Valencia Vas

Thousand Oaks, CA (Billboard Publicity Wire) March 8, 2007 -- Female vocal master, Valencia Vas, released her debut album on March 1st, 2007, through independent record label, Providence Records. The album, "Reflections," is a culmination of her experience as a classically trained soprano and her advanced education in music. "This album reflects a milestone in my career that was inspired by my journey as an artist. I wanted to use my voice like colors in a pallet. I'm using different qualities at different places in the music. The album is a reflection of sound and color." said Vas.

This album reflects a milestone in my career that was inspired by my journey as an artist. I wanted to use my voice like colors in a pallet. I'm using different qualities at different places in the music. The album is a reflection of sound and color.
Valencia attempts to break into the male-dominated Crossover Classical chart with such artists as Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and Il Divo at the top of the rankings. "I feel like I can add something unique to the genre through my professional experience, my deep understanding of music, and my vocal and artistic range." said Vas. Being a woman in this genre, Valencia is presented with a challenge, but she is no newcomer when it comes to facing tough situations.

Born into a poor family in Northeast Pennsylvania, Valencia overcame many early obstacles before succeeding in recording her debut album, "Reflections". With an abusive, alcoholic father who often scrounged to put food on the table, Valencia quickly learned to deal with the minimum in life. When her father disappeared, like his Native American father before him, Valencia's mother struggled to maintain the household, keep a job, and raise three children. Valencia was forced to become independent at an early age.

Born with a naturally pure voice and an unrelenting interest in acting, Valencia pursued the arts as an escape to the struggles of her childhood. She visited New York City often and took advantage of local opportunities to act and sing. By the time she graduated from high school, she had already developed a healthy performance résumé. This early experience, an excellent academic record, and a natural talent with vast potential gained Valencia admission into New York University's Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. It wasn't long before Valencia realized that her voice was her main passion and decided to leave acting school to attend a university of music. She combined her talent in music with her passion for acting by studying to become an opera singer at Westminster Choir College.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Valencia continued to perform professionally in order to gain a deep understanding of the many forms and beauties of music and its purpose in peoples' lives. Two years later, Valencia received a full scholarship to the University of Southern California's voice program seeking her Masters in Music. While there, she also taught voice as an adjunct professor and founded the Black Box Opera, an organization to introduce opera and classical music to inter-city children.

After completing her Masters degree, Valencia gained professional jobs on the concert stage in Southern California and New England. While performing though, Valencia saw small crowds and a lack of general interest in this art form. She wanted to bring her music to a more commercial level. With the purpose of making beautiful classically rooted music in a more popular form, she began her adventure with independent record label, Providence Records.

Valencia collaborated with prolific film composer Ludek Drizhal to create textural music containing pure, angelic, and diverse vocals set against soundtrack-like symphonic backgrounds. Drizhal, who wrote the music for ten of the songs on the album, has written stylistically wide-ranging film scores, countless original songs, incidental music for theater productions, and numerous orchestral and chamber ensemble concert pieces, many of which have received critical acclaim.

Valencia composed and/or arranged several of the tracks and wrote all of the original lyrics on the album (of which two are in Spanish and two are in Italian). The first song on the album, "Home", was written about the families and troops making the ultimate sacrifices in war. "'Home' was written as a tribute to the plight of the women whose husbands serve overseas in the military. I wanted to pay homage and show my appreciation of the sacrifices they are making." Vas said.

The tenth track, called "Remembrance" was written on the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. "I saw a tribute and heard quotes from the people directly affected by the tragedy. It inspired me and I had to get my feelings down. The song is a general depiction of the weight and loss of that day." said Vas.

"Reflections" is the latest chapter in Valencia's story and will enable people to experience music at a new level by enhancing the emotional spark in the listening experience.

"Reflections" is immediately for sale worldwide through www.ValenciaVas.com.

Other Credits:


Recorded with the Budapest Radio Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, Hungary
Recording, Engineering, and Mixing by RG Music Worldwide
Additional Recording, Engineering, and Mixing by Chris Spilfogel at Westlake Audio Studios in Los Angeles, California
Guitar Solos in "Me Dices" and "Il Voto" played by Almer Imamovic
Mastered by Stephen Marsh at Threshold Mastering in West Los Angeles, California
Piano Arrangement and Performance by Doron Kochli on "Remembrance"
Piano Arrangement and Performance by Cheryl Lin on the transitional song "Lament"

### - Billboard Publicity Wire

htttp:/prwebpodcast.com/pod/509178/509178.m4a - prwebpodcast.com

Pop Classical artist Valencia Vas pairs each of her songs with a glass of wine and begins booking song performances with wine tastings

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) November 15, 2007 -- Valencia Vas (http://www.ValenciaVas.com) has often been told her music is great with wine. The new and exciting Pop Classical artist took that opinion to heart and personally paired each of the songs on her album 'Reflections' to selections of wine based on themes, textures, and song origins.


