Ravinia 2024 Issue 3

Dear Readers, Long before I wrote stories … I wrote music. My parents were both musicians and teachers, and I grew up practicing classical piano, singing in choirs, and attending lots of concerts. Mu- sic was a secret sanctuary for me as a child. It calmed me when I felt frustrated, was a trusted friend when I felt lonely, helped me express my joy when I was happy, and, best of all, sparked my creativity and imagination. Even now, I play piano every day—usually after I finish a long day of writing. Music is a kind of storytelling, and the twen- ty-one orchestral movements in Wild Sympho- ny —combined with their accompanying poems and illustrations—all work together (like a code, of sorts!) to tell a story … and reveal a funny or interesting side of an animal’s personality. If you listen carefully, you might be able to find each animal hiding in the music. Even better, every animal in this book will share with you a simple moral … a fun collection of “secrets to life” that will help you on your way. I hope you have as much fun experiencing Wild Symphony as I had creating it. Sincerely, Dan Dan Brown at the piano DAN BROWN (b. 1964) Wild Symphony Dan Brown, New York Times best-selling author of publishing phenomenon The Da Vinci Code , has unleashed his latest surprise: Wild Sympho- ny , the new illustrated children’s book and or- chestral music recording by the writer himself. From the joyous rhythms of “Bouncing Kanga- roo” to the mysterious melodies of “Wondrous Whale” to the hair-raising harmonies of “Bril- liant Bat,” the nearly two dozen movements of Wild Symphony correspond to an animal fea- tured in the picture book. Wild Symphony re- veals the author as a lifelong musician and composer who counts himself among those inspired at a young age by Peter and the Wolf , The Carnival of the Animals , and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra . Featuring music produced by Bob Lord and PARMA Recordings and performed by the Za- greb Festival Orchestra, the orchestral record- ing is Brown’s first official music release since his writing career began. “My intent with Wild Symphony is to provide a fun, fresh opportu- nity for families, parents, children, and people of all ages to reconnect with the magical ex- perience of classical music,” says Brown. Wild Symphony is a very wild symphony indeed, and offers a refreshingly real experience for chil- dren of all ages. –Program notes provided by Dan Brown Dan Brown with the Zagreb Festival Orchestra at the Wild Symphony recording sessions Dan Brown at the piano … at age 3 KELLY CORCORAN A passionate advocate for the robust place of classical music in the lives of current and future generations, conductor Kelly Corcoran is Ar- tistic Director of Intersection, a contemporary music ensemble dedicated to challenging the traditional concert experience with programs for all ages. She conducted the Nashville Sym- phony for nine seasons, both as Associate Con- ductor and Director of the Symphony Chorus, where she conducted the orchestra in hundreds of performances and was the primary conduc- tor for the education and community engage- ment concerts. Corcoran founded the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra nearly 20 years ago and continues to serve on the board. Corcoran has appeared as a guest conductor with many major orchestras, including the Cleveland and Louis- ville Orchestras and the Atlanta, Colorado, Dal- las, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, and National Symphonies. Abroad, she has appeared with orchestras in Argentina, England, Spain, Mexi- co, Germany, Czechia, and Chile. Corcoran has worked with a range of artists across a variety of musical styles, including Chris Botti, Leslie Odom Jr., Béla Fleck, and Amy Grant. She also regularly conducts film scores in concert as well as widely toured programs such as The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and Nation- al Geographic: Symphony for Our World . While Director of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, she led the ensemble’s 50th anniversary season, including an appearance at the Cincinnati May Festival performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Cincinnati Symphony. Originally from Massachusetts and a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for more than 10 years, Corcor- an received her Bachelor of Music in vocal per- formance from The Boston Conservatory and her Master of Music in instrumental conducting from Indiana University. She made her profes- sional conducting debut in 2004 leading the National Symphony Orchestra, where she stud- ied with her primary mentor, Leonard Slatkin. Corcoran also studied with and shared concerts with Marin Alsop as Honorable Mention for the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship in 2007, and she attended the Lucerne Festival’s masterclass in conducting contemporary orchestral litera- ture with Pierre Boulez. Kelly Corcoran is mak- ing her Ravinia debut. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 22 – AUGUST 4, 2024 62 TYUEDA,PARMARECORDINGS(BROWN)