VPAC Adds Second Show After Nov 10 Date Sells Out! Saturday

NewsRelease
VPACAddsSecondShowAfterNov10DateSellsOut!
Saturday,November12at8:00PM
VPACpresentsNorthAmericanPremiereofSerjTankian’s
ElecttheDead&OrcaSymphonies
TicketsonSaleNow
LosAngeles,CA,Sept13,2016–AftersellingouttheNovember10premiere,
ValleyPerformingArtsCenterhasaddedanadditionalperformanceofSerj
Tankian’sElecttheDead&OrcaSymphoniesonSaturday,November12at
8:00pm.Withavocalrangeoverfouroctaves,SerjTankian,consideredone
ofthegreatestsingersinhardrockhistoryandaCSUNalumnus,willpresent
hisOrcaSymphonyandperformandsinghisElectTheDeadSymphony
alongsidetheCSUNOrchestraunderthedirectionofJohnRoscignoatValley
PerformingArtsCenter.
Ticketsfortheadditionalperformanceareonsalenow.
"SerjTankian’sappealtouchessomanyaudiences--hisfansfromASystemof
aDown,hisloyalfollowersasalocalartist,andsupportersofhisinternational
activism,especiallyamongtheArmeniandiaspora,”saidThorSteingraber,
ExecutiveDirectorofVPAC.“We'renotsurprisedthatthefirstperformance
sold-out,andthattheaddedoneissellingquicklytoo.I'mespeciallyproudto
presentanartistwhoisathomeinsomanymusicaldisciplines.Serjisoneof
therareindividualswhoembodiesthebreadthofacrossoverartist."
“I’vegotthisincredibleopportunitytogobacktotheschoolwhereIgraduated
from,CalStateUniversity,Northridgeandplaywithmyalmamater,CSUN
SymphonyOrchestra,”saidSerjTankianinaYoutubevideo.“Thisissomething
youdon’twanttomissandwillbethefirstshowofitskindinNorthAmerica.”
AboutElecttheDead&OrcaSymphony
Tankianhasalwayscreatedmusicasanoutlettoexpresshisthoughtsandfeelingswithalevelof
passionandconsciousnessthatfewintoday’sworldofmusiccanrival.
Introducedtothemeldingofcultures,ideasandidealsfromaveryyoungage,Tankianlearned
principlesfromthisintegrationandadaptationthathaveledtohisunderstandingoftheonenessofall
things;hehassincetransfiguredthesethoughtsintothemusicandartthathelivestocreate.
HeemergedasasoloartistwithhisdebutalbumElectTheDead,whichshowcasesthewritingand
arrangingprowessofamanbestknownforhisinimitablevocals,incisivelyrics,anddedicationto
bringinglighttovariousissuesrevolvingaroundinjustice.Neitheramellowexcursionintoworldmusic
orthefranticwar-cryofSystemthatsomehadpredicted,ElectTheDeadismulti-facetedandmultilayered,containingelementsofpsychedelia,classical,andthetrademarksurrealistimagesandskewed
timesignaturesthatTankianhasmadehisown.Twoyearsafteritsinitialrelease,hebeganworkingwith
NewZealandcomposerJohnPsathastorearrangeandorchestrateElectTheDeadforafullsymphony
orchestra.ThiswasfollowedbyaninauguralElectTheDeadSymphonyconcertinAucklandwiththe
AucklandPhilharmoniaOrchestrathatwasrecordedandfilmedandreleasedthefollowingyear,
debutingatnumber4ontheClassicalMusicchartshereintheUSA.
In2012,TankiancomposedhisfirsttruesymphonytitledOrcaSymphonyNo.1,andhaditsfouracts
recordedattherenownedBrucknerhausinLinz,AustriawiththeDasKarussellOrchestraunderthe
directionofWernerSteinmetz.AccordingtoTankian,“Orcaisknownasthekillerwhale,butisreallya
darkdolphin,asymbolismforhumandichotomy.”ThefouractsofOrcamixinfluencesfromearly20th
centurycomposerswithmodernfilmcompositionaldynamicsshowinginfluencesrangingfromEnnio
MorriconetoPhilipGlass.Listenersaremetwithaminglingofsoundsandintertwiningpiecesthatare
bothsereneandbombasticatthesametime,offeringafreshinterpretationtotheclassicalart.
AboutSerjTankian
Earlyinhiscareer,Serjfoundanoutletastherabble–rousingleadsingerandsongwriterofthelargely
successfulrockbandSystemofADown,abandthathasreachedintotheheartsandmindsofmillionsof
peoplerelayingmultiplemessagesoflove,awarenessandactivism.SystemofADownhasfivestudio
albumreleases,threeofwhichdebutedatnumberoneontheBillboard200,andhasalsobeen
nominatedforfourGrammyAwardsandsnaggedonein2006for'BestHardRockPerformance'fortheir
song"B.Y.O.B."Despitethissuccess,Serjnevergrewcomplacentwithhisart,alwaysstrivingtoopenup
newchannelsofsoundandarrangementtoarticulatehisartisticexpressions.
