92nd Street Y 2015-16 Season Highlights

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Kirshbaum Associates Inc. 2015-2016 Concert Highlights

92nd Street Y 2015-16 Season Highlights

OPENING NIGHT CONCERT – American Classics by Gershwin – October 20

92Y’s 2015/16 season opens on October 20 with internationally renowned pianist and Gilmore Artist Award recipient Kirill Gerstein, who returns to his jazz roots to collaborate with the 1920s style big band Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks. Together, they present two of George Gershwin’s most famous works—Rhapsody in Blue and Piano Concerto in F—in their original jazz band arrangements from the 1920s. These original arrangements provide a glimpse into the past and allow audiences to hear these works in what was originally considered an unconventional setting.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Maurice Peress, conductor

GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue (arr. for jazz band by Ferdy Grofe) GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto in F (arr. for jazz band by Ferdy Grofe) Additional works TBA

92Y MASTERS OF THE KEYBOARD: Kirill Gerstein solo recital – April 6, 2016

The multifaceted pianist Kirill Gerstein has rapidly ascended into classical music’s highest ranks. Since becoming the sixth recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award in 2010, Mr. Gerstein has shared his prize through the commissioning of boundary-crossing new works by Oliver Knussen, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau, Timothy Andres and Alexander Goehr, with additional commissions

scheduled for future seasons. He returns after opening the 92Y’s 2015/16 season on October 20 to perform a concert of solo piano works that include the technically challenging music of Balakirev’s Islamey and Liszt’s Dante Sonata.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Kirill Gerstein, piano

BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 13 in E flat, Op. 27 No. 1, Quasi una fantasia BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2, Moonlight LISZT: Dante Sonata

RACHMANINOFF: Five Preludes

MUSSORGSKY: On the Southern Shore of the Crimea

BALAKIREV: Islamey, Op. 18, An Oriental Fantasy

92Y “BRIDGE TO BEETHOVEN” RESIDENCY WITH JENNIFER KOH AND SHAI WOSNER

Over 180 years after his death, Beethoven remains one of the most frequently performed composers in classical music concerts across the globe. It is no surprise that his music has continued to influence and inspire generations of composers and musicians, including the leading composers of today.

Violinist Jennifer Koh, a longtime 92Y collaborator and one of today’s most innovative musicians, illustrates the composer’s lasting influence with her four-concert residency “Bridge to Beethoven,” in which she and pianist Shai Wosner perform all of Beethoven’s violin sonatas, along with new works by composers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. The project explores how Beethoven’s music has shaped their cultural identity, and pairs the contemporary works to be “in conversation” with his own.

Ms. Koh and Mr. Wosner have previously worked with all four contemporary composers. For Mr. Wosner, the development of the series examines the music of Beethoven and the evolution of classical music through the present. Ms. Koh’s approach to the project focuses on the cultural and social effect of classical music. “I wanted to create a project that addresses cultural differences in a positive way, where people can actually see that dialogue happening,” she said. “It really is about how classical music in general is evolving and which direction I think it should go.”

Ms. Koh and Mr. Wosner’s residency includes the New York premieres of newly commissioned works by Vijay Iyer (October 26), Anthony Cheung (March 21), and Andrew Norman (April 7), along with Jörg Widmann’s Sommersonate (December 7).

Jennifer Koh, violin Shai Wosner, piano

Monday, October 26, 2015 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in D major, Op. 12, No. 1 VIJAY IYER: Bridgetower Fantasy (New York premiere) BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 12, No. 2 BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer”

Monday, December 7, 2015 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 23 JORG WIDMANN: Sommersonate (“Summer Sonata”)

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 24, “Spring”

Monday, March 21, 2016 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 12, No. 3 ANTHONY CHEUNG: New Work (New York premiere) BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 96

Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 30, No. 1 ANDREW NORMAN: New Work (New York premiere) BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 30, No. 3 NORMAN: New Work (New York premiere) BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2

 

DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS: Pianist Jeremy Denk, violinist Stefan Jackiw and the 92Y debut of New York Polyphony– November 21

 

One of America’s most thought-provoking, multi-faceted, and compelling artists, pianist Jeremy Denk is known for curating unique programs that pair works of composers through alternating movements. On this program he is joined by violinist Stefan Jackiw and the New York Polyphony vocal ensemble—in their 92Y debut—in the complete violin sonatas of Charles Ives interspersed with traditional American hymns and songs. Through this grouping one can hear a direct link between Ives’ music and his musical inspiration.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 8 PM Kaufmann Concert Hall

Stefan Jackiw, violin Jeremy Denk, piano

New York Polyphony, vocal ensemble (92Y debut)

IVES: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4 (complete)

Interspersed with: Traditional American hymns and songs

CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: Daniil Trifonov, piano (92Y debut) with musicians from the New York Philharmonic – November 22

Co-presented by 92Y and the New York Philharmonic as part of Rachmaninoff: A Philharmonic Festival, the young Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov makes his 92Y

debut performing rare works by Rachmaninoff. Combining chamber technique with rare sensitivity, Trifonov has made a spectacular ascent to classical stardom. Since winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011, Trifonov has travelled the world as both a recitalist and concerto soloist. Cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht heralded the

young artist’s meteoric progress, describing him as “a pianist for the rest of our lives.”

Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 3 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Daniil Trifonov, piano (92Y debut) Musicians from the New York Philharmonic

RACHMANINOFF: String Quartet No. 1 (unfinished) RACHMANINOFF: String Quartet No. 2 (unfinished) RACHMANINOFF: Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9 Trio élégiaque

Co-presented by 92Y and the New York Philharmonic as part of Rachmaninoff: A Philharmonic Festival

CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: Pacifica Quartet (92Y debut) “Last Words” December 9

Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and daring repertory choices, the Pacifica String Quartet makes its debut at 92Y performing the last quartets of three major composers. The ensemble received the 2009 Grammy Award

for Best Chamber Music Performance, and was named “Ensemble of the Year” by Musical America in the same year. Last Words is a concert program the ensemble created to contemplate and juxtapose the last string quartets of Beethoven, Janáček and Carter.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Pacifica Quartet (92Y debut)

CARTER: Fragments for String Quartet JANACEK: String Quartet No. 2, Intimate Letters CARTER: String Quartet No. 5

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135

92Y ART OF THE GUITAR

Benjamin Verdery, Artistic Director

 

Now in its fifteenth season, 92nd Street Y’s acclaimed “Art of the Guitar” series has become one of the most esteemed concert series in New York to champion classical guitar repertoire and the instrument’s foremost artists. In 2015/16, the series features performances by Pepe Romero (December

12), David Russell (March 2) and Yamandu

Costa (May 9). This season also showcases the 92Y debut of Israeli mandolinist superstar, Avi Avital and his dazzling program Between Worlds, along

with 92Y debuts of Ksenija Sidorova on the accordion and percussionist Itamar Doari in a concert that explores the borders between folk and classical music.

All concerts are presented in conjunction with 92nd Street Y’s Guitar Institute and include pre-concert talks with Art of the Guitar artistic director Benjamin Verdery of Yale University.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 8 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Pepe Romero, guitar

Programming to be announced

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

David Russell, guitar

Works by BACH, STEPHEN GOSS, and more.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 8 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall “Between Worlds”

Avi Avital, mandolin (92Y debut) Ksenija Sidorova, accordion (92Y debut) Itamar Doari, percussion (92Y debut)

KREISLER: Prelude and Allegro TRADITIONAL: Nacyem Nacyem BACH: Sonata in G Major, BWV 1019 TRADITIONAL: Mi Yitneni Of

BACH: Sarabande from Overture in the French Style, BWV 831 ITAMAR DOARI: Improvisation

BACH: Giga from Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 TSINTSADZE: Miniatures based on Georgian Folk Themes BARTOK: Romanian Folk Dances

FALLA: Sette Canzoni Popolari Spagnole VILLA-LOBOS: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 BUDASHKIN: Concerto in A Minor

Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 8 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Yamandu Costa, seven-stringed guitar

Works by YAMANDU COSTA, VILLA-LOBOS, NAZARETH, MONTAÑA and more.

92Y “SEEING MUSIC”: A Festival of Music & Visual Art

This season, 92Y presents “Seeing Music,” a new music and visual arts festival that provides audiences with a new way to experience and interpret the music they hear on stage, while allowing the different art forms to complement and inform each other. The festival features two 92Y visual art commissions: a moving installation that responds to and interacts with the Brentano String Quartet performing J.S. Bach’s The Art of the Fugue on stage, as well as video and stage installation that accompanies Julian Rachlin in a selection of Beethoven’s violin sonatas. Also included in the festival are a silent film with improvised piano accompaniment by Matan Porat, and an afternoon of music with Garrick Ohlsson that illustrates the way in which composers have used works of art as inspiration for their compositions. Preceding Ohlsson’s concert is a discussion between the performer and art historian, Tim Barringer, presenting the paintings that inspired the composers’ works as well as imagining which paintings by Francisco Goya might have stimulated the music of Enrique Granados.

“Combining music and other artistic mediums is still a rare experience for many classical music audiences,” Ms. Arie-Gaifman observes. “Our aim with ‘Seeing Music’ is to use a multidisciplinary approach to present music in a way that invites the audience to experience it visually as well. The festival still puts music front and center with the visual elements serving to illuminate the music, but not distract from it.”

Pianist Matan Porat (92Y debut) accompanies Buster Keaton’s film The General January 26

Israeli composer and pianist Matan Porat makes his 92Y debut by reviving the now rarely-heard art of improvised silent film accompaniment with Buster Keaton’s 1926 comedy The General. The New

Yorker called Porat’s rendition of The General in Marlboro, Vermont “an astounding feat of creative musicianship.” Mr. Porat is one of few artists who still invest time in classical music improvisation while maintaining a career performing the standard repertory. His debut CD, Variations on a theme by Scarlatti—a 65- minute program of pieces from Couperin to Boulez that

relate to Scarlatti’s Sonata K. 32—was recorded last year for the Mirare label and was hailed as “a fantastic album that one should hear over and over again” by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Matan Porat, piano (92Y debut)

KEATON: “The General”

With live improvised accompaniment by Matan Porat, piano

The Art of the Fugue with Brentano String Quartet and architect Gabriel Calatrava – January 30

This musical-visual exploration, commissioned and produced by 92Y and performed by the Brentano String Quartet, explores Bach’s

masterpiece of counterpoint through music and poetry. For this unique experience, architect and designer Gabriel Calatrava creates a stage installation that directly interacts with the musicians during the performance. Inspired by Bach’s fugal lines, the strings on musical instruments, and the children’s game Cat’s Cradle, Calatrava’s sculpture playfully expresses Bach’s music, both spatially and visually. Calatrava reflects on the project, “My fascination with moving architecture inspired me to design a set piece that serves as both a work of

art and a functional installation that reacts to music.” The structure is comprised of four sets of strings arranged in four horizontal planes that rotate around a fixed axis. New shapes, patterns and spaces are formed as each set of strings crosses paths, stretch, compress and pull one another in new directions. Each new configuration illustrates the changing relationships between the voices of the fugue, which similarly rise, fall, and chase after one another to form ingenious patterns and to create intimate exchanges.

Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 8:00 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Brentano String Quartet

Gabriel Calatrava, art installation & set design (92Y commission)

BACH: The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080

Composers Inspired by Artists Francisco Goya and Viktor Hartmann with pianist Garrick Ohlsson – January 31

From opposite ends of Europe come two Romantic masterpieces inspired by works of art—Francisco Goya for Enrique Granados and Viktor Hartmann for Modest Mussorgsky. Garrick Ohlsson, a masterful interpreter of the Romantic repertoire, will perform Granados’ Goyescas and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as the art that inspired these works are projected on-stage before the concert and during intermission. This program includes a pre-concert talk on Goya and Hartmann’s art, their relationship to

music, and how the composers interpreted paintings into such vivid sonic portraits.

Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 3:00 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Garrick Ohlsson, piano

GRANADOS: Goyescas, Op. 11 MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition

2pm pre-concert talk on Goya & Hartmann’s art and relationship to music

Music and Video Art: violinist Julian Rachlin and visual artist Clifford Ross – February 6

Clifford Ross’ monumental photography, video art, and other visual installations are exhibited across America and worldwide. Known for Harmonium Mountain, an abstract video set to Philip Glass’ music, the artist now collaborates with violinist Julian Rachlin to create a vibrant new presentation of on Beethoven’s iconic violin sonatas. Rachlin himself is no stranger to multidisciplinary collaborations, as he has been leading the internationally renowned Julian Rachlin & Friends festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia for 12 years, a platform for creative and vibrant projects with leading musicians and

actors. Rachlin, reflecting on the project, states “It is always a thrill to be able to put creative minds together in order to cross genres and attempt something experimental. 92nd Street Y attendees are in for a real treat – to experience Beethoven Sonatas and Clifford Ross’ installation complimenting one another. I view Clifford as one of today’s most inspired artists, and am honored to join him for this project.”

Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 8:00 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Julian Rachlin, violin Magda Amara, piano

Clifford Ross, video & stage installation (92Y commission)

BEETHOVEN:

Violin Sonata in D major, Op.12, No. 1 Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 30

Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 96

92Y – SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF SELECTS: YOUNG PIANISTS

Now in its second season, “Sir András Schiff Selects: Young Pianists” reflects both 92Y and Sir András’s dedication to championing the next generation of performers by inviting promising young pianists, who have already garnered critical acclaim overseas, to make their US debuts at 92Y in programs of their choosing. This season, Sir András Schiff has hand-selected three pianists to perform in this intimate series in 92Y’s Buttenwieser Hall: Schaghajegh Nosrati in a program of Bach, Mozart, and Brahms on February 22; Julian Clef in works by Brahms, Beethoven, and Prokofiev on March 28; and Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula in a May 2 program that features his own work, along with those of Bach, Debussy, Chopin, and Schubert. These 92Y performances are part of an international initiative on Sir András’s part to nurture these young artists, as the three pianists have yet to perform in the US. In regard to last season’s concert with the young pianist Roman Rabinovich, The New York

Times concluded that “this winning recital made [it] clear, Mr. Schiff is a discerning judge of young pianists.”

Monday, February 22, 2016 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

Schaghajegh Nosrati, piano

J.S. BACH: Contrapunctus 1-4 from The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080

MOZART: Sonata in D Major, KV 576

J.S. BACH: Contrapunctus 8-11 from The Art of the Fugue BWV 1080

BRAHMS: Fantasies, Op. 116

J.S. BACH: Contrapunctus 14 from The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080

Monday, March 28, 2016 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

Julian Clef, piano

BRAHMS: Three Intermezzi, Op. 117

BEETHOVEN: Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata” PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84

Monday, May 2, 2016 at 8:30 PM 92Y – Buttenwieser Hall

Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula, piano

J.S. BACH: Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853, from The Well- Tempered Clavier, Book 1

DEBUSSY: Images (Book 2)

JEAN-SÉLIM ABDELMOULA: Variations Fantômes CHOPIN: Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 SCHUBERT: Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS: Steven Isserlis, cello & Stephen Hough, piano – March 15

Named by The Economist as one of 20 Living Polymaths, British pianist Stephen Hough has led a distinguished career as both a leading concert pianist as well as composer. Hough is joined by internationally acclaimed cellist Steven Isserlis. With over 20 years of collaborations together,

the pair will perform works by Josef Suk, Dvořák, and Grieg, the popular Arpeggione sonata by Schubert, and the New York City premiere of Hough’s composition Sonata for Cello and Piano, Left Hand, “Les Adieux”, dedicated to Steven Isserlis.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 8:00 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Steven Isserlis, cello Stephen Hough, piano

DVORAK: Waldesruhe, Op. 68, No. 5

SUK: Ballade and Serenade for Cello and Piano, Op. 3 SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821

HOUGH: Sonata for Cello and Piano, Left Hand, “Les Adieux” (dedicated to S. Isserlis; NYC premiere)

GRIEG: Cello Sonata in A Minor, Op. 36

MASTERS OF THE KEYBOARD: Stephen Hough 92Y solo recital debut – March 23

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The Guardian describes Stephen Hough’s artistry as “the most perfect piano-playing conceivable.” Mr. Hough combines an exceptional facility and tonal palette with a uniquely inquisitive musical personality, and his achievements have resulted in many awards and accolades for his concerts and a discography of more than fifty recordings. In addition to his “Distinguished Artists” recital with cellist Steven Isserlis on March 15, Stephen Hough will perform a solo recital that includes the New York premiere of his own Sonata No.3 Trinity. Other works on

the program are Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes Nos. 10-11, as well as Franck’s Prelude, Chorale and Fugue.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Stephen Hough, piano (92Y solo recital debut)

SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Minor, D 784

HOUGH: Sonata No. 3, “Trinity” (New York premiere)

