This weekend, Interlochen Arts Academy's Jazz Orchestra will give three performances of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "The Nutcracker" Suite, a playful jazz twist on the classic holiday ballet.
Interlochen's Director of Jazz Studies Chris Glassman and three student jazz performers, sophomore double bassist John Ahn, freshman trumpeter Maren Moore and junior saxophonist Ozan Perez, expressed their enthusiasm for the program in an interview hosted by IPR's Christy L'Esperance.
Hear the full interview by clicking "Listen" below.
For Glassman, the easiest part about the repertoire is working with the universally recognizable melodies from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker."
"Pretty much everybody already knows it, so there's already a foundational knowledge for most folks," he said.
Each of the students shared what makes their parts special.
The double bass part is a repetitive endeavor, but Ahn finds it significant since he plays the opening and final notes.
"It's like a heartbeat," he said.
"In 'Peanut Brittle Brigade,' I get to play a solo," recounted Moore. "It's like the holiday spirit is coming out of my horn. It's so much fun."
Weekend events include performances at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 6 at the Bay Theater in Suttons Bay, and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 7 at Dendrinos Chapel. Sunday's concert will be livestreamed online and broadcasted on Classical IPR.
