CONCERT INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO BRASS INSTRUMENTS; “Baby Got Bach: Bring on the Brass!” with host/pianist Orli Shaham & the Westerlies Brass Quartet

CONCERT INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO BRASS INSTRUMENTS

“Baby Got Bach: Bring on the Brass!” with host/pianist Orli Shaham & the Westerlies Brass Quartet

Princeton University Concerts’ family concert for kids ages 3-6 returns to the Richardson Auditorium stage on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 1PM. In “Baby Got Bach: Bring on the Brass!” hosted by renowned pianist Orli Shaham, pre-school-aged kids are introduced to the joy of live classical music, joined by special guest artists the Westerlies Brass Quartet. The four childhood friends from Seattle, Washington acclaimed by NPR as “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous,” include Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch on trombone. The program highlights chamber music for brass instruments with piano, introducing youngsters to instruments that have not yet appeared at past Baby Got Bach programs at Princeton University Concerts.

Princeton University Concerts’ annual “Meet the Music” concert for older kids ages 6-12 will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 1PM, this time as a musical telling of Paul Goble’s beloved story The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. Celebrating its 125^th anniversary season this year, Princeton University Concerts is dedicated to building audiences of the future and introducing new listeners to live chamber music in years to come. Students are a major focus of the 125^th anniversary celebration, especially as part of 2018-19 Artist-in-Residence Gustavo Dudamel’s activities on campus and in the community later this winter and spring. More information will be announced later this month.

Tickets for Princeton University Concerts’ family programs go quickly, and are only $5 kids/$10 adults available at princetonuniversityconcerts.org, or by calling 609-258-9220.

ABOUT BABY GOT BACH

The interactive concert series Baby Got Bach was founded by concert pianist Orli Shaham in 2010. As Artistic Director, she draws on both her background as an internationally renowned musician and her experience as the mother of young children. Baby Got Bach’s interactive concerts introduce young children to musical instruments, concepts, and the experience of concert-going. The concerts feature encourage audience participation and develop listening skills. The wildly popular series, presented in New York City by the 92nd Street Y, is included in New York Magazine’s “Best of New York” list, and has been cited as “magical” and “a terrific family event” in the press, praised in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Magazine, among others. Baby Got Bach made its Princeton University Concerts debut in the spring of 2016.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Host and pianist Orli Shaham, winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Avery Fisher Career Grant, has established an impressive international reputation as one of today’s most gifted pianists. Hailed by critics on four continents, she has performed with nearly all of the major symphony orchestras in North America, as well as some of the most important orchestras in Europe, Asia and Australia including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and many more. Her recital schedule takes her to well-known venues around the world, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Driven by a passion to bring classical music to new audiences, Ms. Shaham has maintained an active parallel career as a respected broadcaster, music writer and lecturer. Ms. Shaham has taught music literature at Columbia University, and was artist-in-residence on NPR Performance Today.

The Westerlies are a New York City-based brass quartet comprised of childhood friends from Seattle. Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR Fresh Air), The Westerlies explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Equally at home in concert halls and living rooms, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.