JENNIFER HOLLIDAY

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Two-time GRAMMY® & Tony Award-WINNING VOCALIST & actress Jennifer Holliday

100th Anniversary Rhapsody in Blue, Fascinating Rhythms & Pines of Rome performances

GRAMMY®AWARD-Winning & ACADEMY AWARD® nominated Roger Kellaway

TODAY® 2022 Classical woman of the year pianist Lara Downes

New West Symphony chorus performing selections from Handel’s messiah

Eileen Roberts
626-826-8253
eroberts@newwestsymphony.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2023

Thousand Oaks, CA – The New West Symphony GRAMMY®-winning Artistic and Music Director Michael Christie and ACSO 2023 Executive Director Award-winner CEO Natalia Staneva have announced the launch of the Symphony’s 2024 Masterpiece Series Season. Under the direction of Christie, the upcoming 2024 season will present a dynamic and highly entertaining variety of orchestral works and world-renowned guest artists.

“New West Symphony’s 29th Masterpiece Series Season is created to reflect vibrancy, variety, and provide big entertainment value and fun for our audiences. We are seeing a shift in more people returning to live performances and we have created a season to embrace those yearning to enjoy the unparalleled sound of our full, rich orchestra. We have big orchestral works, big guest artists and some big surprises in store,” says Music Director Michael Christie.

The six-concert series will commence on January 27 and 28, 2024 in two performance venues – Bank of America Performing Arts Center (BAPAC) in Thousand Oaks, and Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center (RCPAC) in Camarillo.

Preceding the January 2024 kickoff concert, the Symphony will present an extraordinary holiday event December 2 and 3, 2023 featuring the legendary Broadway, recording star, and actress Jennifer Holliday. Beginning her professional career at age 18, Ms. Holliday created the iconic role of “Effie” in the original Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she won a Tony® at the age of only 21, and GRAMMY® Award at age 22. Her second album,”Say You Love Me,” won her a second GRAMMY® Award. Ms Holliday’s extensive career has encompassed multiple albums, continued major roles on Broadway, and several television shows, plus film work.

“Jennifer Holliday is a national treasure, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her perform for our audiences. Ms. Holliday’s voice is one of the best and most powerful in the music industry, and has been for 4 decades. What an opportunity for people of all ages to witness live this legendary talent. For students especially, she is a master class in vocal performance and owning the interpretation of a song. This is a rare west coast appearance and sure to be an unforgettable holiday event you won’t find anywhere else,” says Music Director Michael Christie.

The 100th Anniversary of George Gershwin’s historic Rhapsody in Blue, Fascinating Rhythms, and Respighi’s Pines of Rome will be honored in performance at the January 27 and 28 concerts in 2024. Celebrated GRAMMY® Award-winning and Academy Award® nominated pianist/composer Roger Kellaway will perform his suite from Visions of America featuring images by photo historian Joseph Sohm, and songs by GRAMMY® and Oscar®winning lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Alan Bergman will be in attendance at the concert. Internationally renowned Daniel Vnukowski will perform the Gershwin pieces as guest artist.

Additional season highlights include the stunning and wildly popular Cirque de la Symphonie, featuring enthralling, jaw- dropping feats from an elegant cadre of cirque performances. Contortionists, strongmen, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, and breathtaking gymnastics are perfectly choreographed to iconic film music and well-known popular classics, performed by the New West Symphony. A dazzling, crowd pleasing, and family-friendly program for everyone.

Known as Handel’s ultimate masterpiece, selections from Messiah will be performed by the New West Symphony during Easter season as it was originally written and intended, featuring the New West Symphony Chorus (Dr. Wyant Morton, director) on April 6 and 7.

The season also includes Brahms’ Hungarian Dances No. 1, No. 3, No. 10, Ravel, Mendelssohn, and the New West Symphony’s commissioned and World Premiere of Derrick Skye’s “Infinite Mosaic” for Violin and Orchestra. Concertmaster Alyssa Park (Ravel and Skye) and Pacific Festival Ballet dancers (Brahms) will be featured.

Performance Today’s 2022 Classical Woman of the Year, NPR host, and genre-bending pianist Lara Downes will be guest artist November 2 and 3. Ms. Downes is classically trained at some of the world’s top academies and plays from the canon, but also excels in finding lost music from female composers, dips into jazz, spirituals and gospel with her various recordings and world-wide performances. Dvorák’s New World Symphony No. 9 in E minor will also be presented.

Rounding out the season will be the New West Symphony’s annual Winter Spectacular, with a headlining vocalist, symphonic classics, and regional partners all performing holiday favorites. More to come.

