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Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the video streaming service strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and world music. Co-founded and curated by Quincy Jones, the channel preserves the richness of history, ...
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- 09/16/202109/16/2021
Classical Music as Soul Food: Qwest TV’s Globetrotting Classical Music Month Focuses on the Best, from Opera to Orchestras
In welcoming Classical Music Month, Qwest TV is celebrating classical music in all its bold colors this September.
Qwest TV’s co-founder, Quincy Jones, is sharing his boundary-breaking outlook and lifelong love of classical music through 5 Qwest TV Originals in collaboration with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, including classics like La Traviata and Così Fan Tutti, as well as three new orchestral programs from the opera’s symphony. Qwest TV is also highlighting...
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In welcoming Classical Music Month, Qwest TV is celebrating classical music in all its bold colors this September.
Qwest TV’s co-founder, Quincy Jones, is sharing his boundary-breaking outlook and lifelong love of classical music through 5 Qwest TV Originals in collaboration with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, including classics like La Traviata and Così Fan Tutti, as well as three new orchestral programs from the opera’s symphony. Qwest TV is also highlighting its first special guest curator from the classical world, South African opera superstar Pretty Yende, an interview with whom is also featured exclusively in Qwest TV’s 12 Qwestions series.
This special focus provides the perfect opportunity to dive into Qwest TV’s classical music content, including playlists built on the world’s best orchestras (like this tribute to the symphony) and cross pollinations between classical, jazz, and global music (find the latest releases here).
Quincy Jones notes: “When my partners and I founded Qwest TV, all we really wanted was to create a community for all things jazz and beyond. From hip-hop to dance, to funk and electro, to RnB and of course, classical music!” So, it makes my soul smile to share some exclusive, top-of-the-top content filmed this year at the great Opera Royal de Wallonie, in Belgium—one of the main lyrical stages in Europe. And Qwest TV subscribers and lovers now have access to content from artists such as Pablo Arrivabeni, Christophe Rousset, and Daniel Oren! Big-time love and props to Opera Royal de Wallonie!”
For Qwest TV, curation isn't bound by genre or geography, and exploration is the key to a rich user experience. “We remove the cultural boundaries that exist between different music types and encourage engagement beyond borders and restrictive taste parameters,” explains Qwest TV co-founder and CEO Reza Ackbaraly. “There are so many stunning examples of cross pollination: Toumani Diabate plays classical music with his Symmetric Orchestra in Mali. Indian raga is just as sophisticated as the Western repertoire and has influenced a generation of contemporary composers in America and Europe. Many jazz greats started in classical music, like Friedrich Gulda, and are heavily influenced by it throughout their careers.
At Qwest TV, Classical Music Month is all about unpacking assumptions and broadening taste horizons. Jones himself undertook a long journey to explore the possibilities of classical music, a genre that was closed off to him as a black artist and arranger in the US. With doors closed at home he headed to France to study with the incomparable Nadia Boulanger. Jones recalls, “Nadia Boulanger used to tell me ‘Quincy, there’s only 12 notes and until we get to 13 notes, Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Bird, Basie … all used the same notes.” Jones took these words to heart and incorporated classical technique into his work, including on hit pop records.
Qwest TV is now opening up the world’s symphony halls and opera houses to new audiences. As Pretty Yende passionately insisted in a recent exclusive interview for Qwest TV, the coolness and soulfulness of the classical repertoire needs exposure in new places. “More platforms have to give a chance to opera like they do for pop or rock or even soccer. They need to open that door for the kids to know that it’s not just an exclusive, old-fashioned art form...No, it’s so cool! Opera is super cool! If you don’t listen to it, you are missing out. As the Americans might say, ‘it’s soul food,’ it really really is.”
Qwest TV
Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand experiences on offer, the video streaming service strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, electronic and global music, from India to Africa and everywhere in between. Co-founded and curated by Quincy Jones and a series of legends and music lovers, the channel preserves the richness of history while reflecting the present-day beauty and reality of culturally and racially diverse people.
