See Hear! New Kimmel Center Programming Initiative Lets Audience “See” the Music
August 2, 2004
Beginning this year, Kimmel Center audiences will be able to “see” the music at many performances through an experimental new program designed to bring both traditional and non-traditional performing arts to new and diverse audiences.
See Hear! is an innovative Kimmel Center Presents programming initiative that creatively integrates visual elements—including video, film, slides, staging, live actors and computer technology—into musical performance.
“This is an exciting opportunity to stretch our imagination, expand boundaries and explore new ways of experiencing music,” said Kimmel Center Vice President of Programming and Education Mervon Mehta. “Creative programming initiatives like this also enhance our ability to expose new people to the performing arts. See Hear! combines innovative, high-quality artistic programming with the potential to increase community access to the arts, two cornerstones of the Kimmel Center’s mission.”
The exciting inaugural year of See Hear! will include the following performances:
- Colonial Holiday
A multi-media production combining video projection, live actors, orchestra and a children’s choir, conducted by Marc Mostovoy (December 17, 2004). - Maya Beiser
A classically trained cellist whose live performance will incorporate pre-recorded tracks of her own playing combined with video projections created specifically for the music (February 10, 2005). - Urban Tap
Rapid-fire tap and jazz dancing combined with dynamic live world music and an on-stage videographer, projecting real-time video onto large video screens (April 7-9, 2005). - “Musical Visions”
A concert conducted by Jeri Lynne Johnson and featuring a new work by Pennsylvania composer Jeremy Gill with video created by Peggy Gyulai (May 19, 2005). - Summer Solstice
The Kimmel Center’s annual all-night kickoff to summer, which offers multiple opportunities for non-traditional, multi-media programming (June 2005).
“See Hear! will bridge the gap between traditional classical music and the 21st century by utilizing both the music and modern technology to their fullest potential,” said Wolf. “See Hear! will encourage exciting artistic collaborations, while also increasing the entertainment value, attraction and accessibility of the performances, which ultimately will translate into new audiences and a greater reach into the community for the Kimmel Center. Stevie and I are thrilled to be a part of this initiative.”
Wolf serves as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Wilma Theater and is a board member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the University of the Arts and the Germantown Friends School, as well as a founding board member of the National Constitution Center. A Philadelphia native and graduate of Harvard University, Wolf is the founder and former CEO of Checkpoint Systems, Inc. He and his wife, Stevie, also underwrote the critically acclaimed 2002 presentation of Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favor at the Kimmel Center, a co-production of the Wilma Theater and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Tickets for See Hear! performances are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings.
A limited number of $10 tickets will be available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance. $10 tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning at 5:30pm for evening performances and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one per person.
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