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Rob Kapilow Returns with Final “What Makes It Great” for the 2012-13 Season

Composer-Conductor Rob Kapilow Explores
BEETHOVEN – Violin Concerto
With Violinist Bella Hristova and the
Cal State Fullerton University Symphony Orchestra
at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Wed., March 20, 7:30 PM

Rob Kapilow

CERRITOS, CA – Long compared to legendary composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein and exalted as “Classical music’s greatest evangelist” by the Boston Herald, composer-conductor Rob Kapilow returns to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) with a What Makes It Great? presentation on Wednesday, March 20, 7:30 PM. The program, BEETHOVEN – Violin Concerto, features accomplished violinist Bella Hristova and the Cal State Fullerton University Symphony Orchestra and a Q&A session. Tickets, $45, are available at the CCPA Ticket Office and www.cerritoscenter.com or by calling (562) 467-8818.

In his acclaimed three-part What Makes It Great? program, composer Rob Kapilow dissects Ludwig van Beethoven – Violin Concerto, examining the piece and helping listeners appreciate the composition in fresh ways with the help of violinist Bella Hristova and the Cal State Fullerton University Orchestra.

For more than a decade, Kapilow has brought the joys and wonder of music to audiences of all ages and backgrounds with his What Makes It Great? presentations, which explain the mysteries of music in terms everyone can grasp and appreciate. Part One is an entertaining discussion displaying Kapilow’s astounding gift for observation and his animated teaching style. Part Two features performances of the composition. The evening concludes with Part Three, a spirited Q&A on the work. The New York Times called the series “the kind of enlightening musical seminar in which you hang on to every word and note.”

Cited by The Boston Globe as “an educator, motivational speaker, and game show host, all rolled up in one,” Kapilow has built a loyal following and a name for himself around the world. His renowned What Makes It Great? series is a recurring event at New York’s Lincoln Center and in Boston, Cerritos, and Kansas City. Kapilow’s vast catalog of accomplishments includes the highly praised FamilyMusik series, which introduces youths to all things musical; and Citypieces, which celebrates American life – its history, citizens, diversity, and destinations – through collaborative compositions.

The scope of Kapilow’s influence is far and wide – both geographically and culturally – from Native American tribal communities in Montana to inner-city students in Louisiana to wine lovers who frequent Northern California’s Napa Valley. His insightful and entertaining programs have delighted a diverse circle of fans that consists of preschoolers, seasoned music aficionados, and erudite musicologists who hail from Ivy League schools.

Kapilow claimed the top spot in the Fontainebleau Casadesus Piano Competition, and Second Prize in the Antal Dorati Conductor’s Competition with the Detroit Symphony. A featured composer on Chicago Public Radio’s prestigious Composers in America series, Kapilow is also a recipient of an Exxon “Meet-the-Composer” grant and numerous awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, which includes more than 300,000 U.S. musicians, songwriters, lyricists, and publishers of all musical genres. Kapilow has spearheaded multiple musical productions, from the Tony award-winning Nine on Broadway to the premiere of Frida for the opening of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival. He is the author of the award-winning book All You Have to Do Is Listen and its follow-up, What Makes It Great? Short Masterpieces, Great Composers.

Violinist Hristova is “subtle and elegant, her tone clear and pure. . [She possesses] impeccable sound and technique,” praises The New York Times. The Washington Post agrees, citing her “impressive power and control.” Hristova won first prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2007 Michael Hill International Competition in New Zealand. She also was honored with the Helen Armstrong Violin Fellowship. The Strad credits her unwavering success to her “innate musicality that makes musical sense of each phrase she plays.”

The Cal State Fullerton University Symphony Orchestra trains outstanding instrumentalists in a wide range of orchestral styles. The students receive opportunities to study and perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Orchestra members have played with internationally acclaimed performers such as Yo-Yo Ma, the Turtle Island String Quartet, and the St. Petersburg Quartet.

For more on this What Makes It Great? performance, call (562) 467-8818 or go to www.cerritoscenter.com.