New Children's Book Brings The Musical Baroque Era To Life

Grammy-nominated early music organization Ars Lyrica Houston launches their first children's book this June. Maria's Magical Music Adventure is a one-of-a-kind children's book written by composer Emma Kent Wine.

The breathtakingly illustrated Maria's Magical Music Adventure features a girl named Maria who time travels 300 years back in time with Matthew the musical magician to meet the Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi - a story for classical music lovers of all ages.

The story will be brought to life through music as well: Wine also composed original music and arranged excerpts from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons as part of the project. The music will be performed by string quartet as a backing track alongside narration of the book in a virtual reading, which will be available to the public on YouTube.

Author Emma Kent Wine is a nationally-recognized composer whose music "testifies to wonder, vitality, sagacity, and nostalgia through profound simplicity" (The Boston Musical Intelligencer). Wine took inspiration for the children's book from her love of fantasy and baroque music, explaining that "Maria's Magical Music Adventure was written to inspire and remind kids that their imaginations are a powerful tool for learning and connecting with history."

The book's publisher and underwriter Connie Kwan-Wong calls Maria's Magical Music Adventure "a thrilling story about music, magic, and history." "The musical past, and the men and women who created it"-continues Kwan-Wong - "come alive through the eyes of the young main character and her magical companion. It is the perfect introduction to the world of classical composers and the beauty of music for young children."

Experience Maria's Magical Music Adventure live at Ars Lyrica's book launch fundraising event on June 10th at 11:30am at Tony's (3755 Richmond Ave), where attendees will enjoy a gourmet luncheon, book signing, and reading of Maria's Magical Music Adventure accompanied by live string quartet.

Tickets are available for purchase for the fundraiser luncheon on Ars Lyrica's website, with proceeds going towards Ars Lyrica's outreach initiatives for children. Book is also available for pre-order in English or Spanish on the website.

To post a comment, you must register and login.