USC Trojan Marching Band, directed by Dr. Arthur C. Bartner, Makes Annual 1812 Overture Appearance

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 AND SEPTEMBER 1 AT 8:30 PM

August 31 Concert is Sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

September 1 Concert is a Sponsored by Princess Cruises

Media Sponsor for Both Concerts is Univision 34/TeleFutura 46; Media Sponsor for September 1 Concert is Also 89.3 KPCC

The annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, pianist Gabriela Montero and dramatic fireworks returns to the Hollywood Bowl on Friday and Saturday, August 31 and September 1, at 8:30 p.m.

Wilkins, music director of the Omaha Symphony and resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, leads an all-Tchaikovsky program of the Piano Concerto No. 1 with Montero, Festival Coronation March, Polonaise from "Eugene Onegin," Suite of Dances and the 1812 Overture featuring the USC Trojan Marching Band, Dr. Arthur C. Bartner, director, plus cannon and pyrotechnics. Montero, who has appeared with orchestras around the world, recently made her debut with the New York Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel. The USC Trojan Marching Band, which first performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1982 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, initially performed in the 1812 Overture's finale in 1987 and has continued to do so each summer the work has been presented at the Bowl.

THOMAS WILKINS was appointed music director of the Omaha Symphony in 2005, and the 2006/2007 season was his inaugural season with the orchestra. He is also in his seventh season as resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, which he leads in a variety of programs, including classical, special events, pops, young people's and educational concerts. Previously he was resident conductor of the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and associate conductor of the Richmond (VA) Symphony. For his significant contribution to the children of Tampa Bay, the Pinellas County Music Educators Association named him 1998 Friend of the Arts and the Hillsborough County Elementary Music Educators recognized him as 1998 Music Educator of the Year. Wilkins has guest conducted orchestras throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra; the symphonies of Dallas, Baltimore, Houston, Grand Rapids, New Jersey, Indianapolis, San Antonio and Oregon; the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Louisville Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, DC. A native of Norfolk, VA, Wilkins earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1978, where he now returns each summer to serve as orchestral conductor for that institution's summer performing arts camp. In 1982 he was awarded the Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

GABRIELA MONTERO, born in Caracas Venezuela, gave her first public performance at the age of five and at eight made her concerto debut with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra conducted by Jose Antonio Abreu, after which she granted a scholarship from the Venezuelan government to study in the USA. At twelve she won the Baldwin National Competition and AMSA Young Artist International Piano Competition, performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Montero currently maintains a busy schedule of recital and concerto appearances in the major halls and at the major music festivals in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Recent and future engagements include NDR Hannover, Boston Philharmonic with Benjamin Zander, Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Lanaudiere Festival and the Philharmonia Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel, with whom she also works regularly with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra. In recital Montero has appeared at the Wigmore Hall London, Kennedy Center Washington DC, National Arts Center Ottawa, Orchard Hall Tokyo, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Herkulessaal Munich, Musikhalle Hamburg, Berlin Konzerthaus, and will appear at the Cologne Philharmonie as part of the Cologne Musiktriennale 2007 whose theme will be 'improvisation'. She has appeared at the Roque d'Anthéron, Radio France Montpellier, Schleswig-Holstein, MDR Musiksommer, Penderecki, and Radio Canada Chopin festivals and is invited annually to the 'Progetto Martha Argerich' Festival in Lugano and to Martha Argerich's Buenos Aires Festival. Montero's first EMI/Angel CD consisted of one disc of music by Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Liszt and a second of her deeply-felt and technically brilliant improvisations. Standing alongside inspired performances of core repertoire, improvisation plays as important a part in Gabriela's life as it did for Bach and Mozart and, to show the link, her latest EMI/Angel CD Bach and Beyond is a full disc of improvisations on themes by Bach. A former student of Lyl Tiempo, Andrez Esterhazy and Professor Hamish Milne at the Royal Academy of Music London, she has won international prizes including the Bronze Medal at the 13th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1995.

In 1880, at a fledgling University of Southern California, a group of musicians first came together to form what would become the USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND. Now the largest spirit organization on campus, the band has developed into one of the most innovative collegiate marching bands in the country. Featuring over 275 passionate students from nearly every major at USC, the TMB is a prominent and visible representative of the University with over 400 engagements per year. It has truly earned its nickname, "The Spirit of Troy," for its commitment to 'SC and its tireless support of Trojan Athletics. The Trojan Marching Band has tripled in size since DR. ARTHUR C. BARTNER became its director in 1970. With the assistance of long-time arranger Tony Fox, Bartner has built the band into a world-renowned performing group with frequent appearances on the small and silver screens. The Spirit of Troy can be seen in such films as The Naked Gun and the Academy-Award winning Forrest Gump. Indeed, the Academy Awards telecast itself has featured the band twice and in 2004, the band appeared at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards telecast and performed the finale with Andre 3000 of the multi-platinum hip-hop group, OutKast. In its long history, the TMB has performed for seven U.S. Presidents, at four Super Bowls, and at two Summer Olympic Games.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 39th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2007, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the third year in a row at the 18th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 AT 8:30 PM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 AT 8:30 PM

The Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

THOMAS WILKINS, conductor

GABRIELA MONTERO, piano

USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND, DR. ARTHUR C. BARTNER, director

Tchaikovsky Festival Coronation March

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Listen

Tchaikovsky Polonaise from Eugene Onegin

Tchaikovsky Suite of Dances

Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

August 31 Concert is Sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

September 1 Concert is a Sponsored by Princess Cruises

Media Sponsor for Both Concerts is Univision 34/TeleFutura 46;

Media Sponsor for September 1 Concert is Also 89.3 KPCC

Tickets ($7 - $111) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday - Saturday, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.), or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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