Interchanging Idioms

Classical Summer Music Program on the campus of Curtis Institute of Music Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs (JKCP) offers an exciting three-week performing arts experience for high school students in Center City Philadelphia — right on Curtis’ Rittenhouse Square campus and new state-of-the-art living and learning facility, Lenfest Hall. From sectional coaching and private instruction to chamber music rehearsals, you will enhance your technical and musical abilities while learning at the music world's most prestigious conservatory. Young musicians grow with the best this summer as they sample college living and the life of a professional musician and symphony orchestra member. Each day is stimulating playing with other passionate young instrumentalists. With access to resources of the Curtis Institute of Music, they develop their potential and love of music as they prepare for college. JKCP recognizes the importance of instrumental music education programs and providing teens a...

The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival is delighted to announce the renewal of its contract with The Philadelphia Orchestra for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons. One of its three world-class resident ensembles, The Philadelphia Orchestra enjoys a strong partnership with the Vail Music Festival, having appeared there every summer since 2007. The orchestra’s music director designate, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, makes his Vail Valley debut this July in the Festival’s 25th anniversary season. “We have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to take our Philadelphia Sound to the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival since 2007,” said Philadelphia Orchestra Association President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. “It offers the orchestra musicians a breathtakingly beautiful setting and venue in which to make music, for audiences that are dedicated and passionate. Our new music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, is excited to join the orchestra in Vail this summer, and we look forward to continuing our fruitful rela...

Over 100,000 people will have the unprecedented opportunity to experience internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang in a special event to be broadcast live to movie theaters across the country. Sony Classical is proud to announce that on Saturday, October 22, 2011, Lang Lang will celebrate Liszt’s 200th anniversary on his exact birthdate with a special, live concert featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra. A re-broadcast of the performance will take place on Monday, October 24th in select movie theaters. Event and ticketing information will be announced in September. Lang Lang, will perform Liszt’s famed Piano Concerto No. 1 with additional selections from Liszt’s well-known repertoire in conjunction with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Charles Dutoit. The performance will also feature unique footage from this summer‘s iTunes Festival in London, including behind the scenes interviews, commentary and exclusive musical performances. The Event will be offered ...

The Curtis Institute of Music announces a season-long celebration, “Appassionato,” highlighting the renowned conservatory’s storied past, its innovative future, and its indelible impact on music in Philadelphia and the world. As Curtis carries its rich musical traditions into the future, it remains a magnet for the finest international talent. Frequent student performances are at the heart of the school’s unique, time-tested “learn by doing” philosophy, which has produced so many leading musicians. In more than 130 public performances each season, Curtis annually offers Philadelphians an unmatched gift of music. In 2011-12, the “Appassionato” celebration ventures further, with an expansion of international touring, new and ongoing collaborations with cultural partners in Philadelphia and beyond, and a stepped-up schedule of artist residencies and faculty recitals. Curtis hosts guest artists and composers from the uniquely eminent body of Curtis alumni, and offers frequent celebrat...

“Gerstein shows that virtuosity and soulfulness can go hand in hand.”– Chicago Sun-Times Kirill Gerstein – winner of the 2010 Gilmore Artist Award – has played milestone event after milestone event this season; his ever-upward trajectory continues this spring and summer, from intense solo recitals to high-profile concerto engagements. Reviewing a concert last spring, the New York Times described Gerstein’s interpretation of the B-minor Sonata as “spellbinding,” as it balanced “a big, torrential sound in the work’s thunderous sections with crystalline – but still assertive – phrasing in the more introspective passages.” On May 7, Gerstein reprises Beethoven’s Opp. 111 and 119 at New York’s 92nd Street Y, on a program shared with the august Tokyo String Quartet. Following recital and concerto dates, and a tour with the Hagen Quartet across Europe to the Middle East, the pianist returns to Manhattan to play Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the New York Philharmonic ...

Thomas Hampson returns to the U.S. this month for two concerts with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, featuring songs from six of the American Songbooks by George Crumb. The performances take place at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. on April 28, and at New York’s Alice Tully Hall on April 29. Soon after, Hampson sings an all-Richard Strauss program with Renée Fleming and the Berlin Philharmonic under Christian Thielemann in Berlin (May 5-7), before returning to the music of Gustav Mahler, on whom he has been focusing intensively this season. The baritone’s six concerts with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic in the major music capitals of Central Europe (May 12-23) feature an all-Mahler program – Symphony No. 5 and Kindertotenlieder – and mark the second consecutive season that Hampson has toured Europe with Gilbert and the orchestra. Now 81 years old, composer George Crumb remains deeply engrossed in a long-term initiative inspired by the great Amer...

“Susan Graham, one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of our time,…is in her absolute prime.” – Denver Post (July 2010) On December 9, “peerless American mezzo”* Susan Graham joins Maestro Edo de Waart and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s for a performance of Berg’s Seven Early Songs at Carnegie Hall. Graham continues the holiday season on December 15-16 in “Christmas at the Basilica” with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, a concert that will be nationally televised in Canada. For this performance, she will also be joined by the Choeur des Enfants de Montréal and Maestro Kent Nagano in a program of holiday music. Graham kicks off the New Year at Teatro Real Madrid from January 13-25, starring opposite Plácido Domingo in the title role of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride , an opera on which she has already “put her own stamp” (Chicago Tribune). She takes the role to her home company, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, for several dates in February and March. At Houston Grand Opera, she reprises...

Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit becomes Conductor Laureate of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2012-13 season Philadelphia Orchestra Association Chairman Richard B. Worley and President and CEO Allison Vulgamore announced today that Yannick (Yah-NEEK) Nézet-Séguin (NAH-zay SAY-gahn) has been named as the Orchestra’s next Music Director. His seven-year contract begins immediately, with Mr. Nézet-Séguin assuming the title of Music Director Designate for two seasons and taking on the full role of Music Director in the 2012-13 season. Mr. Nézet-Séguin will come to Philadelphia this Friday, June 18, 2010, to celebrate his appointment with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the City of Philadelphia . With his appointment, Mr. Nézet-Séguin joins a distinguished history inclusive of young Music Directors of The Philadelphia Orchestra. When he assumes the Music Director title full time at the age of 37, Mr. Nézet-Séguin will join the ranks of Leopold Stokowski who was 30 years old when he became Mus...

Paul Jacobs, among today’s foremost organists, will reach a geographic milestone on Sunday, November 8. When he plays the final notes of Liszt’s Fantasy and Fugue on "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam” in a 4 p.m. concert at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska, Mr. Jacobs will have played before audiences in every one of America’s 50 states. He will have accomplished this feat in a span of just nine years, dating from his historic performance of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach in an 18-hour marathon on July 28, 2000, the 250th anniversary of the death of the great German composer. "A unique joy of being a concert organist,” says Mr. Jacobs, “is that the work not only carries me to well-known venues in major cities, but also to artistically rich small towns and communities. Many of the most sensitive, sophisticated audiences for whom I've had the pleasure of performing have been from these more secluded parts of the country. For instance, I'll...

Performance by Jamie Hersch, Horn, & Daniel Gaisford, Cello, is on Oct 17 in Philadelphia’s St. Mark’s Church, Philadelphia Composer Michael Hersch’s new work, Last Autumn , for horn and cello, will receive its world premiere on Saturday, October 17 at 8:00 pm in Philadelphia’s St. Mark’s Church. Another version of the composition, for saxophone and piano, will be heard in its world premiere in New York next February. Hersch, who lives in the Philadelphia area, performed the world premiere of his two-hour work The Vanishing Pavilions entirely from memory there. David Patrick Stearns, music critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote of the premiere that Hersch “conjured volcanic gestures from the piano with astonishing virtuosity.” Hersch’s boxed-set recording of The Vanishing Pavilions on the Vanguard Classics label has garnered a great deal of attention. Vanguard Classics is releasing another CD of Hersch’s works this month: his Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 for Unaccompanied Cel...

Performances by Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Curtis On Tour, and Curtis 20/21 New Curtis iPhone Fan Application Offers Live Performances, Recordings, Tour Info, and Concert Listings to iPhone and iPod Touch Users PHILADELPHIA – Described by the New York Times as “one of America’s elite conservatories” and recently highlighted in U.S. News and World Report ’s 2010 college survey as the most selective institution for students seeking a bachelor’s degree, the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music presents an exciting season with more than 130 concerts, operas, and recitals. A busy schedule of performances is at the heart of Curtis’s distinctive “learn by doing” approach, which has produced an impressive number of notable artists since the school’s founding 85 years ago. A central theme of Curtis’s performance season is the 100th birthday of composer Samuel Barber (’34), one of the school’s most notable alumni. The season also features the return of the acclaimed Curtis On Tour...

“To everything, Hampson brings his signature mellifluous warmth and grace… . There is much here to treasure.” – San Francisco Classical Voice, review of Wondrous Free “If American song needs an evangelist, no one is better equipped to do the right job than Thomas Hampson,” says the Chicago Tribune . The American baritone’s commitment to the songs of his home country is well known, and his frequent “Song of America” concerts help prove the point. Now Hampson has recorded and released Wondrous Free , a 22-track selection of American songs, under his own imprint, THM (Thomas Hampson Media). Titles include the first song published in the new country, composed by Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a gentleman patriot well versed in the arts and sciences of his day. Hopkinson’s “My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free” lends its title to Hampson’s disc, which also includes Leonard Bernstein’s “Simple Song” from Mass, the traditional “Shenandoah”, Paul Bowles’...

Thomas Hampson’s new position as the New York Philharmonic’s first Artist-in-Residence will be a centerpiece of his 2009-10 season, but the singular American baritone opens his new U.S. season on the opposite coast with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on September 23. Under his frequent collaborator, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, he sings early songs by Gustav Mahler, including the Songs of a Wayfarer , and records them for the SFSO’s award-winning Mahler cycle. “A voice like oiled oak, capable of infinite tonal shadings, and a gift for storytelling possessed by few of his colleagues.” – Chicago Tribune Hampson follows up the four-concert Symphony series in San Francisco with the continuation of his remarkable “Song of America” project, which this season celebrates the 250th anniversary of what is recognized to be the first song written by an “American” (“My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free,” composed in 1759 by Philadelphian Francis Hopkinson). A companion CD, Wondrous Fre...

