LAPA Press Releases

LA Phils 2008/09 Jazz Series Continues With Wayne Shorter and Imani Winds

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008, AT 8 PM

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2008/09 Jazz Series at Walt Disney Concert Hall continues with legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who performs with his quartet and with special guests Imani Winds on Wednesday, December 10, at 8 p.m.

In the summer of 2006, Imani Winds performed the world premiere of Shorter’s Terra Incognita. Shortly thereafter, the Wayne Shorter Quartet made their debut with Imani Winds, a collaboration that proved to be yet another historic project in Shorter’s career, allowing the seminal composer and saxophonist to reach even deeper into his harmonic and melodic palette by fusing the collective leading voice of Imani Winds with the playful virtuosity and improvisational prowess of his ensemble.

The San Diego Union-Tribune says of the performance, “The members of both groups performed as interactive equals, simultaneously assuming leading and supporting roles. Each instrumentalist listened as intently as they played, the better to encourage maximum emotional impact, dynamic precision and the in-the-moment creative aesthetic that is a Shorter trademark.”

This concert marks the last 2008 tour date for the two groups, who have toured together throughout the year in celebration of Wayne Shorter’s 75th birthday.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Jazz Series, under the guidance of Creative Chair for Jazz Christian McBride, offers a four-concert series featuring major artists from the world of jazz. Two additional concerts round out the 2008/09 Jazz Series: A Tribute to Ray Brown featuring Christian McBride as musical director, Brown’s former band mates, and special guests John Clayton, Russell Malone, Benny Green and more on Wednesday, January 28, 2009; pre-eminent jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. McBride’s excellence in both programming and performance have led to the extension of his contract through the 2009/10 season.

WAYNE SHORTER’S continually expanding body of work is inextricably linked to the history of modern music. His music transcends genre while keeping the improvisational genius and surprise of jazz burning at the center. Regarded as one of the most significant and prolific performers and composers in jazz and modern music, Shorter has an outstanding record of professional achievement in his historic career as a musician. He has received substantial recognition from his peers, including 9 Grammy awards to date. Shorter’s childlike imagination and ceaseless innovation in music invite comparison to the enduring vitality of Picasso in the world of art or of Bergman in film. Recently inspired by the younger members of his acclaimed acoustic quartet, he is creating some of the most powerful music of his career.

Since its inception in 1997, IMANI WINDS (Imani means Faith in Swahili), comprised of five unabashedly adventurous yet delightfully accessible musicians, has been carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world for their dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming and inspirational outreach programs, which they have brought to many communities throughout the country. Summer of 2006 saw Imani Winds in the world premiere of Wayne Shorter’s Terra Incognita at the La Jolla Music Society. Imani Winds’ past performance highlights include their New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as winners of the Artists International Annual Prize, concerts at the Kennedy Center, Chicago Symphony Musicians Residency Program, Ravinia Festival, Princeton University, Columbia University and Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts. In October 2008, Imani Winds released their first ever holiday album, This Christmas with Imani Winds, a toe-tapping collection of thirteen yuletide favorites featuring an all-star rhythm section. This Christmas with Imani Winds is the group’s second recording for KOCH International Classics. Their first, The Classical Underground, was nominated for a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music — Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at 8 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Jazz Series

Wayne Shorter Quartet
Wayne Shorter, saxophones
Danilo Perez, piano
John Patitucci, bass
Brian Blade, drums

Imani Winds
Valerie Coleman, flute
Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe
Mariam Adam, clarinet
Jeff Scott, horn
Monica Ellis, bassoon

Tickets ($36 - $99) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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Music Director Designate Gustavo Dudamel Leads Los Angeles Philharmonic in Three Concerts Featuring Soprano Christine Brewer

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Program Features Ligeti’s Atmosphères, Strauss’ Four Last Songs and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 AND 29, 2008 AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2008 AT 2 PM

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel begins his Los Angeles Philharmonic 2008/09 residency with three concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29, at 8 p.m., as well as Sunday, November 30, at 2 p.m. The program features soprano Christine Brewer as soloist in Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs. Dudamel opens the program with Ligeti’s Atmosphères, and closes the program with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral.”

Avant-garde composer Gyorgy Ligeti’s music “was among the most innovative of the last half of the 20th century,” as noted by The New York Times. His distinctive style, devoid of traditional structure, revolutionized postwar music. Atmosphères is one of his most famous compositions, due in part to its use in the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Strauss is known today for his orchestral works, his operas, and his songs. He burst on the scene at the end of the 19th century with a series of vibrant orchestral works. He then shocked audiences with the rawness of his operas Salome and Elektra before charming them with the luxuriant vocal and orchestral splendor of Der Rosenkavalier. During his last years, Strauss composed a number of moving works, including Four Last Songs. Grammy-winning American soprano Christine Brewer, who last appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the ground-breaking Tristan Project in 2007, returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall for this performance, which marks her first collaboration with Dudamel.

Beethoven once said “I love a tree more than a man.” His love of nature and preference for the countryside inspired his beautiful Symphony No. 6 in F major, known as “Pastoral.” It premiered alongside his more famous Fifth Symphony, under the title “Recollections of Country Life,” in 1808. Two centuries later it remains a central work in the symphonic repertoire.

Gustavo Dudamel, one of the most exciting young conductors today, takes over the helm as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the fall of 2009. He is currently Principal Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra as well as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

Dudamel’s residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic continues Thurs. – Sun., Dec. 4 – 7, 2008, with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, in a program that includes Kurtág’s Stele, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Strauss’ Alpine Symphony.

Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions are free to ticket-holders, and occur one hour prior in BP Hall. Asadour Santourian, Artistic Advisor and Administrator of the Aspen Music Festival and School, hosts Upbeat Live Nov. 28 – 30.

GUSTAVO DUDAMEL’s remarkable artistry, along with his unique ability to communicate and become one with an orchestra are only a few of the characteristics that establish him as one of today’s leading figures in the music world. His exceptional gift, together with contagious energy on as well as off stage, takes musicians and listeners on a memorable journey. Currently the Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, he becomes the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009-10, and enters his tenth year as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. Gustavo Dudamel’s 2008-09 season opened in October with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra tour of Europe, including performances in Cologne, Essen, Luxembourg, Munich, Vienna, Barcelona, Valencia, San Sebastian and Valladolid. In November 2008, he tours the US with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, bringing it to New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washingon DC, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This is followed by two weeks of subscription concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. December brings Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra on a debut Asian tour to Japan, China, and Korea. Additional appearances this season are with Staatskapelle Berlin, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and a return engagement with the Berliner Philharmoniker, among others. In the 2007-08 season, Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela embarked on a European tour with performances at the Edinburgh Festival and the BBC Proms in the UK, and five German venues, including Schleswig Holstein Festival, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Dresden Semperoper, Bonn Beethovenfest, and Frankfurt Alte Oper, followed by a US tour to rave reclaim in October, with performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and in New York’s Carnegie Hall. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and returned for performances with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony. Gustavo Dudamel has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2005. His debut recording, Beethoven 5&7 with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra was released worldwide in September 2006, and he has received the 2007 Echo Award (Germany) for “New Artist of the Year.” His second recording with the Orchestra, Mahler 5, was released in May 2007, and was chosen as the only classical album on iTunes’ “Next Big Thing.” His third album with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, FIESTA, was released in May 2008 and it is in essence, as the title suggests, a “fiesta” of Latin-American works, such as Revueltas’ Sensemayá, Carreño’s Margariteña, and Estévez’s Melodia en el Llano, as well as Bernstein’s Mambo, among others. News of Gustavo Dudamel’s talent spread worldwide after his triumph at the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in May 2004. Born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, he studied violin at the Jacinto Lara Conservatory with José Luis Jiménez and later, with José Francisco del Castillo, at the Latin American Academy of Violin. In 1996, he began his conducting studies with Rodolfo Saglimbeni and during the same year was named Music Director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. In 1999, along with assuming the Music Director position of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, he began conducting studies with José Antonio Abreu, the Orchestra’s founder. In May 2007, Dudamel was awarded the Premio de la Latinidad by the Unión Latina, an honor, given for outstanding contributions to Latin cultural life, which is presented by the 37 Latin American and African member states of the Unión Latina organization. In 2008, the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra was granted Spain’s prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, given annually by the Fundación Principe de Asturias. Most recently, Dudamel was awarded the 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Young Artists.

CHRISTINE BREWER’s appearances in opera, concert, and recital are marked with her own unique timbre, at once warm and brilliant, combined with a vibrant personality and emotional honesty reminiscent of the great sopranos of history. Her range, golden tone, boundless power, and control make her a favorite of the stage as well as a sought-after recording artist. Brewer has appeared with many of the world's great conductors: Kurt Masur, Robert Shaw, Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Michael Tilson Thomas, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Christoph von Dohnányi, Antonio Pappano, Sir Charles Mackerras, Herbert Blomstedt, Sir Neville Marriner, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, and Charles Dutoit. Brewer's repertoire encompasses the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Verdi, Strauss, Mahler, Janácek, and Britten, and she regularly performs with many of the world's leading orchestras. On the opera stage Brewer has been seen in a variety of roles, including the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera, the Opéra de Lyon, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Santa Fe Opera, and the English National Opera; the title role in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride at the Edinburgh Festival, in Rio de Janeiro, and in Madrid; and the title role in Die ägyptische Helena at Santa Fe Opera. Brewer's recordings include a contribution to Hyperion's Schubert series with pianist Graham Johnson; the Janácek Glagolitic Mass and Dvorák Te Deum with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Telarc); the Dvorák Stabat Mater (Naxos); and an appearance as soloist on a recording of opera choruses (Telarc). Opera Theatre of St. Louis produced and released two recital recordings by Brewer. Recent recordings include Barber's Vanessa (Chandos) with the BBC Symphony, and the Grammy-winning Bolcom Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Naxos), both conducted by Leonard Slatkin; Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (EMI) with Sir Simon Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; a disc of lieder for Hyperion's new Richard Strauss series with pianist Roger Vignoles; Fidelio in English and Great Operatic Arias (Chandos) with the London Philharmonic and David Parry; Mozart's Requiem with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Telarc); and Britten's War Requiem with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Kurt Masur (LPO Live). Recent releases include the Strauss Four Last Songs and the Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Telarc (August 2006), and Fidelio in German with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra on LSO Live.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music – Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2008, at 8 PM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2008, at 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2008, at 2 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, conductor
CHRISTINE BREWER, soprano

LIGETI Atmosphères
STRAUSS Four Last Songs
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”

Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions are free to ticket-holders, and occur one hour prior in BP Hall. Asadour Santourian, Artistic Advisor and Administrator of the Aspen Music Festival and School, hosts Upbeat Live Nov. 28 – 30.

