FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2017
Lisa Oman, CSIC Executive Director
(831) 471-5761
press@composersandschools.com
Louisville, KY – At 6:00 pm on March 23rd, 2017, the Frederick Law Olmsted Academy South Orchestra will premiere a newly-commissioned composition by composer Rene Orth, written specifically for them. Under the direction of Music Director Courtney Schisler, the world premiere of Revolt of the Brave will serve as the finale to Olmsted’s third annual “Because She Did I Can” event, which celebrates the triumphs of women in all fields with an emphasis on the accomplishments of women and girls in music and the importance of music in our schools.
Revolt of the Brave directly references Olmsted Academy South’s motto, ‘We are Brave.’ Schisler says, “Hearing about Rene’s composition process as well as the process of learning this piece has inspired my students to find their inner bravery and strength as young women and as string players. They know that this piece is about them! The music has helped them develop as musicians in many ways, including incorporating percussion techniques on their instruments and performing complex rhythms.”
Orth says, “It’s a really special opportunity to work with these young musicians. I have the privilege of introducing them to extended techniques and the idea of collaboration with a living composer. The girls are eager, hard working and absolutely inspiring- I couldn’t ask for anything more!”
Schisler also explains, “A unique element to this experience is that Rene has also written an accompaniment for the University of Louisville Orchestra under the direction of Kimcherie Lloyd. This collaboration has allowed the students to develop to even higher levels of musicianship. The young ladies of the Olmsted Academy South eighth grade orchestra and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the experience of working with Rene Orth and Composers and Schools in Concert and the University of Louisville this year!”
Composers and Schools in Concert (CSIC) is a nationwide nonprofit organization. It is the only organization in the United States dedicated to providing high school students with an educational experience in the professional field of music composition through composer commissions, workshops, and a contemporary score library for young performers.
Rene Orth is a composer originally from Dallas, Texas. She currently serves as Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia/Music-Theatre Group. Recent and upcoming projects include commissions from Seraph Brass, Festival d’Aix en Provence, baritone Sean Plumb, and the Louisville Orchestra. She is a recipient of a 2016 OPERA America Discovery Grant. Her chamber opera, Empty the House (librettist Mark Campbell), received its staged premiere with the Curtis Opera Theater in a sold-out run in January 2016. A portion of the work was also featured in Fort Worth Opera’s FRONTIERS program in May 2016. In 2014, Washington National Opera/American Opera Initiative Program commissioned Rene for a chamber opera. She has held residencies at Yaddo and Virginia Center for Creative Arts and served on the Theory/Composition faculty for Luzerne Music Center. Rene is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.
When: March 23, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: University of Louisville School of Music
Who: The Frederick Law Olmsted Academy South Orchestra with Music Director Courtney Schisler, Composer Rene Orth, and Composers and Schools in Concert