FRANCK: Prelude, Chorale and Fugue LISZT: Valses oubliées Nos. 1 and 2

LISZT: Transcendental Etudes Nos. 11, “Harmonies du soir” and 10, Allegro agitato molto

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CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: St. Lawrence String Quartet with Tara Helen O’Connor, flute and Pedja Muzijevic, piano – April 20

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The St. Lawrence String Quartet has established itself among the world-class chamber ensembles of its generation. Its mission is to bring every piece of music to the audience in vivid color, with pronounced communication and teamwork, and with great respect to the composer. Since winning both the Banff International String Quartet Competition and Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1992, the quartet has impressed audiences and critics with its spontaneous, passionate, and dynamic performances. Alex Ross of The New

Yorker observes, “the St. Lawrence are remarkable not simply for the quality of their music making, exalted as it is, but for the joy they take in the act of connection.” The St. Lawrence String Quartet’s 92Y performance highlights the world premiere of a 92Y-commissioned new work by Jonathan Berger. Works on the program center around Haydn with complementary works by Janacek.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

St. Lawrence String Quartet

JANÁČEK: String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata” HAYDN: String Quartet in D major, Op. 71, No. 2

JONATHAN BERGER: New Work (world premiere, 92Y commission)

HAYDN (arr. Salomon): Symphony No. 102 in B-flat major (arr. for flute, string quartet & piano)

ROBERT SPANO

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Conductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue Robert Spano is known worldwide for the depth and intensity of his artistry as well as his unique communicative abilities. As Music Director of both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival and School, Robert Spano’s dedication to American living composers, education and outreach spreads across a nation. Under Maestro Spano’s guidance, the ASO and audiences explore a creative programming mix. The Atlanta School of Composers reflects his commitment to American contemporary music, thus defining a new generation of American composers. In 2015-16, Maestro Spano and the orchestra perform four World Premieres, composed by Mark Grey, ASO Bassist Michael Kurth, and two works by Jonathan Leshnoff.

This season, he continues his initiatives with a performance at Carnegie Hall for his tenth consecutive season as a guest with the ASO. They return for the New York premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Zohar, commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of choral giant Robert Shaw and to honor his ties to the Atlanta Symphony and Carnegie Hall. The concert concludes with Brahms’s Ein

deutsches Requiem, joined onstage by soprano Jessica Rivera, baritone Nmon Ford and the distinguished ASO Chorus.

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Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 8 PM Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Jessica Rivera, soprano Nmon Ford, baritone ASO Chorus

LESHNOFF: Zohar (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)

BRAHMS: Ein deutsches Requiem

In addition to Carnegie Hall, Maestro Spano has led ASO performances at Lincoln Center and the Ravinia, Ojai and Savannah Music Festivals, among others. His guest engagements have included the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, San Francisco, Boston,

Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia symphony orchestras, as well as Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has conducted for Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera productions of Wagner’s Ring cycles.

Robert Spano’s compositions under water (solo piano) and Hölderlin Songs (piano/voice), in collaboration with sopranos Jessica Rivera and Susanna Phillips, have been performed in concerts across the country. His recent solo piano work Tanz III was written for and performed by the Atlanta- based dance company “glo.” He is on the faculty of Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University and Oberlin. Maestro Spano was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2012 and is proud to live in Atlanta.

SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF: THE LAST SONATAS

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Sir András Schiff has distinguished himself throughout the course of an exceptional international career that has spanned over 40 years. His latest musical

odyssey, The Last Sonatas, is a project of three recital programs, comprising the three final sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. The two-year cycle concludes this season, with the complete series slated for New York’s Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles’s Disney Hall, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Hall, Washington Performing Arts’ Strathmore Hall, The Vancouver Recital Society

and University Musical Society of The University of Michigan.

In the words of Sir András, “Alle guten Dinge sind drei – all good things are three, according to this German proverb that must have been well-known to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.

Introducing their last three piano sonatas in three concerts – twelve works, twelve being a multiple of three – is a fascinating project that can demonstrate the connections, similarities and differences among these composers. The sonata form is one of the greatest inventions in Western music, and it is inexhaustible. With our four masters of Viennese classicism it reached an unprecedented height that has never been equaled, let alone surpassed.”

Friday, October 30, 2015 at 8 PM Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium [Final Program]

HAYDN: Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 52 BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111 MOZART: Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576 SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

Additional North American concert dates:

Oct 4, 2015

San Francisco, CA

Davies Symphony Hall

Program 3

Oct 7

San Francisco, CA

Davies Symphony Hall

Play/Conduct 1

Oct 9

San Francisco, CA

Davies Symphony Hall

Play/Conduct 1

Oct 10

San Francisco, CA

Davies Symphony Hall

Play/Conduct 1

Oct 12

Seattle, WA

Benaroya Hall

Program 3

Oct 14

Santa Barbara, CA

Lobero Theatre

Program 3

Oct 16

Kansas City

The Folly Theater

Program 2

Oct 18

Los Angeles, CA

Disney Hall

Program 3

Oct 22

Los Angeles, CA

Disney Hall

Play/Conduct 2

Oct 23

Los Angeles, CA

Disney Hall

Play/Conduct 2

Oct 24

Los Angeles, CA

Disney Hall

Play/Conduct 2

Oct 26

Bethesda, MD

Strathmore Hall

Program 2

Oct 28

Montreal

Maison Symphonique

Program 2

Nov 1

Chicago, IL

Symphony Hall

Program 2

Feb 7, 2016

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Playhouse

Program 2

Feb 9

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Playhouse

Program 3

Feb 12

Oberlin

Finney Chapel

Program 1

Feb 14

Chicago, IL

Symphony Hall

Program 3

Feb 16

Ann Arbor, MI

Hill Auditorium

Program 1

Feb 18

Ann Arbor, MI

Hill Auditorium

Program 2

Feb 20

Ann Arbor, MI

Hill Auditorium

Program 3

Feb 22

Rochester, NY

Kilbourn Hall

Program 2

Feb 24

Bethesda, MD

Strathmore Hall

Program 3

Feb 26

Boston, MA

Jordan Hall

Program 3

Feb 28

Toronto

Koerner Hall

Program 3

“THE LAST SONATAS” RECITAL PROGRAMS: PROGRAM 1

HAYDN: Sonata No. 60 Hob.XVI:50 C Major BEETHOVEN: Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 MOZART: Sonata in C Major, K. 545 SCHUBERT: Sonata in C minor, D. 958

