Emily Bear

Emily Bear
Bear performing at Night of the Proms 2017 in SAP Arena, Mannheim (Germany)
Bear performing at Night of the Proms 2017
in SAP Arena, Mannheim (Germany)
Background information
Birth nameEmily Jordan Bear
Born (2001-08-30) August 30, 2001 (age 23)
OriginRockford, Illinois, U.S.
GenresClassical, jazz, film score, musical theatre
Occupation(s)Composer, pianist, songwriter and singer
Instrument(s)Piano, vocals
Years active2007–present
Websitewww.emilybear.com

Emily Jordan Bear (born August 30, 2001) is an American composer, pianist, songwriter and singer. After beginning to play the piano and compose music as a small child, Bear made her professional piano debut at the Ravinia Festival at the age of five, the youngest performer ever to play there. She gained wider notice from a series of appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show beginning at the age of six. She has since played her own compositions and other works with orchestras and ensembles in North America, Europe and Asia, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Montreux Jazz Festival and Jazz Open Stuttgart. She won two Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, the youngest person ever to win the award,[1] and also won two Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Awards.

In 2013, Bear released an album of her own jazz compositions, Diversity, produced by her mentor and manager, Quincy Jones. She composes and plays classical, jazz and pop music, film and TV scores, and is heard on the 2015 Broadway cast recording of the musical Doctor Zhivago. With her own jazz trio, she released an EP, Into the Blue, in 2017. She was the youngest performer in the history of the Night of the Proms tour (2017). Her 2019 EP Emotions was her first to feature Bear singing her own songs. In 2021, she and Abigail Barlow co-wrote and released an album inspired by the Netflix series Bridgerton, titled The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, making Bear the youngest Grammy nominee and winner ever in the musical theater category. She was listed on Forbes' 2022 30 Under 30. With the 2023 release of Dog Gone, she became "the youngest person to score a feature film for release on a streaming platform".[2]

In mid-2023, Bear toured as the featured pianist for Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour.[3] Barlow and Bear wrote songs for the Disney film Moana 2.

Early life

[edit]

Bear was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, the youngest of three children of Brian, an orthopedic surgeon, and Andrea Bear.[4][5] Her mother has sung professionally and has a music education degree.[6][7] After being home-schooled for a few years, Bear enrolled in Guilford High School in Rockford in 2015, graduating at age 15 in 2017.[8][9]

When Bear was two years old, her grandmother Merle Langs Greenberg, a piano teacher, recognized her talent at the piano.[6][10] By age three, she had composed her first song, "Crystal Ice".[5] The next year, Bear began to study with Emilio del Rosario at the Music Institute of Chicago.[6] Hal Leonard Music has been publishing Bear's original compositions since she was 4 years old.[7] She made her professional piano debut at the Ravinia Festival at age five, the youngest performer to play there.[1][11] Soon she was enrolled at the Winnetka campus to study classical music.[1] At age six, in 2008, she won her first ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award for her piece "Northern Lights", the youngest composer ever to win the award.[1][12] She also won the Rockford Area Music Industry Outstanding Achievement Award (RAMI) that year.[13]

As a small child, Bear made six appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[14] She played in 2008 at the White House for President George W. Bush, at the age of six,[1][15] and performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra at the age of seven.[16] She performed the same piece later in 2008 with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.[16] She also participated that year at the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago[17] and performed the next year on Good Morning America.[18] By the age of eight, Bear had composed more than 350 pieces,[19] and between 2007 and 2010, she released five albums of her piano music.[20]

From the age of six, Bear studied classical piano with the former principal keyboardist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mary Sauer,[10][21] and later with Veda Kaplinsky, head of the piano department at the Juilliard School. She studied jazz improvisation with Frank Kimbrough and composing with Ron Sadoff, head of NYU Steinhardt film scoring department.[12] She expressed a strong interest in film scoring,[1][22] and in 2013 she was the youngest composer in history to attend the NYU Steinhardt Film Scoring Workshop.[23]

Career

[edit]

2010 to 2012: Carnegie Hall debut and festival performances

[edit]

In 2010, Bear made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 9, playing her own piece for orchestra and chorus, "Peace: We Are the Future".[11][24] The same year, she performed on the television show Dancing with the Stars.[1][25]

Bear with her mentor, Quincy Jones, 2012

In 2011, at the 3rd PTTOW! Youth Media and Innovation Summit in California addressed by the Dalai Lama, Bear performed her song "Diversity", which she had written in honor of the Dalai Lama.[26] The same year, she began working with Quincy Jones, who became her mentor[27][28] and manager.[29] He presented Bear at the 45th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland[4] and the Festival Castell at the Peralada Castle in Spain, where she performed her original song, "Peralada", and a trio with Esperanza Spalding and Andrea Motis.[30] Later in 2011, she appeared with him at the Hollywood Bowl, where she played a medley of her own arrangement, "Bumble Boogie" and accompanied "Miss Celie's Blues", from The Color Purple, sung by Gloria Estefan, Patti Austin, Siedah Garrett and Nikki Yanofsky.[11][31] Jones stated: "I am at once astounded and inspired by the enormous talent that Emily embodies [with] the ability to seamlessly move from Classical to Jazz and Be-bop."[12] Bear returned to Carnegie Hall at the end of the year.[24]

In 2012, she performed as a guest in Zurich, Switzerland, on the "Art on Ice" skating arena tour before an audience of 15,000.[1][32] She also performed at the Life Ball 2012 gala in Vienna, Austria,[33] to benefit the charity AIDS Life.[34] Later in 2012, she played the first movement of the Schumann piano concerto in A minor with the Santa Fe Concert Association. At this concert, the orchestra also debuted her composition "Santa Fe" and performed her arrangement of "Satin Doll".[16][35] She returned to perform with the same orchestra two years later.[28]

