Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Media Kit 2013-2014 Season
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Fact Sheet
Mission Statement To expand Arizona’s cultural richness and provide meaningful experiences by leading audiences through explorations of synergies between music, dance, theater, film and visual arts. Music Director Dr. Timothy Verville is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble (APA), the first in this role since the inception of this ensemble in 2012. Musicians The APA consists of a flexible group of 12 - 45 professional-level, auditioned musicians who play in this ensemble part-time as well as in various orchestras in the area including Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Arizona Opera Orchestra, West Valley Symphony and others. Performances The summer series at Tempe Center for the Arts will consist of three concerts, and the 2013–2014 season, in the same venue, will present five concerts. The ensemble will also perform several run-out concerts to bring music directly into underserved communities. Performance Venue The APA will be performing in the Studio at Tempe Center for the Arts for most events and the Theater for larger scale events. Budget Size The operating budget for summer 2013 and 2013–2014 season is approximately $54,000. Recordings Concerts performed by APA are professionally recorded. Starting in the summer of 2013, KBAQ, 89.5 will be recording concerts for broadcast on their station.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
History
In its first season, The Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Verville, worked to establish itself as a vital part of the cultural scene in the Phoenix area, becoming recognized for its extraordinary performances, collaborative programming and community engagement. With a growing audience base, this season the APA will present 8 major performances. Originally founded in 2004 as the Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra, it was an affiliate ensemble of Musica Nova, then directed by Warren Cohen. In 2010, The Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra partnered with Scottsdale Musical Arts, under the direction of Brett Robison. Now under its new name and mission, Arizona Pro Arte, led by Dr. Timothy Verville, is the evolution of a modern performing arts organization. In its first season, Arizona Pro Arte has built programs to collaborate with a good number of other artists outside the orchestral realm from visual artists to composers, to actors to singers. The key to Arizona Pro Arte’s success will lie in its unique understanding of the important dynamic that music contributes to interactions between all artists and their audiences. As an innovative, flexible ensemble, Arizona Pro Arte aims to bridge the gap between the arts to provide exciting and meaningful live entertainment experiences. We value our relationships with these various artists, and we seek to create lasting and sustainable partnerships with each. The organization believes that a marriage between the arts and the most appropriate orchestral programs can meet today’s audiences’ needs and lead to success for Arizona Pro Arte’s business model. With musical connections all over the nation and world, the Ensemble has invaluable resources from which to pull in our partnerships. It is these connections and those that we continue to seek out that enable us to achieve the best diversity in programming. It is also an important ingredient in the ability to establish strong and vibrant support and respect for this Ensemble.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Artistic Director and Conductor, Timothy Verville With performances hailed as “exuberant, energetic and musically pleasing” (The Daily Oklahoman), and “richly varied and served up beautifully” (The Oklahoma Gazette), the versatile Timothy Verville is repeatedly lauded for conducting a wide range of repertoire from baroque and classical masterpieces to world premiere commissions including opera and theatre works. Dr. Verville is currently Artistic Director and Conductor of Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, a collaborative performance organization. There his creative programming has brought exciting and entertaining ideas into the concert hall. These have included a visual art exhibition with live painting demonstrations, real-time computer visualizations, and creating a new score featuring popular classical music set to the early 1900’s silent film Alice in Wonderland which led one reviewer to remark “It was a lot of fun to take in.” Concurrently he is also Music Director of the North Valley Chamber Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Boston Chamber Orchestra, with which he recently recorded music of Vaughan Williams for an upcoming CD release. Previously, Dr. Verville was Music Director of the Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra and the Arizona-based Fine Arts String Orchestra. For four years, he led productions at the Pollard Theatre to sold out houses and garnered praise from audiences and reviewers. The Edmond Sun noted “the orchestra under the baton of Timothy Verville does excellent work with the complex score.” At the renowned Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, Dr. Verville was a scholarship recipient for two summers and was appointed an orchestral assistant while studying with Michael Jinbo. Additionally, he has been privileged to work with esteemed conductors James DePreist, Carl St. Clair, David Effron and Stephen Lord. After observing Verville on the podium in rehearsal for a few minutes, James DePreist called him “a gifted conductor… extremely musical.” A proponent of understanding past performance techniques and how they relate to
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
the modern orchestra, Dr. Verville’s recent writing on instrumental vibrato has begun to impact the performing world as it circulates among leading historical performance practice conductors. Leading the way in that praise was Sir Roger Norrington who exclaimed, “Exactly the sort of thing I had in mind… a great job.” Dr. Verville earned a Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Boston Conservatory and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Arizona State University.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Main Performance Venue
The Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) is one of the premier performance venues in Arizona and will be the main performance venue for Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble in the 2013 – 2014 season. The TCA is located on the southwest end of Tempe Town Lake and is the centerpiece of a 17-acre lakeside art park developed by Design Workshop, a Tempe landscape architecture firm. Plentiful parking is available to serve the center, which is less than a mile from the Mill Avenue/Third Street Metro Light Rail stop. The TCA, an 88,000 s.f. arts center, was designed by Tempe-based Architekton and award-winning Barton Myers Associates of Los Angeles. The TCA features a theater, studio, gallery, banquet/meeting room, lounge, full-service box office, theatrical and administrative support areas, two dedicated catering areas, arts retail space, and lounge.
photo by John Edward Linden Photography
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble will use The Theater for larger collaborations including film and music collaborations. This 600-seat performance hall incorporates four seating levels - an orchestra level, parterre and two balconies. It also has an orchestra pit for productions that require spaces for multiple performance groups. To the sides of the auditorium, boxes extend and nearly connect to the stage. A state-of-the-art computerized control system offers maximum flexibility for theatrical lighting and the latest in audiovideo and communication systems technology.
