Grammy-Winning Composer Steven Mackey to Premiere URBAN OCEAN at LBSO, 4/27

A Grammy Award-winning composer, an orchestra, and an aquarium and its supporters have come together in a partnership that raises awareness about Southern California's urban ocean through music. This five-year collaboration culminates with the world premiere of Steven Mackey's composition Urban Ocean, which was commissioned by Aquarium of the Pacific supporters Dennis and Suzanne Poulsen. The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra (LBSO), under the direction of Maestro Enrique Arturo Diemecke, will perform Urban Ocean on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach.

Mackey describes his work as "eleven minutes that cast the sea as mysterious, deep, vast, powerful, and teaming with life...and the land as bright and bustling with bittersweet humanity. The end strikes a delicate balance between both." Mackey is regarded as one of the leading composers of his generation. His music has been performed by major orchestras around the world. Mackey is a professor of music and chair of the Department of Music at Princeton University. "We are proud to work with Steven Mackey, LBSO, and the Aquarium of the Pacific to bring to life the excitement and importance of our urban ocean through this musical masterpiece," the Poulsens said.

Maestro Diemecke also serves as music director of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic and the Flint Symphony Orchestra. In 2010 Diemecke was named music director of the Bogota Philharmonic, the premier orchestra in Columbia. The Urban Ocean concert also features Brahms' Symphony No. 2 and the jazz-influenced Piano Concerto by Ravel, performed by award-winning pianist Alessio Bax.

"Our urban waters are vital to marine species and humans alike. In this region, industry, recreation, and wildlife all coexist in relative harmony in a delicate and dynamic balance. Music is a powerful medium to inspire change, and we hope people are moved by this work," said Dr. Jerry R. Schubel, Aquarium of the Pacific president and CEO. The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important topics facing our ocean planet are explored.