Tickets ($42 - $147) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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Los Angeles Philharmonic Presents <Em>Chamber Music Society</Em> Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Perform a Program of Works by Martinu, Poulenc and Chausson

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2008, AT 8 PM

The Los Angeles Philharmonic spotlights members of the LA Phil in its second Chamber Music Society series concert of the 2008/09 season, Tuesday, November 25, at 8 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The program begins with Martinu's lively Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, H. 327, performed by Robert Thies, piano, and LA Phil musicians Michele Bovyer, violin, and Serge Oskotsky, cello. Poulenc's carefree and rambunctious Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano follows, featuring LA Phil musicians Anne Marie Gabriele, oboe, Shawn Mouser, bassoon, and Joanne Pearce Martin, piano; and Chausson's dark Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 3 concludes the evening, performed by LA Phil musicians Martin Chalifour, violin, Peter Stumpf, cello, and Joanne Pearce Martin, piano.

The three composers featured on the program all shared a propensity for depression sometimes belied, but often exposed, in their music. As with most of Martinus works, his Piano Trio No. 2 exudes a shining energy, but it also carries an underlying heaviness and anxiety which could be attributed to the composers depressed state of mind at the time he wrote it. The mostly-self-taught Poulenc who suffered from fits of manic-depression, reveals a brilliant optimism in his Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano. Chaussons melancholy nature is reflected in the fundamental gloominess of his Piano Trio in G minor.

The LA PHIL's Chamber Music Societys 2008/09 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall is comprised of two series of four concerts performed by members of the orchestra with distinguished guest artists. Upcoming programs are February 3, 2009, with guest Yuja Wang, piano; February 24, with members of the LA Phil; March 17, with guest Kate Royal, soprano; March 31 and April 28 with members of the LA Phil; and May 26, with guest Christoph Eschenbach, piano.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Associations involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2008, AT 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

CHAMBER MUSIC

MEMBERS OF THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

MARTINU Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, H. 327
MICHELE BOVYER, violin
SERGE OSKOTSKY, cello
ROBERT THIES, piano

POULENC Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano
ANNE MARIE GABRIELE, oboe
SHAWN MOUSER, bassoon
JOANNE PEARCE MARTIN, piano

CHAUSSON Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 3
MARTIN CHALIFOUR, violin
PETER STUMPF, cello
JOANNE PEARCE MARTIN, piano

Tickets ($24 - $49) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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Chelsea Chen to Make Los Angeles Debut on the Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ Recital Series

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

24-Year-old Virtuoso Performs Works by Dupré, Vierne, Chen, Gjeilo, Hindemith, Bach and Reger

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008, AT 7:30PM

Chelsea Chen, the brilliant 24-year-old organ virtuoso, makes her Los Angeles debut on the Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ Series Sunday, November 23, at 7:30 p.m. The program is a rich mix of works from four centuries, including Marcel Dupré – “Le Monde dans l’attente du Sauveur” from Symphonie-Passion, Louis Vierne – “Naiades” from Pièces de fantaisie, Ola Gjeilo – Sinfonietta, Paul Hindemith – Sonata No. 1, J.S. Bach – An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653, Max Reger – Chorale-fantasy on “Hallelujah! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud!" and a piece written by Chen: “Taiwan Tableaux.”

“Her youthful energy and enthusiasm were contagious. Her memorized performance was fresh and inspiring,” writes Madolyn Fallis, in The American Organist. Critics praise Chen’s talent for breathing new life into the art of the organ, and she has been the recipient of many awards, including the Robert Baker and Charles Ives prizes at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and the John Erskine Prize for scholastic and artistic distinction at the Juilliard School.

"I've always admired Disney Hall's scintillating architecture and organ design. There really is not a more ‘hip’ place to hear and play the organ! Originally, I thought of the organ only as a church instrument, and while I am passionate about that magnificent repertory, I am also dedicated to secular works that show off the organ's wide range of expression. I hope that the audience will enjoy both the traditional and the contemporary works on the program, such as my own ‘Taiwan Tableaux’ and Ola Gjeilo’s Sinfonietta,” says Chen of her upcoming debut.

With performances described as electrifying and brilliant, CHELSEA CHEN elicits high praise for her exceptional command of the organ. She has already performed to great acclaim throughout the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. A Juilliard graduate and Fulbright scholar, she is broadening the classical organ repertoire with her own Asian-inspired compositions. Ms. Chen recorded her debut CD and DVD, Live at Heinz Chapel, on the Heinz Chapel organ in Pittsburgh, PA at the 2005 Convention of the American Institute of Organ builders. Her playing has been broadcast on Pipedreams from American Public Media, Hawaii Public Radio, and Taiwan's Good News Radio. In 2006, Ms. Chen was featured at both the American Guild of Organists Region IX Conclave in Las Vegas and the AGO National Convention in Chicago. In addition, she has appeared as soloist with the Juilliard Percussion Orchestra in Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and with the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra in Colorado. She premiered her own ‘Taiwanese Suite’ (2003) and ‘Taiwan Tableaux’ (2007) at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, and has premiered several works by Juilliard composers Teddy Niedermaier and Ola Gjeilo, all with great success. In collaboration with harpist Arielle, their organ and harp ensemble, Duo Mango, has championed new works by Paul Desenne, Yui Kitamura, and Roderick Gorby. Ms. Chen has been the recipient of many awards including The Baker Prize for a top incoming organ student at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, The Charles Ives Prize for an outstanding organ major at the Yale School of Music, and The John Erskine Prize for scholastic and artistic distinction at the Juilliard School. In addition, she has taken first prizes in competitions including the 2005 Augustana/Reuter National Undergraduate Organ Competition, the 2003 Region IX AGO RCYO Competition, and the 2005 Musical Merit Foundation Competition. In 2006, she was an Aspen Music Festival full-scholarship recipient for piano. Originally from San Diego, California, Ms. Chen studied piano from a young age with Jane Bastien and Lori Bastien Vickers. At fifteen, she began organ lessons with Leslie Robb, and later with Monte Maxwell. She then went on to study with John Weaver and Paul Jacobs at Juilliard, receiving her Bachelor's and Master's degrees. From 2003-06, she was organist at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and was a leader of the Juilliard Christian Fellowship. In 2006-2007, she composed, lectured, and performed in Taiwan as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. Currently, she is in the Artist Diploma program at Yale University studying with Thomas Murray.

The WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL ORGAN was inaugurated at the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in fall of 2004. Designed by Frank Gehry and Manuel Rosales of Rosales Organ Builders, the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ contains pipes ranging in size from a pencil to a telephone pole, and is voiced with a wide dynamic range from pianississimo to a breathtaking fortissimo. The specially curved wood façade pipes were made by Glatter-Götz Orgelbau of solid, vertical grain Douglas fir and consist of the Violone and Bassoon basses. Behind the facade are three levels of pipes, including metal pipes made of tin and lead alloys and wood pipes made of Norwegian pine.

The LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music - Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association's involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008, at 7:30 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

CHELSEA CHEN, organ

Tickets ($24 - $49) are on sale now online at LAPhil.com, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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LA Phil Music Director Designate Gustavo Dudamel and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Conclude Tour at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Tour Celebrates Israels Anniversary and Bernsteins Legacy with the Orchestra

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008, AT 8 PM

The Concert is Generously Sponsored by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Designate Gustavo Dudamel and the Israel Philharmonic (IPO) come to Walt Disney Concert Hall, Monday, November 24, at 8 p.m., as part of a tour celebrating Israels 60th year of independence and Leonard Bernsteins legacy with the orchestra. In tribute to Bernsteins 90th anniversary year, the program features music by the orchestras famed Laureate Conductor Halil, a nocturne for flute and orchestra with IPO flutist Eyal Ein-Habar appearing as soloist, and Jubilee Games, composed for the IPOs 50th anniversary as well as Tchaikovskys Symphony No. 4. The Los Angeles stop concludes the orchestras largest American tour in four years.

The program invites listeners to consider the parallels between Bernstein and Tchaikovsky in the context of their respective cultural identities and their struggles to find balance between these identities and artistic meaning.

Bernstein, who came of age during a period that shaped modern Jewish identity, composed Halil in 1981 to commemorate Yadim Tannenbaum, a young flutist killed in 1973 while fighting in the Yom Kippur war. Throughout the work, there is a continual struggle between atonality and tonality, and the overall mournful tone of the piece conveys what was lost and what might have been. In his Jubilee Games, Bernsteins final major orchestral work and one of his most exploratory, the composer showcases the orchestra as a complete ensemble and puts a spotlight on individual instruments and sections. The piece also juxtaposes highly trained virtuosos with unconventional touches, notably the non-singing voices and the pre-recorded sounds of the shofar.

Tchaikovskys Symphony No. 4 is the first full expression of the composers artistic voice and represents a turning point on various levels: as a composer, toward mastery of technique; as a human, toward confronting demons; as an artist, toward a more cosmopolitan idiom. In the finale, the composer drew on his Russian roots to produce the impression of a folk celebration.

Dudamel begins his Los Angeles Philharmonic 2008/09 residency with three concerts featuring soprano Christine Brewer at Walt Disney Concert Hall, November 28 30, and continues Dec. 4 7, with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) was established in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman, a Zionist who founded the orchestra in order to save Jewish musicians in Europe from the Holocaust, which he foresaw. The inaugural concert, on December 26, 1936, was conducted by the legendary Arturo Toscanini to great acclaim, with the "Palestine Orchestra," as it was then known, being characterized as "an orchestra of soloists." With Israel's independence in 1948, it was renamed the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and is now considered one of the most important orchestras in the world today.

An Upbeat Live pre-concert event takes place in Walt Disney Concert Halls BP Hall one hour prior to the concert, and is free to all ticket holders. Alan Chapman, KUSC-FM radio host, composer-lyricist and pianist, hosts.

