Arts-X-press is a summer arts immersion program for 7th and 8th grade students created by the Pacific Symphony in celebration of Cole Carsan St.Clair. 150 students are nominated by teachers throughout Orange County to come together for 5 days of creative exploration each summer. The program has two goals: 1) To expose students to all 5 performing and visual arts; and 2) To foster respect for and interest in each student’s individuality, talents, interests, and background.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Special Ticket Offer for Opening Weekend!



Dear arts-X-press Alumni,

Come join the Pacific Symphony for the Grand Opening of our second season in the new Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall! Following are details for a Special Ticket offer available to all of our arts-X-press alumni:




Internationally renowned pianist Marc-André Hamelin makes his Pacific Symphony debut on Sept. 27-29 with magnificent concertos by Mozart and Ravel.



Special Introductory Offer for participants, educators and staff of Pacific Symphony's Education Programs & Youth Ensembles:



When: Thurs - Sat, Sept. 27th - 29th


Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall,
Orange County Performing Artscenter



Cost: Students: $10 Adults: $20


To Purchase Tickets: Click Here



The Grand Opening of the 2007-08 Classic series features Montréal native Marc-André Hamelin, internationally renowned for his refined pianism, performing Mozart's delightful Piano Concerto No. 17 and Ravel's powerful Concerto for the Left Hand, one of the hallmarks of the piano repertoire. The program also includes Richard Strauss' heroic tone poem "Don Juan" and Ravel's luminous suite, "Daphnis and Chloe."


We hope you will take advantage of this great offer and help the Pacific Symphony celebrate the start of the new season.
See you there!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Come Volunteer! - 2007 Community Arts Festival!

Dear arts-X-press Alumni:

We are excited to announce a great volunteering opportunity for you and your friends! This fall, the Pacific Symphony, the Orange County Performing Artscenter, South Coast Repertory, the Pacific Chorale, Opera Pacific, and the Orange County Philharmonic Society are teaming up to present the 2007 Community Arts Festival!

The 2007 Community Arts Festival will take place on Sunday, September 30, at the outdoor plaza of the Orange County Performing Artscenter.

We would like to invite you, and any friends you might like to join you, to volunteer for the Pacific Symphony at these events. For those of you who are familiar with our Musical Playground or Musical Carnival, it will be a familiar experience. The details are as follows:

Location: OCPAC plaza between Segerstrom Hall and the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Date: Sunday September 30, 2007
Time: Two shifts: Shift 1: 10:15am-2pm -OR- Shift 2: 1:30pm-5pm
Dress: We will provide a complimentary t-shirt, please wear comfortable pants (jeans, khakis, etc.) and VERY comfortable, closed-toed shoes (sneakers are best). We recommend sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sweater in case it is breezy.
Parking: Complimentary in the OCPAC and Westin parking lots. You will receive a map for parking when you sign-up to volunteer.
Food:
Complimentary snacks will be available for all volunteers during your shifts. For those volunteers electing to stay the entire day, sandwiches will be available as well.
Volunteer Meeting Place: Look for a Pacific Symphony Staff Member by white tents surrounding the grassy circle between the two buildings.

If you and/or someone you know would be interested in volunteering at this fun-filled community event, please contact Rachel Ligatti by email at: rligatti@pacificsymphony.org or phone: (714) 876-2343. Volunteers are the indispensable force behind this event’s success. The Pacific Symphony appreciates your contributions to the Orange County arts community, and we want to show our appreciation by providing free summer series tickets to those who volunteer for three or more Pacific Symphony education events this year.

Thank you so much, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Warmly,
Rachel and the Pacific Symphony Education Staff

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

arts-X-press 2007 Reunion

Wow - what a great arts-X-press 2007 reunion we had! It was great to see so many students and their families & friends turn out for our reunion on September 8th. Not only did the students get a chance to see some of their friends and staff from this summer, but they also got to meet students from other sessions.



For some this was the first time seeing a concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Week 1 students, though, were on familiar grounds, as one of their excursions was to the Pacific Symphony's Gershwin concert at Verizon Wireless during their program.



After gathering by the box office and getting our tickets, we took a little walk from the entrace up to the lawn section to get settled. I bet lots of memories of our walks from Middle Earth to the Arts Quad were coming back really fast!




Once we were settled on the lawn, Darci lead everyone in some announcements and updates - which were much easier to hear thanks to use of counselor Garret's bullhorn! Then it was dinner time arts-X-press style! It was great to see the students get together and chat with each other over dinner. Families to were able to see first hand some of the great bonds that had formed between the students, counselors and staff.
After dinner the concert started. What could be better than sitting under a beautiful summer night's sky while listening to the Pacific Symphony? The concert concluded with the 1812 Overture with real cannon blasts and fireworks galore! It was a perfect way to celebrate arts-X-press 2007!

Friday, September 7, 2007

SEE YOU AT THE REUNION!

We can't wait to see you tomorrow at the arts-X-press 2007 reunion!

Don't forget to bring a sweatshirt to keep warm - sometimes it gets a little chilly once the sun goes down at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. We will all meet in front of the box office at 6pm - just look for anyone in a blue arts-X-press shirt.

Also, please feel free to bring blankets and/or low back folding chairs. We'll be having our picnic dinner and be watching the concert from the lawn section, so we want you to be as comfortable as possible.

If you have any questions about tomorrow's reunion, please call our hotline at (714)876-2386.

See you soon!