Roman appeared with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall last March and was selected as the only musician to deliver a solo performance for the evening. The video, which can be found at has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on YouTube. Roman's solo moment playing Bach Cello Suite at the sold-out event was preceded by a video introduction by one of his mentors, Yo-Yo Ma.
"Occasionally I get to meet an extraordinary young musician. Such is the case with Joshua Roman," Yo-Yo Ma said. "To me, Joshua is one of the great exemplars of the ideal 21st-century musician. He's deeply grounded in a classical tradition and he is a fearless explorer of our world."
Dubbed by the Seattle Times as a "classical rock star," and having played sold-out solo and chamber performances throughout the city, Roman joined the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at age 22 as the youngest principal player in the symphony's history. Roman was the principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra from 2006 until 2008. As a concerto soloist, Roman has performed with Spokane Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Wyoming Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Quad City Symphony and Stamford Symphony. He played the world premiere of David Stock's Cello Concerto with the Seattle Symphony in July 2009.
In addition to his orchestra work, Roman often plays at clubs, showcasing a vast repertoire, ranging from jazz and rock to classical sonatas and chamber music. Roman also serves as the artistic director of the innovative chamber music series TownMusic at Seattle's Town Hall. Recently, the performing-arts website, MusicalAmerica (www.musicalamerica.com) featured Roman as the August 2009 Artist of the Month.
Roman joins the New Philharmonic as it begins its concert season with Slavic Strings at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10. Muspratt will lead the orchestra in Borodin's overture Prince Igor and Polovetsian Dances, one of the best- known works in the classical repertoire. Roman will showcase his breathtaking cello virtuosity in Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1. Muspratt will conclude the evening with Stravinsky's masterpiece, L'Oiseau de feu (Firebird Suite). The concert takes place at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn.
Continuing the New Philharmonic's tradition of engaging audience members, musicians will visit with the patrons in the lobby during intermission, offering insight into the evening's concert selections. The New Philharmonic also distributes "Just Ask Kirk" cards to the audience for a post-concert question-and-answer session. Following the performance, audience and orchestra members join Muspratt for "Cookies with Kirk," giving the audience an opportunity to meet and interact with the conductor.
Tickets to Slavic Strings are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors and $25 for children. To order tickets, call (630) 942-4000, or visit: www.atthemac.org.
Named 2009 Professional Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, New Philharmonic's 2009-10 season also includes
- Spanish Strings on November 13 and 14, featuring guitarist Robert Gruca
- Viennese Pops with an American Twist on December 31, with guests soprano vocalist Amanda Majestic and prodigy trumpet player Geoffrey Gallente
- Celestial Harp Strings on March 5 and 6 featuring harpist Kelsey Erdahl
- Passionate Piano Strings on April 23 and 24, 2010 with pianist Tanya Bannister
For more information on Joshua Roman, visit Joshua's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joshua+roman+cello&search_type=&aq=0&oq=joshua+roman For more information on the New Philharmonic, visit www.cod.edu/ArtsCntr/new_phil.htm .
JOSHUA ROMAN AND NEW PHILHARMONIC
8 pm
Friday and Saturday
McAninch Arts Center
College of Du Page
Glen Ellyn
(630) 942-4000,
www.atthemac.org
About New Philharmonic Orchestra New Philharmonic Orchestra is a fully-professional, 80-member orchestra that has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for three decades. Under the direction of Conductor and Music Director Kirk Muspratt, named a 2006 Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, the group gives innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works, and strives to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. New Philharmonic is the resident orchestra of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, and performs a complete season annually.
About McAninch Arts Center The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, houses three performance spaces, an art gallery and classrooms for the college's academic programming. This unique facility has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and last year welcomed more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances.
The center offers free parking and group discounts and is home to Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, the New Philharmonic Orchestra and DuPage Opera Theatre. The result is a collection of touring and resident and student groups that foster enlightened education and performance opportunities to encourage artistic expression, promote a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.
The MAC's extensive community outreach program includes pre-performance lectures, classes with visiting artists and the SchoolStage program, which provides students with an interactive, educational arts experience. Those and other efforts to increase community access to arts earned the MAC the Illinois Arts Council's Partners in Excellence designation, which recognizes 40 of the most significant cultural institutions in the state.
The mission of the McAninch Arts Center is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.