Qwest TV + September New Releases in Classical and Dance
Czech Philharmonic: Simon Rattle With Magdalena Kozena & Simon O’Neill
Mahler Symphony No. 9 - Semyon Bychkov, Czech Philharmonic
Nelsons Gewandhaus Leipzig / Dvorak 9
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 - Yannick Nézét-Seguin, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Semyon Bychkov: Berio and Dvorak - Czech Philharmonic
Vasily Petrenko Conducts The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Dvorak, Beethoven
Fabio Luisi: Mahler - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Antonio Gades: Suite Flamenca - Teatro Real
Antonio Gades: Fuenteovejuna - Teatro Real
All new releases seen here.
Qwest TV Classical Live Channel highlights: September
Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata Royal Opera of Wallonia Liège - 25/09/2021
Hervé Koubi What the Day Owes to the Night - 30/09/2021
All September primetimes can be seen here
Qwest TV has partnered with Local Now, the free, ad-supported streaming service featuring hundreds of live channels, on-demand films and TV content. With this partnership, Qwest TV will now be freely accessible to millions of viewers in the US, bringing the musical vision of Quincy Jones to their screens.
“Local Now is our latest partner in bringing more high-caliber and genre-defying music performances to American viewers,” explains Qwest TV CEO and Co-founder Reza Ackbaraly. “By presenting this music in a new format to new audiences, we’re striving to tear down the barriers that separate different cultures and limit our listening habits. Partnering with an innovative company like Local Now solidifies Qwest TV’s position as the global leader working to ensure openness, curiosity, and inclusivity in our artistic and cultural consumption. We are proud to join an increasingly diverse roster of channels that Local Now has been adding to its service.”
The first exclusive Qwest TV livestream airing on Local Now will be from the Atlanta Jazz Festival taking place on Labor Day weekend (September 5-6). Qwest TV’s mission to make great jazz performances accessible to everyone around the world aligns with Atlanta Jazz Festival’s key cultural and community role “in a city with incredibly deep and important music roots,” as Quincy Jones remarked. The festival will feature the jazz greats Patti Austin, Archie Shepp and Ron Carter, as well as musicians from younger generations like Jazzmeia Horn, Isaiah Sharkey, and Theo Croker, among others.
With the latest addition to Local Now’s library, Qwest TV’s linear channels are now reaching more than 149+ million viewers in 50+ countries across the globe. “When it comes to experiencing art, access is key,”Ackbaraly says. “Access to high-quality performances and ideas lies at the core of our mission; it’s what drove Quincy and I to found Qwest TV to begin with. Local Now helps us continue to achieve this mission by bringing our content to viewers for free on their device of choice.”
Qwest TV’s linear channels show how artistry, not genres or geography, can guide music enjoyment. They regularly present incandescent concerts by popular artists, back to back with groundbreaking moments in musical history. James Brown and Stan Getz, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu, Anderson.Paak and Yo-Yo Ma can all appear in a single evening’s programming, inviting music fans to hear the connections and feel the connectedness. Channels include:
Qwest TV Classical (including opera, ballet, and exciting concerts from around the world)
Qwest TV Jazz & Beyond (jazz to soul, funk, blues and global music)
Qwest TV Mix (indie rock, electronic, and roots-driven artists from around the world who defy style boundaries)
Local Now offers localized content including news, traffic updates, and weather information based on the users’ zip code, as well as hundreds of free channels, movies and TV shows. Viewers can access Local Now on a range of devices that include Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, Vizio and Hisense smart TVs, and Android and iOS devices.
About Qwest TV
Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the premium video hub strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and music from around the world. Qwest TV’s services include three premium linear television channels (in 5 languages with worldwide rights), Ad-supported Video On Demand (in 5 languages with worldwide rights) and a Subscription Video on Demand Platform (available globally, in 3 languages).
About Local Now
The Allen Media Group digital platform Local Now is the leading free-streaming service for local news and entertainment in America, delivering localized content to over 225 markets in the U.S. and boasting an endless supply of movies and TV shows from Hollywood's biggest studios. It offers hundreds of live channels that feature an extensive roster of local and national news, superstar talent and marquee content partners. Local Now's state-of-the-art streaming platform also delivers original local news, weather and information, customized by market, so viewers can easily stay connected to what matters to them most. Local Now is available on nearly all platforms across OTT on connected TV, Mobile and Web. For more information, please visit: www.localnow.com.
Live stream the Meadow Stage performances on Labor Day weekend, September 5 and 6, 2021 with one month of free access to Qwest TV
Atlanta - August 4, 2021 - Qwest TV, a premium video streaming service focused on music-related content, is joining forces with the 43rd annual Atlanta Jazz Festival as its exclusive broadcast partner. The festival, free to all for nearly half a century, unites jazz icons and newcomers for a weekend of powerful performances in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. On Labor Day weekend, September 5 and 6, 2021, jazz lovers around the world can stream the Atlanta Jazz Festival’s Meadow Stage performances through Qwest TV’s exclusive livestream. Qwest TV will also offer fans one month of free access to its platform beginning August 4 with code “atlantajazz “ on qwest.tv/atlantajazz.
In addition to an inspiring lineup of emerging artists, the Atlanta Jazz Festival features multiple seasoned jazz greats. Thanks to a soaring, deeply expressive voice, Patti Austin (September 5) has effortlessly glided between the worlds of jazz and pop, collaborating with everyone from George Benson to Michael Jackson. Revered saxophone player and music scholar Archie Shepp (September 6) has innovated African-American musical lineages for decades, playing with greats like John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor, before further exploring new territory in his work with European jazz performers and spiritual master musicians from Morocco. Part of the Miles Davis Quintet, master double-bassist Ron Carter holds the world record as the most recorded bassist of all time and has won two GRAMMYs for his highly creative work.
"It truly makes my soul smile to announce that my beloved Qwest TV will be exclusive broadcast partner to the Atlanta Jazz Festival, a beacon of free culture in a city with incredibly deep and important music roots!” said Quincy Jones. “Catch true legends alongside today's trailblazers from the festival's AMAZING concert schedule only on Qwest TV, my HD and 4K streaming platform. It's free to sign up and join a family of diverse music lovers. "
“The Atlanta Jazz Festival encapsulates everything we strive for as a streaming service dedicated to the world’s best, genre-defying music,” explained Reza Ackbaraly, co-founder and CEO of Qwest TV. “The Festival’s dedication to the community and the access provided for anyone hoping to hear high-caliber music both resonate with our mission, which is to give as many people as possible access to the best, most creative musical performances out there.”
To emphasize this spirit of arts accessibility, Qwest TV will offer Atlanta Jazz Festival fans one month of free access to its extensive, carefully curated collection of 1,300+ key concerts and performances from around the world. Beginning August 4, fans can sign up for the free trial using code “atlantajazz” on qwest.tv/atlantajazz.
Qwest TV will broadcast from the Festival’s Meadow Stage on September 5 and 6 via its SVOD service and its live channel, Qwest TV Jazz and Beyond. Qwest TV will also share exciting interviews and other content focusing on the festival’s artists and their music lineages and visions. Artists featured on the broadcast will include:
Sunday, September 5, 2021
1 p.m. – Karla Harris
3 p.m. – Ryan Kilgore
5 p.m. – Jazzmeia Horn
7 p.m. – Ron Carter
9 p.m. – Patti Austin
Monday, September 6, 2021
1 p.m. – Isaiah Sharkey
3 p.m. – Laurin Talese
5 p.m. – Theo Croker
7 p.m. – Sean Jones
9 p.m. – Archie Shepp
“Music, and jazz in particular, is a foundational part of Atlanta’s identity,” explains Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “We’re excited to share our event and our community with music fans around the world, thanks to this partnership with Qwest TV.”
For a full festival lineup, see atlantafestivals.com/.
