The orchestras are presenting the world premiere of John Clayton’s TWO FIVE O: Reflections at Lincoln Center.
Temple University Studio, Jazz and Symphony orchestras are presenting an eclectic program of American music.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
When Robert Stroker, vice provost for the arts and Joclyn G. Ewart Dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, first viewed the photos of Philadelphia native Joe Labolito and heard Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon's poetry at a show, he initiated incorporating them into a musical performance.
Now their work is being highlighted at a concert featuring the Temple University Studio Orchestra, a combination of the Jazz and Symphony orchestras, on Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York.
“It’s not often that you see a jazz band and a symphony orchestra come together, so that is super significant,” said Terell L. Stafford, award-winning trumpeter and director of the Temple Jazz Orchestra.
The orchestras are presenting an eclectic program of American music anchored by two pieces created with photographs and compositions that complement each other.
The multifaceted concert features the world premiere of John Clayton’s TWO FIVE O: Reflections. Stafford suggested that Clayton be invited to compose a hybrid arrangement that would commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary while bringing Temple’s musicians, Labolito’s photos and William-Witherspoon’s poetry together.
“I love cooking, so these are all the ingredients for the meal that I'm a part of making,” said Clayton, a Grammy-nominated bassist, composer and conductor. “The cool thing about this kind of cooking is the ingredients represent themselves individually, as well as being able to come together and present something larger than we are."
The Temple University Studio Orchestra rehearses an arrangement composed by John Clayton.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
His arrangement was inspired by Labolito’s photography that highlights images of Philadelphia’s buildings, neighborhoods and residents from the 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. Clayton uses each of the five movements—titled “The Viewfinder,” “Through the Lens,” “Auto Focus,” “Zoom” and “Wide Angle”—to place the audience “behind Mr. Labolito’s camera.”
Labolito appreciates having his photos showcased during the Temple musicians’ concert.
“I’m really honored to show my vision of Philadelphia,” he said, “I’m thrilled that I have a chance to share my images of the neighborhoods that I grew up in, as a background for these world-class musicians.”
Poetry will be incorporated throughout the performance by Williams-Witherspoon, professor at the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts and senior associate dean of strategic initiatives and innovation for the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts.
“It is always good to collaborate with folks outside of your medium to see if you can,” Williams-Witherspoon said. “I’m not a musician, so trying to find my way and hearing where the points of intersection are is always interesting, but gratifying.”
The Temple University Symphony Orchestra will also perform Chris and Dave Brubeck’s Ansel Adams: America, alongside more than 100 stunning images of landscapes by the iconic Adams. Their recording of the piece was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2012.
Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis joins the orchestra for three songs by three iconic American composers: Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.
The Symphony Orchestra opens the program with Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” and the Jazz Orchestra, which twice won first-place recognition at the National Collegiate Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center, performs Clayton’s arrangements of two pop songs and a jazz tune, in anticipation of his new composition, which closes out the program.