PROGRAM 2

MOZART: Sonata in B-flat Major , K. 570 BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110 HAYDN: Sonata No. 61 Hob XVI:51 D Major SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Major, D. 959

PROGRAM 3

HAYDN: Sonata No. 62 Hob. Xvi:52 E-flat Major BEETHOVEN: Sonata in C minor, Op.111 MOZART: Sonata in D Major, K. 576 SCHUBERT: Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

PLAY/CONDUCT PROGRAMS: PLAY/CONDUCT 1

Sir András Schiff, conductor/ piano Anna Lucia Richter, soprano [SFS debut] Britta Schwarz, contralto [SFS debut] Werner Gura, tenor [SFS debut]

Robert Holl, bass [SFS debut]

San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Ragnar Bohlin director

San Francisco Symphony

MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K.595 HAYDN: Mass in D minor, H.XXII:11, Lord Nelson after concert: Schubert Lieder

PLAY/CONDUCT 2

Sir András Schiff, conductor/piano Anna Lucia Richter, soprano Britta Schwarz, alto

Werner Güra, tenor

Robert Holl, bass

Grant Gershon, artistic director Los Angeles Master Chorale Los Angeles Philharmonic

MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 HAYDN: Mass in Time of War, H. XXII:9 after concert: Schubert Lieder

SEATTLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 2015-16 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

 

Artist in Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet

The Seattle Symphony names pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet as its Artist in Residence for the 2015–2016 season. Thibaudet begins his residency in September as Chair on the seven-person jury for the inaugural Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition. The residency culminates in June of 2016, when Thibaudet travels with the Seattle Symphony on a tour of Asia, performing Gershwin and Ravel’s piano concertos. [see more info below]

Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition

Opening the 2015-16 season, Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony will host the inaugural Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition, presented in partnership with Young Concert Artists and Washington Performing Arts. The Symphony seeks to recognize and nurture the next generation of exceptional young musicians through this competition, offering a comprehensive overview and career guidance on navigating an international performance career. The competition repertoire is French and American, and final rounds will take place during the week of September 15–19, 2015 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. The winning

pianist will receive a $10,000 cash prize and an opportunity to perform with the Seattle Symphony during the 2016–2017 season.

[untitled] Series

After its successful 2012–2013 series launch, the Seattle Symphony’s late-night [untitled] series returns for a fourth year with three concerts: October 23, 2015 includes four world premieres by University of Washington composers Richard Karpen, Joël-François Durand, Juan Pampin and Huck Hodge. February 5, 2016 is dedicated to renowned visual artist Robert Rauschenberg whose massive Echo hangs in the Grand Lobby of Benaroya Hall, including works by his musical contemporaries John Cage and Earle Brown as well as Christian Wolff’s For Bob and Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel. And on April 22, 2016, Morlot conducts Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-Winner John Luther Adams’ In the White Silence, which evokes sub- Arctic winter. This performance continues the Seattle Symphony’s relationship with the groundbreaking composer, whose orchestral work Become Ocean caused a sensation at its premieres in Seattle and New York in 2014.

Sonic Evolution “Under the Influence” Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 7:30 PM

Derek Bermel’s Migration Series and World Premiere by Wayne Horvitz

Sonic Evolution returns led by Ludovic Morlot and co-presented with the Earshot Jazz Festival. The performance features Derek Bermel’s Migration Series, Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra, which was inspired by painter Jacob Lawrence’s The Migration Series. Additionally, Seattle-based guitarist Bill Frisell and the orchestra give the world premiere of local composer Wayne Horvitz’ Symphony No. 1. Seattle vocalist Shaprece closes the program with new orchestral arrangements of her music, a soulful blend of modern jazz, R&B and electronica.

Masterworks U.S. Premiere

On November 5-7, 2015, Ludovic Morlot conducts the U.S. Premiere of Nu.Mu.Zu., a new work for orchestra by Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, co-commissioned by the Seattle Symphony and the National Orchestra of Belgium.

Ludovic Morlot, conductor Renaud Capuçon, violin Seattle Symphony

KANCHELI: Nu.Mu.Zu. for Orchestra (U.S. Premiere)

BRAHMS: Violin Concerto MARTINŮ: Symphony No. 4

Seattle Symphony Untuxed: Nielsen The Inextinguishable

On November 13, 2015, Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Dausgaard, in his second season with the orchestra, returns to conduct R. Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with guest violinist Henning Kraggerud, and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable” to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Nielsen, who is widely recognized as Denmark’s greatest composer.

Seattle Symphony Untuxed: Scheherazade.2

Composer and conductor John Adams leads Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 3 in C minor and his own Scheherazade.2, Violin Concerto, with soloist Leila Josefowicz on March 18, 2016.

