“For two seasons, the Amazon Original Series Mozart in the Jungle has opened up the world of classical music to a mainstream audience,” writes Jeff Spurgeon on Thursday (3/10) at New York classical radio station WQXR. “Jason Schwartzman has directed, written and appeared in the show, as the character Branford ‘B’ Sharpe.” Schwartzman’s grandfather, film composer Carmine Coppola, once played flute in the NBC Symphony under Arturo Toscanini, and Schwartzman “grew up going to performances at the Los Angeles Philharmonic: ‘The experience was negative as a kid because you had to get dressed up, and you had to be quiet … but then when the orchestra tunes, and they begin to play, I always was transported as a kid,’ says Schwartzman.… Since embarking on the show, Schwartzman has been able to work with numerous classical musicians, from the L.A. Philharmonic and its music director Gustavo Dudamel … to pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Joshua Bell.” Said Schwartzman, “The fact that they’re there is the ultimate endorsement that they see [the show] as something that could be important for music.”
Posted March 11, 2016