2013 to 2016: Diversity

[edit]

In 2013, Bear released Diversity, an album of original jazz compositions, on the Concord Records label, with bassist Carlitos del Puerto, drummer Francisco Mela and cellist Zuill Bailey, led by Bear at the piano.[36] It was produced by Jones and recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles.[4][37] The album peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart[38] and No. 3 on its Traditional Jazz Albums chart.[39] Jeff Tamarkin wrote for JazzTimes:

Bear is a gifted (if not quite virtuosic yet) pianist ... who understands innately the role of her instrument in both solo and group capacities. She can improvise smartly, shift between genres, tempos and dispositions effortlessly, elevate a melody. ... [T]here's nothing childlike about Bear's music: While some of her classically informed ballads teeter on the edge of new age, she never quite falls into that hole; she already knows the difference between jazz and Muzak. With many super-talented children, there's often a sense that some sort of rote mechanism takes over and guides them, but Diversity feels like the work of an artist of depth and sensitivity."[40]

Also in 2013, she again performed with the Rockford Symphony as part of its salute to big bands.[1] She also composed the music for a national ad campaign for Weight Watchers, called "Simple Start".[41] The same year, WGN-TV presented the documentary "Girl with a Gift", exploring Bear's early promise.[42] The program won a 2014 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award.[43]

Ellen Marie Hawkins, in Relate magazine, commented about Diversity: "There's an excitement to this music, and ... I felt as if I was being whisked off with limitless energy, eager to see one thing and then just as quickly, experience another. ... I was smiling and I was dancing, and I was living through this music."[44] Bear has often donated a portion of her earnings to charity.[1][45] In July 2013 she participated in Quincy Jones 80th birthday concerts in Montreux, Switzerland,[46] Seoul, South Korea and in Japan.[47]

Bear performed in 2014 on The Queen Latifah Show, accompanying herself at the piano and singing "The Girl from Ipanema".[48] In concerts and on broadcasts, Bear has demonstrated her ability to compose musical stories and mood music improvisationally upon request.[49] In late 2014, she performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as well as her own compositions, with New Haven Symphony Orchestra,[50] Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra[51] and Performance Santa Fe Orchestra.[52] Holly Harris wrote for the Winnipeg Free Press: "After wowing the crowd with a two-hour program of jazz and classical music selections, [Bear] tossed off Gershwin's knuckle-busting Rhapsody in Blue as easily as child's play."[51] She also performed with her trio and cellist Dave Eggar at the ASCAP Centennial Awards in November.[53] Since 2014, Bear has led the Emily Bear Trio,[54] consisting of Bear, bassist Peter Slavov and drummer Mark McLean.[55]

In 2015, Bear won another ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award for her orchestral piece "Les Voyages".[56] At the Jazz Open Stuttgart 2015 jazz festival, she gave several concerts.[57][58] Bear appears on the 2015 Broadway Cast Recording of the musical Doctor Zhivago playing a solo piano version of "He's There".[59] The same year, she composed, orchestrated and performed an orchestral piece, "The Bravest Journey", for the event "Stars & Stripes: A Salute to Our Veterans", with Rockford Symphony before General Colin Powell, veterans and others in Rockford, Illinois.[60] She ended the year with her debut at Joe's Pub in New York City.[61]

In 2016, for the opening charity gala of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" street piano event in Mesa, Arizona, Bear re-orchestrated "The Bravest Journey" for 25 pianos.[62] The same year, Bear received a Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award, from the ASCAP Foundation, for her jazz song "Old Office".[63] In August 2016, she was featured in a Disney Channel program, performing the song "Reflection", from the film Mulan, with singer Laura Marano.[64] Also in 2016, Bear returned to Rockford Symphony to play "Les Voyages" and Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor.[65] She also played with her trio at the Gilmore Festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan,[5][66] and gave a concert with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, playing her own symphonic compositions "Santa Fe", "The Bravest Journey" and "Les Voyages", and George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.[67]

2017–2018: Into the Blue; Night of the Proms tour

[edit]

On January 27, 2017, Bear released a jazz EP, Into the Blue, with her trio, on her independent label, Edston Records.[68][69] The EP includes five original jazz songs and her arrangement of Richard Rodgers' "My Favorite Things".[70][71] Reviewing the album for All About Jazz, C. Michael Bailey wrote: "Bear demonstrates a capability well beyond her age. ... [She] tears percussively through her short and tightly composed originals 'Old Office' and 'Je Ne Sais Pas', before showing her willowy ballad chops on 'Araignee'. 'Tiger Lily' returns to up-tempo form, descending figures over a light, almost stride, beat. On 'My Favorite Things' the pianist surprises with an emotional depth translated into a mature lyricism."[72] Luiz Orlando Carneiro of Jornal do Brasil felt that "Old Office" is driven by chords that refer to Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia"; "Je ne sais" pas has a bossa nova beat; "Indigo", also with a bossa nova feel, is more melancholy; and "Tiger Lily" has a theme that recalls Thelonious Monk's "It's Over Now". He also noted that "Araingnée" (spider in French), is adapted from Bear's soundtrack for an animated film about two spiders competing to create increasingly elaborate webs inspired by famous works of art.[73] Mike Greenblatt of The Aquarian Weekly called the disc "a thoroughly delightful trio romp".[74] The EP debuted at No. 7 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.[75]

