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Young People’s Family Concert

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

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Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Saturday, May 20, 2023—11:00am

Saturday, May 20, 2023—11:00am
Orchestra Hall
1 hour

The DSO’s instruments come to life in this delightful presentation of Britten’s beloved work, narrated by actor Michael Boudewyns. Learn about the different families of instruments and more in this exciting program of orchestral classics!

Young People's Family Concerts are an exciting introduction to classical music that often include dance, theater, storytelling, and video. Young People's Concerts have introduced generations of children to classical music—a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

You're invited to join us in the William Davidson Atrium after the concert for family-friendly activities including a composer’s workshop, instrument try-out tables, a face painting station, a creative journaling station allowing children to decorate a journal that they can take home with them, and a “make an instrument” craft table. Children will also have the opportunity to write notes to DSO musicians and visit an informational booth hosted by the MSU Community Music School in Detroit, which will feature additional musical activities.

Artists

Na’Zir McFadden

conductor

American conductor Na’Zir McFadden is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor and Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

In this position, he works closely with Music Director Jader Bignamini and guest conductors on both the PVS Classical Series and William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series. Additionally, he leads pre-concert lectures at Orchestra Hall, and conduct a variety of programs on the Educational Concert Series, Young People’s Family Concert Series, PNC Pops Series, as well as DTE Community Concerts.

To commence with the 2022-23 season, Na’Zir serves as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. Together, they’ll present three programs — exploring the symphonies of Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Florence Price.

An advocate for arts education, McFadden strives to provide access to the arts for students in underserved communities. This upcoming season, McFadden will make appearances with youth ensembles in Salt Lake City and with the Philadelphia All-City Music Festival. In the past, he’s worked with youth ensembles in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and Los Angeles.

Recent engagements include a recording project with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Notes for Peace’ initiative — which featured Hilary Hahn as guest soloist.

McFadden was the inaugural Apprentice Conductor of the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra from 2020 to 2022 working with Music Director Beatrice Jona Affron. He also served as the Robert L. Poster Conducting Apprentice of the New York Youth Symphony from 2020 to 2021.

Na’Zir conducted his hometown orchestra – The Philadelphia Orchestra – in their “Pop-Up” series in 2017, meeting their Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin who has been a mentor ever since. The Philadelphia Inquirer praised his “great stick [baton] technique and energetic presence on the podium” in their review of the concert.

Upcoming engagements include a series of commissions with Orchestra 2001 and appearances with the Utah Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Ballet.

Michael Boudewyns

Michael is thrilled to return to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a third season. He made his DSO debut in 2016.

In 2004, Michael co-founded ReallyInventiveStuff.com; a production company that creates delightful concert performances for young audiences and families with orchestras internationally (England, Singapore), in Canada, and around the United States.

In the 2022-23 season, Really Inventive Stuff also returns to the Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony in C.

Along with orchestra performances, Michael is the host of a new YouTube series celebrating noteworthy people and their remarkable achievements: Taphotopia.com

Michael lives in Maine, and has two cats named Pippy and Prudence.

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