Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra does tribute to living legends U2 and other curiosities
Next month, some vibrant new options at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) but first, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) will be tackling the discography of Irish rock stars U2. Upcoming showcase The Music of U2 will see our national orchestra play some of the band’s most popular tunes, led by singer Brody Dolyniuk and conductor Brent Havens.
U2 on the September 2014 issue of TIME Magazine.
U2 was formed in Dublin as a post-punk band in 1976 before entering popular music and colouring the genre with their sound and charismatic personalities — this Grammy-winning band turns 40 this year!
Comprising Bono (lead vocals and guitar), the Edge (guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. the band has spawned thirteen studio albums to date, many of which were international successes.
At present, U2 is one of the most important rock bands still active. They have sold approximately 170 million records around the world, and their songs “” and “” are still popular worldwide after 29 years in circulation.
In order to channel the band’s energy and spirit, the MPO’s will present their rock band as well as the full orchestra when The Music of U2 hits the stage from 9 – 11 September.
A scene from Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle.
But if that doesn’t float your boat, there are a couple of other pleasant surprises happening at the dewan next month!
Kicking off September is a tribute to anime music, particularly to the compositions of Joe Hisaishi. As one of Hayao Miyazaki‘s most-valued collaborators during time with Studio Ghibli, Joe is responsible for some super-syahdu movie music. Who can forget the from Howl’s Moving Castle?
A Musical Journey in Anime will be conducted by Naohisa Furusawa from 2 – 4 September for those keen to revisit pivotal moments from classics like Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke within the MPO’s gorgeous playspace. The show has been very well-received and two new dates have been added to cope with ticket demand.
Alternatively, ditch the strings for percussion when HANDS Percussion comes out on 5 September for one night only. The troupe, which just last month did a site-specific performance at Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC), will be presenting in conjunction with city-wide arts and culture program DIVERSECITY 2016 (formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival).
HANDS Percussion will also be featured on TEDxKL as a presenter next Saturday.
Their one-off Synthesis – A Repertoire of Resonance is set to be a banger of a live showcase incorporating choreography, compositions and instruments such as the gendang, gamelan, shigu, bonang, kesi and many other oddities. If you’ve never seen this world-class Malaysian ensemble in action before, now’s probably the time.
But purists don’t fret; there will still be the usual classical music stuff throughout next month — and a Shakespeare tribute scheduled for October if the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre‘s barrage hasn’t satiated the palette — so drop by and pay your quirky national orchestra for a culture fix.
This rounds up our highlights at DFP next month, but continue keeping yourself updated via the MPO’s official and their website! Featured image from Princess Mononoke.
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