Billy Joel Concerto to Debut in June

Billy Joel Concerto to Debut in June
WTOP - Washington,D.C.,USA
GREENSBORO, NC (AP) - A concerto drawn from Billy Joel's 2001 classical album, "Fantasies & Delusions," will debut in June at the Eastern Music Festival. ...

 GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - A concerto drawn from Billy Joel's 2001 classical album, "Fantasies & Delusions," will debut in June at the Eastern Music Festival.

 

Jeffrey Biegel, who arranged the piano section at Joel's request, will perform the "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" on June 24 with the EMF faculty orchestra.

 

Stuart Malina, who shared a 2003 Tony Award with Joel for the hit Broadway musical "Movin' Out," will conduct. Malina, who leads the symphony in Harrisburg, Pa., is the former music director of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.

 

"With a piece like this and an artist like this, it is a huge deal for us," said EMF President and CEO Tom Philion.

 

Philion said he and Biegel discussed the concerto months ago, but he expected the piece to premiere somewhere else.

"As the months wore on, it became apparent that we were going to be first," Philion said.

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On the Net:

http://www.easternmusicfestival.com