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What happens when one of the country's most creative and renowned symphony orchestras teams up with one of the country's most inventive young illusionists? On October 12, that question will be answered when the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra welcomes master illusionist Michael Grandinetti as the featured guest performer for Bravo! 2011. During the evening, the worlds of magic and music will join together to form a unique array of sights and sounds that is sure to capture the imagination.
While accompanied by the symphony with musical selections including Schubert's Andante con moto, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours, Elgar's Enigma Variations and Rimsky Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnole, Michael will perform original, visual illusions that capture the essence and emotion of each musical score. During the hour long performance, Michael will cause a lush white orchid bush to grow from an examined pot of soil, transform a black tuxedo into Music Director David Lockington, and levitate 15 feet above the stage while surrounded by the playing orchestra. For the show's finale, Michael will create an unprecedented interactive illusion in which the entire symphony orchestra attempts to reveal the secret musical thoughts of the audience.
Best known for his large scale stadium and television appearances, Michael loves the opportunity to take magic in exciting, new directions. "I'm so excited to be performing with the Grand Rapids Symphony. I hope that by combining the imaginative and visual elements of magic with the power and emotion of the symphony, we will be giving the audience a unique experience that they will remember for years to come. Plus, we're bringing some brand new illusions that have never been attempted before. I can't wait to see what happens!"
The Grand Rapids Symphony was officially organized in 1930 and is recognized as a premier arts organization and one of America's leading regional orchestras. Led by Music Director David Lockington and Associate Conductor John Varineau, the Grand Rapids Symphony presents more than 400 performances each year, touching the lives of 170,000 in the process. Throughout the year, the orchestra presents eight concert series with performances designed to capture the imagination of young children and adults alike, featuring a wide range of music and performance styles. The core values of the Grand Rapids Symphony are excellence, creativity, integrity, community engagement, and vision, and their mission is to share great music that moves the human soul.
At just 33 years old, Michael Grandinetti's reputation for cutting edge magic and a charismatic personality has spread throughout the world. Over the past 15 years, Michael has appeared on countless stages and television programs including NBC's "The World's Most Dangerous Magic","Entertainment Tonight","New York Today","Fox & Friends","The Bold and the Beautiful","Crook & Chase", and "The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon". With a true passion for amazing audiences, Michael has performed at Heinz Hall with three time Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Grand Central Station in New York City, Navy Pier in Chicago, the MGM Grand and Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, the Fairmont Orchid Resort in Hawaii and on the red carpet of ESPN's ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Michael was also honored to be a featured performer at The White House Easter Celebration. This past year, Michael performed original illusions in one of the most challenging environments imaginable - sold-out baseball stadiums, outdoors, while surrounded by audiences of over 40,000 people in each venue. In addition, Michael has designed custom branded illusions for Fortune 500 companies and major corporations including Hewlett-Packard, Bayer, Harley Davidson, The American Marketing Association, Mazda, Bayer, and Grainger.
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