Michael Tilson Thomas
Project 305, a nearly yearlong project to crowdsource a symphony and accompanying film about Miami by Miami residents, will culminate in a free concert celebrating the diversity of Miami-Dade County and the power of music. Set for Saturday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m., at the New World Center, 500 17th Street on Miami Beach, the project is a collaboration of the New World Symphony, the Knight Foundation, the MIT Media Lab and Miami-Dade County.
The work, composed by Ted Hearne with an accompanying film by Jonathan David Kane, is titled “Miami in Movements.” The title not only alludes to the work’s six-movement structure, but also pays homage to the variety of cultures and influences that have contributed to Miami-Dade County’s identity.
Miami in Movements will be conducted by NWS Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and performed by the New World Symphony, Also on the program is George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture with the first half of the concert featuring performances by Miami-based musical ensembles: Picadillo with vocalists Sol Ruiz and Rey Rodríguez; the Barry Bucaneiros, a Brazilian drumming ensemble from Barry University; and a gospel choir with members of Miami Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Church of the Open Door and students from Florida Memorial University.
The concert will be streamed via Facebook Live and projected onto the 7,000-square-foot front wall of the New World Center as a WALLCAST® concert, presented by Citi, for audiences in the adjacent SoundScape Park. To watch the concert on Facebook Live, follow the New World Symphony on Facebook at Facebook.com/NewWorldSymphony.
Ted Hearne Prior to the start of the WALLCAST® concert, a brass ensemble from Miami Music Project and a jazz/rock combo from Young Musicians Unite will perform on the plaza of SoundScape Park, in front of the New World Center. Also, two backstage tours of the New World Center will bring guests behind-the-scenes of NWS’ campus, and a virtual reality experience, shot using 360-degree cameras, will transport audiences to seven distinct Miami neighborhoods. The virtual reality portion can be experienced in-person through VR headsets at the New World Center or accessed remotely via users’ cell phone or desktop computers, allowing them to explore neighborhoods that showcase distinct parts of Miami that will enrich their understanding of Miami and their experience of the crowdsourced symphony. WLRN’s Tom Hudson will moderate a pre-concert chat in the New World Center’s SunTrust Pavilion with composer Ted Hearne and filmmaker Jonathan David Kane at 6:15 p.m.
Jonathan David KaneThe project is modeled after the collaborative City Symphonies created throughout the world by innovative composer Tod Machover at the MIT Media Lab. With a vision for blending technology, music and culture, and for boldly building community, Machover has produced these works in cities as diverse as Lucerne and Perth, and was brought to the United States by Knight Foundation.
Miami in Movements will be conducted by NWS Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and performed by the New World Symphony, Also on the program is George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture with the first half of the concert featuring performances by Miami-based musical ensembles: Picadillo with vocalists Sol Ruiz and Rey Rodríguez; the Barry Bucaneiros, a Brazilian drumming ensemble from Barry University; and a gospel choir with members of Miami Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Church of the Open Door and students from Florida Memorial University.