Concert includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite Robert Spano leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in John Adams’ Violin Concerto featuring Leila Josefowicz on Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Thursday and Friday’s performances will also include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Stravinsky’s 1919 Suite from The Firebird . Saturday’s Casual Concert Series on Saturday, October 31 at 11 a.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall will only include Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite and John Adams’ Violin Concerto. The BSO will present an Off the Cuff performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade on Saturday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Composed just over a decade ago in 1993, John Adams wrote what is now one of the most frequently performed of all contemporary concertos—his Violin Concerto. Featured in this demanding work is Leila Josef...

Miguel Harth-Bedoya is a fast rising star in the conducting world, hopping about the United States conducting everywhere from Atlanta to the Hollywood Bowl. With his Peruvian roots, his interest in bringing to the forefront some of the great classical music from his homeland is understandable. His latest CD release, Caminos del Inka is the first in an on-going project to do just that. With the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Miguel Harth-Bedoya leads us on a journey of Peruvian music spanning three centuries. Not only is this rarely heard music - most of this CD is world premiere recordings. This is a real treat where so often new classical music CD’s are re-interpretations of well known pieces. The music ranges from a baroque style piece written by cleric Baltazar Martínez de Compañón, a Spaniard of the 1700’s who claimed Peru as his home, to Fiesta! , a piece by composer Jimmy López who created it to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lima Philharmonic Society in 2007. L...

Grammy-Winning Vocal Ensemble’s 32nd Season Includes More Than 100 Concerts in U.S., Europe and at Shanghai’s Expo 2010, including Return Engagements at Vienna’s Famed Musikverein, New York’s Metropolitan Museum, and Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall “The reigning gods of the men’s chorus world.” – Washington Post SAN FRANCISCO, August 10, 2009 – Called “stunningly expert” by the New Yorker , and named 2008 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, Chanticleer will give more than 100 concerts in the United States, Europe and China during its 32nd season. In addition to its far-ranging touring activities, Chanticleer’s ongoing and extensive education program will be especially prominent this season, reaching new heights with Chanticleer’s first National Youth Choral Festival™. The climactic event in the four-day festival will be “The Singing Life” at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall on March 29, 2010. At this extraordinary event, Chanticleer will perform with a dozen inv...

Fima Becomes First Classical Musician to Appear as Judge on Hit TV Show Iron Chef America (Aug 9 at 9pm, Food Network) “A marvel of digital dexterity, warmly romantic sentiment, and jaw-dropping bravura” - Chicago Tribune The Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim “Fima” Bronfman continues his juggernaut tour of American and European music festivals at the opening of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2009 season at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on August 5. In Saratoga , Bronfman joins maestro Charles Dutoit for Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Fima’s appearance at Saratoga follows a whirlwind tour of American music festivals, which included performances at the openings of Ravinia and Tanglewood, a recital, and orchestral concerts at the Aspen Festival. Following his concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Fima makes a return to the Tanglewood Music Festival (Aug 14) before moving on to Europe for the Edinburgh and Helsinki Festivals, and to the Lucerne Festival, where he is in ...

Traditional Eastern European ensemble, Harmonia, opens program October 1-4 Baltimore, Md. (July 31, 2009)—Music Director Marin Alsop leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a celebration of Hungarian folk music on Thursday, October 1 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore and Friday, October 2 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, October 3 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Special guest Harmonia will kick off this celebration of folk music’s influence on classical music traditions. Also on the program are Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto featuring James Ehnes. Performing on authentic folk instruments, Harmonia has been described as a “musical gem” by National Public Radio . The group will open the concert with songs from the members’ varied Eastern European backgrounds. They will discuss with the audience how this type of music influenced Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra . After fleeing Hungar...

Last Night Alan Gilbert led the New York Philharmonic in their second night at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival with the intense music of Bohuslav Martinů’s Symphony No. 4. Written in 1945, the music captures the passion of the war effort with the hopes of an eventual end (Martinů started writing soon after the allied offensive was pushing deep into Germany). Eloquently capturing the dramatic builds, soothing melodies and a vast array of sonic-scapes, Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic earned their place as the final orchestra for the festival – in the “clean up” position. Typically, after a month of music festivities, musicians and audience get tired. Fortunately, the Bravo! Festival opts to change the orchestra to keep the musicians (and the music) fresh. This was the second night for the musicians from New York and they sounded fresh and alive as they tackled a program of Brahms and Martinů. Although there were probably numerous members in the audience who had se...

Program also includes selections from Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 Baltimore, Md. (July 24, 2009)—Music director Marin Alsop leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Jennifer Higdon’s Conc erto 4-3 featuring Time for Three , Brahms’s Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 on Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore. These concerts will launch the season’s celebration of the diverse folk and ethnic traditions that have enriched and inspired classical music over the centuries. Please see below for complete program information. Time for Three first gained attention when they provided entertainment after a lightning strike caused the lights to go out in the middle of a Philadelphia Orchestra concert. The classically trained members of Time for Three combine elements of American jazz, r...