Introducing… Sleepover at the Museum
A new multimedia orchestral work by composer and author Karen LeFrak
based on her acclaimed children’s book
Featured by The New York Philharmonic in March 2020
and NOW AVAILABLE for family orchestral programming worldwide
“Sleepover at the Museum by Karen LeFrak is charming, and the music accessible and imaginative. LeFrak’s composition retained a sense of purity and simplicity that was fitting to its young target audience. She succeeded in capturing the features of each scavenger hunt clue with clever instrumentation and musical motives. The work included a re-fashioned jubilant “Happy Birthday” scored for the full orchestra, before the majestic ending of the Epilogue.” — South Florida Classical Review
Imagine spending your birthday at a museum! That’s exactly what Mason had planned for his birthday, and now symphony orchestras can take young audiences on an adventure at the natural history museum with Mason and his friends. Follow them in a musical and scientific expedition as they embark on a scavenger hunt through the many exhibits that make any natural history museum special. Perfect for museum lovers and adventure-seekers alike!
The Museum of Natural History is Mason’s favorite place to visit and he can’t wait to celebrate his birthday with a sleepover there, but first he has to scout for the best place to spend the night. Armed with headlamps for the dark hallways, a map, and a list of clues, Mason and his two best friends take off on a scavenger hunt through each hall of the museum to solve the clues and to find out where to stay over! Sleeping next to a T. rex in the Hall of Dinosaurs feels too scary. And sleeping with the monarch butterflies would probably tickle. This decision isn’t as easy as Mason thought it would be…. Wherever they end up, the museum at night is the best place for a birthday adventure!
Instrumentation:
3fl, 2ob, 3cl, 2bsn, 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, tuba, timp, 3 percussion, harp, piano/celeste, strings, narrator
Duration:
30 minutes
WATCH CLIP FROM WORLD PREMIERE
with Miami Symphony Orchestra
What Critics Are Saying…
“this story full of mystery, excitement, and fantasy is a must-attend and unique event for all the family.”
— Biscayne Bay Tribune
“an unforgettable night as MISO commissioned the world premiere of “Sleepover at the Museum” by Karen LeFrak”
— WorldRedEye.com
“This is a whale of a tale to hopefully inspire more museum trips for children and spark some inquisitive minds.”
— School Library Journal
“An imaginative introduction to visiting museums.”
— Booklist
“Karen LeFrak’s brilliant new book… adventurous nighttime romp through the American Museum of Natural History’s dark halls will pique young imaginations and inspire future museum adventures. no bones about it, this whale of a tale is one adventure your child will love to discover over and over again.”
— Little Kid Big City blog
“Sleeping over at any kind of museum is every kid’s dream…. Sleepover at the Museum realizes this dream and sends imaginations flying. It’s a great introduction to different reading formats, and exposes kids to newer/harder words — behemoth anyone? It invites readers to join the fun, it’s a fun story and the illustrations are inviting.”
— Cracking the Cover
“Books like this not only foster a love of reading, but of learning and exploring the world around them.”
— Kids Brain Blog
“This book is adorable and sure to be a hit with kids. It’s fun because you get to solve the clues along with Mason and his two best friends…definitely on my top 10 of 2019 and I’m pretty sure it will stay there.”
— Picture Books to YA.com
About Karen:
Composer and author Karen LeFrak has created vibrant, affecting musical scores that have been presented in major concert halls across the globe. Inspired by her passion for classical piano, which began when she started playing the instrument at age three, she is an ardent champion of musical and literary education for young people.
Her music has been heard at such leading venues as the Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Bethel Woods Arts Center (on its Chamber Music Series), Boca Raton and Napa Music Festivals, and the White House – where her musical work Acceptance was recently honored at the International Women’s Day Luncheon – and her scores have been recorded by the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, and Gloriosa Trio (on Colorado Public Radio). Her compositions have been commissioned and performed by a wide variety of prominent institutions and artists worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic (which presents her Sleepover at the Museum in the 2019-20 season), American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey and San Francisco Ballets, the New York University and Juilliard School Percussion Ensembles, Bolshoi Ballet School at Russia’s fabled Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, the Shanghai, Miami, and Boston Chamber Symphonies, Sejong Soloists, flutist Eugenia Zuckerman, and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, among many others.
She launched her career as a composer around the same time she introduced young people to the worlds of music and dance in her first two acclaimed children’s books, Jake the Philharmonic Dog and Jake the Ballet Dog. She has received wide accolades for her children’s books published by Bloomsbury, Random House, and Crown Books, including Best in Show (in which she shares her passion for raising Standard Poodles and breeding many champions) and her recent Sleepover at the Museum. She has been invited to speak and read at museums, bookstores, and concert halls throughout the U.S. including the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Miami’s Frost Museum of Science, and New York City’s famed public library among many others.
Recently featured in Good Housekeeping’s “10 Amazing Women In The Arts Over 50,” she is a fervent philanthropist, and was a member of the President’s Council of the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering. She previously served on the New York State Council on the Arts and as President of the Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy. In recognition of outstanding achievement, she was elected to the Hunter College Hall of Fame by the college’s Alumni Association. She graduated magna cum laude from Mt. Holyoke College and received her Master’s degree in Musicology from Hunter College. She studied composition privately with Robert DeGaetano, Jonathan Anderson and Daniel Boico. She is married to Richard LeFrak, president of The LeFrak Organization, one of the world’s largest land development and building firms. They currently reside in Manhattan, Southampton, and Miami and have two sons, four grandchildren, and for over 20 years, she has raised Standard Poodles and bred many champions.