Sonic Evolution “This is Indie!” Friday, May 13, 2015 at 8:00 PM

Two World Premieres by composers William Brittelle and Michael Gordon

The Symphony’s second Sonic Evolution concert this season, “This is Indie!” is co-presented with the Seattle International Film Festival. The concert introduces two world premieres including Michael Gordon’s The Unchanging Sea for Piano and Orchestra, featuring pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama, performing alongside a new film created by indie filmmaker Bill Morrison; and a work by William Brittelle which blends classical and indie-pop. Additionally, composers William Brittelle, Ryan Brown and Elliot Cole will together create new compositions for Seattle’s Fly Moon Royalty, known for their unique mix of blues, hip-hop and electronica.

Masterworks U.S. Premiere

On June 9-11, 2016, Maestro Morlot conducts a program featuring a U.S. Premiere by London-born composer Anna Clyne, co-commissioned with the Seattle Symphony and Orchestre National d’Île de France. In addition, Seattle Symphony Artist in Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and Morlot leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

Ludovic Morlot, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Seattle Symphony

CLYNE: U.S. Premiere GERSHWIN: Concerto in F BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

2016 Asia Tour

Closing the 2015-16 season, the Seattle Symphony embarks on their first-ever Asia Tour in June 2016

including engagements in Beijing, Shanghai, and Seoul.

MIRROR VISIONS ENSEMBLE

The Mirror Visions Ensemble is a vocal chamber music ensemble dedicated to exploring the poetry of song texts and led by soprano Vira Slywotzky, tenor Scott Murphree and Jesse Blumberg, baritone. Under the guidance of Artistic Director, Tobé Malawista, the ensemble has commissioned more than 80 vocal chamber music works from 24 composers in over twenty years – and has performed at such venues as New York City’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Le Poisson Rouge, SubCulture and Bargemusic’s “Here and Now” series, the Longy School of Music in Cambridge and at the Musée Carnavalet, Musée

Nissim de Camondo and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Mirror Visions’ performances often recreate the salon or soiree musical settings made popular during the 19th century. Rooted in commissioned works for vocal chamber music ensemble, Ms. Malawista along with the musicians curate each concert to introduce composers, poets and historical figures not only through their published works, but also through correspondence and anecdotes woven throughout each performance.

Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 2:30 PM

Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium

“Myths and Legends”

with Grant Wenaus, piano

Mirror Visions’ new program “Myths and Legends” features deities, nymphs and specters; whispering forests and enchanted waters; bounding beasts and creepy crawlies; hexes, charms

and sweet lullabies. Music new and old — worldly and other. The ensemble performs the works of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Cole Porter, Zdeněk Fibich, Reynaldo Hahn and Charles Griffes, among others.

ADDITIONAL U.S. CONCERT DATES:

Friday, October 9, 2015 – San Francisco, CA Sunday, October 11, 2015 – Sacramento, CA Saturday, December 19, 2015 – Milford, PA Saturday, January 23, 2016 – Hillsdale, NY Sunday, January 24, 2016 – Newton, MA

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN:

Conductor, Violin, Viola

A prodigious talent recognized worldwide for his artistry, Pinchas Zukerman brings his Trio to 92nd Street Y in February to perform the Archduke trio of Beethoven as well as Dvořák’s Dumky trio.

Zukerman formed the Trio in 2002 with Canadian Juno Award-winning

cellist Amanda Forsyth and the brilliant Canadian pianist Angela Cheng to provide audiences with top talent and a staple of ensemble music. They tour this season in over eight countries and have

regularly appeared in many of the most prominent festivals throughout the United States, South America, Europe, Japan and China.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 7:30 PM 92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall

Zukerman Trio:

Pinchas Zukerman, violin Amanda Forsyth, cello Angela Cheng, piano

DVOŘÁK: Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90, “Dumky” BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, “Archduke”

On March 19, Mr. Zukerman makes his long-awaited Orpheus Chamber Orchestra debut on tour and at Carnegie Hall with a performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Beethoven’s Romance No. 1.

Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 7 PM Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Pinchas Zukerman, violin

J.C. BACH: Symphony in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6 MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216

BEETHOVEN: Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in G, Op. 40

HAROLD MELTZER: Vision Machine (World Premiere)

RAVEL: Le tombeau de Couperin

Additional Orpheus Chamber Orchestra dates with Pinchas Zukerman:

Friday, March 18, 2016 at 8 PM Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Kansas City, MO

Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 3 PM

Roy Thomson Hall Toronto, CANADA

Monday, March 21, 2016 at 7:30 PM Wharton Center for the Performing Arts East Lansing, MI

ORION STRING QUARTET

Since its inception, the Orion String Quartet has been consistently praised for the fresh perspective and individuality it brings to performances, offering diverse programs that juxtapose classic works of the standard quartet literature with masterworks by 20th and 21st century composers. Following its world premiere of Marc Neikrug’s Acequias for Guitar and String Quartet with guitarist Lukasz Kuropaczewski at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in August, the Orion String Quartet performs two concerts with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center this season. February 16 features an all-Beethoven program and May 19 features quartets by Leon Kirchner.

The Quartet has recorded both composers’ complete string quartets on the Koch and Albany labels, which have received many accolades. Regarding the Kirchner discs, Gramophone wrote: “The Orion Quartet plays each score as if inhabiting its unique expressive world. The playing is at turns fierce, exquisite and detailed. It would be difficult to imagine Kirchner’s music treated with more loving attention to the introspective and arching aspects of this composer’s compelling art.”

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 7:30 PM Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall BEETHOVEN:

Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 74, “Harp” Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 127 Quartet in F minor for Strings, Op. 95, “Serioso”

Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 7:30 PM Lincoln Center, Rose Studio KIRCHNER:

Quartet No. 1 for Strings (1949)

Quartet No. 2 for Strings (1958)

Quartet No. 3 for Strings and Electronic Tape (1966) Quartet No. 4 for Strings (2006)

DANISH STRING QUARTET

Embodying the quintessential elements of a chamber music ensemble, the Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for possessing an integrated sound, impeccable intonation and judicious

balance. Since making their debut in 2002 at the Copenhagen Festival, the group of musical friends has demonstrated a passion for Scandinavian composers, who they frequently incorporate into adventurous contemporary programs, while also proving skilled and profound performers of the classical masters.