Bear at Night of the Proms 2017

In January 2017, Bear performed three of her pieces at Valley Performing Arts Center near Los Angeles, California, in a concert benefit for Save a Child's Heart, an Israel-based international humanitarian organization that provides lifesaving heart surgery for children in developing countries.[76] In 2017, she received her second ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award, for her song "Je ne sais pas",[77] and won a 2017 RAMI award for composition of the year.[78] Bear participated in Chicago, in March, in Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out! to benefit several human rights charities.[79][80] As a recipient of the Morton Gould Young Composers Award, she was commissioned to write a choral piece, "We have a dream" (with lyrics adapted from "I have a dream"), which she premiered and accompanied at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in New York City in May.[81] In June, Bear performed with her trio at the Blues'n'Jazz Festival in Rapperswil, Switzerland.[82]

In November 2017, Bear performed the piano score to The Cat Concerto live at the Hollywood Bowl, accompanying screenings of the 1947 Tom and Jerry short.[83][84] From late November to December, Bear performed at Night of the Proms 2017, a 25-concert arena tour in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. She was the youngest artist ever to appear at Night of the Proms.[85] In each concert, she played "Epilogue" from the film La La Land, led her orchestral/choir arrangements of "Skyfall" and "Crazy", composed an improvised musical story based on a suggestion by an audience member, and played "Bumble Bear Boogie" and part of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto, leading into "All by Myself" with John Miles, among other things.[86] Reviewers called Bear the highlight of the concerts[87] and the "discovery of the evening".[88]

Bear was a 2018 recipient of Illinois' Order of Lincoln Award, the state's highest honor for professional achievement and public service. She was the youngest recipient of that award.[89][90] At the award ceremony, she led the Rockford Symphony in her composition, "And Forever Free", celebrating "the spirit of Abraham Lincoln".[91] In May, Bear returned to the Hollywood Bowl to play two performances of the Freddy Martin piano and orchestra arrangement of "Bumble Boogie" live to the segment of the same name in the 1948 Disney film Melody Time as part of an evening that featured a live concert of the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack.[92] In June, Bear received a 2018 Abe Olman Scholarship at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards in New York City.[93] In July she performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago's Jay Pritzker Pavilion.[94]

2019–2021: Emotions; Bridgerton concept album

[edit]

In February 2019, Bear played with the World Doctors Orchestra in Israel to benefit Save a Child's Heart and also sang together with Ester Rada.[95] Bear composed and sang "More than Just a Girl" and "Daylight", two songs in the film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.[96] She also played the piano on the score for another 2019 film, A Dog's Journey.[97] The same year she returned to the Hollywood Bowl to play her new score to the 1938 Disney short film Merbabies, as part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of Disney's The Little Mermaid.[98]

Bear released an EP of pop songs, Emotions, in October 2019.[99] A single from the album, "I'm Not Alone" was released in April 2019 and featured in the TV show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.[100] She performed a second single, "Dancin'", on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in June.[101] Bear performed several concerts beginning in August 2019[102] and released the album's title track, "Emotions", in September.[103] The critic for Rockford Register Star wrote: "The songs pair her jazzy pop-charged vocals with her ability to write catchy tunes."[99] In April 2020, she arranged the music, accompanied and sang for a project involving 117 dancers, including Radio City Rockettes and Broadway dancers, titled Don'tcha Wanna Dance?.[104]

Bear met songwriter Abigail Barlow around 2019.[29] In 2021 they wrote songs together for a musical inspired by the first season of the Netflix series Bridgerton, livestreaming their songwriting and recording sessions, incorporating viewer suggestions, and posting demos of the songs on TikTok and other social media.[105][106] Members of Bidgerton's cast, the writer of the Bridgerton novels and Netflix expressed their admiration of the musical numbers.[107][108] Bear and Barlow received more than 300 million views[2] and 48 million likes on TikTok.[109] The two performed songs from the musical in New York City at Elsie Fest in August 2021[110] and in London in November with Bear at the piano.[111] Bear orchestrated and produced a concept album consisting of 15 of the songs, The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which she and Barlow released on September 10, 2021.[107][112] It debuted at No. 3 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 36 on the Top Album Sales chart, among other Billboard charts.[113] Bear and Barlow performed their song "Ocean Away" with Darren Criss at the Kennedy Center 50th anniversary concert in September, which aired on PBS on October 1, 2021.[114] The album won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.[115] Bear is the youngest Grammy nominee, and youngest winner, in the musical theater category to date.[116]

Also in 2021 Bear orchestrated and conducted "The Magic Is Calling", an anthem written to celebrate Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary,[117] scored, with Brooke Blair, two episodes of the streaming series The Premise,[118][119] and composed the music for the KCET documentary Life Centered: The Helen Jean Taylor Story, for which she won a 2022 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award.[120] She became a founding member of the Leadership Council of The Recording Academy's Songwriters & Composers Wing in 2021.[121]

2022–present

[edit]

Bear was listed on the Forbes' 2022 30 Under 30.[111] She plays the piano on the soundtrack to the game Syberia: The World Before (2022).[122] Early in 2022, Bear returned to play with the World Doctors Orchestra in Anguilla.[123] She and Barlow performed "Burn for You" from their Bridgerton album on Today in April[124] and "Alone Together" on The Kelly Clarkson Show in May,[125] and in July, Bear participated in the PBS concert A Capitol Fourth in Washington, D.C.[126] Also in July, Bear and Barlow performed their album live in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke, and guest stars including Kelli O'Hara, at the Kennedy Center.[127]

