ABOUT FIREWORKS

ABOUT FIREWORKS

"The hottest new classical band
in New York. I have never seen
happier performers and a more
relaxed and receptive audience.
This eclectic ensemble is magic."
The New Music Connoisseur

"Explosive... transcends the
traditional chamber music world"
Time Out New York

"A unique fusion of musical genres...
music that straddled the chasm
between the new and the old"
The Wanderer

"They are the bridge between the
contemporary classical new music
ensemble and the maintream,
popular audience. Brilliant!"
CD Baby

Founded with the goal of creating a single, small ensemble capable of representing the full scope of today’s musical diversity, Fireworks Ensemble combines the talents of eight classically-trained but musically omnivorous young virtuosi who pride themselves on being able to play just about anything, regardless of style, time period, or instrumentation.

Fireworks burst onto the music scene in 2002 with its striking, rock-inspired reinvention of Stravinsky's masterpiece, The Rite of Spring. Called "Brilliant" by CD Baby and "Brave, skillful and refreshing" by the Berkshire Eagle, the work quickly drew critical attention and diverse, enthusiastic audiences. Since then, the ensemble has developed a national reputation as one of the premiere ensembles of its kind with its acclaimed programs such as Dance Mix (featuring seven hundred years of dance music from around the world and called "the most madly eclectic program of the year" by Alex Ross of the New Yorker), Cartoon (celebrating music inspired by and written for classic shorts from the golden age of animation, and its portrait of iconoclast Frank Zappa (including the composer's challenging instrumental rock).

In its 2003-2004 season the ensemble established its reputation as one of the leading contemporary music groups in New York by presenting a concert of master 20th-century composer Luciano Berio's challenging Sequenzas. In 2005 Fireworks was one of four ensembles invited by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters to participate in its Young Performers' Career Advancement Program, which culminated in a performance at Carnegie Hall. The group's 2006-07 season included the a collaboration with the Lied Center of Kansas on the ensemble's Cartoon program, and a sold-out portrait of Frank Zappa at the Miller Theater in New York City. Last season the ensemble toured the west coast with its Dance Mix project, presented music of Stravinsky on the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society series (including a live performance on NBC's "The 10 Show"), and premiered a major new work written for the ensemble by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici on its home series at Symphony Space in New York. Recent events include performances and residencies in Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia, and a return to the Miller Theater for a performance with rock legend Lou Reed.

In the course of its seven year history, Fireworks has premiered over a hundred new works, promoting emerging composers worthy of wider recognition, and commissioning works by established masters such as Glenn Branca, Scott Johnson, and Nick Didkovsky. Passionate about its work with young people, the ensemble devotes a large part of its time each year to outreach activities, and has provided a doorway into contemporary and traditional classical music for hundreds of students in elementary, middle and high schools. Last season the ensemble conducted a ten week residency based on its Cartoon program in Peekskill, New York as part of Chamber Music America's Residency Partnership program. Fireworks' three popular recordings: Dance Mix, First Tracks, and The Rite of Spring, have received airplay worldwide from WNYC in New York to Lo Otra Musica in Spain and RadioRock in Italy. This winter the ensemble will record music of David Del Tredici and Frank Zappa for E1 Entertainment (formerly Koch Classics).

photo by Robin Holland