For immediate release:
August 9, 2023
Julie Goetz, Director of Communications, Pittsburgh Symphony
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org
Gina Pferdehirt: Publicist, Frzy
gpferdehirt@gmail.com; 412-877-9470
Media Assets Here →
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND PITTSBURGH RAPPER FRZY TO COLLABORATE ON A FIRST OF ITS KIND CONCERT AT HEINZ HALL IN NOVEMBER 2023
One-night-only special concert “The Glorious Succession of Frzy” will present the world premiere of an orchestration of the nationally known rapper’s new album
PITTSBURGH—Nationally-recognized Pittsburgh rapper Harvey “Frzy” Daniels and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will come together on the Heinz Hall stage in downtown Pittsburgh for a one-night-only special concert called “The Glorious Succession of Frzy”on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, performing the world premiere of an orchestration of Frzy’s soon to be released album “Success.” Tickets are on a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presale now at the Heinz Hall Box Office and go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 11, at 10:00 a.m.
For the concert “The Glorious Succession of Frzy,” the artist Frzy and his band “The Faculty” and DJ Solo will join the full Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Moon Doh, for this performance. The orchestral arrangements of “Succession” are being created by Christian Kriegeskotte , a Pittsburgh composer and writer, who has worked with Frzy on the orchestration since early 2023. This is the first time that a full orchestration of a full rap album has been performed by either Frzy or the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The concert is expected to be about 90 minutes long.
“It was my childhood dream to be on the Heinz Hall stage with the PSO because classic music represented genius to me. I never learned to read music, so I learned how to speak it. This historic and unique collaboration featuring my new album, ‘Succession,’ is orchestrated as my love letter to Pittsburgh. The performance promises to transcend the audience to a place where they are the ink, the orchestra is the pen, and the stage is the paper,“ said Harvey “Frzy” Daniels . “It's poignant that this announcement comes while we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop that is now a world sensation. The first tour in 1984 was greeted by skepticism but became a million-dollar sensation and began a global cultural movement. This concert is a celebration of Pittsburgh and its artists."
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Frzy most recently collaborated for a performance at the Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration concert on June 19, 2023, under the baton of Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling. At that concert, Frzy and the PSO premiered a new arrangement of “What Do I Know,” with Frzy’s original recording collaborator Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz, violin.
“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra brings people together to share in the beauty, power and richness of orchestral music, which plays well with many genres of music. From classical to jazz, films scores, rock, Broadway, R&B, gospel, and yes, hip-hop and rap, we continue to connect with our community in innovative and memorable ways and with many creative voices,” said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “When I first met Frzy, I was struck by his creative and rhythmic wordplay – and his confidence in wearing a pink suit! We’re looking forward to this unique collaboration.”
At the concert in November, Frzy is expected to wear an equally unique and stunning custom-designed powerful suit, designed by Tom Michael at Larrimor’s, Pittsburgh’s premier fashion destination since 1939.
“In arranging Frzy’s new work for the Pittsburgh Symphony, what is central is reimagining his music told from the perspective of the orchestra, rather than imitate the sound of Frzy’s beats as recorded. A hip-hop concerto, if you will,” said Christian Kriegeskotte, orchestral arranger of Frzy’s “Success” for this concert. “The show opens with ‘Frzy’s Theme,’ an original orchestral overture. This piece takes aesthetic cues from blockbuster superhero and action movie titles that have also inspired Frzy's music, lyrics and style. From there, instead of thinking of the orchestra as a set piece or background accompaniment, Frzy will endeavor to become a part of the orchestral idiom.”
About Frzy
Harvey "Frzy" Daniels is a 2018 regional Emmy Award winner, for his collaboration with WQED on his hip-hop version of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” The City of Pittsburgh was inspired to officially declare January 11, 2018, as “Frzy Day.’ Since then, Frzy has become a 2020 Guinness World Record holder for longest freestyle rap at 31 hours, the new Smiley Face Cookie at Eat ‘N Park, and has had a mural created in his likeness by famous muralist, Jeremy Raymer. Frzy is a member of the Recording Academy (which bestows the annual GRAMMY Awards) and is a Governor of the Board for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy. Frzy has also joined the Board of Directors of The Lindsay Theater, all this while being the face of Steve Madden's “Self Made” Campaign. He has helped to raise more than one million dollars for charities and this year helped to increase diversity and inclusion awareness via the successful “Books to Bars” campaign with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
About Christian Kriegeskotte
The orchestral arrangements for “Succession” are being created by Christian Kriegeskotte, a composer and writer who has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. Kriegeskotte is a veteran Hollywood studio orchestra musician whose film and television credits include Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and The Simpsons. Kriegeskotte’s compositions have been performed by the GRAMMY-winning ensemble eighth blackbird, The American Composers Orchestra, The Parker Quartet, and the Pittsburgh Opera, and are featured exclusively in Nicktoons Nitro. Kriegeskotte is a member of the Popular Programming staff at the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Tickets: Tickets are available now to the Pittsburgh Symphony presale and will be available to the general public on Friday, August 11 at 10:00 a.m., at the Heinz Hall Box Office: online at pittsburghsymphony.org, by phone at 412.492.4900, or in person at 600 Penn Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh. Ticket prices range from $25-$65.
With Gratitude :
- This concert is made possible in part by Randi Dauler.
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts are supported in part by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- Diehl Automotive Group is the official auto dealer of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Audacy Radio is the official media sponsor of this concert.
- Radio station WQED-FM 89.3/WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
ADDITION TO PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2023-2024 CONCERT CALENDAR
The Glorious Succession of Frzy
Heinz Hall
Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Frzy
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Moon Doh, conductor
In “The Glorious Succession of Frzy,” the nationally known rapper Frzy, his band “The Faculty” and DJ Solo will join the full Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Moon Doh, to perform the world premiere of an orchestration of Frzy’s soon to be released album “Success.”