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COMING SOON! -
The PRO is now finishing production on a smashing new world-premier recording of music from the Ziegfeld Follies and other legendary Broadway revues, played from the actual, original, 1910s and early '20s pit-orchestra scores. Produced by Judith Sherman and "starring" vocalists Colte Julian and Bernadette Boerkel, the CD will be released on the New World Records label on November 8.
FANFARE COVER STORY - We proudly note the cover story featuring PRO's founder & conductor in one of the recording industry's leading magazines - FANFARE. Click here to see the cover photo (article to follow soon): Fanfare Magazine Cover.
A NEW CD IS AVAILABLE -
PRO's most recent recording is on sale here:
The Music of George M. Cohan; it features never-before-recorded original versions of this master showman's greatest Broadway songs. It's an incredibly upbeat disc that allmusic hails as "...a superb effort." Read the full review here: allmusic guide review.
GRAMMY AWARD CITATION - Congratulations to our record producer, Judith Sherman, for her Grammy Award as "Classical Producer of the Year"! In presenting this honor, the Academy cited Judy's work on Paragon's CD, Barrelhouse to Broadway Click to hear what the hoopla is about.
WALL STREET JOURNAL FEATURE STORY -
Click here to see a recent feature article on the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra from the Wall Street Journal : Benjamin's Ragtime 'Band'...
See our Events page for details on our 24th annual Touring Season.
TREEMONISHA! -
Read about our new touring production of Scott Joplin's opera
TREEMONISHA!
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| Rick Benjamin conducts PRO accompanying Charlie Chaplin's film One A.M., using the original 1916 Mutual Studio music cue sheets. |
Click here to see the Paragon accompany a silent film: Excerpt from The Adventurer (1916). Click here to see more clips and info on Paragon's silent film DVDs: The Charlie Chaplin Moving Picture Show.
In an abandoned warehouse in 1985 Rick Benjamin discovered the long-lost collection of orchestra scores of the Victor Talking Machine Company, and with it the inspiration for the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (PRO). Mr. Benjamin gathered Juilliard colleagues to perform these turn-of-the-century treasures, and the PRO was born. The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is the world's only year-round, professional ensemble specializing in the authentic recreation of the sounds of early musical theater, "silent" cinema, and vintage ballroom dancing, all played from its vast archive of original 1870s to 1920s orchestrations.
Read a few recent reviews!
Although best known for its concerts and recordings of historic theater and dance music, PRO is also the world's leading silent film music ensemble - accompanying 603 screenings since 1986, all using the original early1900s music "cue sheets" and scores from the Capitol Theatre Orchestra Collection. One critic refers to Paragon as "the Academy of St. Martin at the Cinema"!
Click here to sign-up for the Orchestra's newsletter by E-mail.
The Orchestra recently made a series of wax cylinder recordings on an original 1899 Edison Laboratory Phonograph. To listen to one, click here: PRO Edison cylinder 1. (heard courtesy the Edison National Historic Site)
Rick Benjamin's
PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA
email: info@paragonragtime.com
telephone: (570) 524-9511
[Home]
[Sound Clips]
[Events ]
[Recordings New DVD!]
[Biography]
[Backstage]
[Links]
[Context]
[Read about our collaboration with Paul Taylor and the Paul Taylor Dance Company]