In late July 2022, Netflix sued Bear and Barlow in U.S. federal court for copyright infringement, claiming that they had objected to any for-profit live concerts of the songs.[108][128] The company discontinued the lawsuit in September 2022 after a reported settlement.[129] Also in 2022, Bear and Barlow were engaged by Taco Bell to write the music for Mexican Pizza: The Musical, with a book by Hannah Friedman, which featured Doja Cat and Dolly Parton. The satirical musical's true story concerns the eponymous fan-favorite item at Taco Bell, Mexican pizza, which was removed from, and later returned to, its menus.[130] The musical streamed on Taco Bell's TikTok and YouTube accounts on September 15, 2022.[131]

Bear composed the score of the Netflix film Dog Gone, based on the 2016 book by Pauls Toutonghi; the film and soundtrack album were both released in January 2023.[119][132] The release made Bear "the youngest person to ever score a feature film to be released on any streaming platform".[2] Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com called it "a fine score",[133] while Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK wrote:

The whole thing overflows with charm and warmth, and is awash in beautifully sentimental string passages, backed by appealing woodwind writing, and enlivened with moments of sprightly piano-led effervescence, light comedy, and entertaining action featuring lively guitars and jovial percussion. Some of the music occasionally has a country twang, both in its orchestrations, and in some of the slurred accents at the end of the string phrases, which increases its tonal appeal. [The score] is consistently enjoyable and dramatically engaging throughout ... [and is] by turns sprightly and lively, warmly nostalgic, and playfully comedic. ... [T]he orchestrations ... are, on the whole, terrific [and] bring a sense of sparkling movement, and a lightness of touch ... which just give the entire work an inviting and engaging personality. [T]he music is able to offer a variety of emotional touchstones and interesting thematic explorations in a limited timeframe.[134]

Bear and Barlow, along with Mark Sonnenblick, recreated musical numbers for which Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were famous in the upcoming film Fred & Ginger.[135] In mid-2023, Bear toured as the featured pianist for Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour[3][136] and appears in the concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.[137] Barlow and Bear wrote songs for the film Moana 2, the youngest composers, and the first female writing team for an animated Disney movie.[29][138] Two of their songs, "Beyond" and "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?", were nominated for the 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in an Animated Film,[139] and "Beyond" was nominated for a 2025 Society of Composers & Lyricists Award for Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production.[140] In 2024, Bear scored the indie film K-Pops!,[141] which a reviewer called a "killer soundtrack",[142] and the Netlix movie Our Little Secret.[143]

