“Philadelphia’s long-standing All City Orchestra program has an improvisatory feeling at the moment, as leaders try out new programs and try on new partners,” writes Peter Dobrin in Sunday’s (2/28) Philadelphia Inquirer. “The high school ensemble, a distillation of city talent formed through auditions, now has the Philadelphia Orchestra as its ‘lead artistic partner,’ and for the group’s [March 1 concert at Verizon Hall], Philadelphia Orchestra music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will stop by to lead part of the program. The concert includes works for three ensembles alone—All City Orchestra, band, and choir. Then Nézet-Séguin leads all three together in the finale: the premiere of Promise of a City by Curtis Institute of Music graduate John B Hedges.” Promise of a City was commissioned by Joseph Conyers, assistant principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, music director of the All City Orchestra, and executive director of Project 440, a nonprofit education initiative. In a press release, Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore said, “Our partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and the All-City Orchestra plays a key role in our work to eliminate students’ barriers to classical music and music education.”
Posted March 1, 2016