GUSTAVO DUDAMELs remarkable artistry, along with his unique ability to communicate and become one with an orchestra are only a few of the characteristics that establish him as one of todays leading figures in the music world. His exceptional gift, together with contagious energy on as well as off stage, takes musicians and listeners on a memorable journey. Currently the Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, he becomes the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009-10, and enters his tenth year as Music Director of the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. Gustavo Dudamels 2008-09 season opened in October with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra tour of Europe, including performances in Cologne, Essen, Luxembourg, Munich, Vienna, Barcelona, Valencia, San Sebastian and Valladolid. In November 2008, he tours the US with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, bringing it to New Yorks Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washingon DC, Philadelphias Kimmel Center and to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This is followed by two weeks of subscription concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. December brings Gustavo Dudamel and the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra on a debut Asian tour to Japan, China, and Korea. Additional appearances this season are with Staatskapelle Berlin, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and a return engagement with the Berliner Philharmoniker, among others. In the 2007-08 season, Gustavo Dudamel and the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra of Venezuela embarked on a European tour with performances at the Edinburgh Festival and the BBC Proms in the UK, and five German venues, including Schleswig Holstein Festival, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Dresden Semperoper, Bonn Beethovenfest, and Frankfurt Alte Oper, followed by a US tour to rave reclaim in October, with performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and in New Yorks Carnegie Hall. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and returned for performances with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony. Gustavo Dudamel has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2005. His debut recording, Beethoven 5&7 with the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra was released worldwide in September 2006, and he has received the 2007 Echo Award (Germany) for New Artist of the Year. His second recording with the Orchestra, Mahler 5, was released in May 2007, and was chosen as the only classical album on iTunes Next Big Thing. His third album with the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra, FIESTA, was released in May 2008 and it is in essence, as the title suggests, a fiesta of Latin-American works, such as Revueltas Sensemay�, Carre�os Margarite�a, and Est�vezs Melodia en el Llano, as well as Bernsteins Mambo, among others. News of Gustavo Dudamels talent spread worldwide after his triumph at the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in May 2004. Born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, he studied violin at the Jacinto Lara Conservatory with Jos� Luis Jim�nez and later, with Jos� Francisco del Castillo, at the Latin American Academy of Violin. In 1996, he began his conducting studies with Rodolfo Saglimbeni and during the same year was named Music Director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. In 1999, along with assuming the Music Director position of the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra, he began conducting studies with Jos� Antonio Abreu, the Orchestras founder. In May 2007, Dudamel was awarded the Premio de la Latinidad by the Uni�n Latina, an honor, given for outstanding contributions to Latin cultural life, which is presented by the 37 Latin American and African member states of the Uni�n Latina organization. In 2008, the Sim�n Bol�var Youth Orchestra was granted Spains prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, given annually by the Fundaci�n Principe de Asturias. Most recently, Dudamel was awarded the 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Young Artists.

The ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA is one of Israels oldest and most influential cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1936, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has dedicated itself to presenting the worlds greatest music to audiences in Israel and around the world. Founded by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra represents the fulfillment of his dream "to unite the desire of the country for an orchestra with the desire of the Jewish musicians for a country." The orchestras practice, established by Huberman, of absorbing talented new immigrants and serving as a gathering point for musician all over the world, continues under the esteemed leadership of Zubin Mehta. Major soloists and conductors have always performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from its inaugural concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini to more recent associations with such renowned artists as Emanuel Ax, Daniel Barenboim, Yefim Bronfman, Principal Guest Conductor Yoel Levi, Yo-Yo Ma, Lorin Maazel, Honorary Guest Conductor Kurt Masur, Itzhak Perlman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Arthur Rubinstein, Gil Shaham, Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is Israels premier cultural ambassador and travels extensively throughout the world, particularly to countries where there is little or no Israeli representation. The good-will created by these tours, which have included historic visits to Japan, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, Russia, China, and India is of enormous value to the State of Israel. In 2005, the Orchestra traveled to Berlin to commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany; to London, Paris and Geneva on a tour co-sponsored by the Weizmann and Pasteur Institutes; and, to South America where the Orchestra visited eight cities in 20 days. In 2007, the IPO performed five concerts in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles in the U.S.; seven concerts in six cities in Japan and 23 concerts during their summer European Festival Tour. In February 2008, The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Tribute to Leonard Bernstein toured five U.S. cities with Jamie Bernstein, the composers daughter, under the baton of Michael Barrett. The IPO returns to the U.S. in November 2008, with the dynamic young LA Phil Music Director Designate Gustavo Dudamel, continuing the celebration of Israels 60th Anniversary and the tribute to Leonard Bernstein. The Orchestra performs eight concerts in seven cities: Newark, New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Diego, Costa Mesa and Los Angeles. Currently, the Orchestra gives more than 100 performances each year in Israel to their 26,000 subscribers, where 12 different concert series are presented in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has played a prominent role in many celebrations and important historic milestones for the State of Israel and remains an eloquent voice for peace in Israel and around the world.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Associations involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008, at 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Visiting Orchestras

ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, conductor
EYAL EIN-HABAR, flute

BERNSTEIN Halil
BERNSTEIN Concerto for Orchestra, Jubilee Games
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

The concert is generously sponsored by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

An Upbeat Live pre-concert event takes place in Walt Disney Concert Halls BP Hall one hour prior to the concert, and is free to all ticket holders. Alan Chapman, KUSC-FM radio host, composer-lyricist and pianist, hosts.

Tickets ($42 - $147) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos Conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall for Three Performances of Mozart, Beethoven and Respighi

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008, AT 8 PM (CASUAL FRIDAYS CONCERT)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008, AT 2 PM

Nov 21 Media Sponsor: Time Warner Cable

Rafael Fr�hbeck de Burgos conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall in three concerts of Mozart, Beethoven and Respighi, Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 23, at 2 p.m. The Friday performance, a Casual Fridays concert, includes Mozarts Serenade No. 6 in D major, Serenata notturna, Beethovens Symphony No. 8 and Respighis The Pines of Rome. The Saturday and Sunday concerts also include Respighis The Fountains of Rome.

All three concerts open with Mozarts Serenade No. 6 in D major, also known as Serenata notturna, the one of Mozarts party piece serenades written to please his customer with a carefree, bright and elegant product. Beethovens Symphony No. 8, his little Symphony in F, showcases the composers whimsical side with light-hearted passages heard by some to be musical jokes. Respighis Pines of Rome, one of the composers symphonic poems to The Eternal City, includes a nighttime musical portrait of the Pines of Janiculum, one of Romes seven hills. Saturday and Sundays performances also include another Respighi love letter to Rome, The Fountains of Rome, with each movement representing one of Romes fountains at a different time of day.