Discography

[edit]
  • Five Years Wise (2007)[144]
  • The Love in Us (2008)
  • Once Upon a Wish (2008)
  • Always True (2009)
  • Hope (2010)
  • Diversity (2013)
  • Into the Blue EP (2017)
  • Emotions EP (2019)
  • The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical (2021, with Abigail Barlow)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Arco, Paul Anthony. "Rockford's Emily Bear: Pianist, Composer & Kid", Northwest Quarterly, Winter 2014, accessed December 12, 2016
  2. ^ a b c Blake, Jason. "Whatever happened to Limelight’s Most Talented Kids in Classical Music?", Limelight, July, 28, 2023
  3. ^ a b Schobinger, Meghan. "Emily Bear on tour with Beyoncé", WIFR-LD, May 10, 2023
  4. ^ a b c Levine, Doug. "Musical Prodigy Emily Bear Wows Audiences Worldwide", Voice of America, May 31, 2013
  5. ^ a b c Purgahn, Chelsea. "14-year-old piano prodigy playing the Gilmore Festival has a story to tell", Mlive.com, May 11, 2016
  6. ^ a b c Caputo, Mike. "Piano-playing prodigy", LIHerald.com, November 15, 2007, accessed December 15, 2016
  7. ^ a b Davydovich, Alex. "Generation Z: Interview with Emily Bear", Piano Performer Magazine, March 22, 2017, Spring Issue 2017, Vol. 5
  8. ^ Rockford Public Schools "Graduations 2017: Guilford High School" at 37:07, YouTube, May 30, 2017
  9. ^ Hradecky, Maggie. "815: Emily Bear finds harmony at home in Rockford", Rockford Register Star, September 4, 2016; Dayton, Kels. "13-year old Emily Bear is already a world-class pianist and composer" Archived March 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, News8, WTNH.com, October 15, 2014, accessed December 15, 2016
  10. ^ a b WGN News. "The Next Mozart?", YouTube, May 15, 2008
  11. ^ a b c "Emily Bear Trio: Thirteen Year-Old Composer/Pianist Phenom – About Emily Bear", Dakotacooks.com, March 12, 2015, accessed May 16, 2022
  12. ^ a b c Wigmore, Mark. "Emily Bear – Canadian Solo debut" Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, BravoNiagara.org, May 2016
  13. ^ Braun, Georgette. "Pianist, 6, takes top RAMI Award", The Rockford Register Star, June 28, 2007, accessed December 31, 2018
  14. ^ "Rockford piano prodigy, 6, featured today on Ellen", Rockford Register Star, April 25, 2008, accessed December 31, 2018
  15. ^ Braun, Georgette. "Hugs all around at White House for piano prodigy", WickedLocal.com, March 25, 2008, accessed December 16, 2016
  16. ^ a b c Emily Bear resume, ASCAP.com, 2013, accessed December 12, 2016
  17. ^ Braun, Georgette. "Rockford piano prodigy to play role in Thanksgiving parade", Rockford Register Star, November 26, 2008, accessed December 15, 2016
  18. ^ "Emily Bear Back In National Spotlight" Archived August 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, MyStateline.com, June 15, 2009, accessed December 16, 2016
  19. ^ "Buy Emily Bear's Songs!", The Ellen DeGeneres Show, March 10, 2010, accessed May 17, 2009
  20. ^ "Emily Bear: Discography", AllMusic, accessed 6 October 2021
  21. ^ San Gabino, Michael. "Pianist Mary Sauer Retires from Chicago Symphony Orchestra After 57 Years of Service", WFMT.com, November 8, 2016, accessed December 11, 2016
  22. ^ Ragogna, Mike. "Diversity: A Conversation with Emily Bear...", The Huffington Post, May 7, 2013, accessed December 14, 2016
  23. ^ "Ron Sadoff Featured in WGN-TV Documentary on Emily Bear, Girl with a Gift" Archived January 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, New York University, July 8, 2016
  24. ^ a b "Tim Janis: The American Christmas Carol" Archived December 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Carnegie Hall, December 2, 2010, accessed January 4, 2018
  25. ^ "Emily Bear Performs on Dancing with the Stars" Archived December 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, MyStateline.com, November 9, 2010, accessed December 11, 2016
  26. ^ "His Holiness Speaks on Human Rights Awareness and Compassion at Two California Universities" Archived January 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, DalaiLama.com, May 5, 2011; and "Nation's Top Marketers to Join Special Keynote Speaker, His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama At Third Annual PTTOW! Youth Media And Innovation Summit" Archived December 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, TheStreet.com, April 26, 2011, accessed December 16, 2016
  27. ^ McKinley, James C. Jr. "Latest Quincy Jones Hyphenate? Manager", The New York Times, May 21, 2013, accessed December 13, 2016
  28. ^ a b Biography Archived June 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, emilybear.com, accessed September 29, 2013
  29. ^ a b c Avila. Daniela. "Meet Barlow & Bear: The Grammy-Winning Musical Duo Behind the Moana 2 Soundtrack", People, September 27, 2024
  30. ^ "Quincy Jones y Global Gumbo hacen vibrar a Peralada" Archived January 4, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Lasprovincias.es, July 21, 2011, accessed June 3, 2017 (in Spanish); "The Official New York CD Release Party for Emily Bear's Debut Record Diversity", (Le) Poisson Rouge, July 2013, accessed June 3, 2017
  31. ^ Katz, Michael. "Live Music: Quincy Jones' Global Gumbo All Stars at the Hollywood Bowl", Nathan East, September 9, 2011, accessed December 12, 2016
  32. ^ Veronique. "Art on Ice 2012: spectacular, a must see show", Vivamost.com, February 8, 2012, accessed December 12, 2016; Emily Bear Archived January 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Joe's Pub, October 16, 2015, accessed December 12, 2016; and "Art on Ice 2012 – Florent Amodio & Emily Bear" Archived December 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Art on Ice: Shows, accessed December 12, 2016
  33. ^ "Der heißeste Ball des Jahres", Madonna, May 18, 2012, accessed December 15, 2016 (German language)
  34. ^ "Life Ball: Steinway Flügel werden versteigert", Vienna.at, June 6, 2012, accessed December 15, 2016 (German language)
  35. ^ Van Cleve, Emily. "Solo show ideal for Broadway lovers", Albuquerque Journal, December 16, 2012, accessed December 8, 2016
