Wolf Trap and the National Symphony Orchestra Invent New Live Symphonic Concert Experience

Wolf Trap and the National Symphony Orchestra Invent New Live Symphonic Concert Experience

Thursday, August 2, 2007 - 8:30 pm at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

VIENNA, Va., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Symphony Orchestra and Wolf Trap present a celebration of Earth, sea, and sky with Fantastic Planet: A Symphonic Video Spectacular. A breathtaking live film and symphonic journey, the evening's program features exclusive, large-screen digital footage from NASA of planet Earth's underwater volcanoes, the Grand Canyon, the frozen mountains of Antarctica, and more! Eco-inspired masterworks from Beethoven, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, and Stravinsky, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Emil de Cou, accompany the video presentation.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/DCW114 )

To further enhance this multimedia program, Wolf Trap and the National Symphony Orchestra have issued a 2-part podcast intended to be transferred to an iPod or other portable mp3 player and played, in its entirety, during the live performance. Several pauses will need to be made by individual users throughout the program to keep the podcast in synchronization with likely pauses in the live performance. Instructions on when to pause and restart the podcast will be presented at the beginning of the audio program and from Wolf Trap's stage, at the start of the live show. Maestro Emil de Cou will serve as the audience's musical tour guide (in one ear only), providing insight into the music and the on-stage films provided by NASA. Commentary is kept to a minimum and primarily inserted during quiet passages in the program.

The podcast(s) are available for download through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=160375669 or via Wolf Trap's Web site here: http://wolftrap.org/performances/show080207.html

Both part 1 and part 2 should be downloaded and brought to the live performance on August 2 at Wolf Trap.

Of this innovative melding of music and technology, Emil de Cou comments, "I am thrilled to be a part of an important first with the National Symphony Orchestra and Wolf Trap. In having spoken commentary during our collaborative concert with NASA for our Fantastic Planet concert, we are adding yet another way to become more deeply engaged with this amazingly eclectic music and NASA's mind-blowing images. To date, I am not aware of anyone else having produced a podcast specifically to be listened to during a live symphony concert. So our high-tech hybrid symphonic journey in and around the Earth, into space and back, is the perfect event to try something new and something that will have a particular appeal to younger audience members."

Tickets for the NSO@Wolf Trap's Fantastic Planet: A Symphonic Video Spectacular, can be purchased by calling (877) WOLFTRAP or visiting http://www.wolftrap.org/.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/DCW114
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Wolf Trap

CONTACT: Chris Guerre of Wolf Trap, +1-703-255-4096,
chrisg@wolftrap.org; or Patricia O'Kelly of NSO, +1-202-416-8443,
PJOKelly@Kennedy-Center.org

Web site: http://www.wolftrap.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment