THE BALLOON MAN

Bass Hall to come to life with physical, artistic mastery of Cirque Musica, Fort Worth Symphony

FWSO
Performers share stage space with the symphony, so they have to be aware of their surroundings.
from:  star-telegram.com
By Punch Shaw
Special to the Star-Telegram
October 30, 2012
You might think it is odd that the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will be performing with acrobats, jugglers, aerialists and strong men in its weekend of circus-themed concerts that begin Friday at Bass Hall.
But wait. It gets stranger.
One of the stars of the troupe providing the circus element, Cirque Musica, is a cowboy from New York City.

"I grew up in the Bronx. But I am a cowboy and I do a Western act," explained A.J. Silver, who will be offering a trick roping routine backed by the likes of Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. "There is a lot of park land in the Bronx, and there are stables where you can ride horses. My greatest love was always being outdoors around the horses."

So Silver learned to sit a saddle at an early age. But the career path that would lead him to Bass Hall did not reveal itself until he was taken to an entertainment event that had nothing to do with circuses or symphonies.

FWSO
The cast of Cirque Musica will perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
"I saw the rodeo at Madison Square Garden when I was 11 years old and it made me want to be a cowboy. What little boy doesn't want to be a cowboy?"

But unlike so many buckaroo wannabes, Silver made the dream a reality.

"I started my rodeo career as a trick rider. I traveled all over the United States," said Silver, who added that Fort Worth was among his stops in his rodeo days. "From that I developed a trick roping act that has taken me all over the world."

Silver explained that he and his cohorts work on other Cirque du Soleil-like projects when not doing Cirque Musica. After the concerts this weekend, he will be heading to Germany to spin his lasso.

This weekend's concerts promise to be quite a departure from what is usually offered in the symphony's Pops Series.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/10/30/4375182/bass-hall-to-come-to-life-with.html#storylink=cpy