  36. ^ "Emily Bear – Klein, aber oho", Jazz Echo, July 26, 2013, accessed December 14, 2016 (German language)
  37. ^ Collar, Matt. Diversity, Allmusic.com, accessed December 14, 2016
  38. ^ Jazz Albums for the week dated June 1, 2013, Billboard.com, accessed February 7, 2017
  39. ^ Traditional Jazz Albums, Billboard, June 1, 2013, accessed December 10, 2016
  40. ^ Tamarkin, Jeff. "Emily Bear: Diversity", JazzTimes, July 31, 2013, accessed December 13, 2016
  41. ^ "Emily Bear Bio", Concord Music Group, 2014, accessed December 10, 2016
  42. ^ "Girl with a Gift: Emily's start", WGN-TV, July 5, 2013, accessed December 8, 2016
  43. ^ "2013–2014 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Winners Announced", ChicagoRadioandMedia.com, November 3, 2014, accessed December 11, 2016
  44. ^ Hawkins, Ellen Marie. "Emily Bear: Diversity" Archived December 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Relate magazine, August 16, 2013, accessed December 13, 2016
  45. ^ "About the Performer: Emily Bear" Archived January 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Hollywood Bowl, 2011, accessed December 12, 2016
  46. ^ "Emily Bear", MontreuxJazz.com
  47. ^ Sandler, Eric. "Emily Bear: Quincy's Wunderkind", Revive, July 24, 2013, accessed December 11, 2016
  48. ^ Laurence, Emily. "Video: 13-year-old Emily Bears kills it on the piano", Metro.us, January 14, 2015
  49. ^ Braden, Susan. You ain't seen nothing yet till you see Emily Bear with the NHSO in Clinton"[permanent dead link], Shore Line Times, October 7, 2014, accessed December 8, 2016. See also "Story Music Scores by pianist & composer Emily Bear, age 11", Hallmark Channel, YouTube, May 17, 2013, accessed December 8, 2016 at 4:25; and Greene, David. "Don't Call this 12-Year-Old Concert Pianist a Prodigy", NPR Morning Edition, October 1, 2013, accessed December 8, 2016 at 5:40 of the audio link
  50. ^ Braden, Susan. "Shubert reopens with NHSO's 'American Rhapsody' and pianist Emily Bear", New Haven Register, October 11, 2014, accessed December 8, 2016
  51. ^ a b Harris, Holly. "Some note-worthy performances in 2014", Winnipeg Free Press, December 31, 2014, accessed December 8, 2016
  52. ^ Steinberg, David. "Child prodigy plays alongside Performance Santa Fe Orchestra", Albuquerque Journal, December 21, 2014, accessed December 15, 2016
  53. ^ Star, Connor. "Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Stephen Sondheim and Stevie Wonder Receive ASCAP Centennial Awards" Archived April 9, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, MStars News, November 18, 2014, accessed December 12, 2016; and "Emily Bear performs at the ASCAP Centennial Awards", ASCAP YouTube channel, March 16, 2015, accessed March 2, 2017
  54. ^ "Emily Bear Jazz Trio" Archived October 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Steamboat All Arts Festival, August 9, 2014, accessed December 12, 2016; and "Emily Bear Trio" Archived October 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Dakotacooks.com, April 19, 2015, accessed December 12, 2016
  55. ^ "Emily Bear Trio: Artists", TheGilmore.org, May 2016, accessed December 12, 2016
  56. ^ "ASCAP 16th Annual Concert Music Awards to Honor Julia Wolfe and American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)", ASCAP, May 20, 2015
  57. ^ Welke, Jan Ulrich. "Viel Programm, null Förderung", Stuttgarter-Zeitung.de, March 4, 2015, accessed December 14, 2016
  58. ^ "Jazz Open Stuttgart" Archived August 14, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Mercedes-Benz.com, July 2015, accessed December 11, 2016
  59. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Doctor Zhivago – Original Broadway Recording", AllMusic, July 31, 2015, accessed December 11, 2016
  60. ^ Haas, Kevin. "Gen. Colin Powell visits Rockford for salute to veterans", Rockford Register Star, October 11, 2015, December 11, 2016; and Gelfand, Janelle. "Post It", Symphony Magazine, League of American Orchestras, Winter 2016, pp. 50–51, accessed December 12, 2016
  61. ^ "Emily Bear Debuts at Joe's Pub", ASCAP.com, October 2015, accessed December 12, 2016
  62. ^ "Mesa Arts Center Foundation's Annual Gala Kicks off Street Pianos Mesa", AZRedbook.com, March 8, 2016; and Jade, Emma. "Street Pianos Mesa kicks off this week" Archived August 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, 12News, KPNX-TV, February 28, 2016
  63. ^ "The ASCAP Foundation Announces 2016 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award Recipients", The ASCAP Foundation, February 4, 2016, accessed July 29, 2016; and Santos, Ang."Emily Bear, 15 and Composing Jazz Beyond Her Years", WBGO, May 17, 2017
  64. ^ Hradecky, Maggie. "Rockford's Emily Bear to be featured in Disney Channel special Sunday", Rockford Register Star, August 27, 2016
  65. ^ "Tchaikovsky and Emily Bear" Archived August 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, RockfordSymphony.com, accessed December 8, 2016
  66. ^ "Festival Photos for May 12", TheGilmore.org, accessed April 30, 2017
  67. ^ Schrader, Barry. "Schrader: Kishwaukee Symphony brought us a genius", Daily Chronicle, October 12, 2016
  68. ^ "Big Week for Rockford Musician Emily Bear" Archived February 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, MyStateline.com, January 2017
  69. ^ Bear, Emily. "Into the Blue Available for Pre-Order Now!" Archived December 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, November 24, 2016
  70. ^ "15-Year-Old Musical Prodigy Emily Bear Set to Release Into The Blue" Archived December 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, DL Media Music, December 12, 2016
  71. ^ "Rockford's Emily Bear to release CD", Rockford Register Star, December 9, 2016
  72. ^ Bailey, C. Michael. "Piano – Emily Bear, Dan Cray, Lisa Hilton, Emmet Cohen, Julien Labro", All About Jazz, February 6, 2017
  73. ^ Carneiro, Luiz Orlando. "Emily Bear, a nova garota-prodígio do jazz" Archived February 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Jornal do Brasil, February 11, 2017 (in Portuguese)
