made up of over 300 children, their diverse collection of members come from many cities in Southeast Michigan. In addition to having the opportunity to perform on a plethora of stages in the metro Detroit area, choir members also receive training in music literacy, sight reading, and vocal techniques. Joining us as well is Plymouth’s own Main Street Opera Children’s Chorus. Located just upstairs from the Philharmonic at P.A.R.C., the Children’s Chorus plays an important role in the performances by the Main Street Opera Theater. The third choir joining us will be Our Lady of Good Counsel’s own Plymouth Counselors Youth Chorale, an ensemble for the elementary and middle school students from the parish and school. Additionally, the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra–Sinfonia will be joining the Philharmonic for a side-by-side performance during our “Hail to the Veterans” November 10^th concert. 

Our Veterans

Most everyone is familiar with the role that the military plays in peacekeeping, but many people don’t realize the role that the military plays in offering disaster relief and aid work. Military personnel are involved in many humanitarian aid projects, often being the first major support forces at the scene of a disaster. Following Tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, and deadly earthquakes in Haiti, U.S. naval ships are the first to provide aid, supplies, and relief for those impacted by such disasters. 

As we approach Veterans day, it is important to remember the sacrifices our veterans and activity duty military personnel have made to protect our freedoms, but also to save countless lives and provide support for those affected by disasters worldwide. 

The Michigan Philharmonic honors and celebrates the work of these tireless military personnel both here and abroad with a concert featuring memorable music of wartime and peacetime.  “Hail to the Veterans” on Friday, November 10th, 2018 will bring together orchestra and three children’s choirs for a memorable concert on Veterans weekend.  For tickets and information: www.michiganphil.org.

National Art in Education Week Post“Arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students.”

With these words, the U.S. House of representatives designated the week beginning with the second Sunday of September as National Art in Education Week. The Michigan Philharmonic, with our CLASSical Music Outreach Third Grade Program, Visiting Artists workshops, and of course the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is proud to nurture, support, and recognize the importance of arts education in Michigan. 

National Art in Education Week in September 10-16 this year. Share your stories of an important arts teacher or arts class that you have had with the hashtag #BecauseOfArtsEd.

Danzas del ballet “Estancia” is a bold, rhythmic orchestral work based on the ballet “Estancia” and is the first of two pieces composed by the great Alberto Ginastera that the Michigan Philharmonic will be performing this concert season. To help familiarize you with this Alberto Ginastera, before our season opens, here are eight things you may not have known about him:

1. During his later years, Ginastera preferred to pronounce his name with a soft ‘G’ sound rather than the Spanish ‘J’ sound that he had preferred earlier in life. 
2. The fourth movement of Ginastera’s first piano concerto was adapted by English rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer. They released the song titled “Toccata” on their album Brain Salad Surgery. Ginastera was a big fan of the adaptation. 
3. The incorporation of Argentinian folk themes was important and often straightforward in Ginastera’s early compositions, but became more and more abstract as his career progressed.
4. Ginastera’s music also saw him experiment with serial technique (an innovation by Schoenberg) later in his career. 
5. The first planned performance of Ginastera’s opera Bomarzo (1967) was cancelled by the Argentinian government because of the opera’s “alleged immoral nature”. The opera was banned by Argentina until 1972. 
6. Deeming several works as immature—regardless of how well received they had been—Ginastera had them withdrawn from publication. This included his first and second symphonies. 
7. As a young professor, Ginastera traveled to the U.S. on a Guggenheim fellowship. It was then that he studied with famous American composer Aaron Copland. 
8. Estancia, the ballet source material for Danzas del ballet “Estancia” was originally commissioned by New York’s Ballet Caravan who unfortunately disbanded before the premiere of the ballet. Ginastera pulled from and converted the work into this orchestral piece as to save the music from being lost to time. 

The “Estancia” ballet itself was eventually premiered in 1952, and 67 years later we are happy to bring Danzas del ballet “Estancia” to you. Be sure to see the Michigan Philharmonic perform Ginastera’s Danzas del ballet “Estancia” during our season opener “A Bit of Beethoven and Blue Jeans” Saturday, September 30^th at the Cherry Hill Village Theater in Canton. Pre-concert talk with our music director and conductor, Nan Washburn and the great American composer, Mary Watkins at 6:45 pm. Don't miss it!

September 30th, 7:30 pm

Cherry Hill Village Theater

www.michiganphil.org

Tickets: http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=VTCH&event=Blue&testingCookie=true

72nd Michigan Philharmonic Season 2017 - 2018

2016: Women take Strides!