“New West Symphony continues to expand its artistic and education vision, performances, special events, and collaborations. After a successful first-experience presenting Summerfest 2023, we are excited to finish our 2023 season with two incredibly powerful and crowd-favorite performances, featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, and Jennifer Holliday in concert with our full orchestra and community performing arts partners. We are bringing back Winterfest for its second year, and feel like our upcoming 2024 Masterpiece Season is absolutely dazzling. We are committed to offering the highest level of professional symphonic music and guest artists to our communities, while continuing our educational programs and outreach to underserved individuals. I am thrilled our audiences are coming back in larger numbers as new audiences are discovering us,” says CEO Natalia Staneva.

The Symphony will again offer three subscription packages for the convenience of its audiences.

2024 Masterpiece Series:

Each Masterpiece Series concert will be presented twice. Performances will take place on Saturday evenings, 7:00 pm @ Thousand Oaks Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, and Sunday afternoons, 3:00 pm @ Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.

Holidays with Jennifer Holliday
Saturday, December 3, 2023 | 7:00PM | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, December 4, 2023 | 3:00PM | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center
Michael Christie, conductor
Jennifer Holliday, guest artist
Los Robles Children’s Choir | Emma Roche, director
State Street Ballet

Vivaldi | Winter from The Four Seasons
Glazunov | Winter from The Seasons
Strauss Jr. | On the Beautiful Blue Danube, opus 314
Traditional German Carol | Still, Still, Still, arr. Gary Fry
Traditional Romanian Carol | La Vifleem colo-n jos, – Nicolae Lungu, arr. Ioan Dobrinescu
That Time of Year from Olav’s Frozen Adventure – Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, arr. Mark Brymer
Traditional Hannukah Medley, arr. Daniel Redfeld
Additional pieces TBA

Fascinating Rhythms
Saturday, January 27, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, January 28, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor
Daniel Vnukowski, piano
Roger Kellaway, piano
Joseph Sohn, videographer
Los Robles Children’s Choir | Emma Roche, director

Cirque de la Symphonie
Saturday, March 2, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, March 3, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor
Cirque de la Symphonie, guest performers

Selections from Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, April 6, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, April 7, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor
New West Symphony Chorus | Dr. Wyant Morton, director
Celena Shafer, soprano
Melody Wilson, mezzo-soprano
Aaron Crouch, tenor
John Buffett, baritone

Brahms, Mendelssohn & Ravel
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, October 6, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor
Alyssa Park, violin
Pacific Festival Ballet | Kim Maselli, director

Brahms | Hungarian Dances No.1, No.3, No.10
Ravel | Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra
Derrick Skye | Infinite Mosaic for Violin and Orchestra New West Symphony commission and World Premiere
Mendelssohn | Symphony No. 4 in A Major , Op. 90 “Italian”

New World Symphony
Saturday, November 2, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, November 3, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor
Lara Downes, piano
Joseph Sohm, videographer

Adolphus Hailstork | 3 Spirituals for Orchestra – Every Time I Feel the Spirit, Kim Bab Yah, Oh Freedom
Joplin/Buck | Four Rags for Piano and Orchestra
Blake/Arroyo | Love Will Find a Way
Dvorák | Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World

Winter Spectacular
Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Bank of America Performing Arts Center
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Michael Christie, conductor

Program & Guest Artists TBA

TICKETS: Season Subscriptions range from $112 to $770
For more information: https://newwestsymphony.org

About New West Symphony
Founded in 1995 and in its 29th season, the New West Symphony is a professional orchestra that draws its players from the rich talent pool of professional Los Angeles-area musicians. The New West Symphony is guided by the Artistic direction of GRAMMY® winner Maestro Michael Christie, and its ACSO 2023 Executive Director Award Winning CEO Natalia Staneva. The Symphony is the resident company of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and performs at the Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center in Camarillo. It presents six Masterpiece Series annually, performing major works from the symphonic repertoire with internationally- acclaimed artists as guest soloists. The Symphony also provides quality outreach and opportunities for the communities it serves through its annual Symphonic Adventures concert programs for youth, and the Laby Harmony Project, a year-round music and leadership program for underserved students.

About Michael Christie
Named Artistic and Music Director of the New West Symphony in December 2018, GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Michael Christie is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. Deeply committed to bringing new works to life, he has championed commissions by leading and emerging composers alike.

Christie has served as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony (2005-2013) and Brooklyn Philharmonic (2005-2010), and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra (2001-2004) in Australia. He has also guest conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Symphonies of Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, Minnesota, Oregon, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Santa Rosa. European engagements have included leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Orchestre National de Lille, Swedish and Netherlands Radio Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, NDR Hannover Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic. Christie also enjoys a strong profile in Australia, where he conducted the Sydney Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, Opera Queensland, and the Western Australian Symphony in Perth.

For further information, visit michaelchristieonline.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

###