Sounds of the Lagoon

EGAD Presents “Sounds of the Lagoon”

Free to the general public event June 30, 2023 6:30 PM Eau Gallie Square Park The Eau Gallie Arts District launched the world premiere of the audiovisual project Sounds of the Lagoon, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Exploration Arts! Fund at the Community Foundation for Brevard. – Sounds of the Lagoon is the multidisciplinary confluence between music and visual arts to highlight the invaluable role of the Indian River Lagoon in the life of its neighboring communities and on the larger scale of the world. On June 30, 2023, at Eau Gallie Square Park, a string ensemble from the Brevard Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of maestro Christopher Confessore to present the world premiere of On the Ethereal Nature of Bioluminescence. This piece is an original work by the Puerto Rican composer and winner of the Pierre Cardin Prix of the Académie des beaux-arts, Luis Quintana, who was inspired by the sounds and natural phenomena of the Indian River Lagoon. Along with the musical participation, Endless Media and its CEO have produced a behind the scenes video to capture the majesty of the lagoon and the creative process of translating nature into music. The event was free of charge and suitable for all ages. From 6:30 pm, the public enjoyed a brief panel discussion moderated by Virginia Anzengruber, followed by the performance and streaming of the film.

About the Creative Team

Kathie Elías, Creative Director EGAD Executive Director Kathie is a cultural manager and independent curator. For the past sixteen years, she has served as a museum professional, collaborating with multiple artists and art institutions in Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology, a BA in Arts and Humanities with a major in Clinical Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, and a certificate in Grant Writing and Nonprofit Management from UCF. In addition to her independent work, she currently works as the Executive Director for the Eau Gallie Arts District Main Street program. 

Luis Quintana, Composer Born in Puerto Rico, Luis Quintana is an instrumental, vocal and electronic music composer who develops his work in France and abroad in the field of contemporary music, extending the frontiers of his musical universe from concert music to acousmatic pieces and sound installations.  ​​Often inspired by Caribbean and African music — where rhythmical pulse and playful figures intermingle with suggested, effaced and disseminated imagery — he seeks a sense of fluidity and purity of material that brings out the expressive and poetic power in music.  Awards First prize at the ‘New Classics’ International Composition Competition in Moscow (2020), as well as the first prize at the Iannis Xenakis International Electronic Music Competition, the Martirano Award and the Grand Prize of the Ise-Shima art committee in 2021. Most recently he was awarded the 2022 Pierre Cardin Prize in music from the Académie des beaux-arts in France.

Barry Walton, Filmmaker Endless Media LLC, CEO Director Barry Walton is the best-kept secret in modern media and film. With 5 documentaries and an Emmy, his work continues to capture audiences and elevate brands. Having won 15 awards for ‘Best Documentary Short’ with his most recent film, Empty America. He is directly on course to becoming a household name and one that will not soon be forgotten. In his years as a filmmaker, he has traveled to the Himalayas to film the world’s highest footrace, lived in Italy filming the Violin Ghetto, and ran through the jungles of Hawaii filming, Profiling HURT. Most recently he traveled across the United States, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, capturing the complicity that left the country empty. He is now screening his newest work, EmptyAmerica at festivals. Awards & Recognition: 2022 16x Best Documentary Award – Empty America 2014 EMMY AWARD for Sports – One-Time Special 2013 I.D.E.A. GOLDEN MATRIX AWARD (Best Mascot Video)

Christopher Confessore, Conductor Music Director, Brevard Symphony Orchestra Principal POPS Conductor, Alabama Symphony Orchestra Christopher Confessore currently serves as Music Director of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and Principal POPS Conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. His schedule as a guest conductor has included appearances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his international debut in June 2004, conducting the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania. Collaborations Mr. Confessore has accompanied a distinguished list of artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, and Lang Lang. As a Pops conductor, he has appeared with Grammy Award winners Art Garfunkel, Amy Grant, Roberta Flack, Judy Collins, Marvin Hamlisch, Indigo Girls, Chris Botti, Patti LaBelle, LeAnn Rimes, Peabo Bryson, and Charlie Daniels, and Tony Award winners Idina Menzel and Jennifer Holliday. Education Mr. Confessore’s primary conducting instructors were Daniel Lewis and Philip Spurgeon. He holds a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from Florida State University. He has studied with internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin and has attended workshops and seminars led by Gustav Meier, Harold Farberman, and Lawrence Leighton Smith.

Virginia Anzengruber, Event Moderator Virginia Anzengruber is a Brevard native who currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. An award-winning filmmaker, critically acclaimed podcaster, and freelance entertainment journalist, Virginia has over 13 years of professional experience across a variety of verticals including: film and television production, nonprofit arts organization management, and journalism (with a focus in media literacy). Virginia is known for her work on Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021), Streetlight Harmonies (2020), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), A Beautiful Planet (2016) and The Hateful Eight (2015). Virginia has interviewed Academy Award winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, Emmy winners, music legends, cult icons, and comedy superstars. She currently writes about TV for Fanfare and loves spending time with her little family.   Sounds of the Lagoon is made possible thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts and the Exploration Arts! Fund at the Community Foundation for Brevard. Special thanks to Courtyard by Marriott in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral & Ocean Partners, LLLP