An opportunity to learn more about the program is free to all ticket holders at Upbeat Live, which takes place in BP Hall one hour prior to each concert. Christopher Russell, Director of Orchestral Studies at Azusa Pacific University and Coordinator of the Orchestral Program at Orange County High School of the Arts, hosts.

The Los Angeles Philharmonics Casual Fridays series encourages audience and orchestra members to attend attired in comfortable clothes. These shorter programs without intermission feature free post-concert activities for all ticket-holders to enjoy. These activities include a TalkBack discussion with musicians held on stage after the performance and a chance to mingle with members of the orchestra in the Concert Hall Caf�.

Born in Burgos, Spain, in 1933, RAFAEL FR�HBECK DE BURGOS studied violin, piano, music theory, and composition at the conservatories in Bilbao and Madrid, and conducting at Munich's Hochschule f�r Musik, where he graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the Richard Strauss Prize. He currently is Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Dresden Philharmonic. He has served as General Music Director of the Rundfunkorchester (Radio Orchestra) Berlin, Principal Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna Symphony, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Turin, the Bilbao Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Spain, the D�sseldorfer Symphoniker, and the Montreal Symphony. For many seasons, he was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Fr�hbeck has conducted virtually all of the major orchestras in the United States and Canada and returns each year to both the Boston and Tanglewood seasons of the Boston Symphony. He is a regular guest conductor with most of the major European ensembles, including the London Philharmonia, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Hamburg Philharmonic, the German radio orchestras, and the Vienna Symphony. He has also conducted the Israel Philharmonic and the major Japanese orchestras. The numerous honors and distinctions he has been awarded include the Gold Medal of the City of Vienna, the Bundesverdienstkreuz of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Gold Medal from the Gustav Mahler International Society, and the Jacinto Guerrero Prize, Spain's most important musical award, conferred in 1997 by the Queen of Spain. In 1998 Fr�hbeck received the appointment of Emeritus Conductor from the Spanish National Orchestra. He has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Navarra in Spain. Fr�hbeck has recorded extensively for EMI, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Spanish Columbia, and Orfeo. Several of his recordings are considered to be classics, including his interpretations of Mendelssohn's Elijah and St. Paul, Mozart's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Bizet's Carmen and the complete works of Manuel de Falla.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Associations involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008, at 8 PM (Casual Fridays concert)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008, at 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2008, at 2 PM

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
RAFAEL FRUHBECK DE BURGOS, conductor

MOZART Serenade No. 6 in D major, Serenata notturna
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 8
RESPIGHI The Pines of Rome
RESPIGHI The Fountains of Rome (not performed on Casual Fridays program)

Nov. 21 Media Sponsor: Time Warner Cable

An opportunity to learn more about the program is free to all ticket holders at Upbeat Live which takes place in BP Hall one hour prior to each concert. Christopher Russell, Director of Orchestral Studies at Azusa Pacific University and Coordinator of the Orchestral Program at Orange County High School of the Arts, hosts.

Tickets ($42 - $147) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

Peter Sellars Directs Soprano Dawn Upshaw and Violinist Geoff Nuttall in Staged Production of <Em>Kafka Fragments</Em>

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Performance Kicks Off the LA PHILs 2008/09 Green Umbrella Series

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008, AT 8 PM

Media Sponsor: Los Angeles Magazine

Cutting-edge director Peter Sellars, acclaimed soprano Dawn Upshaw and violin soloist Geoff Nuttall open the Los Angeles Philharmonics 2008/09 Green Umbrella series with a staged production of Gy�ry Kurt�gs Kafka Fragments at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Tuesday, November 18, at 8 p.m. The performance marks the beginning of both Sellars and Upshaws LA PHIL On Location residencies, as well as a reprise of the 2005 performance of Kafka Fragments featuring Upshaw and Nuttall with Sellars directing at New Yorks Zankel Hall.

In Sellars conception of this staging, the performance is a drama shared by Upshaw, as a housewife performing daily tasks, and Nuttall, as a street musician, as they play out their acts of musical expression in the Kafka texts, which range from miniature parables to imagistic snapshots. Kurt�gs musical profiles, derived from decades of collecting fragments of Kafkas notebooks, diaries and letters, go beyond attempts to illustrate the texts, but create parallel universes with their own recurrent patterns of imagery.

As LA Phil On Location artists, close collaborators with Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and celebrators of the maestros final season, this performance is one of several for Sellars and Upshaw at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Upshaw was part of the LA Phil Opening Night benefit concert and both return in January to join Salonen for the West Coast premiere of Saariahos oratorio La Passion de Simone, a work written for Upshaw and co-commissioned by the LA Phil. In April, Sellars returns to direct Stravinskys Oedipus Rex and Symphony of Psalms, led by Salonen, and concludes his residency for the 2008/09 season in May by directing A Flowering Tree, created and conducted by John Adams.

Nuttall, co-founder of the world-renowned St. Lawrence String Quartet, last performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2006 during the LA Phils Minimalist Jukebox festival.

The LA Phils groundbreaking Green Umbrella new music series is a tribute to adventurous, open-minded and curious music lovers. The series, with a more-than-20-year history, offers five concerts during the 2008/09 season, most featuring the LA Phil New Music Group led by Esa-Pekka Salonen and guest conductors. Remaining concerts for the 2008/09 season are: the New Music Group presenting Stockhausen and Music of the Future (Dec. 9); LA Phil Assistant Conductor Lionel Bringuier leading the New Music Group, special guest Susan Narucki and members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (Jan. 20, 2009); Salonen conducting the New Music Group in a program of four Philharmonic-commissioned new works and his own Floof (April 7, 2009); and John Adams leading a Composers Choice program featuring an LA Phil-commissioned new work (May 12, 2009).

