Irish Singer Chloë Agnew and Atlanta Pops Orchestra Embark on Spring Tour March 2-24, 2018
Tour to include performances in South Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky
ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Pops Orchestra will perform with Irish singer (and former Celtic Woman member) Chloë Agnew on a Spring Tour featuring a program entitled, “An Irish Heart.” The tour kicked off in Newberry, SC on Friday, March 2, and will include six additional stops in the states of South Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky through March 24, 2018.
The March concerts will feature Agnew singing Celtic Woman favorites, including “When You Believe,” “Danny Boy,” “You Raise Me Up,” “The Prayer” with Dermot Kiernan, plus Irish folk songs, hits from Broadway, Movie classics, and debut performances of original music by Agnew. The concert will also feature a performance by Riverdance alumni.
The final concert at Notre Dame will feature two songs written by former Notre Dame All-American football player and Atlanta Falcons football player John Scully. His song, “Here Come the Irish,” has become a theme song for football games and was written by Scully and Jim Tullio, a composer and producer from Chicago, IL.
“I am honored and thrilled to once again be with my Atlanta Pops family and our ‘An Irish Heart’ tour,” said Agnew. “It is such a joy to share the stage every night with Maestro Jason Altieri and these incredible musicians. And it’s also very special to be joined by my dear friends, renowned Irish tenor Dermot Kiernan and world champion and former ‘Riverdance’ lead Scott Porter — they are such a wonderful addition to the show. Together, we promise you an evening of stories, laughs and uplifting music to warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.”
“After enjoying such tremendous success on last year’s tour, we are excited to be getting back on the road with Chloë Agnew,” said Atlanta Pops Music Director Jason Altieri. “We have included some of the old favorites on the program and Chloë has added some wonderful new tunes to the show that we have enjoyed putting together. Collaborating with her is great fun — and as we continue this beautiful partnership, I know audiences will continue to be thrilled by this unique musical experience.”
The Atlanta Pops Orchestra will conclude its 2017-2018 season with a performance at the 31st annual MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, NC, on Friday, April 27. The performance will be a collaboration between award-winning bluegrass quintet, Balsam Range, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble, a 14-piece version of the orchestra, led by Atlanta Pops Assistant Conductor Tom Gibson
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CONCERTS
Fri, March 2 | Newberry, SC | Newberry Opera House
Sat, March 10 | Oxford, AL | Oxford Performing Arts Center
Fri, March 16 | Wabash, IN | The Honeywell Center
Sat, March 17 | Van Wert, OH | Niswonger Performing Arts Center
Sun, March 18 | Ashland, KY | Paramount Arts Center
Sat, March 24 | Notre Dame, IN | DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at University of Notre Dame
Fri, April 27 | Wilkesboro, NC | MerleFest
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ABOUT CHLOË AGNEW
Chloë Agnew is a singer, songwriter and actress from Dublin, Ireland now living and working in LA. Chloë Agnew gained fame for her integral part as the youngest and one of the original members of the internationally acclaimed music group Celtic Woman since she was just 14. Chloë was born in Dublin, Ireland, to Irish entertainer Adéle “Twink” King and Irish oboist David Agnew. Coming from parents in the entertainment industry, Chloë was practically born on the stage and at a very early age enjoyed professionally acting, singing and dancing. She made her first television appearance on her mother’s TV program at just four weeks old, going on to make her first singing debut on National Television at the age of 6. She won the Grand Prix at the First International Children’s Song Competition in 1998 in Cairo, Egypt, representing Ireland. Despite being a familiar face on PBS television with Celtic Woman in more recent years, in 1999, Chloë previously appeared to perform as part of Handel’s Messiah on PBS television in 1999. The special featured great legends such as Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Roger Daltrey and Aiden Quinn. In 2000, at age 11, Chloë first worked with David Downes to record the song This Holy Christmas Night to raise money for the children affected by 9/11. That same year, she joined Christ Church Cathedral Girl’s Choir where she spent many wonderful years being musically trained. Chloë went on to record her first album at age 12 and her second at 14, both produced by David Downes. Shortly after the success of her second album Walking in the Air, Chloë was approached to become part of a new PBS show called Celtic Woman. Nearly 10 years later, Chloë held the dual title of being both one of the original members of Celtic Woman and the youngest performer of the group. At the age of 24, Chloë Agnew was already a musical veteran. After an illustrious career with the ensemble Celtic Woman, Chloë embarked on a solo career in 2013 and has since performed as a solo artist in the US, South Africa and Europe.
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ABOUT ATLANTA POPS ORCHESTRA
The Atlanta Pops Orchestra is a premier provider of live orchestral music programming for the state of Georgia, the Southeastern U.S. and beyond. With a rich history spanning more than seven decades, the orchestra has captivated audiences throughout the world. Equally adept performing pop, jazz, folk, hip-hop, light classical, country and more, the Atlanta Pops challenges the expectation of what an orchestra is capable of delivering.
The Atlanta Pops Orchestra has released a number of recordings over the years, the most recent being 2015’s In The Spirit: A Celebration of the Holidays, a collaborative effort with John Driskell Hopkins — a founding member of three-time GRAMMY-winning and multi-platinum group, Zac Brown Band. The Christmas recording showcases a sound firmly rooted in tradition, but distinctively modern. Featuring new arrangements by Wes Funderburk, the album also includes guest appearances by singer Laura Bell Bundy, legendary folk duo Indigo Girls and award-winning bluegrass group Balsam Range. The album continues to be well received by fans and critics alike, serving to showcase the versatility of the orchestra in the recording studio. To mark the orchestra’s 70th anniversary, efforts were made in 2015 to reconnect to the vibrant energy of the present-day, collaborative Atlanta music scene. A two-night engagement at Oglethorpe University brought together a diverse group of Atlanta superstars representing the diverse sounds of the city. Guest artists included former Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Henry Mancini trumpeter Cecil Welch, pianist Brent Runnels, blues guitarist Michelle Malone, hip-hop trailblazers Arrested Development, beatbox protégé HeaveN Beatbox, jazz trumpeter Joe Gransden, singer Chris Wright (performing a song written by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal), world-fusion duo Montana Skies and Americana singer-songwriter Levi Lowrey. Entitled Bringing Together the Past and the Present, the concerts have served as a springboard for the orchestra’s current-day endeavors.
Under the direction of Conductor and Music Director Dr. Jason Altieri, the Atlanta Pops orchestra performs concerts throughout the Southeast for special events, performing arts center subscription series, concert associations, and colleges and universities. The orchestra also accompanies celebrity artists on tour and performs at national and international business conventions. Atlanta Pops Orchestra musicians perform as pit musicians for the Fabulous Fox Theatre Broadway Series as well as for other travelling productions, such as Celtic Woman, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller. Dr. Altieri also serves as Associate Conductor of the Reno (NV) Philharmonic and as Director of the Orchestra Program at The University of Nevada, Reno.
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Atlanta Pops Orchestra media contact:
Melissa A.E. Sanders, Tadpole Communications
404.909.6726 | Melissa@TadpoleComm.net