Fine Arts Center Of Kershaw County Presents Claire Bryant & Friends Residency And Chamber Music Concert

Online, March 29, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County (FAC) proudly presents Claire Bryant and Friends in a week-long residency and chamber music concert. The concert is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wood Auditorium. There will be a catered reception with a cash bar prior to the concert beginning at 5:30 p.m. which will also welcome a new exhibit to the Bassett Gallery, David Yaghihan's Everyman. The concert is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the Frederick S. Upton Foundation, Arts South, the SC Arts Commission, Kohn-Spring Group/Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Van Horn Agency, Inc./Kennedy Insurance and Tom and Virginia Ann Mullikin. The Bassett Gallery reception is sponsored by First Community Bank. Tickets to Claire Bryant & Friends are $30 advance adult, $35 day of adult; the student price is $15.

The week-long residency will feature artists from The Declassified & Found Sound Nation along with pianist, Phillip Bush and will culminate with a special concert in collaboration with high school students from Camden High School, the Continuous Learning Center and Camden Military Academy.

About the Residency: Public Performances and Community Events

Monday, April 9th 2:30 - 5:30pm -- "Street Studio," Davis & Sons Guitar Shop, 953 Broad Street, Camden

A mobile recording studio set up in the heart of downtown Camden, designed for community members to stop by and "jam" with the artists of The Declassified. The afternoon's music making session will be recorded, mixed, and produced by Found Sound Nation to create a "Sounds of Camden" track. Musical experience is not required.

Tuesday, April 10th - Saturday, April 14th - "The Advocacy Album"

Twenty-five high school students from three of Camden's educational institutions will collaborate with nine musicians from New York City to create new musical works. These original songs and compositions, entitled "The Advocacy Album," will be produced, recorded, and shared in performance by the students and artist facilitators from The Declassified and Found Sound Nation. "The Advocacy Album" will be comprised of the students' work, which will explore ideas of tension, tolerance, and trust. These themes are to be considered "jumping-off points" for the creative process, and are meant to start conversations around these common themes we all face in today's society.

Wednesday, April 11th, 9pm - Late Night Preview Show at the Venue on Broad Street

Classical musicians invade the local night club! This special (and free) preview show is always lots of fun. Come hear a taste of the "Sounds of Camden" recorded from Monday's "Street Studio," as well as some selections by Bach, Isang Yun, Beethoven, and a couple of folk tunes from around the world.

Thursday, April 12th, 7pm - Chamber Music Performance -- Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County

Claire Bryant and Friends is thrilled to present seven artists from New York's newest chamber music society, The Declassified. Members of The Declassified are drawn exclusively from alumni from The Academy: A Program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and the Weill Music Institute. This revolutionary ensemble presents residencies in communities across the nation and the world. This evening's program will feature works by some of classical music's greatest masters - Bach, Stravinsky, and Beethoven, and a unique wind trio by Korean composer Isang Yun. For this performance, The Declassified welcomes a special guest, Columbia-based pianist Phillip Bush. Bush is a former member of the Phillip Glass and Steve Reich ensembles, and is the artistic director of the Bennington Chamber Music Conference in Vermont.

Saturday, April 14th, 5pm - Culminating Performance of "The Advocacy Album" at the FAC

A special celebration showcasing the new compositions and songs written by the selected high school participants from Camden High School, the Continuous Learning Center, and Camden Military Academy during the week-long creative project. This performance will feature the students and their works in collaboration with The Declassified and Found Sound Nation. This is a free event. Seating is limited.

About the Artists and Organizations

Claire Bryant and Friends
In its third season, Claire Bryant and Friends is an exciting collaboration between communities, campuses, health care facilities, and arts organizations across the United States and some of New York City's most sought-after professional young artists.

South Carolina native and Artistic Director, Claire Bryant, and fellow alumni from The Academy-a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute, offer innovative and collaborative community and campus residencies through Chamber Music with the intention of deepening societies' relationship with the arts and music education. These musicians are dedicated to the importance of community connection, through work in the public schools, retirement communities, health-care facilities, departments of disabilities, community centers and other venues that make up the core of our society.

Claire founded Claire Bryant and Friends in 2009 with the intention to return to South Carolina and build a deeper connection for the arts within individual communities in her home state. Instead of only presenting a single concert, these artists have realized the benefits of going beyond the scope of a traditional performance. With interactions, engagement, and exploration, chamber music can offer a full communal experience with a longer lasting impact. Please visit her web site at www.clairebryantandfriends.com

The Declassified
The Declassified is a Chamber Music society seeking a revolution in the live musical arts. This newly-formed collective of musicians combines world-class artistry, revelatory audience engagement, and innovative programming in pursuit of a new model for the musician in today's society. The Declassified designs community residencies to reach audiences of broad scope, bringing creative concert experiences to schools, hospitals, prisons and bars, as well as major international concert halls.

Based on the principles of The Academy-a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute-the musicians of The Declassified have previously presented acclaimed residencies as Ensemble ACJW in Spain, Mexico, Iceland, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Japan. In residence at Carnegie Hall, their performances as Ensemble ACJW were called "dazzling" and "dynamic"; "categories be damned." (New York Times)

In its inaugural 2011-2012 Season, The Declassified is creating extended residencies in Iceland, South Carolina and Florida, and has joined the artist roster for Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections program, presenting concerts and workshops at New York City's major hospitals. From April 26 to 29, 2012, The Declassified will take New York City by storm in a "Launch" Weekend of events that will showcase the exciting diversity of talent and expertise of its artist roster. For more information on "Launch" and to keep informed of the latest updates, you can subscribe to The Declassified's blog and like them on Facebook. www.thedeclassified.org and www.facebook.com/The-Declassified.
Found Sound Nation - a project of Bang on a Can

Found Sound Nation (FSN) is an eclectic group of artists who have a strong sense of social engagement. Working with people across the globe, from schools to prisons, from young to old, and partnering with local youth, social organizations, music festivals, and artists across all disciplines, FSN creates an imagined musical nation that transcends geographical, linguistic, and political borders. The work of FSN uses the expressive power of music, audio, and video production to give voice to underrepresented communities, unlock the creative potential of at-risk youth, and build bridges between communities separated by cultures, economic disparities, and geography.

"We believe that the art of listening extends far beyond the practice of making music - it is one of the major ways we can become aware of the beauty, tragedy, and hidden potential present in our neighborhoods, institutions and families," says FSN. "Our work emphasizes a mobile, accessible, collaborative way of recording and producing professional quality music, a technique developed by combining the innovative art music traditions of our sponsor organization Bang On A Can with traditions of musique concrete, hip hop, and contemporary composition. For more information visit their web site at www.foundsoundnation.org.

For more information or to purchase advance tickets call 803-425-7676, extension 300, or visit the FAC website at www.fineartscenter.org. The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County is located at 810 Lyttleton Street in Camden. Office hours are Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and Thursday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

The Fine Arts Center is funded in part by the Frederick S. Upton Foundation and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by the City of Camden, Kershaw County, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina along with donations from businesses and individuals.