The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Firsts
2009 Grantee
$100,000
The Philadelphia Orchestra received $100,000 to offer the first Philadelphia performances of two recently composed works by Richard Danielpour and Bright Sheng. Mr. Danielpour’s A Woman’s Life is based on text by Maya Angelou and was co-commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Performances will feature soprano soloist Angela Brown under the baton of Rossen Milanov. Mr. Sheng’s The Phoenix (2004) will feature soprano Shana Blake Hill, conducted by Maestro Charles Dutoit. The American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter will facilitate residency activities with Mr. Danielpour and area composers and students.
Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra has distinguished itself as one of the leading orchestras in the world through a century of acclaimed performances, historic international tours, best-selling recordings, and its record of innovation in recording technologies. The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of more than one million music lovers worldwide through its performances, publications, recordings, and broadcasts. The Orchestra presents a subscription season in Philadelphia each year from September to May, in addition to education and community partnership programs, and appears annually at Carnegie Hall. Its summer schedule includes an outdoor series at Philadelphia’s Mann Center for the Performing Arts, free Neighborhood Concerts, and residencies at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York, and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. http://www.philorch.org
Soprano Angela Brown, no photo credit