VPAC presents North American Premiere of Serj Tankian`s Elect the

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ThevoiceofSystemofADownandoneofthegreatperformersinhardrockhistory!
VPACpresentsNorthAmericanPremiereofSerjTankian’s
ElecttheDead&OrcaSymphonies
Thursday,November10at8:00PM
LosAngeles,CA,July15,2016–Withavocalrangeoverfouroctaves,Serj
Tankian,consideredoneofthegreatestsingersinhardrockhistoryanda
CSUNalumnus,willpresenthisOrcaSymphonyandperformandsinghisElect
TheDeadSymphonyalongsidetheCSUNOrchestraunderthedirectionof
JohnRoscignoatValleyPerformingArtsCenterforonenightonlyonThursday,
November10at8:00pm.
“ThoughtheworldfirstknewSerjasthefrontmanforSystemofADown,he
hasmanydiversetalentsandpassionsincludingsocialactivism,orchestral
compositions,andvisualart,”saysThorSteingraber,ExecutiveDirectorof
ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.“TheVPACgallerywillexhibithismostrecent
artwork,availableforviewingpriortotheperformance.I'mproudtopresent
SerjTankianasthesecondannualCSUNAlumniconcert.”
“I’vegotthisincredibleopportunitytogobacktotheschoolwhereIgraduated
from,CalStateUniversity,Northridgeandplaywithmyalmamater,CSUN
SymphonyOrchestra,”saidSerjTankianinaYoutubevideo.“Thisissomething
youdon’twanttomissandwillbethefirstshowofitskindinNorthAmerica.”
AboutElecttheDead&OrcaSymphony
Tankianhasalwayscreatedmusicasanoutlettoexpresshisthoughtsand
feelingswithalevelofpassionandconsciousnessthatfewintoday’sworldof
musiccanrival.
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$33andcanbepurchasedby
visitingValleyPerformingArtsCenter.orgorcalling(818)677-3000.ValleyPerformingArtsCenteris
locatedonthecampusofCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge(CSUN),18111NordhoffStreet
Northridge,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,November10at8:00pm
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
Photos:Clickhereforphotosfromthe2016-17Season:
http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/press/press-photos/
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