For smaller events, Arizona Pro Arte will perform in the 200- seat studio which also has the flexibility of two levels of surrounding space for technical staging or audience seating. It can be configured in a flat floor, thrust, arena, end stage or cabaret design or can be fashioned as an art gallery.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Concert Review
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble a dazzling musical experience November 10, 2012 Nicki Escudero Music Writer Phoenix New Times If you like visual art, music or both, you’ll love a performance by the Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble. Formed in 2004 as the Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra, the group combines beautiful classical music with visual art. Their performance last night of “Down the Rabbit Hole” at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church contained classical works by Haydn, Beethoven and more in front of late 18th century art and the 1915 silent film Alice in Wonderland. The orchestra consisted of about 40 talented musicians, who conveyed energy and passion for the music they were playing in their deft and exuberant moves. In the first half, we watched the orchestra while two screens full of British art from the 18th century played in the background, giving context to the art of Haydn’s time, as well as a visual representation of him in portrait form. The artwork made the music that much richer, and I almost felt transported to the time. It was a lot of fun to take in.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
The second half featured a variety of classical music, including works by Tchaikovsky and Brahms. Alice in Wonderland was delightfully trippy, and it was really neat to see a movie from this time — with great special effects, I might add. The orchestra’s soundtrack was absolutely perfect, and there was even a world premiere by Arizona Pro Arte composer in residence Andrew Paul Jackson, which was beautiful. The whole show was incredibly fun to watch, and at only $15 a ticket, it seems like a steal compared to traditional symphony shows. All the musicians were incredibly talented, and each show features a visual aspect, such as the live artists they’ve had in the past. Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble performs again tonight at Victory Lutheran Church in Mesa. For more information on Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, visit www.azproarte.com
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
First Season Highlights
Performed and had director, Timothy Verville, interviewed on live television on Channel 3’s EVB Live hosted by Scott Light on November 7, 2012. The feature was our Into the Rabbit Hole concert including premier music written by a Boston composer specifically for this concert. Director, Timothy Verville, interviewed by Jane Hilton on KBAQ 89.5 Your Classical Companion for radio broadcast on March 20, 2013. Invited to perform live at “MIM Rocks Fashion,” Phoenix Fashion Week’s fourth annual collaboration with the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), a musicthemed spring showcase tribute to top stylists in Phoenix and Tucson. Tripled audience size per concert compared to previous season under prior name and with un-auditioned ensemble. Performed two run-out concerts to different venues around the Valley. Achieved collaborations with photographers, painters, drawers, sculptors, composers and actors. Created “Call for Scores” project, which received applications from all across the country and around the world. Established partnership with the award-winning Southwest Shakespeare Company. Website surpassed 10,200 views, an average of 1,275 a month. Performed four world premieres and two regional premieres. Established and filled a Composer In Residence position. Established and filled an Assistant Conductor position. Collaborated with community singers at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church and La Casa de Christo Lutheran Church.
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
Summer 2013 and 2013 – 2014 Season Schedule
SUMMER 2013 A Pilgrimage to Beethoven June 15th, 2013 7:30pm Tempe Center for the Arts Wagner Siegfried Idyll Wagner Prelude to Lohengrin Beethoven Symphony 6 The Czech Connection July 20th, 2013 Tempe Center for the Arts Mozart Symphony 38 “Prague” Dvorak Symphony 7 Two Greats August 24th, 2013 Tempe Center for the Arts Haydn Concerto for Cello in C major Catalin Rotaru, Double Bass Schubert Symphony 9 “The Great”
Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com
Shattering expectations through collaborative performances
2013-2014 SEASON Mozart & Mahler September 21st, 2013 Tempe Center for the Arts Mozart Symphony 40 Mahler Des Knaben Wunderhorn Alexis Hazell, Mezzo-Soprano Earl Hazell, Bass-Baritone Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror October 31st, 2013 Tempe Center for the Arts The 1922 silent film Nosferatu brought to life with classical music by Dvorak, Brahms, and Wagner. Across the Pond January 17th, 2014 Tempe Center for the Arts Composer in Residence Premiere TBA Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Mendelssohn Symphony 3 “Scottish” Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” March 1st, 2014 Tempe Center for the Arts The Tramp travels to the Yukon to strike it rich! This silent film is accompanied by music composed by Chaplin. Apotheosis of the Dance April 10th, 2014 Tempe Center for the Arts Beethoven Symphony 7 Second half 3 pieces of music with dancers, one will be call for scores winner. Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble, PO Box 17387, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 Phone: 623-282-AZPA (2972) Email: info@azproarte.com www.azproarte.com