This preview provided by North Carolina Symphony.
On what would have been the 59th birthday of legendary artist Prince, the North Carolina Symphony celebrates his life and music with a special end-of-season concert, The Music of Prince, featuring guest vocalists on June 7, 2017, at Meymandi Concert Hall.
Prince was a revolutionary, boundary-pushing figure in pop culture, seamlessly blending musical genres and exuding a larger-than-life stage presence. His legacy is as a brilliant singer and songwriter, a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist, and a talented music producer and actor.
As a songwriter, Prince had an unparalleled ability to tie together diverse musical influences, including funk, rock, R&B, pop, soul, new wave, and psychedelia; the result was an innovative sound that was uniquely his own. Performed with the rich texture of a full symphony orchestra, The Music of Prince is an opportunity to hear his numerous chart-topping songs like never before – from the catchy funk of “Kiss,” to the eccentric bass-less dance hit “When Doves Cry,” to the remarkable vocal range and eclectic instrumentation of “Purple Rain.”
Prince continually evolved as an artist, which each album showing stylistic growth and presenting new ideas. He was one of the best-selling artists of all time, with more than 100 million records sold. Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 – the first year of his eligibility – and earned seven Grammy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe and an Oscar. His untimely death in April 2016 saddened and shocked the world.
The North Carolina Symphony is honored to share The Music of Prince in celebration of the brilliant artist on his birthday, June 7, 2017. This high-energy concert is a not-to-be-missed event for any fan of the “Purple One.”
North Carolina Symphony: The Music of Prince
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 7:30pm
Meymandi Concert Hall
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets: $41 – $61
Online at ncsymphony.org
By phone at 919.733.2750
In-person at 3700 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC
About the North Carolina Symphony
Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony gives more than 175 performances annually for adults and schoolchildren in more than 50 North Carolina counties. An entity of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the NCS employs 66 full-time professional musicians, and performs under the artistic leadership of Music Director Grant Llewellyn and Associate Conductor David Glover.
Based at the spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, the Symphony’s service across the state includes series in Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, New Bern, Southern Pines, and Wilmington, as well as Summerfest concerts at the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. The NCS brings some of the world’s greatest artists to North Carolina, including Lang Lang, Stephen Hough, and Augustin Hadelich in the 2016/17 season.
Committed to engaging students across North Carolina, the NCS conducts the most extensive education program of any U.S. orchestra. In alignment with the music curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Symphony provides training and resources for teachers, sends small ensembles into classrooms, and presents full-orchestra Education Concerts that engage more than 52,000 fourth and fifth graders each year. At the middle and high school levels, students have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.
In spring 2017, the NCS will appear at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as one of four orchestras chosen for the inaugural year of SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras – an honor that recognizes the Symphony’s creative programming and innovative community partnerships.
