Blackstar Symphony: The Music of David Bowie

Overview

WORLD PREMIERE of Blackstar Symphony: The Music of David Bowie

A collaboration between BLACKSTAR SYMPHONY Artistic Director Donny McCaslin and The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, led by Conductor Tim Davies, the concert is a unique and singular interpretation of the music of Blackstar, Bowie’s final album, which was released two days before his death in 2016. 

Donny McCaslin was Bowie’s musical partner and saxophone player on the original Blackstar recording. He conceived the idea to re-imagine Bowie’s work for a full symphonic orchestra, performing along with his jazz quartet and two vocalists. 

Actor, playwright, screenwriter, and director John Cameron Mitchell – best known as the creator and star of the 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, will be joining BLACKSTAR SYMPHONY as a guest artist. 

Propelled by a 65-piece orchestra, BLACKSTAR SYMPHONY features musical arrangements by world-renowned orchestrators Jules Buckley, Tim Davies, Vince Mendoza, Maria Schneider, Jamshied Sharifi, Tony Visconti, Michael Dudley Jr., and Vellu Halkosalmi. Act I showcases the first ever live performance of the entire Blackstar album with full symphony orchestra. Act II celebrates Bowie’s beloved musical catalog with touchstone Bowie compositions including “Heroes,” “Life on Mars,” “Suffragette City,” “Space Oddity,” and more that serve as a reminder of the pervasiveness of Bowie’s presence in pop culture.