I was pleasantly surprised and [found it] incredibly fulfilling when we brought kids who I interviewed down to Florida and thank you to the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra — they gave us the opportunity to bring these young activists into schools and introduce these young activists — this is three days after the last election so other kids in these schools were feeling very defeated; in the beginning they were afraid to ask questions…and our kids were in their 20s now and said, “OK, so you’re upset.so, what are you gonna do?” There was an exchange of energy between the two of them that was so absolutely gratifying. That was the cherry on top for me. ~Portia Kamons, librettist
SEVENTEEN is a symphonic portrait of young Americans confronting an unprecedented range of challenges, from gun violence to climate change. An orchestral work in four movements with spoken libretto of verbatim text, it’s a powerful representation of young lives at the cusp of adulthood in America today.
Award-winning composer Ron Ramin has helped shape the sound of American television and film, composing scores for over 20 primetime series and 30 original movies, earning a CableACE Award, a Primetime Emmy nomination, and honors from BMI and ASCAP.
Most recently, Ron has turned his creative focus to the concert stage as the co-creator and composer of SEVENTEEN, a groundbreaking new symphonic work with a libretto by co-creator, Portia Kamons. With an evocative score that blends symphonic grandeur with raw emotional depth, SEVENTEEN captures the urgency and passion of this generation.
Portia Kamons is a producer and librettist working with newly commissioned pieces in theatre, live events, music and feature film. With composer Ron Ramin, she is the co-creator and librettist for SEVENTEEN, a narrative work for Orchestra that received its world premiere by the Orlando Philharmonic on 8 November 2024. She was the Executive Producer for Virtua Creative on the US WW1 Centennial Commemoration narrated by Kevin Costner, as well as Executive Producer for “Visions of Peace” a special project for the WW1 Centennial with President Jimmy Carter. Portia was the lead producer of Tennyson Bardwell’s feature film DORIAN BLUES which won 14 awards at festivals worldwide. She was a founding member and the first General Manager of Primary Stages Theatre in New York City, and a Producer for the NextWave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.