Vas intends on making the listening experience of her music more personal and interactive with this wine pairing. For fans that purchase her music, it's an added benefit to listen to the music in a new way. With an advanced degree in music and a passion for the culinary arts, Vas is well suited to fuse wine and music. Founder & Chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic Archie McLaren comments, "The symbiosis of rich, textural vocal music and fine wine with similar attributes is the perfect manner to enjoy and express interest and fulfillment in each subject. Valencia Vas has taken the appreciation of fine wine to another level by associating the experience with her lovely, classically oriented songs."


In order to bring the pairing to life, Vas plans to book musical performances with wine tastings to demonstrate the connection. Songs will be matched and grouped into flights for wine festivals and other wine tasting events. "I expect to have only started a dialogue on the wine/song pairing concept that continues with the listeners sharing feedback and generating their own ideas. I want my music to be interactive and personal." Kyle Meyer, wine buyer at Wine Exchange in Orange, California helped Valencia pair the songs with accessible wines to enable the enjoyment for any level of participant. Most wines in the pairing are available at Wine Exchange, Winex.com (http://www.winex.com).


Valencia Vas explains the wine song pairing concept: "Much like coupling wine with food, the concept behind coupling wine with music is all about creating an experience that compliments your tasting experience. However with music, the goal is to create a multi-sensory event that heightens both the oral and the aural sensations.


Points of Intersection:

Often times when speaking about music or wine the observer talks about the texture, the color, the depth, as well as the regional influences that enhance or define the object in consideration. It's interesting that one can take direct phrases from a musical review and find the exact quote in a wine review...."rich, bold, nuanced, subtle..." We even go so far as to describe sound or taste in colors and shapes, adding an additional sensory experience -- a gentle synesthesia. When studying these points of intersection, we can easily match wines with a musical counterpart. This is the concept behind the Wine Song Pairing.


Example: "Remembrance"


The song is a tribute to the events on September 11th, 2001. It's a dark song with rich vocals that explore the heights and depths of that tragic event. In this emotional song, I explore that historical American experience through vocal texture and range ending with a beautiful lingering melody that restates itself adding a new dimension with each repetition.


This particular pairing had a number of intersection points to explore.

1) Region -- an American experience requires and American wine

2) Vintage -- for obvious reasons, we were looking for a 2001

3) Color -- dark and rich - RED

4) Overlapping Descriptions/Adjectives -- rich, complex, lingering finish


The match: 2001 Beringer Quarry Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon


We've all been to parties, weddings, or restaurants where the food was great, the wine list was satisfactory, the setting was pleasing, but something just didn't work. This wine song pairing concept is my attempt to fill in the missing piece: the music. When you are listening to "Il Voto" on my album, you hear the beautiful Italian text with the lush orchestra and the full legato singing. Then you can take a sip of your Ruffino Chianti Classico and be instantly transported to an Italian Villa. Ciao!"


To buy the album and get more detailed information about this pairing, please visit www.ValenciaVas.com (http://www.ValenciaVas.com).


Valencia Vas will be scheduling live wine/song events where she will perform her songs while visitors taste the various wines. To book Valencia Vas for your event or wine and food festival, please contact Kevin Michael at Providence Records. Valencia plans to pair her music with food in the near future.


About Valencia Vas:

After completing her undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College (http://www.rider.edu/864.htm)in Princeton, New Jersey, Valencia Vas performed professionally gaining a deep understanding of the forms and beauties of music and its purpose in peoples' lives. Two years later, Valencia received a full scholarship to the University of Southern California's (http://www.usc.edu)voice program seeking her Masters in Music. While there, she also taught voice as an adjunct professor and founded the Black Box Opera, an organization to introduce opera and classical music to inter-city children.


After completing her Masters degree, Valencia gained professional jobs on the concert stage in Southern California and New England. While performing though, Valencia saw small crowds and a lack of general interest in this traditional art form. She wanted to bring her ideas of music to a more commercial level. With the purpose of making beautiful classically rooted music in a more popular form, she began her adventure with independent record label, Providence Records (http://www.ProvidenceRecords.net).