  74. ^ Greenblatt, Mike. "Rant 'n' Roll: Spontaneous Composition, A Little Girl, A Dead Dude, A One-Man Band, Jazz Vocalese & A Sonny Rollins Acolyte", The Aquarian Weekly, March 8, 2017
  75. ^ Jazz Albums for the week dated February 18, 2017, Billboard.com, accessed February 7, 2017
  76. ^ Barrera, Sandra. "Musical prodigy Emily Bear scores with a 'Symphony of the Heart' benefit at Valley Performing Arts Center", Los Angeles Daily News, January 26, 2017; and Archuleta, Paul. "Save a Child's Heart's Symphony of the Heart'", Getty Images, January 29, 2017
  77. ^ "2017 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards Announced", NewMusicBox.org, February 17, 2017
  78. ^ "RAMI announces award winners", rrstar.com, April 26, 2017
  79. ^ Rudetsky, Seth. "What You Missed at Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley's Concert for America in Chicago", Playbill, March 21, 2017
  80. ^ "Photo Flash: Concert for America Stands Up and Sings Out in Chicago", BroadwayWorld.com, March 22, 2017
  81. ^ "New York Virtuoso Singers to Present ASCAP Young Composer Awards Concert", BroadwayWorld.com, May 9, 2017
  82. ^ Krapf, Johanna. "Regenschirme und donnernde Bässe am Obersee" Archived August 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (In German: "Umbrellas and thundering basses on the Obersee"), Zürichsee-Zeitung, July 2, 2017
  83. ^ "John Stamos, Weird Al to Star in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: In Concert", BroadwayWorld, September 19, 2017
  84. ^ Sweeny, Chuck. "At 16, Rockford's Emily Bear is a piano-playing superstar", Rockford Register Star, November 13, 2017
  85. ^ "Night of the Proms 2017: Die ersten Stars stehen fest"[permanent dead link], Ostthüringen Zeitung, May 30, 2017 (in German); "Tourdaten 2017", NOTP.com, accessed May 30, 2017 (in German); and "Program" Archived July 31, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, NOTP.com, accessed June 5, 2017
  86. ^ Hertogs, Bert. "Recensie Night of the Proms 2017", Concert News, Belgium, November 22, 2017 (in Dutch); Gohlisch, Stefan. "Night of the Proms in Hannover: Die Mischung macht's" Archived March 18, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Neue Presse, December 5, 2017 (in German)
  87. ^ Vandamme, Erik. "Verslag: Night of the Proms 2017: 'een vat boordevol uiteenlopende emoties' – 25/11/2017 – Sportpaleis (Antwerpen)", SnoozeControl.be, November 26, 2017; and Stephan, Wolfgang. "Hummelflug und Anti-Aging", Tageblatt, December 3, 2017 (subscription required)
  88. ^ Weiss, Ingo. "La La Land in der Schleyerhalle", Esslinger zeitung, December 21, 2017
  89. ^ Picken, Scott. "Two Stateline Residents to be Honored with 'Order of Lincoln'", MyStateline.com, September 15, 2017; and Sanders, Steve and Pam Grimes. "Emily Bear goes from piano prodigy to pop singer", WGN TV, May 8, 2018
  90. ^ "Lincoln Academy 2018 Convocation of Laureates Program", Lincoln Academy of Illinois, December 19, 2018, accessed December 31, 2018
  91. ^ "Our View: Be a part of the 'tears and cheers' to honor Illinois' finest citizens" Archived June 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, JournalStandard.com, April 28, 2018; and Poulisse, Adam. "Illinois' 'best of the best' honored at Lincoln Academy ceremony in Rockford", Rockford Register Star, May 5, 2018
  92. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Zooey Deschanel, Rebel Wilson, Taye Diggs Lead Cast for Beauty and the Beast Live at Hollywood Bowl", Billboard, March 12, 2018; and Willman, Chris. "Concert Review: Beauty and the Beast Gets Adoring Tribute at Hollywood Bowl", Variety, May 26, 2018
  93. ^ "Abe Olman Scholarship", Songwriters Hall of Fame, accessed May 4, 2018
  94. ^ "Independence Day Salute", Grant Park Music Festival, accessed March 13, 2018; and "Independence Day Salute", WFMT, July 4, 2018
  95. ^ Erel, Yuval."Music from the indie scene", Yuval Erel's blog, February 8, 2019; and Bear, Emily. "Emily Bear w/Ester Rada sing 'Could It Be' with the World Doctors Orchestra", Emilybearpiano, YouTube, February 20, 2019
  96. ^ Harris, Shannon. "Emily Bear's music to be heard in new Nancy Drew movie", 23wifr.com, March 11, 2019, accessed March 12, 2019
  97. ^ "A Dog's Journey Soundtrack Details", FilmMusicReporter.com, May 10, 2019
  98. ^ Gelt, Jessica. "The Little Mermaid live at the Hollywood Bowl with Lea Michele and Cheech Marin", Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2019; Celestino, Mike. "Review: The Little Mermaid Live-to-Film Concert Experience at the Hollywood Bowl", Laughing Place, May 20, 2019; and Bear, Emily. "Emily Bear 'Merbabies' Hollywood Bowl – original score", YouTube, May 20, 2019
  99. ^ a b Braun, Georgette. "Emily Bear releases new record Friday and will return to Rockford for a show next month", Rockford Register Star, October 17, 2019
  100. ^ "Emily Bear Releases New Single 'I'm Not Alone'", BroadwayWorld.com, May 2, 2019
  101. ^ Cantor, Brian. "Emily Bear Chats, Performs on Ellen DeGeneres Show", Headline Planet, June 4, 2019
  102. ^ "Rockford's own Emily Bear announces upcoming tour", MyStateline.com, July 19, 2019
  103. ^ "Emily Bear releases new single 'Emotions', begins her tour on Wednesday", MyStateline.com, September 15, 2019
  104. ^ "Video: 117 Dancers Around the World Come Together for Dontcha Wanna Dance?", April 22, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020
  105. ^ Fitzpatrick, Felicia. "Bridgerton is TikTok's Latest Musical – The Writers Share a Track and Discuss Future Plans", Playbill, January 22, 2021
  106. ^ Curran, Niamh. "Bridgerton the Musical: does the fate of the stage lie in the hands of TikTok?", Varsity, April 2, 2021
  107. ^ a b Jacobs, Julia. "TikTok to the Grammys: How a Bridgerton Musical Beat Broadway", The New York Times, April 4, 2022
  108. ^ a b Schwartz, Deanna. "The Netflix v. Unofficial Bridgerton Musical lawsuit, explained", NPR, August 4, 2022
  109. ^ Maskell, Emily. "Inside the Making of the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", Paper, September 14, 2021
  110. ^ Gans, Andrew. "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Concept Album Due in September", Playbill, August 4, 2021
