Musical superstars in Orlando

China's superstar visits Orlando

Most of us first heard about Lang Lang as we watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, and it was obvious that the flamboyant pianist is a huge star in his native China. Now the Festival of Orchestras — a local organization that has been bringing the greatest orchestras of the world to Central Florida for more than 20 years — is bringing this superstar pianist to the Bob Carr to give us the chance to hear (and see) him perform live. The date is Saturday, March 27, and Lang Lang will join Maestro Christoph Eschenbach and the Schleswig Holstein Festival Orchestra in a dream of a symphony program offering favorites for everyone who truly appreciates classical music. The program includes Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17, and Brahms' 2nd Symphony.

The Schleswig-Holstein Orchestra is comprised of musicians younger than 27, handpicked through a rigorous audition process. They grow together as an orchestra as they study with teachers from the Berlin Philharmonic and collaborate with famous conductors, and this is their first-ever tour of the United States. With a star conductor and a world-renowned soloist (Lang Lang was called the "hottest artist on the classical music planet" by the New York Times) this is a rare opportunity to be part of a real musical adventure. For tickets call 407-539-0245.

A tribute to Leonard Bernstein

Our own Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra brings its brand of star power to their next concert as they salute composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein in a program called "A Tribute to Lenny". The concert takes place on Saturday, April 3 with a matinee at 2 p.m. and an evening performance at 8 p.m. at the Bob Carr. Many of us had our first exposure to orchestral music with the televised "children's concerts" starring Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. He was the New York Philharmonic's most famous conductor and the composer of "West Side Story", "Candide", "Wonderful Town", and "On the Town".

The multitalented conductor Andrew Lane will lead the orchestra in Bernstein's "greatest hits" including selections from his musicals as well as the 'Simple Song' from his "Mass." Soprano Angela Mortellaro and tenor Fernando Varela join the Philharmonic to perform selections from West Side Story and others. For tickets, call 407-770-0071 or visit www.orlandophil.org.

Paper collage art

The art of torn paper collage doesn't always get the respect it deserves, but that is certainly not the case with master collage artist Derek Gores. Gores has received national attention for his collage portrait series, including being invited to the "Inaugural Exhibition" for President Obama (where his work sold for a record price). Gores recycles magazines and found materials to create his works on canvas. The series contrasts natural beauty with Gores' angular design aesthetic and tosses in a sense of humor. I love artists with a sense of humor, and I love this artist's work. Be sure to look at the work from a distance and then close-up to study his creative process. Gores' work will be shown in a rare local exhibit at a new downtown gallery called Blank Space with an opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 25. The Gallery is located at 201 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando.

Too good to miss

The rock group OK Go is as famous for their videos as they are for their music. In their latest venture, the group created a four-minute video with the help of a troop of engineers (who volunteered their time) and the whole thing was shot by one camera in one continuous take (very, very difficult). Admittedly they tried about 60 times before it finally all worked, but the important thing is — they did it. The video has only been out a couple of weeks and it is already a huge hit worldwide. And kissing the almighty dollar goodbye, the group literally parted company with their record producer so they could give it to the world at no cost! How cool is that? Check it out on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w