Valencia collaborated with prolific film composer Ludek Drizhal to create textural music containing pure, angelic, and diverse vocals set against soundtrack-like symphonic backgrounds. Drizhal, who wrote the music for ten of the songs on the album, has written stylistically wide-ranging film scores, countless original songs, incidental music for theater productions, and numerous orchestral and chamber ensemble concert pieces, many of which have received critical acclaim.


Valencia composed and/or arranged several of the tracks and wrote all of the original lyrics on the album (of which two are in Spanish and two are in Italian).


###
- PRWEB

Great Interview with Valencia." -Bill Miller
The Bill Miller Show, Nationally Syndicated

"Valencia's voice is awesome."
WDVH, Gainseville, Florida

"V has an atmospheric voice."
WQUB/Intermezzo, Quincy, Illinois

"This is going to be popular ...especially 'Home' & 'Remembrance' for 9/11"
KFUO, St. Louis, Missouri

"The voice of an angel. Our listeners will enjoy hearing your gorgeous music."
WKTZ, Jacksonville, Florida

"I love Valencia, and play 'Home' often, as a tribute to military wives"
WXEL/Classical Variations, West Palm Beach, Florida
- Providence Records - www.ValenciaVas.com

The lush, soprano voice of Valencia Vas will tug at your heartstrings throughout the twelve tracks of
her debut. Backed by wonderful music in a classical/new age mid-ground, the soothing vibe allows
you to fully experience both the breathless emotion and pure vocal talent Valencia is fully capable of.
Songs like “Lament” and “Home” provide glimpses of her operatic training with stunning range and
intense vocal inflections. As talented as any of the big names out there, Valencia has that undefinable
little something extra that could propel her to stardom. - Mark Waterbury - Music Morsels

Newbury Park resident Valencia Vas has come to a turning point in a life marked by her love of
music. Her first album, "Reflections," was released on March 1, and now a single from the album,
"When the Sun Comes Up," is being played on radio stations across the country, as well as on XM
radio. But the 30yearold's blossoming singing career has been anything but an overnight success.

Born into a poor family in northeast Pennsylvania, Vas began playing musical theater at the age of 9.
At 14, she was getting paid for singing and acting in summer stock musicals such as "Man of La
Mancha" and "Annie." Turning to Shakespeare in high school, Vas added classical acting to her
repertoire, and she studied singing with a vocal coach.

In time, she learned opera and art songs, winning competitions and enrolling in NYU's Stella Adler
Conservatory of Acting. Today, Vas sings in more than a dozen dialects and languages.

The tall, willowy Vas has exotic good looks, but what makes her even more appealing is her
intelligence and her confidence in her abilities.

"When I got to NYU, I realized that it was so concentrated with acting that I really missed singing,
which was my primary gift," Vas said. "So I transferred to Westminster Choir College to study strictly
in a conservatory environment of music."

Vas got her first role in an opera at 20, an age almost unheard of in that genre. While at Westminster,
she won all the competitions she entered, which she credits to her ability to be a performing singer.
"It's not just about the voice anymore; you have to be a performer. You have to be able to believe
these characters. You can't just 'park and bark' anymore."
Vas participates in the writing of her songs. Her collaborator is Ludek Drizhal, a Czech-born
composer whom she met while studying in USC's music program. Together, Vas and Drizhal combine
elements of their respective musical experiences.

In "Reflections," the song "Lullaby" is a variation on the traditional folk song "All the Pretty Horses."
Another of her songs is based on the American pioneer ballad "Shenandoah." The other songs on the
album are as varied as Vas' background, including a tango, a completely improvised piece based on
"Dido's Lament" by English composer Henry Purcell and even a Chilean folk song. Vas described the
wide range of styles as "me playing with different colors of my voice. I've learned all my rules, and
now I'm learning how to break them."