While the Michigan Philharmonic embraced women composers in their 2016/2017 concert and lecture series, the Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed deemed 2016 to be classical music’s “year of the woman.”  Du Yun became the seventh woman to win a music Pulitzer Prize for her operatic composition Angel’s Bone this year and history was made as all three music Pulitzer Prize finalists were women. Congratulations to all women working towards breaking the universal glass ceiling!

This season the Michigan Philharmonic continue its support for Women Composers as they will be preforming works by Mary Watkins, Alice Gomez, Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Gloria Estefan this upcoming season!

2017/2018 Season:

Last season, the Michigan Philharmonic focused on the promoting Women composers through lectures series and their concert series in the 2016/2017 season. This year, the Michigan Philharmonic is excited to broaden their focus as they plan to host speakers and composers that embody diversity. Look out for our upcoming lectures featuring speakers who’ll discuss Art Advocacy as the Michigan Philharmonic embraces art education, local artists, and diverse cultures and audiences.

Community/ Local Artists

The Michigan Philharmonic has a long-standing tradition of embracing the Plymouth-Canton-Livonia community as well as featuring composers form around the world at their concerts throughout each season. As they maintain their tradition embracing world class talent and local artists, this year the two of the three guest composers, Zhou Tian and Ricardo Lorenz, will be from the Lansing area. Look out for these groups and local composer/musicians in these upcoming concerts:

·       Hail to the Veterans (November 10^th, 2017) featuring:

–       The Detroit Children’s Choir

–       Main Street Opera Theatre

–       Plymouth Counselors Youth Chorale

–       MPYO Sinfonia in the concert

·       Miniature Masterpieces (January 2017) featuring:

–       Dennis Carter, Michigan Philharmonic’s own flutist and prominent musician in the metro-Detroit area

·       Tchaikovsky Spectacular (Sunday March 18th, 2018) featuring:

–       Zhou Tian and this composition,  A Thousand Years of Good Prayers

·       Danzones y Tangos: A Cabaret Café (April 14^th, 2018)

–       Ricardo Lorenzo and his composition, Habanera Science

Phil-Palooza

Saturday April 1^st, the Michigan Philharmonic will conclude its 71^st season in celebration with the concert, Phil-Palooza. Community enrichment has been an unfailing goal of Michigan Philharmonic since the symphony began. Phil-Palooza will honor the importance of community engagement as well as the platform music gives to foster collaboration and unite people from all age groups, and backgrounds. To demonstrate the inclusivity of music, Phil-Palooza will feature music both kids and adults will enjoy, including Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, narrated by Randy Bhirdo and a Star Wars Medley, compositions by John Williams. The Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will also appear in a side-by-side performance of the symphony Finlandia, Op, 26 composed by Jean Sibelius.

To wrap up the concert, Phil-Palooza will debut the world premiere of 112 Degrees, written by Alice Gomez whose music embodies solidarity, as she embraces her heritage and the utilization of multicultural compositional techniques. And to end this successful concert series, the Plymouth Community Band, and the Michigan Philharmonic will perform together for the first time. This is a concert you, your family and friends won’t want to miss. 

A Touch of the Irish

This season, the Michigan Philharmonic has embraced and highlighted numerous compositions written by women throughout their concert series. This upcoming concert, A Touch of the Irish, will feature the Gaelic Symphony in celebration of 150 years of Amy Beach, one of America’s most influential female composers.

Did you know?

·         Amy Beach is the first American woman to succeed as a composer of large-scale works.

·         She was 7 years old when she performed her first private recital.

·         She made her debut as a concert pianist at the age of 16.

·         She founded and was the first president of the Society of American Women Composers.

·         She was the first female American composer to compose a symphony performed by  an orchestra, Gaelic Symphony.

·         She is the first American woman to perform as a soloist on her own work. 

Philharmonic Phright Night

Our Annual Halloween Concert Fun

The second concert of the 2016 - 2017 season is on Saturday, October 22nd at 7:30 pm in the PARC Gym, Plymouth. This concert is guaranteed to be fun and will set the tone for your Halloween festivities.

Wear your favorite costumes, bring your children, enjoy free pop-corn and join in the fun!

Our Music Director and Conductor, Nan Washburn will once again surprise and haunt us with "scary classics" and movie sound tracks. From Bach, Berlioz, Gould to Williams, Danny Elfman and Ray Parker Jr. Maestra Nan Washburn has created a concert that features music that represents some of the best tunes used in scary and not-so scary movies. As Maestra Washburn has said before: "orchestral music for movies give composers the freedom to interpret the images and story the movie will talk about"; indeed music speaks first. A family treat for everyone.    

