(MILLBURN, NJ) -- The Discovery Orchestra (the Orchestra) ushered in its 33rd season on Sunday, September 22nd with Discover The Firebird, an interactive concert taped at the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, for future national broadcast. Over 500 audience members from communities in the Tri-State area were treated to a thrilling performance of movements from Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and simultaneously guided through listening exercises to sharpen their emotional connections to this work.
Discover The Firebird is the Orchestra’s fifth public television program, marking a historic moment for the local New Jersey nonprofit. The concert will be nationally distributed by American Public Television beginning in the spring of 2020.
“Yesterday’s concert was an incredible way to kick off our 33rd season at The Discovery Orchestra,” said Maestro George Marriner Maull, Artistic Director of The Discovery Orchestra. “The energy of the audience, as always, added an exciting dimension to Igor Stravinsky’s already inspiring music. It is gratifying to help audience members unlock both new connections with this composition and deepen their emotional bond with classical music in the future.”
During Discover The Firebird, Maestro Maull conducted the 86 members of the Orchestra through Stravinsky’s Infernal Dance movement, a departure from the Orchestra’s usual repertoire due to its more challenging harmonies and variety of orchestral colors. Following the Orchestra’s traditional Discovery Concert format, Maestro Maull led the audience through an interactive and humorous listening lesson, helping attendees notice details of the music by asking specific questions that could only be answered through careful listening. Patrons were encouraged to raise their hands when a suddenly loud moment occurred and to even stand at one point to intensify their experience of a crescendo. These physical responses emphasize impactful moments of the score for audience members, helping them to form visceral, long-lasting connections with classical music. Maestro Maull has promoted this Discovery Concert format as vital for both classically-trained and classically-curious patrons for the past three decades.
The Orchestra provided transportation to the concert to over 100 students from Newark School for the Arts, Rhythms 4 Life in Morristown, the Paterson Music Project and Drew University as part of its community outreach initiatives. 52 seniors from organizations throughout New Jersey also attended as part of the invited audience.
“We are so grateful to our partners at Midnight Media Group and American Public Television, as well as all of the program funders, who have made it possible for us to create and widely distribute Discover The Firebird starting in the spring of 2020,” said Virginia Johnston, Executive Director of The Discovery Orchestra. “The concert yesterday allowed patrons an opportunity to actively listen to classical music, rather than simply hear it, and I am so pleased that these types of meaningful listening experiences are accessible to audiences worldwide through our expanding media offerings.”
The Discovery Orchestra® (the Orchestra) is a nonprofit music education organization based in Millburn, New Jersey, teaching the attentive listening skills that help people of all backgrounds better comprehend, experience and emotionally connect with classical music. Under the direction of Artistic Director, George Marriner Maull, the Orchestra uses a welcoming and humorous approach to classical music appreciation for the general public. Founded in 1987, the Orchestra engages audiences through live interactive concerts, intimate gatherings, community outreach events and television and digital content. The Orchestra’s award-winning media programs are available for purchase or streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and its eight-part series Fall in Love with Music completed nationwide broadcasts in the Spring of 2018 on American Public Television.
Photos by: Daniel Hedden