An Upbeat Live pre-concert event takes place in Walt Disney Concert Halls BP Hall one hour prior to the concert, and is free to all ticket holders. Steven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Consulting Composer for New Music for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, hosts.

Renowned theater, opera, and festival director PETER SELLARS is one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the performing arts in America and abroad. A visionary artist, Sellars is known for ground-breaking interpretations of classic works. Whether it is Mozart, Handel, Shakespeare, Sophocles, or the 16th-century Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu. Sellars strikes a universal chord with audiences, engaging contemporary social and political issues. Sellars has staged operas at the Chicago Lyric Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Netherlands Opera, the Op�ra National de Paris, the Salzburg Festival and the San Francisco Opera, among others. Following his iconic stagings of Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cos� fan tutte in the 1980s, Sellars established a reputation for bringing 20th-century and contemporary operas to the stage, including works by Olivier Messiaen, Paul Hindemith and Gy�rgy Ligeti. Inspired by the compositions of Kaija Saariaho, Osvaldo Golijov and Tan Dun, he has guided the creation of productions of their work that have expanded the repertoire of modern opera. He has been a driving force in the creation of many new works with longtime collaborator John Adams, including Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer, El Ni�o, Doctor Atomic and, most recently, A Flowering Tree, which premiered in Vienna in 2006. Other Sellars projects have included a Chicano version of Stravinskys The Story of a Soldier; an Antonin Artaud radio play coupled with the poetry of the late June Jordan, For an End to the Judgment of God/Kissing God Goodbye, staged as a press conference on the war in Afghanistan; and a production of the Euripides play The Children of Herakles, focusing on contemporary immigration and refugee issues and experience. Sellars has led several major arts festivals, including the 1990 and 1993 Los Angeles Festivals, the 2002 Adelaide Festival in Australia; and the 2003 Venice Biennale International Festival of Theater in Italy. He was artistic director of New Crowned Hope, a month-long festival for which he invited international artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to create new work in the fields of music, theater, dance, film, the visual arts and architecture for the city of Viennas 2006 Mozart Year, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozarts birth. Sellars is a professor in the department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA and a resident curator of the Telluride Film Festival. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Erasmus Prize, the Sundance Institute Risk-Takers Award and the Gish Prize, and he was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

DAWN UPSHAW has achieved worldwide celebrity as a singer of opera and concert repertoire ranging from the sacred works of Bach to the freshest sounds of today. Her ability to reach to the heart of music and text has earned her both the devotion of an exceptionally diverse audience, and the awards and distinctions accorded to only the most distinguished of artists. In 2007, she was named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation, the first vocal artist to be awarded the five-year Genius prize, and in 2008 she was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Her acclaimed performances on the opera stage comprise the great Mozart roles (Pamina, Ilia, Susanna, Despina) as well as modern works by Stravinsky, Poulenc and Messiaen. From Salzburg, Paris and Glyndebourne to the Metropolitan Opera, where she began her career in1984 and has since made nearly 300 appearances, Upshaw has also championed numerous new works created for her including The Great Gatsby by John Harbison; the Grawemeyer Award-winning opera LAmour de Loin and oratorio La Passion de Simone by Kaija Saariaho; John Adams nativity oratorio El Ni�o; and Osvaldo Golijovs chamber opera Ainadamar and song cycle Ayre. Upshaws 2008/09 season includes the U.S. premiere of Peter Sellars production of La Passion de Simone at Lincoln Center, a role she reprises with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in January, and at the Paris Opera in June. She opened Carnegie Halls season in an all-Bernstein program with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony (broadcast on PBS). She also sings world premiere performances of two new works written for her, by Michael Ward-Bergeman (with Ensemble ACJW at Zankel Hall, commissioned by the Terezin Foundation) and Maria Schneider (commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where Upshaw is an Artistic Partner). Upshaw returns to Lincoln Center with violinist Geoff Nuttall in Gy�rgy Kurtags Kafka Fragments in a staging by Peter Sellars that also travels to Los Angeles and Berkeley. She tours Australia with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Germany with the Knights. It says much about Upshaws sensibilities as an artist and colleague that she is a favored partner of many leading musicians, including Richard Goode, the Kronos Quartet, James Levine and Salonen. In her work as a recitalist, and particularly in her work with composers, Upshaw has become a generative force in concert music, having premiered more than 25 works in the past decade. From Carnegie Hall to large and small venues throughout the world she regularly presents specially designed programs composed of lieder, unusual contemporary works in many languages, and folk and popular music. She furthers this work in master classes and workshops with young singers at major music festivals, conservatories and liberal arts colleges. She is Artistic Director of the Vocal Arts Program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, and a faculty member of the Tanglewood Music Center. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Upshaw is featured on more than 50 recordings, including the million-selling Symphony No. 3 by Henryk Gorecki. Her discography also includes full-length opera recordings of Mozarts Le Nozze di Figaro; Messiaens St. Fran�ois dAssise; Stravinskys The Rakes Progress; John Adams El Ni�o; two volumes of Canteloubes Songs of the Auvergne, and a dozen recital recordings. Her most recent release on Deutsche Grammophon is Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra, the third in a series of acclaimed recordings of Osvaldo Golijovs music.