Don't miss this one. For tickets call us 734.451.2112 or visit www.michiganphil.org

Michigan Philharmonic – Behind the Scenes

In this series we will be portraying our musicians who are the core foundation of our organization. Our orchestra has been able to retain some of the most qualified musicians in our region. We believe that excellence in programming and great professional relationship helps to grow a more dynamic organization.  

Playing music together has been a mankind needs for thousands of years. During the renaissance groups of friends gathered to play together, which whatever instrument, they had in hand. There were no “composed” parts for determined instruments, more like a free for all type of music. The orchestra in the modern sense came to life in the 17^th century when Monteverdi composed one of the first opera’s Orfeo (1607). He composed the music for determined groups of instruments and demanded a lot of instruments. But, why a musician wants to become one? What drives a person to follow a passion and convert it into a lifestyle? Why playing together?

Joseph Deller, Concertmaster

“I saw a violinist play on TV when I was five years old and I said: ‘I want to do that.’“ says concertmaster, Joseph Deller about what encouraged him to take music. Joe is a native from Dearborn, MI. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Violin Performance from Hope College in 2003. Joe has been playing with the Orchestra for many years. As many musicians parents, Joe’s parents encouraged him to take music when he was a child; his parents gave him a piano “to see if he would stick with something”.

It is definitely very important to develop a musical ability. Music enables the creative process of an artist and of any person; music reaches within someone’s soul and reflects the inward world of people. Joe affirms, “Music is a comfort, an escape, a challenge and above all an expression of emotion.” Playing with the Michigan Philharmonic has had some challenges; Joe says that “the most enjoyable performances are the ones that are the most challenging. Some pieces that stick out in my mind are Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and Saint-Saëns’ organ Symphony.”

Playing together enables a sense of companionship beyond judgment and an opportunity to learn from others. Joe enjoys running and reading literature, but furthermost he enjoys hanging out with his newborn baby girl.

Lisa Raschiatore, Principal Clarinet

For Lisa Raschiatore, Pricnipal Clarinet, music started in her 4th grade band class. According to Lisa,  “Mr. Ferris demonstrated all the band instruments for us, and I really liked the clarinet because it had the most shiny buttons!  Seriously...I was ten, so what did I know?!” Even a simple impression such as the shiny buttons or the many strings an instrument has, can make a difference in one’s life. When the Michigan Philharmonic musicians go to workshops with the 3rd. graders at different schools in our region, the children engage in so many ways with the musicians and their instruments. It is a reminder that simplicity captivates children’s mind and help build interest in music. Lisa is one of the musicians who visit children and show them the “shiny buttons” of her clarinet in hope of one day, a kid like her, will take on music as a profession.

For Lisa her band teachers played a very important role: “I particularly remember my high school band director, Mr. McQuilkin, as someone who really pushed me musically in my youth, so make sure you support your band directors.  They make a BIG difference in the lives of countless children.  I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without mine.” Music is powerful; it moves people from different cultures and enables them to cross bridges triggering a profound rewarding experience. There are scientific proofs of how music benefits children and adults alike.

Lisa continues: “What does music mean to me?  The world.  I'd be a very different person today if I hadn't started playing the clarinet when I was ten!  I do remember a fun story about how I started:  after our first band class, I was SO excited to learn that I could make a honking duck noise on my clarinet mouthpiece that I showed my mom the ENTIRE way home in the car. It drove her nuts!  She's been such a great supporter of all that I do, as have the rest of my family and my partner Scott. I'm a very lucky girl.” 

Music also has challenges and for Lisa the most difficult and enjoyable performance with Michigan Philharmonic has been playing the Clarinet Concerto by Aaron Copland.  In Lisa’s words: “It was exhilarating to perform such a virtuosic work, but it kicked my butt too! It was an incredible experience to be surrounded by such great musicians playing the Copland. I won't forget it.” Playing music together has been an experience where musicians can learn from each other, as Lisa has experienced. 

Lisa enjoys music as a fundamental part of her life, but she also likes to walk in nature, especially in our Great Lakes region. She loves to recharge her batteries along a nice campfire, but ultimately, she gardens: “I feel passionately about fresh, homegrown vegetables...and I love to cook and eat them too!  I also have a big crush on beautiful flowers, specifically dahlias, and spending the afternoon in a botanical garden sounds perfect to me.” 

