For Immediate Release
July 6, 2017
THE CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA,
CONDUCTED BY FOUNDER LIZA GROSSMAN, JOINS FORCES WITH
STYX FRONTMAN TOMMY SHAW TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ONE OF THE BAND’S MOST ICONIC PERFORMANCES
PREMIERE OF THE 2016 SPECIAL SING FOR THE DAY! TOMMY SHAW AND CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA TO AIR ON AXS TV ON SUNDAY, JULY 9 AT 10pE
The Career-Spanning Set Includes Beloved STYX Hits, as Well as Classics from Shaw’s Acclaimed Solo Albums and His Time with the Supergroup Damn Yankees
Classical music and classic rock collide as AXS TV presents STYX frontman Tommy Shaw in the premiere of the 2016 concert special SING FOR THE DAY! TOMMY SHAW AND CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA—airing Sunday, July 9, at 10pE.
“Ten years after STYX and CYO performed for the first time together, I’ve joined forces with them again, this time for a solo acoustic symphony show!,” said Shaw about the special.
Says CYO founding music director and conductor Liza Grossman of this pairing: “Tommy’s killer voice needed to be showcased in an acoustic setting with an orchestra; he has a vast and diverse library and the timing was perfect since it was the 10-year anniversary of the Styx and Contemporary Youth Orchestra show. He sang with his entire being and the orchestra responded with the same eager passion. I can’t wait for everyone to experience this show!”
SING FOR THE DAY! was filmed live at the Waetjen Auditorium in Cleveland, OH, in May of 2016, commemorating the 10TH Anniversary of STYX’s landmark collaboration with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra with an unforgettable night of music. Wielding a mandolin and an acoustic and electric guitar, Shaw sails through a career-spanning set of STYX hits, solo favorites, and more, backed by the impressive 115-piece teenage orchestra and choir. Highlights include soaring renditions of the STYX staples “Too Much Time On My Hands,” “Renegade,” “Sing For The Day,” and “Blue Collar Man,” as well as Shaw’s acclaimed solo hits “Diamond” and “The Great Divide,” Damn Yankees classics “High Enough” and “Come Again,” and many more, delivering an incredible one-of-a-kind experience that music lovers of all ages won’t want to miss.
ABOUT LIZA GROSSMAN AND THE CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA:
The Contemporary Youth Orchestra, based in Cleveland, OH, is a revolutionary ensemble devoted to preparing students for a confident career in the creative industries. While youthful in energy and passion, CYO is professional in quality, delivery, and repertoire, which is dedicated exclusively to contemporary music. CYO was founded by the inimitable Liza Grossman 22 years ago, and her radiant, infectious energy and focus on the full spectrum of education for CYO participants has created a one-of-a-kind environment for music students. The performers participate in professionally run rehearsals, recording sessions, performances, collaborations with composers, guest artists and film crews. This unique group has performed with the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Ben Folds, Styx, Graham Nash, Pat Benatar, Twenty One Pilots, Jon Anderson, Ray Manzarek, Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Coolio, Machine Gun Kelly, Bootsy Collins, Jefferson Starship, Weezer, and others.
In addition to being the Music Director of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, Grossman is the tour conductor for the rock group Styx. She has conducted over 500 world premieres including 10 concertos with members of The Cleveland Orchestra, full-scale orchestral works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers including Bernard Rands, numerous works by professional and young and emerging composers and hundreds of orchestral rock works. Grossman, who is also a professional violist, has conducted orchestras including the Nashville Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and CYO on stages including Red Rocks, Blossom Music Center, Severance Hall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nautica, Interlochen and Quicken Loans Arena. On top of winning multiple awards for teaching and adventurous programming, Grossman received the prestigious Cleveland Arts Prize Mid-Career Award in 2016.
ABOUT AXS TV
Launched in July 2012 by visionary entrepreneur CEO Mark Cuban, AXS TV is dedicated to providing groundbreaking music programming, stand-up comedy performances from today’s top comedians, and hard-hitting mixed martial arts promotions. The network’s hit franchise series include THE BIG INTERVIEW with Dan Rather; ROCK & ROLL ROAD TRIP WITH SAMMY HAGAR; THE WORLD’S GREATEST TRIBUTE BANDS; GOTHAM COMEDY LIVE; and AXS TV FIGHTS.
AXS TV is a partnership between Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and CBS. The network is available in the United States via AT&T U-verse, Charter/Spectrum TV, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DIRECTV NOW, DISH, Frontier, Sling TV, Altice/Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable/Spectrum TV, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers, including members of the National Cable Television Cooperative. The network is also distributed in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. For more information, please visit www.axs.tv and www.axs.tv/press. Follow AXS TV on Facebook,Twitter @axstv; Instagram; Cyber Dust and YouTube.