Movie and Music: It’ s a Wonderful Life
{ program notes
Movie and Music: It’ s a Wonderful Life
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Thursday, December 15, 2016— 7pm Friday, December 16, 2016— 7pm
Presenting Sponsor:
Justin Freer
Justin Freer, a conductor and producer
of film music concerts around the world, began his formal studies on trumpet, playing in wind ensembles, marching bands and community orchestras. He quickly turned to piano and composition, composing his first work for wind ensemble at age 11. He gave his professional conducting debut at age 16.
Mr. Freer has written music for trumpeters Doc Severinson and Jens Lindemann. He composed and conducted music for the 2011 and 2012 Major League Soccer Championship in Los Angeles, CA, and has served as composer for several independent films. He has written advertising music for 20 th Century Fox Studios’ motion picture campaigns including Avatar, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Dragonball Evolution and Aliens in the Attic.
Mr. Freer’ s works have been performed by the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble, Texas All-State Symphonic Band, the Grand Symphonic Winds, and the wind bands of several colleges and universities. His music has been discussed at the Oxford Round Table of Scholars and has been performed throughout the world
Justin Freer, Conductor Handel Choir of Baltimore
The concert will end at approximately 9:30pm
It’ s a Wonderful Life Live Produced by CineConcerts“ IT’ S A WONDERFUL LIFE” licensed by PARAMOUNT PICTURES. This Program licensed by PARAMOUNT PICTURES.
from New York City’ s Carnegie Hall to Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
As a conductor, Mr. Freer has appeared with major orchestras in the U. S. and abroad. Upcoming seasons will see his debut with the New York, London and Tokyo philharmonics and repeat performances with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis and others.
He has been recognized by organizations including ASCAP, BMI, the Society of Composers and Lyricists and the Henry Mancini Estate. He is the Founder and President of CineConcerts, a company dedicated to preserving the concert presentation film and TV music set to picture, for which he has produced and conducted performances for Gladiator, The Godfather, Breakfast at Tiffany’ s and It’ s a Wonderful Life, among others. He spent several years as one of the principal conductors for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy In Concert and is scheduled to conduct the European concert run of Titanic.
Mr. Freer, born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA, earned both his B. A. and M. A. degrees in music composition from UCLA.
Justin Freer last appeared with the BSO in August 2016, conducting the film score to John Williams’ s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’ s Stone.
Roy Cox
Arian Khaefi
Arian Khaefi was named Artistic Director and Conductor of Handel Choir of Baltimore in 2013. He serves as Director of Choral Activities at Towson University, where he conducts the University Chorale and Men’ s and Women’ s Choruses, teaches applied lessons in conducting and administers a choral program of six choirs.
Before coming to Baltimore, Mr. Khaefi served as Conductor of the Windsor Classic Chorale in Windsor, Ontario and as Assistant Conductor of the University Choral Society at the University of Michigan. He has prepared choruses for leading conductors including Peter Grunberg, Martin Katz, Christopher Warren-Green, Leonard Slatkin and James Conlon. Mr. Khaefi’ s guest conducting has taken him across the Mid-Atlantic, and he has presented lectures and master classes both nationally and internationally.
Arian Khaefi last appeared with the BSO conducting the Handel Choir of Baltimore in Video Games Live!
Handel Choir of Baltimore
Now in its 82 nd season, Handel Choir of Baltimore is regarded as one of the region’ s top choral ensembles. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Arian Khaefi, the ensemble brings together singers and players from across the Mid-Atlantic to perform repertoire ranging from early music to newly commissioned works by some of the field’ s best current practitioners.
Handel Choir of Baltimore last appeared with the BSO in July 2014, performing in Video Games Live!, Emmanuel Fratianni, conductor.
Handel Choir of Baltimore
Christian Armonson
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