Vas talked about two of her favorite songs from the album.
"The song 'Home' is sung from the point of view of a military wife whose husband is overseas, and
she doesn't know when she'll see him again. Another song, 'Remembrance,' is a reflection on 9/11
and the experience of possibly getting a cellphone call . . . what that moment is like. It's a lot of small
moments that inspire the overall sensation of a feeling."
Such a varied palette makes Valencia Vas hard to pigeonhole, and she's all too aware that radio
programmers and concert promoters will be trying to place adjectives in front of her name to describe
her style.
"We've been calling it 'crossover classical,' kind of the Andrea Bocelli audience," Vas says. "Mostly
females over the age of 38 is the target demographic. But people are already saying, 'Are you
classical? No. Are you jazz? No. Are you pop? No.' I'm just somewhere in between. But it just takes a
few people to say okay and that's where it starts to build on itself."
At a recent performance at a coffee house, a member of the audience figured out what Valencia Vas
was.
"You're the soul soprano," he said.
"I picked up on that," said Vas. "I liked it."
As a wife and mother of two, Vas realizes that success could disrupt the peaceful "Thousand Oaks
experience" she's been enjoying.
"Life is the way you make it. And you make priorities and you make choices. I maintain perspective
and set up boundaries. Like every Friday, I have a date with my children."
Although she's looking forward to her kids playing soccer and doing other things Conejo Valley
youngsters do, Vas expects them to become as independent as their mother is, adapting through
experience. If Caesar's Palace calls and asks Valencia Vas to replace Celine Dion, she may have the
world's first 4-year-old roadie.
Vas will be performing at the Borders in Simi Valley on Sat., Aug. 18 and the Borders in Thousand
Oaks on Fri., Aug. 31. Both shows are at 8 p.m. Her website is www.valenciavas.com. - Thousand Oaks Acorn - Cary Ginell

VALENCIA VAS CLASSICALLY TRAINED SOPRANO BREAKS FREE FROM HER STRICT OPERATIC BACKGROUND ON HER HEARTFELT AND INSPIRATIONAL CROSSOVER CLASSICAL DEBUT ‘REFLECTIONS’



* * *

FITNESS & FOOD NETWORK FANATIC MAINTAINS AN ARTISTICALLY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND COMPARES MUSIC TO THE RICH TEXTURES AND BEAUTIFUL
PRESENTATIONS OF FOOD AND WINE


* * *

Recording With The Budapest Radio Symphony, The Singer With A Three And A Half Octave Range Explores Vast Emotional Territory in English, Spanish And Italian, Drawing From Famous Arias And American Folk Songs In Addition To Composing Original Pieces Dedicated To The Families Of The Troops And 9/11 Victims



* * *

Reflections’ First Single “When The Sun Comes Up” Is Currently Being Promoted To Secondary AC Radio Outlets, While The Collection As A Whole Hits Light Classical and New Age Stations



On her remarkably beautiful and heartfelt debut Reflections, classically trained soprano Valencia Vas turns the tables on her rich operatic background to create a crossover classical masterwork that pays homage to her roots while allowing the artist to break free from its restrictions to make her own rules.

After studying opera at Westminster Choir College and receiving a Master’s in music from USC, the versatile singer embarked on a successful classical career but felt continually frustrated with its limitations. This led her to create a diverse collection that mines the same glorious inspirational territory as superstar acts Il Divo, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church and Sarah Brightman. Throughout the process, Vas found herself steeped in tradition while also enjoying the freedom of making spirited and accessible pop music.

“I remember driving home one night after a great performance singing baroque music, and singing along to Top 40 songs on the radio,” she says. “I wasn’t completely fulfilled doing just one thing. But since I started working on Reflections, I’m more excited about making music than ever. I felt like I had to excavate a lot of stylistic territory to find the pearls, and with these songs, I feel like I have an entire necklace!”

Two major radio campaigns for Reflections are currently underway. The album’s first single, the hopeful pop tune “When The Sun Comes Up,” is being promoted to secondary AC outlets throughout the country, while the collection as a whole is hitting light classical and new age stations whose playlists are open to the fascinating hybrid of styles Vas creates.

Produced by her label Providence Records along with Vas’ writing partner Ludek Drizhal, Reflections was recorded with the Budapest Radio Symphony. Singing in English, Italian and Spanish (and sometimes “Spanglish”), Vas and her powerful three and a half-octave range explore vast emotional territory, drawing from famous arias by Handel (“Piangero”) and Henry Purcell (“Lament”) as easily as she adapts pieces from Southern folk hymns (the worshipful “Wondrous Love”) and Southeastern American folk songs (“Lullaby,” based on “All The Pretty Horses”). The introduction to “The Christmas Song” is adapted from the classic American tune “Shenandoah.”

Among the seven original songs Vas composed with Drizhal is one that taps into some of the raw emotions inherent in the contemporary American experience: the graceful opening track “Home,” dedicated to the families of U.S. troops overseas who are missing their husbands and fathers. In a similar vein, Vas also composed “Remembrance,” a poignant tribute to the victims of 9/11 that explores the weight and magnitude of the tragic event. She wrote it on the fifth anniversary of the life changing tragic day after seeing a program about it on television. Vas and Drizhal also explore more hopeful themes on songs like “Il Voto,” whose Cinema Paradiso vibe inspired the Italian lyrics about “The Vow” and lifelong commitment) and “Forever,” while “Me Dices” blends English and Spanish in depicting the heartbreak of betrayal. Vas also sings beautiful Spanish on the exotic and seductive “Tango.”

