Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Performs Musical Score of Planet Earth, BBC's Award-Winning Documentary, July 8-9

High-definition nature footage to be projected on screens above the Orchestra

Baltimore, Md. (May 26, 2010)- The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform Planet Earth Live, an adaptation of the BBC's award-winning documentary on Thursday, July 8 at 8 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore and Friday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Featuring spectacular high-definition footage, nature's most mysterious and beautiful creatures will come to life on the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment conducted by its award-winning composer George Fenton. See below for complete program information.

Planet Earth, a BBC/Discovery co-production, first aired on the Discovery Channel in 2007. With 71 film crews, BBC series producer Alastair Fothergill and his team spent more than 2,000 days in the field across 204 locations in 62 countries, devoting four years to capture the ultimate portrait of the planet. From a humpback whale family feeding in shallow seas, to bar-headed geese soaring over the Himalayas, to the damp, sunless world of cave dwellers, Planet Earth offers viewers rarely captured scenes of the creatures who share the earth with us. It has garnered legions of fans and universal critical acclaim with Oprah Magazine saying, "It is the most beautiful, wondrous and truly majestic series, the best thing I've ever seen on TV." In addition to winning awards in the United Kingdom, the series has won four Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award in the United States. "Planet Earth made a very special connection with the American audience and we are all very excited at the opportunity to recreate the Planet Earth experience live," says composer George Fenton.

George Fenton, conductor and composer
George Fenton began writing music for the theatre in 1974 working on productions for The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and Riverside Studios. His television scores include the major documentary series The Trials of Life, Life in the Freezer, Beyond the Clouds, Shanghai Vice, The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and most recently, Life.

Following the broadcast of The Blue Planet in 2001 for which he won a BAFTA and Emmy award for Best Television Score, he created the show, The Blue Planet Live! that toured in the UK and worldwide, performed by many of the world's leading orchestras.

He has composed for a wide variety of feature films, receiving Academy Award nominations for The Fisher King, Dangerous Liaisons, Gandhi and Cry Freedom (for both score and song). Other scores include The Madness of King George, Groundhog Day, Shadowlands, Ever After, Anna and the King, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Hitch and Fool's Gold.

Recently the Royal Television Society awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award and he became a Fellow of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

Alastair Fothergill, Planet Earth producer
Alastair Fothergill's BBC career began at the world-renowned Natural History Unit in 1983 where he worked on a wide range of award-winning programs including Wildlife on One and the innovative Reefwatch (he was part of the team that developed live broadcasting from beneath the ocean). His first project with Sir David Attenborough was The Trials of Life followed in 1993 by Life in the Freezer. 

He was head of the Natural History Unit from 1992 to 1998 at which point he stood down to concentrate on his role as series producer of multi award-winning The Blue Planet, a landmark series on the natural history of the world's oceans. His portfolio of work has included roles as producer and presenter on a diverse range of high quality natural history programs including Going Ape, a film that took him to the Ivory Coast and Deep Blue, a cinematic view of the world's oceans and the innovative live broadcast Live from the Abyss. 

He was series producer for the Emmy-winning, global hit Planet Earth. He is working as the executive producer on the BBC/Discovery co-production Frozen Planet, a major six part series, due to premiere in the U.S. in 2011.  He is also directing two movies for the new Disney Nature label. He has honorary degrees from Durham and Hull Universities. 


COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Planet Earth Live
Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 8 p.m. - The Music Center at Strathmore
Friday, July 9, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

George Fenton, conductor and composer

Tickets range from $20 to $62 and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 410.783.8000, 877.BSO.1444 or BSOmusic.org.