December 14^th at 6:00pm for second of four presentations

Acclaimed composer, conductor, presenter, and commentator to host conversation and performance of Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite with the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble

Characterized by his unique ability to create an “aha” moment for his audiences and collaborators, whatever their level of musical sophistication or naiveté, Rob Kapilow has brought the joy and wonder of classical music to audiences of all ages and backgrounds for over 20 years. Kapilow’s work brings music into people’s lives, opening new ears to musical experiences and helping people to listen actively rather than just hear. This is the second in a series of four presentations of What Makes It Great?in Washington Performing Arts’ 2014/15 season, reflecting its commitment to lifelong learning.
“Robert Kapilow is a born teacher,” said the Boston Globe, “an enthusiast who can think on his feet, a 110 percent believer in the project at hand … It’s a cheering thought that this kind of missionary enterprise did not pass from this earth with Leonard Bernstein. Robert Kapilow is awfully good at what he does. We need him.”

Who: What Makes it Great? with Rob Kapilow Curtis 20/21 Ensemble

Where: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Baird Auditorium

When:         Sunday, December 14 at 6pm

Program:    Copland Appalachian Spring Suite

Tickets:       $20, available at washingtonperformingarts.org or by calling (202) 785-9727.

For the December 14 What Makes It Great? presentation, Kapilow will first unpack and explore Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite with the audience and the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble. The ensemble then performs the piece in its entirety. Flexible in size and scope, the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble performs a wide range of music from the 20th and 21st centuries, including works by Curtis students and alumni. The ensemble has appeared at major U.S. venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Miller Theatre, as well as internationally. The Curtis 20/21 Ensemble collaborates with some of today’s most prominent artists, including Charles Dutoit, eighth blackbird, and Matthias Pintscher. It has presented portrait concerts of iconic composers-in-residence, including John Corigliano, George Crumb, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Steven Stucky, among others. The Curtis 20/21 Ensemble is led by artistic director David Ludwig. Following the performance, Kapilow closes the presentation with a Q&A session with the audience and the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble.

What Makes It Great? debuted on NPR’s Performance Today in 1997, and with its accessible ten-minute format, it quickly attracted a wide base of fans and followers. Snowballing in popularity, it developed into a full-length concert evening and was soon snapped up by presenters looking to build new audiences. What Makes It Great? has sold out regular subscription series in places as diverse as Kansas City, MO and Cerritos, CA, as well as at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Celebrity Series of Boston, Washington Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the National Gallery of Canada.

Washington Performing Arts and The Smithsonian Associates will host two additional presentations of What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow at Baird Auditorium as part of Washington Performing Arts’ 2014-15 season:

• March 29, 2015 – Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, KV550 with the Peabody Chamber Orchestra
• April 26, 2015 – Songs of Stephen Sondheim with Michael Winther and Sally Wilfert.

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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