Downtown Express, an upcoming film chronicling the life of a fictional Russian classical violinist, will feature violinist Philippe Quint in the lead role of Sasha, along with singer-songwriter Nellie McKay as Ramona, a singer-songwriter active in New York’s experimental downtown scene. The film, described as an “authentic musical love story turning on a conflict between a father and son,” was shot in the summer of 2010 in New York and is directed by David Grubin and produced by Michael Hausman (Brokeback Mountain, Gangs of New York, Amadeus); it does not yet have a release date. Quint, born in Russia, defected to the U.S. as a teenager and studied with renowned teacher Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School. He is active as a soloist and performs during the 2010-11 season with orchestras including the Wichita Symphony, Peoria Symphony, Pacific Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra; he is founder and artistic director of the Minería Chamber Music Festival in Mexico City.
Posted February 11, 2011
