Greater Bridgeport Symphony Has Two Special Events

BRIDGEPORT, CT - From the Greater Bridgeport Symphony: The Greater Bridgeport Symphony shoots for the moon this season, with music commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landings. On November 10th, Conductor Eric Jacobsen will conduct GBS in a 2015 composition by Mason Bates “Passage 18” which fuses orchestral music with live vocal (Jazimina McNeill, mezzo-soprano) and recorded clips of historic events, and recorded clips of historic events, including John F. Kennedy’s iconic 1962 speech at Rice University in which he affirmed America’s goal with the words, “We choose to go to the moon!”

“JFK’s speech says so much about America at that time,” says conductor Jacobsen. “The whole world seemed to be coming apart, but it came together for a while in wonder at the good people could do, amid all the strife of the 1960s.” He added that GBS hopes its season theme A Season in Space will provide that same kind of hopeful uplift through music, comparing the unrest of the 1960s with today’s divided politics. “Music can bring people together, and that’s our main message, all season long.”

The November 10 concert will include Sibelius “Symphony #2”, known as the “Symphony of Independence.” Also, GBS’ Young Instrumentalist Competition winner Camden Archambeau, from Weston, CT, will solo on cello in Max Bruch’s lovely “Kol Niedre.” “GBS is focusing on young people and young talent,” said its president, Jean Moffitt. “We work to provide easy access for young families, and to give talented young people direct exposure to the work of our professional musicians.” She pointed with pride to a recent group season subscription by 25 students from Fairfield Woods Middle School. “They love Eric,” she said. “He had a long talk with them after last April’s concert, and they were hooked!”

In that vein, GBS held a competition for new composers age 32 and under last season and chose winner Jordan Kuspa of San Diego, whose piece “Whirlwind” will be premiered at the November 10th concert. “In 1962, President Kennedy gave his most famous speech on space exploration, saying ‘We choose to go to the moon!’ While so many know these famous words, fewer remember that the speech was given on the campus of my alma mater, Rice University,” says Kuspa. “In fact, President Kennedy made a joke about the value of striving for seemingly impossible goals, asking, ‘But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?’ Touché, Mr. President! As I was composing “Whirlwind,” I found it incredibly inspiring to know that this important moment of our nation’s history happened just across the parking lot from my school of music. In many respects, I think Kennedy’s words apply perfectly to the pursuit of artistic excellence: ‘We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone . . .’”

The Discovery Museum of Bridgeport and the Pequot Library of Southport will partner with GBS during this galactic weekend of music, providing a free event November 10th at 3:00pm at the Pequot, called Close Encounters with the Conductor. This will be the second of a four-part series (the others on March 16 and April 13) at which the public is invited to speak with Maestro Jacobsen and hear him perform with other GBS talent. For the November Encounter, Discovery’s David Mestre, director of the Henry B. duPont III Planetarium, will open the program with a history of the Apollo program, and a look into the future of space travel. Jordan Kuspa and Camden Archambeau will join Eric Jacobsen to perform and talk about their music. The Discovery Museum will also be bringing a moon rock – an actual piece of the moon, gathered during the Apollo landings – to the Pequot, and to The Klein later that evening, before the concert. Discount concert tickets will be available at this event.

"We’ll bring the audience to the moon and bring the music down to earth,” said GBS Executive Director Mark Halstead. “This day of celebration, of music and space, is a wonderful opportunity for the young and young at heart – the best of old and new, together.”

We Choose to Go to the Moon, sponsored by Peoples United Bank of Bridgeport, begins at 8:00pm at The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, with a pre-concert talk at 7:00pm by Dr. Jeffrey Johnson. Tickets are $15 - $29 - $39 - $49 - $59, and may be purchased online at www.GBS.org. Family groups get $10 admission for kids under 19 (any seat) and a 15% discount for accompanying adults (ticketing charges apply to all sales) – “a family of five for as little as $55.50!” Subscriptions and group rates are available by calling (203)576-0263.

For tickets or more information, please visit www.GBS.org.

Image via Greater Bridgeport Symphony