“Reflections is truly a culmination of all the years I’ve been singing, which encompasses everything from musical theatre to pop, random cabaret and classical music,” she says. “I love the fact that it’s a huge departure from classical yet quotes from some of my favorite arias. When I started the project, my goal was to make sure I covered many stylistic bases, and it evolved even further once we began writing. Lyrically, the concept of the album was to capture different snapshots of my life, from joyful things like getting married to holding my children for the first time to more difficult and painful moments along the way.

“Musically, the original title was Reflections in Color,” she adds, “which was about trying to break away from the normal approach to classical music, where the singing is all in one place. What I really wanted to do was break the mold entirely and show the many colors in my voice. You can hear colors in terms of different experiences and the multi-dimensional thinking that went into these songs. I like the sense of variation. As an artist, my goal is to connect to the listener and that can only happen from being connected to both myself and the music. There’s a unique magic that happens when everything comes together.”

Even beyond the songs she creates, Vas’ life story will be a source of great inspiration for people everywhere who dream of soaring beyond troubling and traumatic circumstances. Growing up in a poor family in Northeast Pennsylvania with an abusive, alcoholic father who often scrounged to put food on the table, she quickly learned to deal with the minimum in life. When her father disappeared, like his father before him, Vas’ mother struggled to maintain the household, keep a job, and raise three children. The singer was forced to become independent at an early age.

Born with a naturally pure voice and a keen interest in acting, Vas pursued the arts as an escape to the struggles of her childhood. She visited New York City often and took advantage of local opportunities to act and sing. By the time she graduated from high school, she had already developed a healthy performance résumé. This early experience, an excellent academic record, and a natural talent with vast potential earned her admission into New York University’s Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. It wasn't long before she realized that her voice was her main passion, and she left acting school to attend a university of music. Vas combined her talent in music with her passion for acting by studying to become an opera singer at Westminster Choir College.

Two years later, she received a full scholarship to USC’s voice program seeking her Masters in Music. While there, she also taught voice as an adjunct professor and founded the Black Box Opera, an organization designed to introduce opera and classical music to inner-city children and people in nursing homes; the organization exists today as A Little Night Music and does performances in conjunction with the Da Camera Society of Mount St. Mary’s College.

Vas, married and a mother of two children, ages two and four, is an adjunct professor of voice at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She’s also a gym and Food Network fanatic who does yoga and ballet regularly, and sees all of these activities as an integral part of maintaining and artistically healthy lifestyle. “A lot of singers are drawn to wine and food because of the rich textures and beautiful presentation,” she says. “It’s the same with fitness and dance. Classical singers tend towards being whole performers and are attracted to many physical and visual art forms. Everything I do in my life, from these outside passions to the music I’ve made on this album, reflects my ongoing commitment to artistic growth and creative expression.”





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- Luck Media & Marketing

VALENCIA VAS IS #1 MOST ADDED
ON ACQB RADIO CHART WITH
HOPEFUL POP SINGLE
"WHEN THE SUN COMES UP"


* * *

CLASSICALLY TRAINED SOPRANO IS TIED WITH CHRISETTE MICHELE WITH 13 ADDS AND AHEAD OF RASCAL FLATTS, SIR PAUL, JOHN MAYER AND FERGIE



Valencia Vas' debut radio single "When The Sun Comes Up" is hot out of the box as #1 Most Added on the ACQB radio chart with 13 Adds. Tied for #1 Most Added with Island Records priority single from Chrissette Michele and ahead of such established artists as Rascal Flatts, Paul McCartney, John Mayer and Fergie.



Two major radio campaigns for Reflections are currently underway. The album’s first single, the hopeful pop tune “When The Sun Comes Up,” is being promoted to secondary AC outlets throughout the country, while the collection as a whole is hitting light classical and new age stations whose playlists are open to the fascinating hybrid of styles Vas creates.



On her remarkably beautiful and heartfelt debut Reflections, classically trained soprano Valencia Vas turns the tables on her rich operatic background to create a crossover classical masterwork that pays homage to her roots while allowing the artist to break free from its restrictions to make her own rules.



Produced by her label Providence Records, Reflections was recorded with the Budapest Radio Symphony.





# # #
- Luck Media & Marketing