Benefits
sp"Spectacular to behold... This creative interplay of sight and sound was instrumental in drawing an entirely new audience to our hall." Gideon Toeplitz, V.P. & Mng. Dir., Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

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 integrate photochoreography into their performances. And to date, over 150 orchestras in the US and abroad have experienced the significant benefits that programming symphonic photochoreography can deliver. 

Photochoreography is:
Connecting orchestras with
incerttheir communities

Drawing today's audiences
incertwith its visual impact
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Attracting sponsors,

incertcommunity 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 do just that. In return, your orchestra can attract additional sponsors and community partners, expand your educational outreach efforts, and gain new friends in your community.

Nearly 50 orchestras have already used James Westwater’s photochoreography to put their communities at center stage. Visit the 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 its 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 combination 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.


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 leverage their partnering and sponsorship potential.

Photochoreography also provides an excellent focal point for special events, including important milestones for orchestras and sponsors, or events with regional and/or national significance. 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, Fauré, Copland, Elgar, Diamond, Glass, Pachelbel, Grofé, Górecki, Mahler and Sibelius.. New commissions set to the music of other composers are also welcome.

Care is taken by the photochoreographer in selecting the score for each visual accompaniment to ensure the pairing honors and complements the music. As a result, orchestras can incorporate multimedia and still focus on their passion—performing classical music.


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, light classics, pops, family, educational, festival and chamber music concerts.

The subjects explored through symphonic photochoreography are compatible with a wide range of concert themes and audience tastes. In addition, James Westwater welcomes commissions for new pieces that can highlight areas of special significance for an orchestra’s audience.


articleSYMPHONY 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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Westwatera has performed with the
principal orchestras of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Dallas, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cincinnati, Saint Paul, Indianapolis, Houston, Portland, Denver, Columbus, Rochester, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Vancouver
(Canada), Singapore and over 150 more >




sFor repertoire, booking and
more information:

Westwater Arts
877-ARTS-WEST
(278-7937)
WestwaterArts.com

info@WestwaterArts.com

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The Dallas Symphony performs Westwater’s Chaps and Spurs, a lively portrait of the contemporary "Wild West."

Easy to produce.In booking James Westwater, virtually everything is included in the performance fee:
- the performance(s)
- specialized projection equipment
- supervision of equipment setup and
takedown
- sample marketing materials
- pre-concert talks
- press interviews

With photochoreography, the visual transitions are cued to the music,
not vice versa, so the orchestra can concentrate on what it does best: performing great 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 more than 30 years, and his breadth of experience is one reason why orchestras say they like working with him. He is acutely aware of the financial challenges many orchestras are facing, which is why our fees are kept within reach even for smaller orchestras’ budgets.

Fees are at times less than the cost of renting the equipment alone, and are significantly less than most alternatives utilizing multimedia. What you receive in exchange is 30-plus years of acclaimed professional, artistic experience providing many, if not all, of the benefits listed above.