Philharmonic's Cirque de la Symphonie Pops Concerts on April 9 & 10

• By Roger McBain
• Evansville Courier & Press
• Posted April 3, 2011 at midnight

It's still a novel sight for most audiences, but for Alexander Streltsov, soaring 30 to 50 feet in the air over a full symphony orchestra playing classical music in a concert hall feels like a natural extension of his work with circuses around the world.

Streltsov will demonstrate that Saturday and April 10 when he and his troupe of aerialists, contortionists, acrobats, dancers, balancers, strongmen and jugglers in the Cirque de la Symphonie perform in The Victory for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra's Pops program.

Streltsov, 32, is a Moscow native who grew up in the circus and, at age 12, performed on Broadway after winning an international circus competition in Paris. Since then, he's performed around the world, first in circuses, and for the last five years in concert halls with Cirque de la Symphonie.

Courtesy Cirque de la Symphonie RIGHT: Alexander Streltsov, top, and strongmen Jarek and Darek will be among the troupe of aerialists, contortionists, acrobats, dancers, balancers, strongmen and jugglers in the Cirque de la Symphonie performance Saturday and April 10 as part of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra's Pops program at The Victory.

Courtesy Circque de la Symphonie Contortionist Elena Tsarkova balances and bends to the music in Cirque de la Symphonie.

Jarek and Darek´s "Duo Design," combines strength, poise and balance, will be part of the Pops

Courtesy Cirque de la Symphonie Vladimir Tsarkov blends mime and juggling in Cirque de la Symphonie

Throughout his career, however, music always has played a key role in his performances, he said in a phone interview from his office in Atlanta.

"I feel the music and I work with the music, not just as a background," Streltsov explained. "For me, the music actually dictates your movement and your character. It really helps to bring out your inner self."

That's especially true when working with a live symphony orchestra, he said.

"It works even stronger, emotionally. It definitely boosts your artistic qualities and the overall quality of performance," he said. "That live, beautiful music blows through you to your audience, and you really get charged up."

In the show coming to Evansville, Streltsov will charge up into the air on long silk loops to perform aerial acrobatics from John Williams' "Star Wars" selections.

A crew of stage hands will control the pulleyed ropes that suspend him, he said.

"It's like flying with two big sail cloths," he said. "My act involves going up and down, swinging side to side, taking off and landing on the stage."

He'll also balance and spin large cubes onstage to music from Jaques Bizet's "Carmen."

Other acts will include strongmen Jarek and Darek performing slow feats of balance and strength to a movement from Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, Christine Van Loo performing aerial rope moves to Camille Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre," Aloysia Gavre in an aerial hoops act to music from Saint-Saens "Samson and Delilah," Elena Tsarkova moving through a series of sinuous contortions atop tall stools to a selection from Aram Khachaturian's "Masquerade" and Tsarkova and Vladimir Tsarkov in a magic act.

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IF YOU GO

What: An international troupe of aerialists, strong men, contortionists, jugglers and other circus artists will perform with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in Cirque de la Symphonie Pops concerts

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. April 10

Where: The Victory

Admission: Tickets cost $25 to $60 for adults, $15 to $60 for those 12 and younger, $8 at the door for students (hour before concert). Members of club2030 may register online for $10 tickets up to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Information: For reservations or information call (812) 425-5050 or go to www.evansvillephilharmonic.org online.

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