Tankianhasreleasedfivealbumsofhisownsolomaterial,beginningwith2007'schart-toppinghard
rockalbumElectTheDead.HissophomoresoloalbumImperfectHarmonieswasreleasedin2010,
followedbyHarakiriin2012.2013sawtwodistinctreleasesfromSerj,withthefirstbeingthecritically
acclaimedOrcaSymphonyNo.1,releasedinJuneofthatyear,followedupwiththeveryuniqueJazz-iz
Christonemonthlater.
Overthepastcoupleyears,histimespentintherecordingstudiohasbeenfocusedoncreatingmusical
scoresandcompositionsforfilmandvideogameprojects,namelyindependentfilms1915,TheLast
InhabitantandHardcorealongwiththevideogame'MidnightStar',whichwascreatedbyoneofthe
chiefcreatorsofthefamed'Halo'gamefranchise.
SerjTankian’sresumealsoincludestheformationofarecordlabel,SerjicalStrikeRecords(established
in2001)whichhasreleasedalbumsbyeightcriticallyacclaimedartists,includingFairToMidland,
BucketheadandDeathByStereo.
AlongwithfellowmusicianTomMorello(RageAgainstTheMachine,Audioslave),Serjco-foundedthe
non-profitorganizationAxisOfJusticein2002,whichstrivestobringtogethermusicians,fansofmusic
andgrassrootspoliticalorganizationstofightforsocialjustice.Hehasalsodabbledwiththeworldof
broadcastingasco-hostoftheAxisOfJusticeRadioNetwork,whichcanbeheardviaSiriusSatellite
RadioandKPFKinLosAngeles.Withamissionofspreadingdiversityandunderstandingthroughmusic,
poetryandactivism,SerjTankianwillcontinuetosurpriseandenlightenthosewholistentohismusic
andhearhiswords.
Inrecentyears,Tankianhassplithistimebetweenholdingamicandpaintbrush,havingfeverishly
createdover40piecesofartsince2013.HisjourneyintotheworldoffineartbeganwithhisDisarming
TimeMusicalPaintingsthatwereexhibitedatProjectGalleryinLosAngeles.Sincethen,hehashad
multipleexhibitionsatgalleriesinboththeUnitedStatesaswellasNewZealand.Mostrecently,his
artworkwasexhibitedatthegrandopeningofNewMuseumLosGatosinNorthernCaliforniaaspartof
agroupexhibitthatranthroughSeptemberof2015.
Tickets
TicketsforSerjTankianperformingwiththeCSUNSymphonystartat$33andareonsalenow.Tickets
canbepurchasedbyvisitingValleyPerformingArtsCenter.orgorcalling(818)677-3000.Valley
PerformingArtsCenterislocatedonthecampusofCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge
(CSUN),18111NordhoffStreetNorthridge,CA91330-8448,atthecornerofNordhoffandLindley.
AboutValleyPerformingArtsCenter
Nowinitssixthseason,VPAC'smissionistopresentawidevarietyofperformancesthatnotonly
includesnewandoriginalworkfromtheLosAngelesregion,butalsoworkfromaroundtheworldthat
appealstoallofLA'srichanddiversecommunities.TheValleyPerformingArtsCenter’s2016-17Season
signalsaneweraforthepremiereeventvenue.UndertheleadershipofExecutiveDirectorThor
Steingraber,VPACexpandsitsprogrammingandoutstandingmulti-disciplinaryperformances.Located
onthecampusofCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge,VPAC’sseasonoffersavibrantanddiverse
performanceprogramofnearly50classicalandpopularmusic,dance,theater,familyandinternational
eventsthatwillservetoestablishVPACastheintellectualandculturalheartoftheSanFernandoValley
andfurtherestablishitselfasoneofthetopartscompaniesinSouthernCalifornia.Theaward-winning
1,700-seattheatrewasdesignedbyHGAArchitectsandEngineersandwasrecentlycitedbytheLos
AngelesTimesas“agrowinghubforlivemusic,dance,dramaandotherculturalevents.”
CalendarListingforSerjTankianperformingwithCSUNSymphony
Venue: ValleyPerformingArtsCenter
18111NordhoffStreet
Northridge,CA91330
Date: Thursday,November10at8:00pmSOLDOUT
Saturday,November12at8:00pm
Tickets:
Price:Startingat$33
InPerson:VPACTicketOffice,locatedintheVPACCourtyard
ByPhone:(818)677-3000
Online:ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org
PressContacts:TimChoy,NikiBlumberg,Davidson&ChoyPublicity
323-954-7510|t.choy@dcpublicity.com;n.blumberg@dcpublicity.com
GaryW.Murphy,PublicRelationsConsultant
310-914-0178|gmurphypr@gmail.com
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