News

Moncton, N.B. - Dan Brown, the author of numerous international bestsellers including The Da Vinci Code, will join forces with the Sistema New Brunswick Children’s Orchestra in four exciting performances of Wild Symphony, composed by Brown and performed around the world.

The New Brunswick performances of Wild Symphony will be held in Moncton and St. Andrews on June 11 and 12. The New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO), Dan Brown and the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) are creating a novel multi-disciplinary educational package to extend the impact of the events across New Brunswick and to children and schools nationally and internationally.

Ken MacLeod, outgoing President and CEO of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and founder of Sistema NB, along with The Hon. Bill Hogan, NB Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development announced the unique event. A video statement from Brown was aired at the news conference.

The Sistema NB concerts will be the only North American performances of Wild Symphony attended by Brown.

“Our mission at Sistema NB is to inspire children and youth to achieve their full potential through learning and performing orchestral music,” MacLeod said. “The opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Brown is an incredible achievement for our young musicians and their hard-working instructors.”

The Sistema NB Children’s Orchestra includes 120 musicians, 14 years of age and younger, unique in North America.  

Brown has sold more than 200 million books, most notably the Robert Langdon series including Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, which became a blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks. The American author says his first love is music.

“My parents were both musicians and teachers, and I grew up practicing classical piano, singing in choirs, and attending lots of concerts. Music was a secret sanctuary for me as a child.…. Even now, I play piano every day, usually after I finish a long day of writing,” Brown said.

The Wild Symphony project consists of symphonic music, an illustrated picture book, poetry and phone app, all supported by a rich web site (wildsymphony.com). Brown has agreed to participate because of his desire to support the goals, track record and impact of the Sistema NB program of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra. The event is a fundraiser to expand Sistema NB services to more children.

Bill Hogan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, said almost 5,000 school children will attend the live concerts, either in person or through live streaming events at local schools.

“Wild Symphony is a significant opportunity to showcase the role of Sistema NB and The Province of New Brunswick as leaders, not just in Canada, but internationally in the space of music education and social impact,” said Minister Hogan.

Also, Minister Hogan reported EECD has purchased Wild Symphony books for all schools in NB in English and French.

The curriculum and livestream performance will be shared with all New Brunswick schools, the Sistema Canada Network and El Sistema USA, which encompasses more than 150 programs and tens of thousands of children and youth in North America.

As a personal passion project, Brown composed Wild Symphony to engage children and families in auditoriums to experience live, orchestral music together.  

The performance will help raise funds to support Sistema NB's '10,000 Children' vision and plan – a commitment by the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra to greatly expand access to its Sistema NB program, for more children and youth in the province.

The Wild Symphony event is sponsored by TD Bank, a founding supporter and partner of the NBYO's Sistema NB program.

Performances

June 11 – Moncton, NB

• Two daytime performances, 9:30 and 11:00 am, for district-wide school audiences (English and French)
• A 7 p.m. performance for the wider community at the Wesleyan Celebration Centre 

June 12 – St. Andrews, N.B.

• 11:30 am, KIRA Amphitheater in St. Andrews, NB for district school children and the wider community

About NBYO and Sistema NB

The New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, Inc. ("NBYO") is a leading Canadian orchestral music program for children and youth. Founded in 1965, the NBYO is a not-for-profit corporation and registered charity, and the largest employer of professional musicians in Atlantic Canada.

NBYO operates an integrated network of programs, including:

• local children's orchestras arising from Sistema NB, Canada's largest free, daily after-school orchestral music program in nine centres across the province
• three regional youth orchestras (Moncton, Saint John, Miramichi)
• a provincial youth orchestra (the internationally acclaimed 85-member New Brunswick Youth Orchestra that in June 2023 performed at Carnegie Hall in New York
• a professional orchestra of our Teaching Artists (Tutta Musica Orchestra).

About Wild Symphony

Featuring nearly two dozen musical portraits drawn from the animal kingdom, Wild Symphony springs to life on stage and is poised to become an instant children’s classic.

From the joyous rhythms of “Bouncing Kangaroo” to the mysterious melodies of “Wondrous Whale” to the hair-raising harmonies of “Brilliant Bat,” this is a very wild symphony indeed.

Children around the world are enjoying playing and listening to Wild Symphony. They’re also delighted by the available companion picture book and free music app, an augmented reality experience that takes you on an exciting musical adventure with Maestro Mouse and his symphonic friends!
 

For more information or discussion, please contact:

Ken MacLeod,

kmacleod@nbyo-ojnb.com 

506-961-1530