Olympia Symphony Presents Groundbreaking American Premiere

The Seven Symphonies: A Classical Tribute to Beach Boys Music

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Submitted by Olympia Symphony Orchestra

On Saturday, September 16 2023, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra will perform the American Premiere of a groundbreaking project, “The Seven Symphonies: A Classical Tribute to Beach Boys Music,” developed and produced by WedgeView Studios (Netherlands). Brazilian-born Alexandra Arrieche, who conducted the World Premiere with the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra (Belgium) in June 2022, will bring the legendary music of the Beach Boys to the stage of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia, WA with the Olympia Symphony, where she has been Music Director since June 2022.

The Seven Symphonies: A Classical Tribute to Beach Boys Music is a collaboration between Rob van Weelde (owner, WedgeView Studios) and Roeland Jacobs (manager). The seven symphonies are derived from 33 different Beach Boys songs (including fan-favorite “God Only Knows”), carefully selected on the basis of their classical and orchestral potential. Van Weelde selected the songs and musical design, and Jacobs arranged and produced the project. Both gentlemen will be in attendance for the premiere in Olympia, as well as Steve Kalinich, a co-writer of the original Beach Boys song, “The Little Bird.”

Initiated in 2017, the project took four years to produce. The worldwide COVID pandemic delayed the live premiere, and instead studio recordings of the album took place at Galaxy Studios in Belgium by Arrieche and the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra during August 2021. The album was released on CD and LP in March 2022 and aired on Belgian and Dutch national radio, as well as on Dutch national television in the popular classical program “Podium Witteman.” Upon release, the album entered the iTunes Top 100 Chart at #2, and the album was shortlisted for a Grammy award in 2022.

On June 2, 2022 the project had its live World Premiere at the Antwerp City Theatre, again conducted by Arrieche. This performance was recorded by thirteen cameras for a public broadcasting of the show together with a new documentary about this project and the Beach Boys. A Dutch camera crew will accompany Van Weelde and Jacobs to Olympia, and footage from the Olympia premiere will be included in the documentary.

Following the American Premiere in Olympia, the project will receive its African Premiere in South Africa in March 2024 by the Capetown Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tickets are still available at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts website. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and can be expected to last approximately two hours. Collectible autographed copies of the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra’s CD and LP will be available for purchase at the concert.

For further information to the project please visit The Seven Symphonies website, Olympia Symphony Orchestra website and view the “making of” video.

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