National Philharmonic Relives the 1970s ABBA Tribute Concert

The National Philharmonic 2019-2020 concert season takes a walk down memory lane with "ARRIVAL from Sweden: The Music of ABBA" on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore. The number one ABBA tribute band in the world, ARRIVAL from Sweden will join Philharmonic Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski and The National Philharmonic for this electrifying blast from the past, as concertgoers relive the music from the movie Mamma Mia. ARRIVAL will perform some of ABBA's greatest hits, including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Take a Chance, Waterloo, Fernando, and more.

The original ABBA is one of the most successful pop acts of all time, and is the second-best selling band behind only the Beatles. In fact, Universal Music certified in 2010 that ABBA has sold more than 375 million records and still sells about 5 million each year. ARRIVAL from Sweden was founded by Vicky Zetterberg in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and very soon became one of the world's most popular and best-selling ABBA tribute bands. Since 1995, ARRIVAL has toured in 60 countries, and their show, "The Music of ABBA" has sold out arenas and venues all over the world. Audience members are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite ABBA costumes. The Philharmonic's Color the Music Exhibit will showcase artwork created by young people and displayed in the Strathmore lobby throughout the concert weekend.

For more information on the project, visit www.nationalphilharmonic.org/education/color-the-music-project. Ticket prices are $29-$79, and young people 7-17 are free. College students are $10. Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call 301.581.5100.

ARRIVAL from Sweden's show, "The Music of ABBA," is the absolute best and most authentic ABBA tribute show there is. Hits like Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia are delivered with accuracy and passion. ARRIVAL has made 65 tours throughout the United States since 1995, and has performed alongside more than 70 symphony orchestras internationally and in the United States, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. ARRIVAL from Sweden is the only group that has been given a previously unreleased ABBA song directly from Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, original ABBA singers. The song Just A Notion will be released worldwide.

The Swedish Europop group ABBA dominated popular music throughout Europe in the 1970s, eventually disbanding in 1982. Members included songwriter and keyboard player Benny Andersson, songwriter and guitarist Björn Ulvaeus, and vocalists Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The quartet originally debuted as Festfolk, but later renamed themselves to ABBA, an acronym of the band members' first names. Their greatest hits became some of the most iconic songs in popular music history.

Maestro Gajewski is one of a select group of American conductors equally at home in nearly all musical genres. He is the music director and conductor of The National Philharmonic at the Music Center at Strathmore as well as a sought-after guest conductor. He was a student and disciple of the late Leonard Bernstein, and is described by The Washington Post as an "immensely talented and insightful conductor, whose standards, taste and sensitivity are impeccable." With one foot in the United States and the other in Europe as former Principal Guest Conductor of the Silesian Philharmonic (Katowice, Poland) and frequent guest at other orchestras, the jet-set maestro's seemingly limitless repertoire, most conducted without a score, amazes critics and audiences alike.

The National Philharmonic under Gajewski is known for performances that are "powerful," "impeccable" and "thrilling" (The Washington Post). In July 2003, the National Chamber Orchestra and Masterworks Chorus merged to create The National Philharmonic, an ensemble with more than 50 years of combined history, bringing high-caliber musical performances to the Washington area. The National Philharmonic took up residence at the state-of-the-art Music Center at Strathmore upon its opening in February 2005. Now, more than 250 performances later, and with far-reaching educational programming, The National Philharmonic is the largest and most active professional orchestra based in Montgomery County. It is also the only classical music organization in the Washington-Metro area that offers free tickets for children ages 7-17. The National Philharmonic recognizes this young audience as the classical music lovers of the future, and hopes to encourage future generations of concertgoers through this free-ticket program.

A February 24, 2019, review in The Washington Post by Patrick Rucker notes The National Philharmonic's "distinctive personality," adding, "The vibe in the audience is that everybody onstage is happy, and maybe a little proud to be there, and the music sounds that way." In fact, National Philharmonic's "distinctive personality" is part and parcel of the world-class acoustics of the Music Center at Strathmore. The concert hall, orchestra and chorale together create this world-class sound. The National Philharmonic's Strathmore Concert Hall home is an integral component of its artistic success. In fact, it is because of this success that the Philharmonic was recently recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts.

As the Music Center at Strathmore's orchestra-in-residence, The National Philharmonic showcases world-renowned guest artists in time-honored symphonic masterpieces conducted by Maestro Gajewski, and monumental choral masterworks under National Philharmonic Chorale Artistic Director Stan Engebretson.

To purchase tickets for the performances and for information about the Philharmonic's upcoming season, please visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call the Strathmore Ticket Office at 301.581.5100.

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