Symphony in C and Assistant Conductor, Kenneth Bean present Musical Adventures with Symphony in C and Queen Nur. Educational and entertaining concerts featuring great orchestral works and stories brought to life through renowned storytellers. The performance will take place outside on the grounds of Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ on Friday, June 4, 2021 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Concertgoers of all ages are invited and should bring their lawn chairs and wear masks to enjoy this socially distanced, outdoor performance. The lively, interactive musical experience will begin with renowned storyteller Queen Nur and drummer Dwight James. Assistant Conductor, Kenneth Bean and Symphony in C’s musicians step out of the orchestra for a lively, interactive program sure to spark the imagination. This informative and educational concert features works by Ravel, Mozart, and Haydn and offers the audience a glimpse of what it is like to play in an orchestra – and even conduct one!
Tickets are free and available through Symphony in C’s website, www.SymphonyinC.org . This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Presser Foundation, the Horizon Foundation for NJ, the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation, the Connelly Foundation, and TD Charitable Foundation. Symphony in C is a member of ArtPride and the South Jersey Cultural Alliance (SJCA).
About Symphony in C: Symphony in C is one of three professional training orchestras in the United States preparing musicians and conductors who are on the cusp of world-class careers through concert, educational outreach and professional development programs. Symphony in C serves over 90,000 people annually through its critically-acclaimed concert series, educational outreach programs and radio broadcasts. Symphony in C has been designated a Major Arts Institution by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and strives to continue making artistic, educational, and economic impact on a regional, national and global scale. For more information on Symphony in C go to our website at www.SymphonyinC.org or call 856-963-6683.
About Assistant Conductor Kenneth Bean: Kenneth Bean was appointed the Assistant Conductor of Symphony in C in 2018. In addition to serving as the Assistant Conductor, Kenneth also serves as Co-Director of Symphony in C’s Summer Music Camp and the Music Director of Symphony in C’s Youth Orchestra.
Kenneth Bean is an instructor and conductor in the Philadelphia area, as well as an active freelance trumpeter. He earned a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music Education from Jackson State University. He has taught at many festivals and schools, including The School District of Philadelphia, St. Francis de Sales School, The Premier Orchestral Institute of the Mississippi Symphony, Luzerne Music Center and Kinhaven Music School where he currently teaches trumpet and serves as Conductor of Chorus and Orchestra for Junior Session.
In Kenneth’s conducting experience, he was the Associate Conductor of Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and served as substitute conductor for Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor for the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra and the Junior String Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley. Currently, he serves as Music Director/Conductor of the Young People’s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley and Conductor of the Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra.
As a trumpeter, Kenny is currently a member of the Philadelphia Chamber Brass and Philos Brass Ensemble. He has appeared with numerous ensembles, including Mannheim Steamroller, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and as a soloist with Asociación Filarmónica Coral de Honduras. He can be heard on recordings with Symphony in C, the Monocacy Chamber Orchestra and hip-hop artist Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra
About: Karen “Queen Nur” Abdul-Malik-Karen “Queen Nur” Abdul-Malik is a nationally renowned storyteller, teaching artist and folklorist. Sharing her gift, she has performed in venues from the Opening of the Smithsonian NAAMCH to Equity Theater on Broadway, from the National Black Storytelling Festival to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro. Traveling abroad Queen has presented for the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon and at PANAFEST in Ghana. She has appeared as the Emcee for the National Endowment of the Arts Heritage Fellowship Award Concert and as a coach at the National Coalition Conference on Complex Health Care. Queen has been the recipient of MidAtlantic Artist as Catalyst Grants for her work with Teens-at-Risk and Women’s Shelters and the National Storytelling Brimstone Grant for her innovative community-based programs. The mother of three and grandmother of five, she received her Masters in Arts in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College, and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from Harvard Law School. Queen has recorded 2 CDs. Sweet Potato Pie and Such, is an IParenting Media Golden Award Winner. In 2018, she was named a New Jersey Governor Award Winner in Arts Education and Teaching Artist of the Year with Young Audience of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, and was 2020 Recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers. Karen is also featured in Legendary Locals of Willingboro.
About Dwight James: Dwight James was born in Philadelphia, Dwight M. James first motives to play a musical instrument commenced at the age of fourteen. The impressionable fellow was influenced by his neighbors who were professional musicians. He continued his journey in high school band studying orchestration, percussion, and small ensemble drumming. During the mid sixties his first jobs were with such vocal groups as The Flamingos. His career expanded into international travel with such artists as Horace Silver and Jamaladeen Tacuma. His CD, Inner Heat has received world-wide air play. Dwight’s passion for drumming has become a mission that includes researching world drumming and sharing his knowledge with children. He has created percussion instrument workshops in school districts, libraries, museums and music societies.
About Perkins Center for the Arts: Perkins Center for the Arts strives to enrich lives, inspire learning, collaboration, interdisciplinary & intercultural experiences through the arts with programs and services which include; a conservatory of music; visual & performing arts classes; exhibitions; concerts; artist-led school residency programs; a scholarship and fee-based camp for urban and suburban youth; folk life center; and community enrichment projects throughout South Jersey.
Perkins Center for the Arts is recognized by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as a Major Presenting Organization for free and fee-based arts programs that promote participation, understanding, and communication among diverse audiences. Perkins Center has a 14 member board of trustees and a staff of 13. Since its 1977 incorporation in Moorestown, Perkins Center has become a regional arts center presenting programs that support and expand relationships with artists, students, members and audiences in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester Counties and the greater Delaware Valley region. The Center’s original location in Moorestown is housed in a historic 1910 Tudor home and carriage house and in 2002, the Center expanded to a second facility in Collingswood, NJ. This location has enabled us to expand our programs and reach new audiences in Camden County.
