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Ashley Birdsell, Manager of Marketing
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
String Quartet Sweet Plantain Brings Contemporary Sound to Frederick
FREDERICK, Md., Friday, September 16,2016—Artfully fusing classical traditions with hip-hop, jazz, and Latin rhythms, contemporary string quartet Sweet Plantain will perform at the Weinberg Center for the Arts on Friday, October 14 at 8:00pm. Through original compositions and live improvisations, the four-person ensemble seeks to awaken audiences to new possibilities in chamber music.
Tickets begin at $20andmay be purchased online at WeinbergCenter.org, by calling the Box Office at 301.600.2828, or in person at 20 West Patrick St.
“Chamber music is a genre that has been placed into a very small box of expectations by many people,” said Executive Theater Manager John Healey. “Sweet Plantain is attempting to blow the lid off of that box and expose the adventurous listener to new and exciting sounds.”
The group features Eddie Venegas, Joe Deninzon, Orlando Wells, and Leo Grinhauz.
Eddie Venegas was born in Venezuela, where he began playing violin as a child. He moved to New York City to study at The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where he obtained his Bachelors and Mastersdegrees in classical violin performance. Venegas is a self-taught trombonist. He has been a regular member of Marc Anthony’s band since 2010, and plays with the legendary Orquesta Broadway and GrupoFolklorico Experimental Nuevayorquino. He has appeared with Pedrito Martinez at Central Park’s Summer Stage and with reggaeton star, Don Omar, at Madison Square Garden. In addition, he has played with The Hudson Jazz Ensemble, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Jon Faddis, Joe Zawinul, and Victor Jones, as well as numerous symphonies and orchestras.
Violinist Joe Deninzon has worked with Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, and Les Paul, among many others. He has performed as a solo electric violinist with the New York City Ballet and has performed, co-written, and musically directed the off-Broadway show “Spider Dance.” He can be heard on over a hundred CDs and jingles as a violinist and string arranger. A 12-time BMI Jazz Composer’s grant recipient and a winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, his original music has been featured on television and film. Deninzon holds Bachelors degrees in violin performance and jazz violin from Indiana University and a Masters in jazz/commercial violin from Manhattan School of Music.
Orlando Wells attended the State University of New York at Purchase as a double major on violin and viola. He continued his studies at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers. He has played with numerous ensembles, including the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, Radio City Christmas Spectacular orchestra, Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, Bronx Opera (concertmaster), Orchestra of the Bronx (concertmaster), Antara Chamber orchestra (principal viola), and the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville, Florida. A frequent performer in Broadway musicals, Wells has performed and recorded with great artists such as Mariah Carey, John Legend, Rihanna, Harry Connick Jr., Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and many others.
Leo Grinhauz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began playing the cello under the tutelage of the legendary Walter Joachim, then the principal cellist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; he would later go on to work in the cello section and perform several times as guest soloist with the same orchestra. Grinhauz earned his Bachelors degree and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate from Indiana University, and received his Masters from Rutgers. Over the past thirty years, he has performed throughout the Americas as a soloist, recitalist and ensemblist. Heard frequently over the airwaves of the CBC, Grinhauz’s most recent collaborations include membership in the group MusicaMundana, led by Turkish pianist AysegulDurakoglu, and in the show Lo Mejor Del Tango at the Thalia Spanish Theatre.
A complete listing of artists and performers scheduled for the 2016-2017 season can be found at WeinbergCenter.org.
ABOUT THE WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The Weinberg Center for the Arts is one of the region’s premier performing arts presenters, offering film, music, dance, theater, and family-focused programming. Located in the historic Tivoli movie theater in downtown Frederick, Md., the Weinberg Center strives to ensure that the arts remain accessible and affordable to local and regional audiences alike. Weinberg Center events are made possible with major support from the City of Frederick, the Maryland State Arts Council, Plamondon Hospitality Partners, and other corporate and individual donors.
In honor of the theater’s 90th anniversary this December, the Weinberg Center encourages patrons to #ShareYourWeinberg. Now through October 31, artifacts from 1926 to 2000 will be accepted on a permanent or loan basis for an updated exhibit. Written or recorded stories and personal photos will also be collected. For more information, please visit WeinbergCenter.org/ShareYourWeinberg.
Photos available upon request.
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