‭FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‬

‭ RTONIC STRING QUARTET AND SOPRANO TASHA KOONTZ PERFORM WORLD PREMIERE OF‬
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‭WORK GIVING VOICE TO FEMALE VICTIMS OF FAT LEONARD SCANDAL‬

‭ an Diego, CA‬‭,‬‭September 25, 2023‬‭– The Artonic String‬‭Quartet, in collaboration with Soprano‬
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‭Tasha Koontz, will perform works by composers John Adams, Tommy Dougherty, and Caroline‬
‭Shaw. The event is scheduled to take place on‬‭Tuesday‬‭November 7, 2023,‬‭at‬‭University of San‬
‭Diego’s Peace and Justice Theater‬‭.‬

‭ resented by the Fortissima Collective, this concert is a highlight of the California Festival: A‬
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‭Celebration of New Music, dedicated to showcasing works composed within the last five years.‬

‭ he Handbag Aria,‬‭a composition by Tommy Dougherty‬‭with text by Emma Grimsley, will be a‬

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‭featured centerpiece of the evening. This piece was specifically written for this event and serves‬
‭as the inaugural installment of the opera series‬‭The‬‭Schemes and Scandals of “Fat Leonard,”‬‭which‬
‭delves into the scandalous events that sent shockwaves through the U.S. Navy.‬

I‭n the words of librettist Emma Grimsley, “‬‭In 2013,‬‭Malaysian military contractor Leonard Glenn‬
‭Francis (known as “Fat Leonard”) was arrested in San Diego in an NCIS raid after years of‬
‭maintaining control of the U.S. Navy’s massive Seventh Fleet. At his hands, the Navy—a pillar of the‬
‭American understanding of honor— had fallen prey to unthinkable corruption and the largest‬
‭military security breach since the Cold War. Schemes and Scandals unearths the unheard female‬
‭voices buried in the rubble of the far-reaching but largely under-publicized scandal to ask what is‬
‭left when “honor,” patriotism, and the men who cling to them crumble.”‬

‭ lso featured on the program are selections from John Adams’ Book of Alleged Dances and‬
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‭Caroline Shaw’s‬‭And So.‬‭The program will also include‬‭a presentation by the Retired U.S. Navy‬
‭Commodore Robert Gonzales, a USD PhD candidate and leading Fat Leonard scholar.‬

‭ on't miss this unique opportunity to witness a blend of extraordinary talent and contemporary‬
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‭musical artistry.‬

‭Event Details:‬

‭‬
● ‭ ate:‬‭Tuesday, November 7, 2023‬
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‭●‬ ‭Time:‬‭7:30pm‬
‭●‬ ‭Location:‬‭University of San Diego's Peace and Justice‬‭Theater‬
‭●‬ ‭Address:‬‭5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110‬
‭●‬ ‭Tickets:‬
‭https://www.eventbrite.com/e/california-festival-concert-songs-and-a-scandal-tickets-6‬
‭45741098007‬
‭●‬ ‭Website:‬‭https://tsdoughertycomposer.com/the-schemes-and-scandals-of-fat-leonard/‬

‭For media inquiries or to request press passes, please contact:‬

‭Julie Pautz - Artonic String Quartet -‬‭Julia.pautz@gmail.com‬‭– 619-655-7466‬