RSVP to the Facebook event: Day 1 and Day 2
About Qwest TV
Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the premium video hub strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and music from around the world. Qwest TV’s services include three premium linear television channels (in 5 languages with worldwide rights), Ad-supported Video On Demand (in 5 languages with worldwide rights) and a Subscription Video on Demand Platform (available globally, in 3 languages).
For more visit qwest.tv, follow on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Access Image and Video asset library here.
About Atlanta Jazz Festival
The Atlanta Jazz Festival is regarded as one of the country’s largest free jazz festivals and invites music lovers from around the region to be immersed in jazz music culture. Mayor Maynard Jackson founded the festival to promote the art form that originated in the south. The Atlanta Jazz Festival is an annual musical showcase that celebrates jazz legends and features up and coming jazz performers in venues throughout metropolitan Atlanta, usually culminating on Memorial Day weekend with performances at Piedmont Park.
For more information, please visit www.atlantafestivals.com and follow Atlanta Jazz Festival on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Fans also can access information on the go by visiting the mobile channel, ATLJazzFest.com, from their smart device.
Qwest TV is partnering with Plex, the free entertainment streaming service with thousands of movies, shows, and channels, to give tens of millions of viewers around the world access to the musical vision of Qwest TV co-founder Quincy Jones. With many successful partnerships in place around the world, Plex is the first device-agnostic way to access Qwest TV’s curated channels in the USA.
“Plex is our latest step in bringing more world-changing and genre-defying music to more viewers,” Qwest TV CEO and Co-founder Reza Ackbaraly explains Ackbaraly. “By presenting this music in a new format to new audiences, we’re striving to tear down the barriers that separate different cultures and that limit our listening habits. Digital platforms are too often dictated by algorithms that create echo chambers with our own cultural background and previous experience. Partnering with an innovative company like Plex solidifies Qwest TV’s position as the global leader working to ensure openness, curiosity, and inclusivity in our artistic and cultural consumption.”
Qwest TV’s linear channels are now reaching more than 149+ million viewers. “When it comes to experiencing art, access is key,”Ackbaraly says. “Access to high-quality performances and ideas lies at the core of our mission; it’s what drove Quincy and me to found Qwest TV to begin with. Plex furthers this by bringing our content to viewers wherever they like to watch.”
Qwest TV’s linear channels show how artistry, not genres or geography, can guide music enjoyment. They regularly present incandescent concerts by popular artists, back to back with groundbreaking moments in musical history. James Brown and Stan Getz, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu, Anderson.Paak and Yo-Yo Ma can all appear in a single evening’s programming, inviting music fans to hear the connections and feel the connectedness. Channels include:
Qwest TV Classical (including opera, ballet, and exciting concerts from around the world)
Qwest TV Jazz & Beyond (jazz to soul, funk, blues and global music)
Qwest TV Mix (indie rock, electronic, and roots-driven artists from around the world who defy style boundaries)
Plex has been offering a plethora of quality films, shows, and streaming entertainment for free for more than a decade. No special device or smart TV is required to access the Plex app, which viewers can enjoy on everything from phones and tablets to game consoles and connected TVs.
About Qwest TV
Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the premium video hub strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and music from around the world. Qwest TV’s services include three premium linear television channels (in 5 languages with worldwide rights), Ad-supported Video On Demand (in 5 languages with worldwide rights) and a Subscription Video on Demand Platform (available globally, in 3 languages).
To enquire about a broadcast partnerships with Qwest TV, please contact:
Raphael Bernardinello
Head of Global Distribution, Qwest TV
raphael.bernardinello.ext@qwest.tv
Access Image Library here
Access July programming highlights here
For more visit qwest.tv, follow on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.
About Plex
Plex is a globally available one-stop-shop streaming media service offering thousands of free movies and TV shows and hundreds of free-to-stream live TV channels from the biggest names in entertainment, including Lionsgate, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Sony Pictures Television, Sinclair Broadcast Group, AMC, A+E, and Crackle. Backed by Intercap and Kleiner Perkins, Plex is the only streaming service that lets users manage their personal media alongside a continuously growing library of free third-party entertainment spanning all genres, interests, and mediums including podcasts, music, and more. With a highly customizable interface and smart recommendations based on the media you enjoy, Plex brings its users the best media experience on the planet from any device, anywhere. Watch for free here, and for hot takes and deep dives on all things entertainment check out Plex blog The Gist.
