Patti Smith to Narrate TUBBY THE TUBA with Little Orchestra Society, 3/16

The Little Orchestra Society (LOS) presents TUBBY THE TUBA narrated by Patti Smith, the iconic National Book Award-winner, rock musician and poet, on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Ms. Smith brings to life George Kleinsinger's classic score about the most famous tuba in the world, Tubby, who teaches his instrument Friends in the orchestra that melodies and soloists can come from the most unexpected places. Tubby the Tuba is a childhood favorite of Ms. Smith's. As she writes in her 2010 memoir Just Kids:

"One evening Harry and Peggy invited us to visit with the composer George Kleinsinger, who had a suite of rooms at the Chelsea. ...I was free to rummage through George's musical compositions, stacked randomly among the ferns, palms, and caged nightingales. I was elated to find original sheet music from Shinbone Alley in a pile atop a filing cabinet. But the real revelation was finding Evidence that this modest and kindly snake-rearing gentleman was none other than the composer of the music for Tubby the Tuba. He confirmed this fact and I nearly wept when he showed me original scores for the music so beloved in my childhood."

In addition to Tubby the Tuba, audiences will hear an array of melodies and soloists, some familiar, some unexpected, with excerpts from works including Tan Dun's Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa, Morton Gould's Tap Dance Concerto, Mozart's Queen of the Night Aria from The Magic Flute, and more.

TUBBY THE TUBA
(recommended for ages 6-12)

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2013, 11:00 A.M. AND 1:00 P.M.
DAVID ALAN MILLER, GUEST CONDUCTOR
PATTI SMITH, NARRATOR
LANE ALEXANDER, TAP DANCER
NATHAN CHAN, CELLO
MIN XIAO-FEN, PIPA
SOYOUNG PARK, SOPRANO

MIKHAIL GLINKA - Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla

JOSEPH HAYDN - Allegro Molto from Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Nathan Chan, Cello

TAN DUN - Allegro from Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa
Min Xiao-Fen, Pipa

MORTON GOULD - Toccata (with Cadenza) from Tap Dance Concerto
Lane Alexander, Tap Dancer

W. A. MOZART - Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute
Soyoung Park, Soprano

GEORGE KLEINSINGER - Tubby The Tuba
Patti Smith, Narrator

Performances are at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall (65th Street and Broadway). Single tickets: $15, $25, $45, $55; available by calling 212/971-9500, at littleorchestra.org, at the Avery Fisher Hall box office and by calling CenterCharge at 212/721-6500.

The Little Orchestra Society's new website serves as the gateway to its live magical and musical experiences. Parents and kids can find activities, games, chats and other materials surrounding Little Orchestra Society concerts at any time through the LOS Kids section of www.littleorchestra.org.

Patti Smith, born in Chicago and raised in South Jersey, migrated to New York in 1967.

Patti Smith's first recording, Horses, was inducted into The National Recording Registry in 1975 and into The Library of Congress by The National Recording Preservation Board in 2010. Her subsequent albums are Radio Ethiopia; Easter; Wave; Dream of Life; Gone Again; Peace and Noise; Gung Ho; Trampin; Land; Twelve; and most currently, Banga.

Author of the acclaimed memoir, Just Kids, which chronicled her friendship and Journey in art with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith was awarded the 2010 National Book Award. Her other books include Witt; Babel; Coral Sea; Woolgathering; and Auguries of Innocence.

Patti Smith's art has been exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide. Represented by the Robert Miller Gallery in New York since 1978, her exhibitions include Strange Messenger, Land 250, and Camera Solo. Steven Sebring's 2008 documentary, dream of life: the movie, was acknowledged internationally and received an Emmy nomination.

As well as being a Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Patti Smith also holds the honor of "Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Ministry of Culture, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Rowan State University, Pratt Institute of Art, and the School of Art Institute Chicago. Patti Smith was honored by ASCAP with the Founders Award, representing lifetime achievement, and the recipient of Sweden's Polar Award, an international acknowledgement for significant achievements in music.