Music is “The world”, a universal language.

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Up Next:

This Saturday October 24 at 7:30 pm, Steppingstone School in Farmington Hills

"PHRIGHT NIGHT", #Halloween Spooktacular Concert. For tickets, www.michiganphil.org or call 734.451.2112.

Michigan Philharmonic – 70th Anniversary

This year marks the 70^th anniversary of the orchestra. It is certainly a milestone. It takes a lot of work, initiative, excitement and most of all, passion to continue growing an organization with a progressive vision. The Michigan Philharmonic has grown from a small ensemble, to a community orchestra to a regional musical powerhouse, always innovating and creating classical music experience in our community.

Origins

The orchestra started in 1945 when local residents of Plymouth, Evelyn and Carl Groschke gathered a group of friends in their house to play and enjoy instrumental music. At the same time, the director of the Plymouth High School music program, Paul Wagner wanted to organize an orchestra. They joined forces and the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra was born, giving its first public performance on April 20, 1947. Thanks to the Groschke’s vision, the orchestra started to take shape and by the 1950’s it was already established and performing at Plymouth High School (where Central Middle School used to be and where the Orchestra recently moved back to!) and on the school lawn. The Plymouth Symphony Orchestra performed at Plymouth-Salem High School Auditorium for many years.

Establishment

The orchestra has grown from a dedicated nucleus of a dozen volunteer community players to over 60 professional musicians and performs a wide range of chamber, jazz, popular, and standard symphonic repertoire, ranging from the 16th century to the present. A review of past programs shows that the orchestra has performed approximately 1,500 symphonic works. Hundreds of guest artists and several thousand singers have performed with the orchestra.  In all, there have been seven conductors:

Paul Wagner (1945-1950),

Wayne Dunlap (1951-1979),

Johan van der Merwe (1980-1985),

Charles Greenwell (1985-1986),

Leon Gregorian (1986-1987),

Russell Reed (1987-1999)
and Nan Washburn (1999-present). 



With the vision of our present Music Director and Conductor, Nan Washburn in 2003 the PSO established a youth orchestra program, the Celebration Youth Orchestras. It now boasts three tiers, 65 students, a flute choir, and an annual Vivaldi Concerto competition. In 2004, PSO expanded further by creating a second, highly acclaimed professional performing ensemble, Orchestra Canton (OC).

As an organic organization that reflects the wants and needs of the audience and reflecting on the growth and expansion into more regional communities, the name of the Plymouth Canton Symphony Orchestras (PCSO) was adopted as the "umbrella" for all our ensembles and activities. In 2008, PCSO produced its first commercial CD, "Magical Tunes & Marvelous Tales".

The Orchestra Today

Following a 5-year strategic plan and to truly reflect the tremendous growth in scope and stature, in 2011, the organization adopted the new names of the Michigan Philharmonic and the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

The orchestra has become in one of the most innovative and dynamic orchestras in the region. With many awards, Nan Washburn, Music Director & Conductor, has won 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music from the League of American Orchestras and was awarded First Place in The American Prize for Conducting with the Michigan Philharmonic receiving 2nd place for Professional Orchestras last year.

The Michigan Philharmonic is reaching out and expanding throughout our communities including Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Livonia, Farmington, Brighton, Downtown Detroit, and the downriver areas. The orchestra is committed to enrich our audience with a diverse programming, enjoyable cultural and social experiences. Music Education is a very important component of the Michigan Philharmonic organization and through varies collaborations with composers, musicians and community schools it has taken music to many children in our area. Music is fundamental for the integral development of any person. “Children are very excited when they see the instruments and our musicians visiting the schools” says Jane Libbing, our manager for the Youth Orchestra. It is an invaluable experience and indeed makes a difference in anyone’s life. Music is a universal language that knows no frontiers.

For this 70^th Anniversary, the mission is to celebrate our traditions, embrace our diversity and enrich our experience. The scope is to broaden our own frontiers and reach to a more varied audience. The Michigan Philharmonic will expands its programming and will feature more innovative work this year by featuring works by new composers such as Kharim Roustom, Clarice Assad, Christopher Cerrone, Max Simoncic, and Laura Karpman.

Michigan Philharmonic: Orchestrating the Extraordinary!

For tickets and more information, please visit www.michiganphil.org or call (734) 451-2112. 

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Up Next: Philharmonic Phright Night

Come and join us for a Spooktacular Concert this Saturday October 24, 7:30 pm at Steppingstone School in Farmington Hills. Gues how Nan Washburn will enter the stage!