  111. ^ a b Brown, Abram. "From Bella Poarch to a Bridgerton Musical, Meet Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Social Media", Forbes, December 1, 2021
  112. ^ Brethauer-Hamling, Taylor. "VIDEO: Barlow & Bear Release Music Video for 'Burn for You' from The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Concept Album", BroadwayWorld.com, September 10, 2021
  113. ^ "Heatseekers Albums", "Top Album Sales", "Independent Albums", "Emerging Artists", and "Top Current Album Sales", Billboard, September 25, 2021
  114. ^ Marsh, Kayla. "All Is Bright Again: Inside The Kennedy Center's Star-Studded 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert", District Fray, September 16, 2021; and Tumilowicz, Danielle. "Rockford's Emily Bear to perform Bridgerton original at Kennedy Center Concert", WIFR, August 27, 2021; and Hautzinger, Daniel. "The Stars Celebrating the Kennedy Center's 50th Anniversary on PBS", WTTW, October 1, 2021
  115. ^ Tangcay, Jazz. "Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Becomes First Grammy-Winning Album to Originate on TikTok", Variety, April 3, 2022
  116. ^ Burack, Emily. "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Wins a Grammy", Town & Country, April 4, 2022
  117. ^ Curry, Corina. "Rockford's Emily Bear after Grammy win: 'I want to thank my amazing family'", Rockford Register Star, April 4, 2022; and Tuttle, Brittani. "'The Magic Is Calling' anthem revealed for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary", Attractions Magazine, August 13, 2021
  118. ^ Coiro, Alessandra. "TV series to watch in November 2021", October 28, 2021
  119. ^ a b "Emily Bear Scoring Stephen Herek's Netflix Film Dog Gone", FilmMusicReporter.com, December 14, 2022
  120. ^ Schneider, Michael. "KCET Once Again Leads Local LA Emmys; KTLA, KVEA, KNBC Win Newscast Awards", Variety, July 24, 2022
  121. ^ Grein, Paul. "Recording Academy Names Songwriters & Composers Wing Leadership Council", Billboard, August 24, 2021
  122. ^ Hunter, Paul. "NextGen Take - Syberia: The World Before", NextGenPlayer.com, November 17, 2022; and Kelly, Sharon. "Vinyl Edition of Syberia: The World Before Soundtrack Announced", UDiscoverMusic.com, January 21, 2022
  123. ^ "World Doctors Orchestra performs a Night of Magnificent Classical Music", The Anguillan, March 29, 2022
  124. ^ "Emily Bear & Abigail Barlow (Barlow & Bear) Perform on Today Show after Grammy Awards", YouTube, April 15, 2022
  125. ^ "Barlow & Bear Perform 'Alone Together' From Grammy-Winning Bridgerton Musical Album", YouTube, May 18, 2022
  126. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Watch Complete PBS Broadcast A Capitol Fourth, Featuring West Side Story Tribute with Chita Rivera and Cynthia Erivo", Playbill, July 5, 2022
  127. ^ "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical: Live in Concert", Kennedy Center, accessed July 27, 2022; and Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Solea Pfeiffer, Ephraim Sykes, Kelli O'Hara & More Join The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert", BroadwayWorld.com, July 7, 2022
  128. ^ Haring, Bruce. "Netflix Sues Bridgerton the Musical Creators for Infringement, Seeks Halt to Live Stagings", Deadline, July 29, 2022, accessed July 30, 2022
  129. ^ Maddaus, Gene. "Netflix Settles Copyright Lawsuit Over Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", Variety, September 23, 2022
  130. ^ "Barlow & Bear sign on for Taco Bell inspired TikTok musical", WIFR, May 11, 2022; and Saad, Nardine. "Dolly and Doja? What is happening with Taco Bell's bizarre Mexican Pizza musical?", Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2022
  131. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Video: Watch Dolly Parton, Barlow & Bear and More in Mexican Pizza: The Musical on TikTok", BroadwayWorld, September 16, 2022
  132. ^ Herek, Stephen. "Dog Gone Soundtrack Album Details", Film Music Reporter, January 12, 2023
  133. ^ Minow, Nell. "Dog Gone", RogerEbert.com, January 13, 2023
  134. ^ Broxton, Jonathan. "Dog Gone – Emily Bear", Movie Music UK, February 1, 2023
  135. ^ Wiseman, Andreas. "Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Biopic", Deadline.com, February 13, 2023
  136. ^ Bos, Christian. "Beyoncé huldigt bei Köln-Konzert queerer Clubkultur und liefert überwältigenden Abend", Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, June 16, 2023 (in German); DeLuca, Dan. "Review: Beyoncé is indomitable as the Renaissance Tour plays its first American show in Philly", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 13, 2023; and Spera, Keith. "Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour stop in New Orleans", nola.com, September 28, 2023
  137. ^ Duffey, Thomas. "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023): A Finely Rendered Look at the Life, Music and Performances of a True Superstar", FilmBook, December 2, 2023
  138. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. "Beyond the sea: Moana 2's Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reflect on the unexpected path to their surprise sequel", Entertainment Weekly, September 12, 2024; Venkat, Mia, Ari Shapiro, Christopher Intagliata. "Moana 2 songwriters made history as 1st all-female team to lead a Disney soundtrack", NPR, December 6, 2024
  139. ^ Grein, Paul. "'Emilia Pérez' Leads 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations: Full List", Billboard, November 6, 2024
  140. ^ Pedersen, Erik. "Society of Composers & Lyricists Cues Up 2025 SCL Awards Nominations", Deadline, December 18, 2024
  141. ^ "Emily Bear Scoring Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops, Film Music Reporter, August 13, 2024
  142. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "TIFF 2024: The Life of Chuck, Nightbitch, K-Pops!", RogerEbert.com, September 8, 2024
  143. ^ "Emily Bear Scoring Stephen Herek’s Netflix Film Our Little Secret, Film Music Reporter, October 14, 2024
  144. ^ "Youngest artists to release albums in history, from Stevie Wonder to North West", TheNationalNews.com, March 16, 2024
[edit]