Stewart Copeland, the former drummer of The Police, will be among the first guests to perform with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in its stunning new Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Copeland will join the orchestra on Dec. 2 for “Police Deranged for Orchestra,” Copeland’s original compilation.
The set, which also features a guest guitarist and three singers, includes hits by The Police, including “Roxanne,” “Don’t Stand To Close To Me” and “Message in a Bottle.”
The performance will mark just the sixth time the work has been performed in the U.S.
The Symphony opened its new Bradley Symphony Center, located in the 1930 Grand Warner Theater, last weekend.
“We cannot wait for this incredible opportunity to perform with one of rock’s greatest drummers and creative visionaries,” said Mark Niehaus, MSO president and executive director, in a statement Tuesday.
“Stewart Copeland is a legend and our patrons will be witness to a truly one-of-a-kind performance that marries rock genius with the elevation and magnificence of a world-class orchestra. Bringing diverse opportunities for all generations and interests to enjoy the magic of music is core to who we are, and we are thrilled to bring this opportunity in our new home, the Bradley Symphony Center.”
MSO subscribers can nab tickets on Oct. 7-8, and the general public gets access to tickets on Oct. 11 at mso.org.
Fifty tickets to a Meet & Greet reception after the concert are also available for $100 per person.
Copeland, who also composes music for opera, ballet and orchestra, has also performed "Light Up the Orchestra," with highlights from his career.
We can only hope a performance of Copeland's quirky tunes, recorded as Klark Kent, is on tap next.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