Upcoming season highlights include the Danish Quartet’s two-week residency at University of California at Berkeley, their first comprehensive U.S. residency. Highly in demand by presenters and audiences alike, the Quartet has over 30 engagements

in North America this season. They will release their first disc on ECM in February 2016, featuring works by Danish composers Per Nørgård’s ‘Quartetto Breve’ (his first quartet) and Hans Abrahamsen’s Ten preludes, and Thomas Adès’s Arcadiana.

In its final year as a Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS Two member, the Danish Quartet performs two concerts at Lincoln Center: an all-Nielsen program on November 12, and an all- Beethoven program on February 21. In 2006, the Quartet was Danish Radio’s Artist-in-Residence, giving them the opportunity to record all of Carl Nielsen’s string quartets in the Danish Radio Concert Hall, subsequently released to critical acclaim on the Dacapo label in 2007 and 2008.

Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 7:30 PM Lincoln Center, Rose Studio

NIELSEN:

Quartet in G minor for Strings, FS 4, Op. 13 Quartet in F minor for Strings, FS 11, Op. 5 Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, FS 23, Op. 14 Quartet in F major for Strings, FS 36, Op. 44

Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 5 PM Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall BEETHOVEN:

Quartet in C-sharp minor for Strings, Op. 131 Quartet in F major for Strings, Op. 135

“Finale: Allegro” from Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, Op. 130

EMERSON STRING QUARTET

Lincoln Center’s “Great Performers” presents the Emerson String Quartet in a three-part series of late Haydn and early Beethoven string quartets, two masters of the art form. Haydn’s Op. 76 Quartets are ambitious chamber works containing some of his boldest and brightest musical writing, the brilliant result of a lifetime spent developing the form. Beethoven’s Op. 18 Quartets exhibit mastery of the Classical legacy he inherited from Haydn, which Beethoven pushed to a new threshold while incorporating motifs of tension, humor, and grace.

This September, soprano Renée Fleming and the Emerson Quartet join forces for a new recording of Berg’s intricately complex Lyric Suite and Egon Wellesz’s highly expressive setting of Sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett- Browning, released on Decca on September 11, 2015. It is the first collaboration on record of America’s reigning star soprano and its premier string quartet. Ms. Fleming and the Emerson will appear together for a special performance of this repertoire at SubCulture in New York City on September 16, 2015 at 7:30pm in celebration of the album release. In addition to their performance, excerpts will be screened from an upcoming documentary by Hilan Warshaw featuring Ms. Fleming and the Emerson: Lyric Suite: A Musical Love Story.

Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7:30 PM Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall HAYDN: Op. 76 #1

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #3

HAYDN: Op. 76 #2 “Quinten”

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #1

Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 5 PM Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall HAYDN: Op. 76 #3 “Emperor”

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #2

HAYDN: Op. 76 #4 “Sunrise”

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #4

Friday, May 12, 2016 at 7:30 PM Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall HAYDN: Op. 76 #5

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #5

HAYDN: Op. 76 #6

BEETHOVEN: Op. 18 #6

ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: 2015 U.S. TOUR

Bringing its historic message of peace through music, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by Music Director for Life Zubin Mehta, returns to the United States in November 2015 for an eight- city tour. Each year, the IPO performs around the world as cultural ambassadors, contributing to the global reputation of the State of Israel and promoting cultural diplomacy.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra begins the tour at Carnegie Hall on November 5 with Maestro Zubin Mehta leading a benefit performance of

Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”) with soprano Kristin Lewis, mezzo- soprano Michelle DeYoung and MasterVoices. The American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO) will present a gala benefit after the concert, as they celebrate their 35th Anniversary supporting and broadening the Orchestra’s activities and artistic vision.

Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 7 PM Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium Zubin Mehta, conductor

Kristin Lewis, soprano

Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano MasterVoices

MAHLER: Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”)

Sunday, November 8, 2015 at 7PM Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco, CA

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major

Monday, November 9, 2015 at 7:30PM McCallum Theater

Palm Desert, CA

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at time TBD

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Beverly Hills, CA

VIVALDI: Concerto for 3 Violins in F Major

with Dumitru Pocitari, Asaf Maoz, and Semion Gavrikov; violin

DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 8PM

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Beverly Hills, CA

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major

Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 8PM Civic Theatre

San Diego, CA

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major

Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 7PM Symphony Center

Chicago, IL

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major

Monday, November 16, 2015 at 8PM Severance Hall

Cleveland, OH

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 8PM Meyerson Symphony Center

Dallas, TX

BARDANASHVILI: A Journey to the End of the Millenium

RAVEL: La valse, poème chorégraphique

DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor

PIATIGORSKY INTERNATIONAL CELLO FESTIVAL

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The Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, presented by the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in partnership with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, is a 10-day cello extravaganza showcasing 26 international artists representing 15 countries and 4 continents. Last held in March 2012, the Festival will take place from May 13 through May 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Named after the great cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, who lived most of his adult life in Los Angeles and taught cello for many years at USC, the Festival focuses on the art of the cello, its music, and its musicians. The 26 visiting artists will perform solo and chamber music repertoire, in recitals and in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Emerson and Calder Quartets. An ensemble of over 100 cellists will perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall. A highlight of the 2016 Festival is a gala concert featuring performances of all Beethoven’s works for cello, including the sonatas and sets of variations.

The Festival’s Artistic Director, Ralph Kirshbaum, together with invited artists, will select over 40 young cello students from around the world to participate in master classes. These classes are open to the public, as are all highly anticipated Festival events. Tickets will go on sale later this year.

