Propelled by a 65-piece orchestra, BLACKSTAR SYMPHONY features musical arrangements by world renowned orchestrators Jules Buckley, Tim Davies, Vince Mendoza, Maria Schneider, Jamshied Sharifi, Tony Visconti, Michael Dudley Jr., and Vellu Halkosalmi. The concert begins with a performance of the entire Blackstar album followed by a celebration of Bowie’s beloved musical catalogue with touchstone Bowie compositions including “Heroes,” “Life on Mars,” “Space Oddity,” and more that serve as a reminder of the pervasiveness of Bowie’s presence in pop culture.
Donny McCaslin was Bowie’s musical partner and saxophone player on the original Blackstar recording. He conceived the idea to re-imagine Bowie’s work for full symphonic orchestra, performing along with his jazz quartet and three vocalists. “I love this music, and it is close to my heart,” McCaslin declared. “David refused to stay in one musical ‘lane’ during his long career, playing with different musical styles and creating a musical language all his own. That principle is at work in this program.”
About Artistic Director Donny McCaslin:
Donny McCaslin, the acclaimed composer and bandleader, has released a dozen albums over his genre-defying, Grammy-nominated career. McCaslin began playing at age 12 and, as a teenager, performed in his vibraphonist father's band in Santa Cruz. By high school, he had appeared multiple times at the Monterey Jazz Festival. After attending Berkelee College of Music on a full scholarship, McCaslin became a sought-after player in New York City. David Bowie saw McCaslin perform as soloist for the Maria Schneider Orchestra and brought in McCaslin’s progressive jazz quartet that came to define Blackstar's visionary stylistic fusion. As David Hadju wrote in The Nation, “Donny McCaslin was David Bowie’s David Bowie.” In turn, Bowie influenced McCaslin, who fused alt-rock and jazz on his first album with lyrics, 2018’s BLOW. McCaslin’s 2023 “emotive electro-jazz” (MOJO, 4 stars) follow up record I Want More was received rave reviews.
