PSO Premieres New Work with Time for Three

PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and Music Director Robert Moody welcome guest ensemble Time for Three to Portland for a Sunday Classical concert with a category-defying twist on Sunday, November 21 at 2:30 p.m. at Merrill Auditorium.

Time for Three will join the PSO for the Maine premiere of Travels in Time for Three composed by Chris Brubeck (son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck), co-commissioned by the PSO. This piece was written specifically for the talents of the trio and embraces many musical genres from jazz to country, Irish folk to funk, and gospel to classical. Travels in Time for Three will be performed along with Paul Hindemith’s playful Symphonic Metamorphoses, based on themes by the Romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber, and Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. This landmark work incorporates popular melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic styles: there is swing, bop, cool jazz, Latin music, ballads, and up-tempo jive. All three of the works on this program integrate myriad musical styles that will result in a fascinating exploration for audiences of all ages.

The groundbreaking, category-shattering trio Time for Three transcends traditional classification, with elements of classical, country western, gypsy, and jazz idioms forming a blend all its own. Its members carry a passion for improvisation, composing, and arranging, all prime elements of the ensemble’s playing. The ensemble has performed at such varied venues as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the 92nd Street Y in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Wyoming’s Grand Teton Music Festival.

During the week leading up to the Sunday, November 21 concert, the members of Time for Three — Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall, violin, and Ranaan Meyer, double bass – will also perform for students at King Middle School and lead a Suzuki master class and jam session at the Portland Conservatory of Music. Nicolas Kendall has a personal connection to the Suzuki Method, as his grandfather was credited with bringing Suzuki to the United States.

The concert begins at 2:30 p.m. and is preceded by a Concert Conversation with Robert Moody at 1:15 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall. A special PostConcert Q&A and “bonus set” by Time for Three will be held in the lobby immediately following the performance. The concert is sponsored by Dead River Company, and will be broadcast statewide by MPBN on December 8, 2010.

Tickets range from $17-$56 and are available through PortTIX at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com. Phone and internet orders are subject to per-ticket handling fees. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle St., Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Special pricing for students, seniors, and groups may be available. Subscriptions (up to 20% off single ticket prices) and Compose Your Own packages (up to 10% off single ticket prices) are available all season long.

The PSO’s 2010-11 season is sponsored by IDEXX Laboratories and Wright Express. For complete season information, including artist biographies; program notes; and Online Insights, provided with support from Digital Enrichment Sponsor Fairpoint Communications; visit www.portlandsymphony.org.