VIVALDIANNO – CITY OF MIRRORS Comes to London Eventim Apollo

Three-dimensional visual effects, modern audio technology, a superb lightshow and the Baroque genius of Antonio Vivaldi's music informs this dazzling live experience 'Vivaldianno - City of Mirrors', the brainchild of Czech composer Michal Dvorák.

Dvorák virtually reconstructs Vivaldi's classic compositions - including The Four Seasons - and puts 25 musicians and a 3D musical onstage to combine Vivaldi's music with the latest technology. Watch the trailer below

Produced by Dvorák who performs (on keyboards) with a live orchestra, world-class soloists and an international company of dancers, the March 8th concert in London marks the UK debut of this thrilling live show.

Film composer Michal Dvorák has been working on ways to combine rock, classical music and electronica to create a unique concert experience for many years.

"I chose Vivaldi's music because it has a relatively uncomplicated structure, rhythm and a big portion of positive emotions," explains Dvorák. "Antonio Vivaldi was a genius! Our aim is to keep the original score of his music while adding modern instruments in a way he might have done himself. Projection screens and synchronised images create a living 3D scene for the orchestra that finds itself in the middle of the City of Mirrors which also gives the audience an amazing view and experience."

Michal Dvorrák is a master keyboardist, composer and lyricisit; he has been awarded 9 gold, 7 platinum and 7 double platinum albums; he has worked with Peter Gabriel, Hans Zimmer and Wyclef Jean among others. "Vivaldi's music was innovative," continues Dvorák. "He brightened the formal and rhythmic structure of the concerto; many of his compositions are flamboyantly, almost playfully, exuberant and that's the atmosphere we create in our show Vivaldianno."

City of Mirrors revolves around characters from Vivaldi's colourful life and encompasses dance, spoken word and back projections as well as a completely new audience experience.

Soloists and performers:

TINA GUO the virtuoso acoustic and electric cellist and Grammy Award nominee (for her New Age album 'Inner Passion' with Peter Kater) is a soloist with the San Diego Philharmonic. She has also collaborated with Al Di Meola, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Hans Zimmer and many others. Tina is signed to Sony Masterworks.

JI?Í VODI?KA the award-winning young Czech violinist is the new Concert Master of the Czech Philharmonic based in Prague. Ji?í plays an Italian violin made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini made in Turin in 1779 on loan from Florian Leonhard Fine Violins, London.

Julie Sv?cená started playing violin at the age of four and studied at the Prague Conservatoire before moving to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Julie has collaborated with the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra among others and has performed on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM in the UK.

VLADO URLICH, the Peruvian quena player (Andean flute) has built up a formidable reputation for his virtuosic technique, his sound quality and musicality. His music fuses Peruvian folk and rhythms with influences from around the world.

CARLO ZEGARRA is a highly skilled percussionist, originally from Peru and based in Prague where he performs regularly with Vlado Urlich. Carlo has performed many times in Europe and has been a regular collaborator with various ensembles and orchestras for many years.

MIRROR FAMILY's costumes are covered in hundreds of mirrors from head to toe with the result that thousands of lights are reflected back onto the audience and around the auditorium creating stunning visual illusions and a treat for the audience!

Creative team:

Choreography is by Leona "Qaša" Kvasnicová, who danced with various companies during the 80s and 90s touring and performing all over Europe and has run three of her own dance companies including If, the company she founded in 2003. Qaša has made work for all her dance companies and for numerous movies and TV shows.

Vivaldianno - City Of Mirror's libretto was penned by another Czech musician, screenwriter and dramaturge Tomáš Belko who has been working in the world of advertising for 18 years. Currently Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy and Mather Czech Republic, Tomáš started his career as a creative copywriter and is the co-author of numerous advertising campaigns.

Translation of the libretto is by Czech-American writer, screenwriter and playwright Jan Novák. A regular collaborator with film directors and novelists, Novák worked with Miloš Forman on the Czech film director's film 'Valmont' and made documentaries with the great writer and first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel.

The visual concept is by Kosuke Sugimoto, the renowned Japanese artist, director and animator, currently working at Prague's award-winning animation and mixed media Production Company, Eallin Animation Company which also has an office in Tokyo.

ANTONIO LUCIO VIVALDI (1678-1741) was Europe's greatest Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher and cleric. Born in Venice in 1678, he 'played the violin like an adult' from the age of 7 and eventually composed many instrumental concerti for the violin and other instruments as well as choral works and over 40 operas.
His best-known work is a series of four violin concertos known as The Four Seasons.
Vivaldi trained as a Catholic priest and began working at a home for abandoned children where he wrote many of his compositions. As his reputation grew, his work was performed all over Italy and his fans included nobility and royalty. Austria's Emperor Charles VI was so impressed with Vivaldi's work he gave him the title of Knight, a gold medal, and an invitation to Vienna where Vivaldi ultimately wrote several of his later operas.

Like many composers of the time, the final years of Vivaldi's life found him in financial difficulties - his compositions fell out of fashion and he was forced to sell off many of his manuscripts at rock bottom prices. Shortly after his arrival in Vienna in 1740, Charles VI died leaving Vivaldi without any royal protection or a steady source of income. Vivaldi died soon after on July 28th 1741 aged just 63.

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