A Song, A Dance, And A Story

Saturday, March 24, 2012  8:00 p.m.
Conducted by J. Ernest Green

Oakcrest School – 850 Balls Hill Rd. McLean, VA

“A Song, A Dance and A Story” welcomes back Principal Guest Conductor, J. Ernest Green to conduct a colorful program which includes Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Bolero, Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry, more popularly known as Danny Boy, Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, and Mascagni’s Cavelleria Rusticana. As always we offer free parking and our popular post-concert cake and champagne reception after the concert. All concert attendees are invited!

Ralph Vaughan Williams:
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Percy Grainger:
Irish Tune from County Derry (Danny Boy)

Pietro Mascagni:
Intermezzo from Cavelleria Rusticana

Maurice Ravel:
Mother Goose Suite

Maurice Ravel:
Bolero

J. Ernest Green, Conductor

J. Ernest Green is a Cover Conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he has worked with such artists as Metropolitan Opera star Denyce Graves, Sir James Galway, Pinchas Zuckerman, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. He regularly works with and conducts for Marvin Hamlisch, most recently with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He recently received acclaim for conducting the National Symphony Orchestra for a subscription weekend with a last minute call when Bill Conti was unable to appear – he had less than 20 minutes to prepare the program!

He is also the Artistic Director of Live Arts Maryland and the Music Director of the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and Annapolis Chorale. From 1995-98, he was the Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Aria Guild and has served as the Conductor for the Teatro Lirico d’Europa in Paris. Mr. Green was the Music Director for the Young Victorian Theatre Company from 1985-2008. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1993 and in 1986 made his international debut conducting performances with the Fundacão Orquestra Sinfonica de Brazil, Associacão Opera de Brasilia, and the Orquestra Jovem de Brasilia. From 2004-2007, Mr. Green served as the Music Director of the Mozart Festival Opera, where he lead productions of “Don Giovanni” and “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “The Magic Flute,” “La Traviata” and Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”

Known for his adventurous and creative programming as he pushes the boundaries of the concert hall, Mr. Green has created several “fusion” programs combining standard concert repertoire with popular and contemporary music, which he has lead with orchestras both here and abroad. In addition, he has received acclaim for his concert productions of operas and other stage works, among them Verdi’s “La Traviata,” “Sweeney Todd,” and, most recently, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” He has also been engaged to develop similar programs for other orchestras. Mr. Green is currently working on a new concert production of “Don Giovanni,” which will premiere in 2010. Referring to his creativity and innovation in and beyond the concert hall, The Baltimore Sun recently said, “Green should be commended for his downright prodigious programming.”

J. Ernest Green has appeared with many orchestras including: The Philadelphia Orchestra with Marvin Hamlisch, The National Symphony Orchestra with Denyce Graves for the National Martin Luther King Day concert at the Kennedy Center, The Florida Orchestra, Cumberland Valley Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, the Sophia Symphony and Varna Symphony (Bulgaria), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Lincoln Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional (Santo Domingo), Mesa Symphony, Cumberland Valley Chamber Players and the Trinity Chamber Orchestra (Cleveland). He has toured with the Ballet Arabesque (Bulgaria) the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Mozart Festival Opera and the Teatro Lirico d’Europa. Mr. Green’s opera credits include the Hawaii Opera Theatre, Teatro Lirico d’Europa, Boston Aria Guild, Indiana Opera North, Associacão Opera de Brasilia, Boston Academy of Music and the Young Victorian Theatre Company.

In addition to his musical activities, Mr. Green is an avid advocate for the arts and an active fundraiser for his own company as well as other community organizations. He has served as a music panelist for the Maryland State Arts Council and was recently appointed to serve on its Strategic Planning Committee.

Mr. Green lives in Severna Park, MD, with his wife, Molly, his son, Alec, and daughter, Ella.