Why
is this Series being Developed?
Composer/Performer
Deborah Henson-Conant and Producer Jonathan Wyner spent the
last three years completely immersed in an artistically and
technically demanding project. "We were given a major private
grant to produce a broadcast-quality DVD of my original music
with full symphony orchestra," says Henson-Conant. "The
chance to create a DVD of my own work at the highest level of
professional production was a dream come true, but it was also
extremely stressful. Everything had to be perfect. We had a
huge film crew, high-definition film equipment, an orchestra
of 80 musicians. We were working with an Emmy-Award-Winning
director, a Grammy-Winning engineer, one of the most creative
conductors in the US. Everything was riding on our work."
Add a 2007 Grammy Nomination for the CD version of the project
and a nationwide PBS debut for the TV version into the mix,
and Henson-Conant had her work cut out for her. So, for a follow-up
project, she wanted to concoct a forum for metaphorically and
literally stretching her legs.
"We
envisioned the 'Inviting Invention' Exploration Series
as an opportunity to allow diverse creative minds a chance to
invent something new and imperfect in front of a live audience,
yet within the safety net of exploration. Emphasis on the idea
of 'imperfect' and on the spirit of experimentation and collaboration.
It also gives me a chance to simply 'play' on stage with people
I’ve wanted to work with for years – and after the
intensity of the last three years, I just really need to play
– in every sense of the word!"
Having
already held a successful “Inviting Invention” series
at the Regent Theatre with members of the arts community such
as Radio Producer and Director Tony Kahn and Cellist Eugene
Friesen, Henson-Conant is excited to continue the series at
the Cambridge Science Festival with members of the science community
such as MIT Associate Professor Ted Selker. "The series
so far has been great fun," says producer and moderator
Jonathan Wyner. "In the first half of each show, Henson-Conant
and her guest present their solo work. In the second half, they
embark on a collaborative experiment. If time permits, the audience
is invited for a Q & A. It has given audiences a chance
to interact with Deborah and her guests in a way that just isn't
possible with audiences of 2000, like we had when we filmed
the DVD.”
Deborah
Henson-Conant – Brief Bio
"...a
combination of Leonard Bernstein, Steven Tyler and Xena the
Warrior Princess"
Ed Siegel, The Boston Globe
Deborah
Henson-Conant is a 2007 Grammy-Nominated artist known
for her renegade performances that mix theatre, music and humor,
and for revolutionizing the elite concert harp into an electric
strap-on 31-string hybrid she plays in genres from blues to
flamenco. Her most recent work, the CD, DVD and TV project “Invention
& Alchemy,” debuted on PBS stations across the U.S.
in March 2007.
Jonathan
Wyner, Producer/Moderator – Brief Bio
Producer,
mastering engineer, performer and coach, Wyner has mastered
more than 4000 CD's during the last 21 years spanning every
musical genre from Opera to HipHop. His credits range from the
extremely well known (James Taylor, David Bowie, Aerosmith,
Kiri Te Kanawa) to the more idiosyncratic and independent artists/labels.
He produced Henson-Conant’s recent “Invention &
Alchemy” DVD, which was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award.
(www.M-Works.com)
More
info: www.HipHarp.com
or email publicity@hipharp.com
/ 781-483-3556
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