Lions, kangaroos, tortoises, elephants, and other exotic animals will enchant Cleveland school children early this summer in a very unexpected way, as the CIPC presents two free performances of Camille Saint-Saëns’ kid-friendly Carnival of the Animals.
The work, which is a musical depiction of animals engaging in their own high-spirited parade, is hugely popular and will immediately sound familiar to many in the audience. It has been featured in movies such as Disney’s Fantasia 2000 and Charlotte’s Web, as well as a cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. It is a time-honored and thoroughly entertaining way to introduce young children to classical music.
Two free performances will be offered:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 6:30 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Campus
1651 E. 71st Street
Cleveland, OH 44103
THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 6:30 PM
Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland
6114 Broadway Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44127
The concerts are the culmination of a larger program that has been coordinated by Sophié van der Westhuizen, Director of CIPC’s ArtsConnect community outreach program and Allison Wallace, Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association (NCA).
The orchestra will be comprised of local musicians who regularly perform for ArtsConnect, combining forces with the children of Cleveland to present this great concert. Ralitsa Georgieva-Smith, a member of the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Shen Lu, a CIM student, will be the featured pianists; David Platt, also a student at CIM, will conduct.
Throughout the 2014-15 school year NCA has been working with students in Cleveland’s community centers to coordinate broad-based participation in the Carnival of the Animals project. Art students created animal masks, which will be used during the concert in choreographed performances to illustrate the animal parade. There also will be a spoken narration of the verses written by poet Ogden Nash in 1949 to accompany each movement of the work. The humorous, rhyming verses fit perfectly with the music and add to the entertainment for children. In addition, students have volunteered to serve as door monitors and ushers at each of the concerts.
Major support for the Carnival of the Animals project was provided by the George Gund Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Frank H. and Nancy L. Porter Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, Steinway & Sons, and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.