ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PERFORMS JOACHIM’S VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 2 IN D MINOR WITH CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF AT CARNEGIE HALL ON SATURDAY, MARCH 29 AT 7 P.M.; Concert also features Kodály’s Hungarian Rondo and Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra

NEW YORK, NY (February 21, 2014) – Orpheus Chamber Orchestra performs a concert at Carnegie Hall that explores the musical traditions of Hungary featuring music by Hungarian composers that incorporated traditional folk tunes into their works. The program includes Kodály’s Hungarian Rondo and Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra. Violinist Christian Tetzlaff joins Orpheus for a performance of Joseph Joachim’s rarely heard Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor “in the Hungarian Style” on Stern Auditorium’s Perelman Stage on Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.carnegiehall.org or by calling the Carnegie box office at (212) 247-7800.

Orpheus Artistic Director Jonathan Spitz said, “Orpheus has wanted to play with eminent violinist Christian Tetzlaff for a very long time, and we were thrilled when he proposed that he perform the Joachim Violin Concerto with us. The concerto is one of the most difficult works in the 19th-century violin concerto repertoire, filled with rhythmic freedom that is particularly well suited to Orpheus’ astute listening skills, which allow the ensemble more flexibility than it would typically have with a conductor. “

Orpheus has paired the music of Bartók and Kodály, composers who translated Hungarian traditional music for their works by way of their own ethnomusicological research, with the concerto by Joachim, a composer who idealized these musical traditions and interpreted them for a 19th-century audience. Orpheus has recorded both works by Bartók and Kodály for Deutche Grammophone: Divertimento for String Orchestra for their 1986 Bartók album and Hungarian Rondo for their 1996 album Summer Evening.   

Mr. Tetzlaff is internationally recognized for performing and recording a broad spectrum of the violin repertoire, and his performance with Orpheus will mark his last New York appearance of this season. An artist known for his musical integrity, technical assurance, and intelligent, compelling interpretations, Mr. Tetzlaff is celebrated as one of the most important violinists performing today. He has been in demand as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, establishing close artistic partnerships that are renewed season after season.

After completing a sold-out ten-concert tour in Japan, Orpheus embarked on a five-concert domestic tour with Japanese-American violinist Ryu Goto in February. Looking ahead, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts will present Orpheus at its annual concert this summer with a performance on Tuesday, July 15 in Central Park. The ensemble will then perform in Minneapolis during the 2014 Minnesota Beethoven Festival on Sunday, July 20.

Orpheus releases its first self-produced album, featuring Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7, on Tuesday, February 25. Both recordings are taken from live performances at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium: Symphony No. 5 was recorded on October 11, 2012, and Symphony No. 7 was recorded on December 4, 2010. The album is the first of four recordings to be released over the next year and a half, which will feature performances by Wayne Shorter, Brad Mehldau, and Nobuyuki Tsujii. To listen to a sample track from the album, please click here, and to request a password to listen to the entire digital album, please contact Shuman Associates.

Orpheus will hold its annual gala at The Metropolitan Club in New York honoring philanthropist Agnes Hassell on Monday, April 28. Ms. Hassell has a long history of providing leadership and support to cultural, educational, and community organizations and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and on the Board of Directors of Leake & Watts Services, Inc. The black-tie event includes cocktails, dinner, and a concert by Orpheus, featuring violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, with works by Debussy, Rameau, Saint-Säens, and Tchaikovsky.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has over its 41-year history revolutionized how audiences think about classical music and orchestral leadership. By abandoning traditional hierarchies, Orpheus conforms to a democratic model holding rehearsals that encourage artistic discussion, rotating seating assignments for each piece, and performing works from the classical to contemporary repertoire without a conductor. The orchestra has recorded over 70 albums including the Grammy Award-winning Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures, and to date has commissioned and premiered more than 40 original works. In addition to its annual concert series at Carnegie Hall, Orpheus has established an international reputation with tours to Europe, Asia, and South America. The ensemble has trademarked its signature mode of operation with the Orpheus Institute, founded in 2003 to educate the next generation of musical entrepreneurs with recent residencies at the University of Maryland, University of Connecticut, Dartmouth College, and the Interlochen Arts Academy.

Orpheus’ educational outreach Access Orpheus program provides free learning opportunities for thousands of New York City public school students each year. Schools in each of the five boroughs receive free classroom visits from Orpheus musicians, as well as free tickets and educational material for each of Orpheus’ Carnegie Hall concerts. Students are also invited to attend Orpheus’ open forum rehearsals. For more information, visit www.orpheusnyc.com.

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