VISION STATEMENT
A NEW ORCHESTRA FOR A NEW GENERATION
euphonia is a community of musicians, a new orchestra for a new generation, a ground-breaking ensemble of dynamic young artists, who not only play classical music with remarkable energy and beauty but their performances are dramatic spectacles that delight the eye as well as the ear.
euphonia musicians are adventurous, open minded individuals who are willing to place aside any preconceived ideas about how classical music should be performed and are passionate about performing in all corners of our community. They are team-spirited people who recognize that our society needs citizens who embody the very best of humanity; a company of brilliant women and men who see their orchestra not simply as a job or employer, but as a commonwealth, a scene, a way of life.
euphonia musicians are not only talented players; they are also capable of expressing themselves through their physical presence on stage or in front of a camera. Working with fashion consultants, theatre directors, filmmakers and choreographers euphonia musicians pay attention to every aspect of how they interpret and perform music, relate to the audience and appear on stage. They don’t just play music; they make a performance of it.
All euphonia musicians are familiar with and able to exploit various forms of social networking, such as Facebook, blogging, Twittering etc. The internet provides an ever expanding opportunity for actively connecting with our audience. All members of euphonia are expected to use some form of social network whether that be a Facebook fan page, myspace or twitter. Some are tasked to write a regular blog or produce a podcast.
There is a demand for new live music events, and for orchestras willing to revolutionize the concert experience the potential is prodigious. euphonia symphonic concerts celebrate humanity by drawing people together for shared emotional experiences. Each concert is built of visions, wonders and dreams; conjuring up surprise and astonishment, unveiling the unexpected and delighting in the boundlessness of human creativity.
A euphonia expanded concert uses HD projectors to provide close up images of the performers, or to create atmospheric backdrops. Between works there are linking videos; these can be interviews with performers, or mini-documentaries on composers and their work. They can be performances of poems or presentations of works of art that speak to the music that follows. The images are not divorced from the musicians, projected on unimaginative flat screens high at the back of stage. No, euphonia multimedia visually enhances the connection between the audience, performers and the music.
By placing concepts, images, ideas, side by side we allow the audience to find their own personal connections and journeys. The aim is to draw the audience in closer for a greater emotional exploration of the music.
There are two positions with euphonia that presently no other orchestra incorporates; the Dramaturg and the Video Performer. The dramaturg’s job is to develop the thematic, narrative and theatrical elements of each symphony concert while the VP is responsible for producing and performing the multi-media components of a performance.
euphonia concerts are adventurous and exciting, challenging and varied. We make symphonic music more accessible and exciting not by dumbing it down but by being more adventurous and daring in our programming. Our audiences show great discrimination in what they want to hear and their tastes are extremely broad, they have incredibly eclectic playlists on their mp3 players, Indie, Punk, Glam, Goth, House, Acid, NewWave are mixed in with movie soundtracks and classical music. The euphonia brand makes symphonic music more appealing, not with gimmicks and clichés but through personality, passion creativity and technology.
euphonia takes classical music out of the concert hall to where the people are, performing in malls, at sports games, in the communal spaces of offices and presenting ‘Random Acts of Harmony’, our equivalent of a ‘flash mob’ on subway stations, in parks or on the streets. We can add something special, something wonderful and something unexpected to everyone’s day.
euphonia musicians support the elderly, the infirm, the terminally ill and their families with palliative care in the form of recitals and concerts in hospitals, hospices and care-homes. Our musicians are active in social rehabilitation by performing and teaching in prisons, youth detention centres and areas that are indentified as high in poverty and risk for juvenile offenders.
So many social problems stem from a sense of exclusion. The symphony orchestra is a glorious representation of the creative power of human cooperation. euphonia aspires to be an inspiration for all to make music in their communities and by doing so help to build a stronger, more inclusive, more collaborative society.
euphonia is committed to making classical music available and accessible to all. All seats for euphonia symphony concerts cost $24.95 and are therefore affordable to most people. There are also discounted tickets for those experiencing financial difficulties and these tickets cost $9.95. For each performance some seats are made available free for those in our society who deserve the greatest support. We want our audience to be members of a community not simply subscribers to a service.
This vision statement is a brief overview of euphonia but it is also a call to action. It is time to create something new, something exciting, something relevant in the world of the classical symphony orchestra.