 

Opening and Closing Concerts Sunday, May 15, 2016, 4:30 p.m. Bovard Auditorium, USC

Sunday, May 22, 2016, 6:30 p.m. Bovard Auditorium, USC

Los Angeles Philharmonic Concerts

The 2016 Festival opens with three concerts with the LA Phil featuring three different soloists and works.

Friday, May 13, 2016, 8:00 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall

Ralph Kirshbaum performs Bloch’s Schelomo – Hebraic Rhapsody for Violoncello and Orchestra with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Saturday, May 14, 2016, 8:00 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall

Truls Mørk performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Sunday, May 15, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall

Sol Gabetta performs Martinů’s First Cello Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Baroque Conversations with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

The Piatigorsky Festival pairs with LACO for a program of Baroque and Early Classical cello concertos, featuring Festival soloists Colin Carr, Thomas Demenga, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Giovanni Sollima.

Colburn Celebrity Recitals

The LA Phil presents two Colburn Celebrity Recitals during the Festival: one featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott, and the other featuring chamber music and a mass cello ensemble (see below under “Chamber Music”).

Chamber Music and Mass Cello Ensemble

The 2016 Festival presents chamber music featuring the cello. The Los Angeles-based (and USC alumni) Calder Quartet will perform on three Quintet+ concerts with Giovanni Sollima, Antonio Lysy and Frans Helmerson. The Quintet+ programs also will feature solo cello performances by Ronald Leonard, Lawrence Lesser and Jeffrey Solow. The world-renowned Emerson Quartet, together with Festival Artistic Director Ralph Kirshbaum, will perform the Schubert Quintet at Walt Disney Concert Hall under the baton of guest conductor Matthew Aucoin. The same concert will include a performance of Twelve Angry Men by Brett Dean, featuring an ensemble of twelve cellists, as well as the world premiere of a work written for mass cello ensemble by Anna Clyne—in this case, over 100 cellists!

Evening Recitals

Three nights during the Festival will offer the opportunity to hear two master cellists in recital: Frans Helmerson and Truls Mørk, Sol Gabetta and David Geringas, and Matt Haimovitz and Mischa Maisky. A fourth night will feature three unusual twentieth-century works—Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments (1925) by Jacques Ibert with soloist Rafael Wallfisch; Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra (1980) by Friedrich Gulda with soloist Li-Wei Qin; and Canticle of the Sun (1997) by Sofia Gubaidulina for cello, chamber choir and percussion, with soloist David Geringas, all led by conductor Uriel Segal.

Lunch Concerts

A series of six lunchtime (1:00 p.m.) concerts will feature a different master cellist on each performing works old and new from the cello repertoire.

Monday, May 16, 2016 – Robert deMaine

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 – Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt Thursday, May 19, 2016 – Zuill Bailey

Friday, May 20, 2016 – Wendy Warner Saturday, May 21, 2016 – Amit Peled Sunday, May 22, 2016 – Narek Hakhnazaryan

Master Classes, Workshops, and a Panel

Central to the ethos of the Festival are the master classes, in which the artists/teachers work with individual cello students in a public forum. Audience members get to observe their teaching, and hear some of the best young cellists from around the world.

The 2016 Festival includes a Young Cellists Workshop, coordinated by Antonio Lysy, and an improvisation workshop led by Giovanni Sollima. Lastly, in honor of the Festival’s namesake, a panel made up of Gregor Piatigorsky’s former students will discuss his teaching and his legacy.

For a complete event listing, please visit http://piatigorskyfestival.usc.edu/events/

TOD MACHOVER

 

The fifth installment of Tod Machover’s innovative City Symphonies series – and the first in the U.S. – finds its home in the city of Detroit. Machover and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) are working with the Detroit community to create a collaborative symphony with sound submissions and conceptual contributions from – and diverse collaborations with – the public. The work, entitled Symphony in D, will premiere at Orchestra Hall on Nov. 20 and 21, 2015. The project is made possible through substantial support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

 

In order to create a musical portrait of the Motor City, the symphony for Detroit will evolve through electronic sound submissions, workshops and discussions throughout the city, original sonic creation, and back-and-forth musical sharing and shaping with Detroit residents and community institutions. Special technologies developed by Machover and his Opera of the Future team at the MIT Media Lab will allow people of all ages to contribute to and help shape A Symphony in D. The mobile app, Symphony in D, is available for free download now in the Apple Store and on Google Play. App users will be able to upload sounds, either recorded through the mobile app directly or with existing sounds. Users may also listen to sounds submitted by others, which are geo-tagged on an evolving “sound map” of Detroit, pinpointing where each sound was recorded.

Since Symphony in D launched in November 2014, Machover has been engaging the community in all kinds of ways, working with preschools and senior centers, collecting sounds from factories and ballparks, and jamming with musicians with backgrounds from Motown to baroque, indie rock to electronica, hip-hop to Haydn.

This symphony is called a collaboration for a reason: it will bring together Detroit’s residents by exploring the city’s unique sounds and by simply celebrating Detroit’s past, present and future.

 

Tod Machover, called “America’s most wired composer” by The Los Angeles Times, is recognized as one of the most innovative composers of his generation, and celebrated for inventing new technologies for music. Machover studied with Elliott Carter and Roger Sessions at The Juilliard School and was the first Director of Musical Research at Pierre Boulez’s IRCAM in Paris. He is the Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music and Media at the MIT Media Lab (Cambridge USA) and Director of its Opera of the Future Group. Machover is also Visiting Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Friday, November 20, 2016 at 10:45AM Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Detroit, MI

Saturday, November 21, 2016 at 8:00PM Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Detroit, MI

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