Naomi Louisa O’Connell RAW Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2018
PEORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES GREAT CITIES: ROME
WITH MEZZO SOPRANO NAOMI LOUISA O’CONNELL
PEORIA, IL – The Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) 120th Anniversary concludes with the GREAT CITIES: ROME concert on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7:30 PM in the Peoria Civic Center Theater located at 201 SW Jefferson Street in Peoria, IL. An optional pre-concert lecture begins at 6:30 PM. Artists from the Central Illinois Artist Organization (CIAO) will be exhibiting artwork in the lobby before the concert and during intermission.
Rome, also known as “The Eternal City,” comes to Peoria. From dances and songs, to visions of this ancient, magical place, Rome comes alive in three masterpieces. The concert will begin with Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A Major “Italian,” a symphony inspired by the festive spirit of Italian culture. Next, mezzo soprano NAOMI LOUISA O’CONNELL will perform Giuseppe Martucci’s sentimental The Song of Memories with the PSO. The evening will conclude with Ottorino Respighi’s The Pines of Rome, conjuring images of the ancient pine trees that line Roman roads… living monuments surrounded by memories of a glorious past.
Regarding this performance, Maestro George Stelluto says:
“Whether you’ve been to Rome or not, this program will inspire you to go. It’s a series of fantastic musical postcards, all hand delivered by the Peoria Symphony Orchestra.”
Hailed by The New York Times as “radiant,” Irish performer NAOMI LOUISA O’CONNELL made her professional stage debut in 2012 starring on London’s West End in Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play Master Class in the role of Sharon Graham, an aspiring young opera singer opposite Tyne Daly who portrayed Maria Callas. The Times called her performance “…spectacular,” and The Independent lauded her “…thrilling rendering of an aria from Verdi’s Macbeth.” Ms. O’Connell recently participated in the PSO’s Resident Artist Week (RAW), visiting area schools and engaging Central Illinois residents through the universal language of music.
GREAT CITIES: ROME will be the PSO’s final performance in Peoria, IL, during the 2017-2018 Season. The 120th Season will conclude with the PSO’s debut performance at the RAVINIA FESTIVAL on July 28th, 2018. The PSO will perform in a children’s concert titled LEONARD BERNSTEIN: 100 YEARS YOUNG.
GREAT CITIES: ROME is sponsored by Meredith and PwC, with additional support of the 120th symphony season provided by PNC and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Tickets for GREAT CITIES: ROME start at $25 and student tickets are $10. Tickets are available by
calling 309.671.1096, visiting the PSO Box Office located at 101 State Street, Peoria, IL or online
at www.peoriasymphony.org.
Interviews are available. For more information on Naomi Louisa O’Connell, visit her website at www.naomioconnell.com.
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If you would like more information or higher resolution photographs, please contact:
Mae Gilliland Wright, PhD
Marketing Manager
309.671.1096
