In a treat for Americans in Penang, as well as lovers of American music of course, The Actors Studio Chorus and Orchestra’s next concert at penangpac on 13th April is entitled “An American in Penang”. The Actors Studio Chorus and Orchestra, based in Penang and under the leadership of Martin Rutherford, consists of a large choir of around 60 singers, and orchestra of around 25 players. They usually perform three concerts a year, including the wildly popular Family Christmas Concert every December.
This programme features the music of four of the best known American composers, and the works themselves are probably the most popular from these composers. It includes selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story such as “Something’s Coming”, “Tonight”, “Maria”, and “I’d Like to Be in America”. An arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue will be played by the orchestra with Zhang Chi as soloist on the piano. Several Old American Songs by Aaron Copland will be performed, including “Simple Gifts”, “I Bought Me a Cat”.”Zion’s Walls”, and “At the River”. And the best of Richard Rodgers’s musicals, The Sound of Music, will be represented by the famous tunes “Edelweiss”. “Do Re Mi”, “My Favourite Things”, and “The Hills Are Alive”.
The soloist in Rhapsody in Blue is Zhang Chi, who is an internationally acclaimed pianist living in Penang. He graduated from Monash University, Melbourne, with a Master of Music and studied with Darryl Coote. He participated in the “Team of Pianists” programme for a number of years and has performed in China, Thailand and Singapore. His repertoire is wide and includes works from the Baroque period to the 21st century.
An American in Penang takes place on Saturday 13th April at penangpac, Straits Quay, beginning at 8.30pm. Tickets are RM 40 per person and can be purchased at the box office or online here: https://proticket.com.my/penangpac-an-american-in-penang/
