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Westwater News

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New Commission marks both
the Lincoln bicentennial (2009) and the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War (2011)

spaceJames Westwater was recently commission by the Orlando Philharmonic and the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Wilkins conductor and Music Director of both orchestras, to create a new piece of giant-screen, panoramic, multi-image photochoreography concerned with Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War and the struggle for freedom, justice, equality and human rights. The new piece is set to Aaron Copland's American classic, Lincoln Portrait. The resulting multi-media program is now available for performance with orchestras for classics, pops, educational and outdoor concerts. It's ideally suited for American themed concerts, the Fourth of July and Martin Luther King Jr. day events. Contact us for booking information (contact info at right). To see photos of the premiere performance click HERE.

Kids, Cameras & Classics™
What do young people, cameras and the live performance of classical music have in common? They are all part of the innovative Kids, Cameras & Classics™ program offered by James Westwater, in addition to his repertoire of symphonic photochoreography, Kids, Cameras & Classics™ puts cameras in the hands of young people and helps them make photographs of their lives, their communities, their heritage and environment; their culture, values, interests and neighborhoods; their families, friends and themselves. Kids can also make photographs that reflect an understanding of musical ideas, concepts and principles. It's a great way to engage your community's young people with the orchestra, with classical music and with your community. KCC's are interactive, hands-on, innovative, educational, empowering, skill-developing, collaborative, spirit-lifting, kid-friendly and readily fundable.

"This was the best educational concert we've ever done" --Chair of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Education Committee, referring to the series of 4 educational concerts featuring The Photochoreography of James Westwater and his community engaging Kids, Cameras & Classics™ program.

Click on Kids' Gallery to see samples of neat images made by kids for several KC&C pieces, or download a PDF describing the program in more detail.

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Community, Cameras & Classics™
blaWe offer another dynamic community engagement program that is similar to Kids, Cameras & Classics™, only the photographers can be any and all members of your community, from the young to the elderly, amateurs and professionals alike... anyone and everyone is invited to make and/or submit their photographs. The subject matter of the photography (both newly created and existing) can be of whatever is desired and appropriate. Community, Cameras & Classics™ is also a great way to engage your community with your orchestra and live classical music. See the CCC article below for a good example.

 

 

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Indianapolis Symphony Commissions 3 Westwater Photochoreographies set to Haydn Symphonies
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra commissioned James Westwater to set his photography of nature to Haydn's Symphonies Number 6, 7 and 8. This creative fusion of music and photography premiered with the Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Raymond Leppard as part of the ISO's Spring Festival at Hilbert Circle Theatre."




Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Premieres "A Simple Gift"
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (above) premiered one of James Westwater's latest pieces, A Simple Gift. The piece is photochoreographed to the very beautiful but virtually undiscovered Adagio for Oboe, Cello and Strings by Dominico Zipoli. Set in the Amish country of the Midwest, the piece portrays an actual contemporary family's choice to live a plain life, without automobiles, electricity, TV, movies, computers and much of the baggage of modern living. Motivated by their Quaker faith, this unique family's humble and sustainable life way is their simple gift to the future of the planet and may serve as an uplifting inspiration to others.


Community Engagement & Extraordinary Partnering in a Urban/Rural Setting
A classical concert focused on Agriculture? Farmers, musicians, local photographers and the country's preeminent photochoreographer joining together in an artistic/educational collaboration? It sounds rather unusual--and indeed it was. To our knowledge this was the first time a classical concert was devoted exclusively to celebrating agriculture and rural America.

In November in Springfield, Ohio, the Ohio State University Extension along with the Clark County Farm Bureau joined the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and James Westwater to present an extraordinary series of classical and educational concerts. Enthusiasm for this innovative partnership spread to numerous other organizations both in the greater Springfield area and beyond.

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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 BC and over 100 more >



Photo by Erin Bardonner





For repertoire, booking
and more information contact:

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The concert program included Thomson's The Plow that Broke the Plains, Heitzeg's Symphony to the Prairie Farm, music from Cowell's Old American Country Set and four pieces of Westwater photochoreography. Westwater and the Orchestra performed Westwater's A Love for the Land, set to Copland's Appalachian Spring, and three newly created pieces of photochoreography which utilized photography made by local farm family members, 4-H kids and FFA students, and photographers from the area. Click here to see samples of images made by local residents. Click here to see the poster made for this concert.

The reviewing music critic offered perceptive insight: "Orchestras across the country are working hard to reach all segments of their constituencies, but few seem as successful as the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, at least last weekend.

"When maestro Peter Stafford Wilson asked all past and present members of 4-H and FFA to stand, more than half the capacity audience in [the] Auditorium rose to its feet. ... The community's response was strongly positive. Listeners flocked to the Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center, home of the orchestra, necessitating an added performance yesterday afternoon. ... Westwater, the orchestra and its music director brought off the premiere without a hitch to the full enjoyment of an enthralled audience."

The orchestra was enthusiastic about this project because it directly engages the community in a creative hands-on way, it added community relevance to the concert experience, it enabled the orchestra to reach audiences they had not successfully reached before, it strengthened the perception of the orchestra as a valued and vital member of the community, and it opened doors to further innovative community partnerships. The concerts, titled "Growing Together," were an outgrowth, in part, of Westwater's innovative, community engaging Community, Cameras & Classics™ and Kids, Cameras & Classics™ programs. Ohio State University Extension spearheaded the project which was made possible with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.