Winston-Salem, NC – Ring out the old year and welcome the new at the Winston-Salem Symphony’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration!. This year, it’s “New Year’s Eve with Time for Three,” December 31, 2010, 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Auditorium (301 N. Hawthorne Road). Time for Three is a string trio whose style ranges from gypsy and jazz to classical and country. Tickets are $15 – $55; student rush tickets are $5 at the door. To purchase in advance, visit www.wssymphony.org/newyears or call the Box Office at 336-464-0145.
The orchestra’s playlist is a slice of Americana, with music from The Cowboys by John Williams and “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo by Aaron Copland. Time For Three, a self-described “classically-trained garage band,” plays eclectic fare, including “Shenandoah,” Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, and The American Suite, which includes the bluegrass anthem, “The Orange Blossom Special.” As the orchestra plays a Strauss waltz, several lucky couples will be chosen to come onstage to dance the last dance of the year with the orchestra. Audience members receive party hats, tiaras, noisemakers and leis, and a balloon drop completes the evening’s fun. It’s a New Year’s Eve celebration for all ages.
New Year’s Eve with Time for Three is part of the Symphony’s Plugged-In Pops Series. For more information, visit www.wssymphony.org/pops.
Biography
The groundbreaking, category-shattering trio Time for Three transcends traditional classification, with elements of classical, country western, gypsy and jazz idioms forming a blend all its own. The members — Zachary (Zach) De Pue, violin; Nicolas (Nick) Kendall, violin; and Ranaan Meyer, double bass — carry a passion for improvisation, composing and arranging, all prime elements of the ensemble’s playing.
What started as a trio of musicians who played together for fun while students at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute for Music evolved into Time for Three, or Tf3 for short — a charismatic ensemble with a reputation for limitless enthusiasm and no musical boundaries. Violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall first discovered their mutual love of fiddling in the country western and bluegrass styles. Bassist Ranaan Meyer then introduced them to his deep roots in jazz and improvisation. After considerable experimentation, the three officially formed Tf3. The ensemble gained instant attention in July 2003 during a lightning-induced power failure at Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center. While technicians attempted to restore onstage lighting, Ranaan and Zach, who were both performing with The Philadelphia Orchestra, obliged with an impromptu jam session that included works as far afield from the originally scheduled symphony as “Jerusalem’s Ridge,” “Ragtime Annie,” and “The Orange Blossom Special.” The crowd went wild.
To date, the group has performed hundreds of engagements as diverse as its music: from featured guest soloists with The Philadelphia Orchestra to opening for k.d. lang.
Tf3 sets itself apart not only with its varied repertoire performed with astonishing technical acuity, but also through its approach. Its high-energy performances are free of conventional practices, drawing instead from the members’ differing musical backgrounds. The trio also performs its own arrangements of traditional repertoire and Ranaan Meyer provides original compositions to complement the trio’s offerings. For more information, visit www.tf3.com.
