Mads Toling to Perform with Oakland East Bay Symphony, 2/20/15

Oakland, CA, November 18, 2014 - The world premiere of a new violin concerto entitled Begejstring ("Excitement") by popular jazz composer/violinist Mads Tolling will headline the Oakland East Bay Symphony's February 20, 2015 concert with Tolling as soloist at the Paramount Theatre conducted by Music Director Michael Morgan. The evening will also include Haydn's Mass in Time of War with the Oakland Symphony Chorus and Samuel Barber's Symphony No. 1 (Symphony in One Movement), conducted by Assistant Conductor Brian Nies. A pre-concert talk with John Kendall Bailey will be given at 7 pm and is free to ticket-holders. Tickets and information: $20-$70 www.oebs.org or 510-444-0802.

About his Oakland East Bay Symphony premiere, composer/violinist Mads Tolling says, "Begejstring is a Danish word, which translated to English, means excitement, enthusiasm, gusto, and passion. I have entitled my composition Begejstring because it encompasses who I am, what I am, and where I am in this moment, with my music and my evolving growth as an artist. Having grown up in Copenhagen, my Danish heritage and background is inherent to my perspective as a musician and a composer, and provides me with the foundation from which I continue to expand my landscape and horizons. The excitement I felt when I wrote my first piece in high school for my band was pivotal. The expression of something so personal, the connection with friends and band mates, and ultimately the audience, was an emotional epiphany. Since that time, I have had extraordinary opportunities to continue that sharing process, while challenging myself along the way, writing for string quartets, various chamber music groups, jazz combos and even big band. Composing for symphony is yet another challenge, which I have embraced with Begejstring. Integrating groove-based music with jazz, fiddle styles, and improvisation, fusing it with one hundred other musicians, and communicating it all to an audience is a fresh adventure for me. I am appreciative of everyone who is taking this journey with me, and look forward to the discovery of a new destination.

Haydn's Mass in Time of War will feature the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Lynne Morrow, Director; and Soloists from San Francisco Opera Center's
Adler Fellowship Program including Julie Adams, soprano; Zanda Šv?de, mezzo-soprano; Chong Wang, tenor; and Anthony Michael Read, bass

The concert is sponsored in part by Chevron and the premiere of Mads Tolling's work is part ofNew Visions/New Vistas Commissioning Project, supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation.

About Mads Tolling

Internationally renowned Danish-American violinist and composer Mads Tolling is a two-time Grammy Award-Winner. As a former nine-year member of both Turtle Island Quartet and bassist Stanley Clarke's band, Tolling has spent most of his professional life touring internationally. Since 2007 Tolling has led his own group, Mads Tolling Quartet. The Playmaker,released in the fall of 2009, features Stanley Clarke and jazz greats Russell Ferrante and Stefon Harris. A new MTQ album, Celebrating Jean-Luc Ponty - Live at Yoshi's, was released in May, 2012. Tolling has been featured on NPR's Morning Edition, and his recordings have received rave reviews internationally. He has performed with Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Barron and Paquito D'Rivera.

For nine years in Turtle Island Quartet, Tolling spent most of his professional life on the road or in the recording studio. In '06 and '08 as part of Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover album with the recordings 4+Four and A Love Supreme - The Legacy of John Coltrane. Mads has received Denmark's Sankt Annae's Award for Musical Excellence as well as grants from Queen Margaret, Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award.

In 2007 Tolling started his own trio and immediately recorded the album Speed of Light. The following year the trio expanded to a quartet. In it are some of the top Bay Area musicians, including Mike Abraham on guitar, George Ban-Weiss on bass and Eric Garland on drums.

Besides his activities as a performer, Mads Tolling is an accomplished composer. In addition to his original writing on his two most recent albums, Mads arranged one of his compositions for saxophonist Joe Lovano and string orchestra. Of his three prior recordings of original material, one features the legendary pianist JoAnne Brackeen. Mads has recorded with vibraphonist Dave Samuels, and appears on RMB singer Teena Marie's recording "La Dona" and on jazz vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway's At Last. He has additionally contributed numerous arrangements and compositions to Turtle Island Quartet's repertoire.

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