Local composer and trumpet player Kyle Simpson will debut original scores to a couple of classic silent films Saturday at the Carnegie Library and Music Hall in Carnegie.
The unique audio-visual experience includes the Pittsburgh premiere of Simpson scores to French filmmaker Georges Méliès’ silent movies “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) and “The Kindgom of Fairies” (1903).
Simpson and his chamber orchestra will perform the score live with Pittsburgh’s Redline String Quartet. By day, Simpson is an assistant professor of music at Washington & Jefferson College.
The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at carnegiecarnegie.org.
“A Trip to the Moon” tells the story of a group of astronomers who travel to the moon in a cannon-propelled capsule and includes an iconic image of the rocket landing in the eye of the Man in the Moon.
Inspired by the Jules Verne novels “From the Earth to the Moon” and “Around the Moon,” Méliès’ film features special effects that were groundbreaking at the time and shows off production values and storytelling techniques considered influential to later filmmakers.
“A Trip to the Moon” was named one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century by The Village Voice, ranking 84th.
“The Kingdom of Fairies” is a meticulously hand-colored movie that tells the story of a valiant prince’s attempt to save a beautiful princess from the clutches of an evil witch.
Simpson has performed professionally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He has also shared the stage with jazz artists such as Lew Soloff and Paquito D’Rivera.