For more visit plex.tv, follow @plex on Twitter, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
Qwest TV, co-founded by music icon Quincy Jones, has secured its first major US cable partnership, joining Xfinity On Demand. The entire SVOD catalog—1,300+ high-caliber concerts, documentaries, and performances from around the world—will be available June 1st to Comcast Xfinity customers.
The partnership offers a new kind of musical experience to the American public with content hand-curated by musicians and experts, as opposed to the algorithm-led culture of mainstream video platforms.
“We are very proud to announce this partnership with Comcast,” said Quincy Jones. “Qwest TV’s roots are in Jazz and all of the music that was born from and inspired by it, and we are excited to share its enormous influence on all types of diverse music from around the world with the American audience. I have always believed we are all enhanced as human beings when we understand where we come from, and there is no better way to do that than by exploring each other’s cultural roots through music. Qwest TV is a hub for celebrating that shared language.”
The expansion is part of an ongoing commitment from Xfinity to increasing access to best-in-class Black programming and amplifying Black voices and stories and providing a platform for the next generation of Black storytellers. Xfinity currently offers its customers access to more than 100 independent networks targeted to deliver content that centers on culturally diverse audiences.
As part of Xfinity’s celebration of Black Music Month, Quincy Jones has curated a special playlist shining a light on African American artists and music which will be featured in the Black Experience section Xfinity launched in February 2021, which features the best in Black storytelling and was endorsed by the African American Film Critics Association. In addition, Qwest TV will be free to users from June 7th to June 13th—no credit card or email needed.
Though this is Qwest TV’s first major expansion into the US market, it has a substantial footprint around the world. Thanks to agreements with Samsung TV Plus, Vizio, and Rakuten TV, among others, Qwest TV can be found on 149M+ devices. Music lovers on five continents can dive deeper into their favorite jazz, classical, world, or other popular music or discover new artists and styles thanks to Qwest TV’s painstaking curation.
“Our content speaks volumes about our mission: to connect people with artistry in a welcoming, exciting way,” added Qwest TV Co-founder and CEO Reza Ackbaraly. “Our ongoing expansion and growing subscriber base demonstrate the viability of, and need for, different music content. You can find mainstream artists everywhere but when you want to go deeper into curated music with exceptional live performances and documentaries, there was no place to go—until now. I’m happy that Comcast celebrates diversity with us.”
“We are passionate about offering the best and most robust collection of culture-driven programming and entertainment available anywhere,” added Keesha Boyd, Executive Director, Multicultural Video & Entertainment, Xfinity Consumer Services. “Through our partnership with Qwest TV, we’re able to bring diverse music programming to our platforms while continuing to expand access to high-quality content that celebrates the stories and achievements of the Black community.”
For more information, visit qwest.tv and @qwesttv
About Qwest TV on Xfinity
Users will be able to watch Qwest TV’s entire catalogue directly on their Xfinity TV On Demand service on Xfinity 1. This will cost users $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually. The easiest way to subscribe to Qwest TV by saying “Qwest TV” into your X1 Voice Remote.
About Qwest TV
Qwest TV (qwest.tv) is a celebration of unique talents, traditions, and rhythms. With more than a thousand music-related experiences on offer, the premium video hub strives to be the world’s home for jazz, soul, funk, classical, and music from around the world. Qwest TV’s services include three premium linear television channels (in 5 languages with worldwide rights), Ad-supported Video On Demand (in 5 languages with worldwide rights) and a Subscription Video on Demand Platform (available globally, in 3 languages).
To enquire about a broadcast partnerships with Qwest TV, please contact:
Raphael Bernardinello, Head of Global Distribution, Qwest TV
raphael.bernardinello.ext@qwest.tv
About Comcast Xfinity
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.