Thursday, February 17, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jill Graziano Laiacona

703-993-8794

MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 17, 2010 – This remarkable orchestra of D.C. area musicians made its debut last season and it was an immediate hit. The American Festival Pops Orchestra comes to the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 8 p.m. to present a delightful selection of popular American music. Performing favorites by such renowned composers as Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Leroy Anderson and John Williams, this big powerful orchestra will fill Merchant Hall with the timeless music that everyone knows and loves. Founder and artistic director,Anthony Maiello has brought together this fantastic orchestra of 60 talented musicians, and under his direction, they perform some of the most memorable and treasured music of the 20^th century. This performance is family friendly and tickets are half price for youth through grade 12 when accompanied by an adult. A pre-performance discussion by Dan DeVany of Classical WETA will be held one hour prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Novant Health is the Grand Opening Season Sponsor of Hylton Presents at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

The program features several well-respected D.C.-area artists as guest soloists. Praised by The Washington Post for his “pristine melodic lines” and “showering virtuosity,” acclaimed violinist and American Festival Pops Orchestra Concertmaster Peter Wilson will perform John Williams’ poignant “Theme from Schindler’s List.” An artist-in-residence with Verge/The Contemporary Music Forum and at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the associate director of Vocal Studies at Mason, Kathryn Hearden, soprano, captivates with Cole Porter’s timeless classic, “Night and Day.” A versatile performer and saxophonist, Jim Carroll, artistic director of the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra and director of instrumental studies at Mason, delights with the time-honored musical treasure that is Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust.” Appearing regularly with the National Symphony, Washington National Opera and Washington Ballet, active performer and dynamic percussionist John Kilkenny, who also serves on Mason’s faculty and as assistant director of Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy, takes the stage to perform Leroy Anderson’s lively pops concert staple, “The Typewriter.”

Presently associate director of George Mason University’s School of Music, Anthony Maiello makes professional appearances both nationally and abroad conducting music festivals; adjudicating ensembles; and presenting clinics, lectures and workshops. He conducted musical activities for the Gold Medal Ceremonies at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.; served as musical director for Music Festivals International; was selected as President of International Association of Jazz Educators – N.Y. State Chapter; and is a guest clinician for Yamaha Corporation and Warner Bros. Publications. Maiello also has served as associate conductor of the McLean Orchestra, McLean, Va.; has been appointed an honorary conductor of the United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C.; and was a participant in the National Conducting Institute with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., to which he has lent his services as a cover conductor.

The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize

Novant Health as the Grand Opening Season Sponsor

of the 2010-11 Hylton Presents season.

Tickets for AMERICAN FESTIVAL POPS ORCHESTRA are $28, $36 $44. Visit the box office or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit hyltoncenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. Free parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit hyltoncenter.org.

About the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,140-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.

About George Mason University

Named the #1 national university to watch in the 2009 rankings of U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university.

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