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OUR NEW CD IS AVAILABLE! - PRO's new audio recording is now on sale here: The Music of George M. Cohan; it features never-before-recorded original orchestrations from this master showman's greatest Broadway musicals. This disc is GUARANTEED to spread good cheer!
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. To listen to an NPR program about this recording, click here: Barrelhouse to Broadway CD show on WVIA-FM
WALL STREET JOURNAL FEATURE STORY -
Click here to see a recent feature article on the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra from the Wall Street Journal (it's the only good news in that paper, alas): "Benjamin's Ragtime 'Band'..."
See our Events page for details on our 23nd annual Touring Season.
A NEW PARAGON DVD -
We are proud to announce our new DVD of the classic 1920 film THE MARK OF ZORRO, featuring Paragon playing the original orchestral score! Click here: ZORRO DVD for details and ordering information. This DVD marks the first time in 88 years that this historic music has been reunited with the film!
You may now use your credit card on this site to quickly and securely purchase Paragon recordings and DVDs. Click here for a listing of available items: PRO Recordings & Videos (DVDs).
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 575 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"!
RICK BENJAMIN'S PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA
P.O. Box 247 - Lewisburg - Pennsylvania 17837 U.S.A.
email: info@paragonragtime.com
telephone: (570) 524-9511
Click here to receive 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)
[Home]
[Sound Clips]
[Events ]
[Recordings New DVD!]
[Biography]
[Backstage]
[Links]
[Context]
[Read about our collaboration with Paul Taylor and the Paul Taylor Dance Company]