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Schools

Ridge High School "Pops" Concert featuring Marimba and Percussion artist Greg Giannascoli

Ridge  High School’s 2012 “Pops” concert will feature several school bands as well as marimba and percussion
artist Greg Giannascoli at the Ridge Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 pm.  Admission is free.

Giannascoli was a winner of the 2001 Artist International
New York Recital/Young Artist Competition and was also a top prizewinner of the 1997 Patrons of Wisdom International Young Artist Competition held in Toronto, Canada.  He has performed as a soloist with orchestras
and in recitals throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including Carnegie Hall, Theatro Juarez in Mexico and the Glenn Gould Studio in Canada.  In the past few years, he has premiered over 20 new works for the marimba.

Giannascoli is a faculty member at the esteemed Julliard Pre-College and is also the coordinator of the percussion department at New Jersey City University.  He has presented master classes at some of the top music schools
including the Julliard School and The Manhattan School of
Music.  His 5th solo CD, Prism Rhapsody: Show Pieces and Encores, was released in November 2011.

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Reviews of Giannascoli’s performances include: “Here is
music played so well it would capture and hold anybody’s attention indefinitely.”  - Classical New Jersey
and “elegantly phrased and sensitively performed… sails confidently through the most challenging technical passages”. – Percussive Notes.

Giannascoli will perform two well known works with the Ridge Wind Ensemble that have been transcribed for marimba and wind ensemble.  Rhapsody in Blue is a classic Gershwin piano showpiece that will feature the marimba.  Flight of the Bumblebee is the quintessential instrumental solo arranged for marimba that will end the concert with a flourish.

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Dan Zugale, director of Ridge High bands states, “I like to
bring in guest artists to work with the band so my students can get a chance to experience musicians of the finest quality.  Through this experience, the students will hopefully learn what it takes to become a true musical artist.  It also serves as motivation for my students to work hard.  Playing behind a soloist is a special
challenge and in order for it to be successful, the students have to really know their part and how they fit in with the rest of the ensemble.  Lastly, I like to think of our concerts as community events and this is a great way to bring a little more interest to the band program.” 

Three other Ridge High ensembles will perform at the Pops
concert:

The Percussion Ensemble, led by Joe Keefe, will perform:  Stormbreak by Jim Casella and Rainforest Journey by Charlie Sivils.

The Jazz Band will perform two works: Funkathustra is a funk version of Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra which is also known as the opening theme for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Sister Sadie, an up-tempo swing arrangement of the classic Horace Silver tune.

The Concert Band will perform A Disneyland Celebration, featuring familiar music from the theme park.

The Wind Ensemble will then perform Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End with the William Annin Eighth Grade Band, and conclude the concert with the two
works featuring guest soloist Greg Giannascoli.

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