Brooklyn Philharmonic Features Mos Def, Leslie Uggams, et al. in New Season

Brooklyn philharmonic has just announced their 2011-12 season:

It's not every day a Board of Directors appoints a new Artistic Director and gives that person carte blanche to determine and design the artistic present and future of the organization. But that is exactly what the Brooklyn Philharmonic Board has done in appointing Alan Pierson the eighth Director of the orchestra since its founding in 1857. Pierson, well-known as founder and conductor of the leading new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, is celebrated not only for his musical skill and intellect but his programming, which is genuinely creative and completely entertaining. The 2011-12 season reveals Pierson's adventurous vision for the Brooklyn Philharmonic: a new programming paradigm, which actively involves communities and engages them in new and exciting collaborations.

Pierson will bring the Philharmonic out into the borough, giving concerts in three vital neighborhoods: Brighton Beach, Downtown Brooklyn, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Each neighborhood will host three different events-an orchestra concert, a chamber concert with readings by distinguished authors, and a family event-which are influenced by local culture and involve the participation of local artists, organizations, and businesses. All events will be free or low-cost, use a variety of indoor and outdoor venues, and demonstrate the orchestra's ability to make music in a variety of styles and configurations.

Of prime importance to the new Brooklyn Philharmonic is the creation and nurturing of community partnerships in each neighborhood. This season, the Brooklyn Phil's Community Partners include the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (Downtown Brooklyn), Roulette (Downtown Brooklyn), Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation's Center for Arts and Culture (Bed-Stuy), Children's Talent Development Fund (Brighton Beach), and Brooklyn Public Library, a long time partner (Downtown Brooklyn and Bed-Stuy).

In this debut "reboot" season, the Brooklyn Phil features the work of generations of great Brooklyn musicians, from Aaron Copland and Lena Horne to Mos Def and Sufjan Stevens. The orchestra will also connect with its own past, through Beethoven's Eroica Symphony-the first work the Brooklyn Philharmonic ever performed, in 1857. In each of the three neighborhoods, one Beethoven movement is presented in a context that speaks to the local community.

Says Pierson: "I can't imagine another place where the project of designing orchestra concerts to reflect and speak to the local culture would be as rewarding and stimulating."
Hip hop legend and critically-acclaimed actor Mos Def, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, songstress Mellissa Hughes and other special guests join members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic in two lively samplings of things to come in 2011-12. The programs will feature small ensemble versions of music the full orchestra will play later in the season, including Derek Bermel's arrangements of Mos Def's original songs, 19th century Shape Note singing, and works by David T. Little, Frederick Rzewski, and Lev Zhurbin. 

Brooklyn Phil & Mos Def at Restoration Rocks Music Festival
October 8, 2011, time TBA
1368 Fulton Street
Tickets: Free

Featuring:
Mos Def, hip hop artist
Brooklyn Phil Chamber Players; Alan Pierson, conductor
Program:
Mos Def arr. Derek Bermel, "Life in Marvelous Times" (2008) and other songs
Frederick Rzewski, Coming Together (1972)

WNYC New Sounds Live presents the Brooklyn Phil
October 12, 2011, 7:00 pm
The Winter Garden at the World Financial Center, NYC
Between 225 Liberty Street and 200 Vesey Street
Tickets: Free

Featuring:
Mos Def, hip hop artist
Mellissa Hughes, voice
Corey Dargel, voice
Brooklyn Youth Chorus; Dianne Berkun, director
Brooklyn Phil Chamber Players; Alan Pierson, conductor
Program:
Shape Note Singing
David T. Little, excerpt from Winter Scene (2011)
Lev Zhurbin, excerpt from Only Love (2008)
Frederick Rzewski, Coming Together (1972)
Mos Def arr. Derek Bermel, "Life in Marvelous Times" (2008) and other songs

THE BRIGHTON BEACH SERIES

Brooklyn Phil Orchestra Concert:
RUSSIAN CARTOON MUSIC
November 3, 2011, 7:30 pm
Millennium Theater, 1029 Brighton Beach Avenue
Tickets: $10-$55

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