1. Music of Ansel Adams: America
"Ansel Adams: America", composed by Chris and Dave Brubeck, performed by Temple University Symphony Orchestra, is a symphonic tribute saluting one of America's most cherished artists.
The 22-minute, one-movement piece, fully integrates sweeping melodies with 102 striking images of or by Ansel. Few people realize that Ansel Adams trained to be a classical musician, a fact which greatly influenced the work. It has consistently played to full houses, and has succeeded in its mission to bring new and larger audiences to orchestra concerts.
This is the first time that permission has been given by the Ansel Adams Trust to allow his masterful American photographs to be used in a concert setting. This convergence of iconic images and symphonic grandeur by Chris and Dave Brubeck is represented exclusively by Symphony Source.
Music of Ansel Adams: America was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award: Best Instrumental Composition and Dave Brubeck was nominated for posthumously for his composition work.
"As majestic images of Half Dome and Horsetail Falls fade in and out on a giant screen, the music builds and then melts to mirror the majesty of a church or echoes the Southwestern style as a mission takes the screen. When the final moonlit mountain went dark, the music stopped and the full house erupted. The effect is both inspiring and humbling." — J.T. Long, Sacramento Press
"Monterey Symphony Breaks Ticket sales Record. .. The three-concert set resulted in the highest-grossing ticket sales event in the 64 years the Monterey Symphony has presented concerts." — The Californian.com
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words but I think a phrase of music is worth a thousand pictures really. In our program called "Pictures of Music" the highlight of the evening will be the new piece written by Dave Brubeck and his son Chris Brubeck. This is a celebration of Americana through the photography of Ansel Adams. Ansel Adams was able to capture this almost archetypical image we have of the idyllic America. Dave Brubeck is known for his rhythmic play and his really inventive approach to music." - Marin Alsop, Music Director, Baltimore Symphony