ROCHESTER, NY – Tales & Scales, a nationally acclaimed troupe of young musicians that seeks to ignite imaginations through the performing arts, brings its unique "musictelling" to the Eastman School of Music on Saturday, January 26. The troupe will present a free performance of the Greek myth, Pandora’s Box, for children and family audiences at 10 a.m. in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs St.). As children enter the hall, they’ll have the chance to greet the performers and touch and hear their instruments.
With limited sets and costumes, the group of four classically trained musicians will bring the story of Pandora’s Box to life, becoming characters, objects, and dancers in a unique style of performance they term "musictelling." The original piece – written for Tales & Scales by Catherine Chuplis and Margaret Muldoon, with a musical score by composer George Tsontakis and choreography by Nusha Martynuk – combines music and movement built around the classic story about a young woman’s courage to challenge the status quo.
Each year, Tales & Scales collaborates with emerging composers, writers, and theater directors to create a new work to tour throughout the country, giving more than 200 performances in schools, arts centers, and concert halls. The troupe has brought its acclaimed musictelling to the stages of the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Smithsonian Institution’s Discovery Theatre, the Chautauqua Institution, and other prominent stages across the country. It has been featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and Talk of the Nation, as well as in several national publications.
Tales & Scales also works with educators, music students, and orchestras in special workshops designed to combine the arts with education. While in Rochester, members of the troupe will work closely with Eastman students involved in the School’s own outreach program called "Music for All."
"We’re very fortunate to be able to bring Tales & Scales to Eastman and to Rochester," said Susan Wharton Conkling, associate professor of music education and one of the organizers of the visit. "The troupe’s innovative approach to musical outreach will help our students become even better prepared to reach out to the Rochester community and make a difference."
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Note to editors: A color photo of Tales & Scales is available.