“Summer in Newport means lots of live music, and this year, a new classical series arrives with a splash,” writes Ken Abrams on Wednesday (6/28) at whatsupnewp.com (Newport, R.I.). “The Newport Contemporary Music Series begins Saturday July 1 with some big names … Saturday’s highlight is a [commissioned] world premiere with living legend André Previn, titled ‘Almost an Overture’ [on a program with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Copland’s Appalachian Spring].… Composer and festival director Paul Van Anglen, a native of Newport … has spent a year and a half working on the program, which he hopes will continue annually. He’s particularly excited about … the Previn composition … with the (newly formed) Newport Contemporary Orchestra … a large chamber orchestra of about 90 members.… Additional shows [include] a cross-genre evening ‘From Zappa to Berg and Howard Shore.’ The series finale [August 12] is a concert tribute to John Williams…. A major goal for Van Anglen is to bring classical music to a more diverse audience. … ‘I’m not a classical music snob—I listen to Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney. There’s Bach in heavy metal and film scores are frequently based in orchestral sounds.’ ”
Posted July 5, 2017
