Benefits
 "The images magnified the music"
—The Washington Post
Orchestras worldwide are continually
looking for ways to make their seasons engaging, enriching and memorable. Photochoreography can do just that. It appeals to today’s audiences because it is visual, artistic and distinctive. Each year, orchestras find new, creative ways to include photochoreography in their concerts. And to date, over 150 orchestras in the US and abroad have experienced the many benefits that programming symphonic photochoreography can deliver.
Photochoreography is:
•Connecting orchestras with
their communities
•Drawing today's audiences
with visual impact
•Attracting sponsors,
community partners & press
•Set to classical music
•Versatile
•Easy to produce
•Affordable
Community volunteers featured in Bravo Boulder!, a piece of photochoreography commissioned by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra to honor the nonprofits and volunteers making a difference in Boulder, CO.
•Connecting orchestras with their communities.Imagine untapped audiences in your community attending a classical concert to hear great music and see their own photographs choreographed and projected across a 440-square-foot screen. Westwater Arts offers two readily fundable programs—Kids, Cameras & Classics™ and Community, Cameras & Classics™—that can help your orchestra attract additional sponsors and community partners, expand your educational outreach efforts, and gain new friends in your community.
Nearly 50 orchestras have already used our photochoreography to put their communities at center stage. Visit our Community Involvement page to learn more.
 Kids attending a South Arkansas Symphony concert celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. and other "Heroes of South Arkansas."
•Drawing today's audiences with visual impact.Photochoreography appeals to today’s more visually sophisticated audiences because it adds a striking visual dimension to classical concerts. Audiences can easily connect with photochoreography’s present-day subjects that are as intellectually stimulating as they are accessible. The multi-sensory art form magnifies the impact of the musical experience, while encouraging audiences from a broader age and demographic range to come hear and see a concert.
For these reasons, orchestras find that photochoreography is easy to promote and frequently draws new, younger and larger audiences.
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The Singapore Chinese Orchestra performs Westwater's Portrait of Singapore at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore.
•Attracting sponsors, community partners & press.By programming photochoreography, orchestras can highlight a new and exciting addition to their concert lineup. Orchestras often draw on this excitement to generate effective publicity for their upcoming concert(s) and further leverage their partnering, media, and sponsorship potential.
Photochoreography also provides an excellent addition for special concert events that celebrate important anniversaries or milestones and concerts with a local, regional and/or national theme. For many orchestras, the increased media attention has attracted larger audiences, which also leads to greater exposure for concert sponsors and community partners.
 Image from Westwater’s piece, Canyonlands, which marvels at the incredible beauty of the desert Southwest.
•Set to classical music.Symphonic photochoreography draws upon the depth and emotional resonance of classical works by celebrated composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Dvorák, Barber, Vaughan Williams, Smetana, Fauré, Copland, Elgar, Diamond, Glass, Pachelbel, Grofé, Górecki, Mahler and Sibelius.
Because we choreograph our work to classical music and live-cue the photochoreography to the music, orchestras can incorporate multimedia into their concerts and still focus on their passion—performing classical music.
New commissions set to the music of other composers are also welcome.
Image from Portrait of Singapore. Photo ©SPH
•Versatile.Photochoreography has been performed with some of the largest and smallest orchestras in the U.S. as well as some overseas. It can be customized for a variety of budgets, geographic locations, and audience bases. Photochoreography can be performed in all kinds of venues, from auditoriums and theaters to concert halls and outdoors, and is programmed for classics, pops, family, educational, festival, special event and chamber music concerts.
The subjects explored through symphonic photochoreography are compatible with a wide range of concert themes and audience tastes. In addition, we welcome commissions for new pieces that can highlight areas of special significance for an orchestra and its audience.
 SYMPHONY magazine highlights how orchestras utilize and benefit from multimedia, such as Westwater's photochoreog-raphy (article cover photo).
To read the article click here.
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Photochoreography engagements include the principal orchestras of Cleveland, Toronto, Pittsburgh,
Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Dallas, Vancouver, Baltimore, Milwaukee,
Detroit, Cincinnati, Saint Paul, Indianapolis, Houston, Portland,
Denver, Saint Louis, Columbus, Rochester, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Singapore and Scotland, plus over 150more >
For repertoire, booking and
more information:
Westwater Arts
877-ARTS-WEST (278-7937)
WestwaterArts.com
info@WestwaterArts.com
©1997-2012 Westwater Arts LLC
All Rights Reserved
 The Dallas Symphony performs Westwater’s Chaps and Spurs, a lively portrait of the contemporary "Wild West."
•Easy to produce.Virtually everything is included in the performance fee:
- performance(s) by James Westwater
and Nicholas Bardonnay
- specialized digital projection equipment
and screens
- supervision of equipment setup and
takedown
- sample marketing materials
- pre-concert talks
- press interviews
During a concert, we live-cue hundreds of visual transitions without a click-track—so your orchestra can focus on the music.
 Photo from A Simple Gift, a heartfelt portrait of a family who chooses to live a simple and sustainable lifestyle on a small farm in the rolling hills of Amish country.
•Affordable.James Westwater has been working with orchestras in the US and abroad for nearly 40 years, and his breadth of experience is one reason why orchestras say they like working with him. Now joined by Nicholas Bardonnay, Westwater Arts continues to explore new ways to connect orchestras with today's audiences.
We are acutely aware of the financial challenges many orchestras are facing, which is why our fees are kept within reach even for smaller orchestras’ budgets. Our performance fees can be less than the cost of renting the performance equipment alone, and are significantly less than most alternatives utilizing multimedia. Contact us to discuss your programming ideas and to request a quote.
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