Frank Zappa's 'The Yellow Shark' performed live in Italy for the first time

Frank Zappa's final masterpiece 'The Yellow Shark' will be performed live in its entirety for the first time in Italy on July 24, 2018, at the Teatro Maggiore in Verbania as part of the Stresa Festival's jazz-contemporary program. The concert features the Ensemble Giorgio Bernasconi of the Accademia della Scala, conducted by Kristjan Järvi. The album, commissioned by the Frankfurt Festival in 1991, was recorded live in 1993 by the Ensemble Modern and released on Rykodisc. It comprises 19 complex pieces blending electric funk, rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, and avant-garde dissonance. Järvi, an Estonian-born conductor active in the US, praises Zappa's instrumental work as genius. The performance offers young orchestra students a chance to tackle one of the 20th century's most challenging scores. After Verbania, the ensemble will perform in Milan (Piccolo Teatro, October 6-7), Rome (Auditorio Parco della Musica, October 10), and Reggio Emilia (Teatro Valli, October 12), all conducted by Peter Rundel. Additionally, the Biennale Musica 2018 will honor Zappa with a performance of 'The Yellow Shark' on September 28 at Teatro Goldoni by the Ensemble PMCE directed by Tonino Battista.