Violinist GEOFF NUTTALL began playing the violin at the age of 8 after moving to London, Ontario from College Station, Texas. He spent most of his musical studies under the tutelage of Lorand Fenyves at the Banff Centre, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1989, Nuttall co-founded the St. Lawrence String Quartet. As first violinist of this world-renowned foursome, he has performed over 1,800 concerts throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. This season celebrates the St. Lawrence in their 20th year together. Since winning the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Young Concert Artist Auditions in the early 90s, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has become a regular at some of North Americas most esteemed music festivals, including Mostly Mozart Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, Chamber Music Albuquerque and Spoleto USA. Their busy touring schedule has seen them in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum, Kennedy Center, Londons Wigmore Hall, Royal Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam, Theatre de Ville Paris, Tokyos Suntory Hall and the White House for President Clinton and guests. In January 2005, Nuttall performed Gy�rgy Kurt�gs Kafka Fragments for soprano and violin in Carnegies Zankel Hall with Dawn Upshaw, staged by Peter Sellars. The New York Times called Nuttalls playing intensely dynamic with stunning technique and volatility. He returned to Zankel Hall in February 2006 to perform at the In Your Ear Too Festival, performing works for solo violin by Biber and a newly commissioned work by Chris Paul Harman. Nuttall was also soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2006, performing Arvo P�rts Tabula Rasa for Two Violins with Barry Shiffman during the Minimalist Jukebox festival. The revival performance of Kafka Fragments with Upshaw and Sellars, in addition to Walt Disney Concert Hall, will also be performed in New York and Berkeley. With the St. Lawrence Quartet, Nuttall served as Graduate Ensemble-in-Residence at the Juilliard School, Yale University and Hartt School of Music, acting as teaching assistants to the Juilliard, Tokyo, and Emerson String Quartets, respectively. He is now on faculty at Stanford University, where the St. Lawrence Quartet has been Ensemble-in-Residence since 1999, and makes his home in the Bay Area with his wife, violinist Livia Sohn, and their young son Jack. Nuttall can also be heard on a Naxos American Classics CD entitled Miracles and Mud, featuring works by Jonathan Berger.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Associations involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008, at 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Green Umbrella series

DAWN UPSHAW, soprano
GEOFF NUTTALL, violin
PETER SELLARS, director
DAVID C. MICHALEK, photography
JAMES F. INGALLS, lighting design

KURT�G Kafka Fragments

Media sponsor: Los Angeles Magazine

An Upbeat Live pre-concert event takes place one hour prior to the concert in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and is free to all ticket holders. Steven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Consulting Composer for New Music for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, hosts.

Tickets ($24 - $49) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

British Composer/Conductor Thomas Adès Leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Music by Berlioz and Philharmonic Premieres of Two of His Own Works

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Mezzo-Soprano Mary Nessinger Makes Her LA Phil debut with Special Appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 and 15, 2008, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2008, AT 2 PM

The Nov. 14 Concert is Generously Sponsored by UBS
Nov. 14 Media Sponsor: Time Warner Cable

British composer Thomas Adès returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program showcasing works by Berlioz as well as the first Philharmonic performances of two of his own works, Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 16, at 2 p.m. The program highlights the musical themes of hope and despair, and reflects Adès’ enthusiasm for French music.

The concerts open with Berlioz, beginning with the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s participation in the composer’s arrangement of Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle’s Hymne des Marseillais, France’s national anthem, and “Royal Hunt and Storm,” the entr’acte before Act IV of his operatic masterpiece, Les Troyens (The Trojans). The epic poem continues as the LA Phil performs the Prelude to The Trojans at Carthage from the same opera and the Overture to Les francs-juges, an opera Berlioz never finished.

Two works by Adès’ close the program: the first Los Angeles Philharmonic performances of America: A Prophecy and Tevot. Mezzo-soprano Mary Nessinger makes her LA Phil debut in America: A Prophecy, a lament for the Spanish conquest of the Mayans, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to provide “messages for the millennium.” A champion of contemporary works, Nessinger returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall on December 9, to join the Philharmonic in a LA Phil Green Umbrella series program.

Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place one hour prior to each concert in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and are free to all ticket holders. Steven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Consulting Composer for New Music for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, hosts.

Renowned as both a composer and a performer, THOMAS ADÈS works regularly with the world’s leading orchestras, opera companies and festivals. Appointed to the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer Chair at Carnegie Hall for 2007/08, he was featured as composer, conductor and pianist throughout that season. His recent activities include the world premiere of a new work, In Seven Days, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, an appearance at the 2008 BBC Proms with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and a production of Rake’s Progress at the Royal Opera House in London. Engagements in the 2008/09 season include a return to the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Dutch premiere of In Seven Days with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic; his debut with the New World Symphony; a Wigmore Hall recital with cellist Steven Isserlis, and a series of recitals in the UK and U.S. with violinist Anthony Marwood. A number of international festivals have chosen to present special focuses on his music. Among these were Helsinki’s Musica Nova (1999), Salzburg Easter Festival (2004), Radio France’s Festival Présences (2007) and the Barbican’s ‘Traced Overhead’ (2007). Adès’ first opera Powder Her Face has been performed all round the world and was televised by Channel Four, and is available on a DVD as well as an EMI CD. Most of the composer’s music has been recorded by EMI, with whom Adès has a contract as composer, pianist and conductor. Adès’ second opera, The Tempest, was commissioned by the Royal Opera House and was premiered under the baton of the composer to great critical acclaim in February 2004, and revived in 2007. In September 2005, his violin concerto, Concentric Paths, was premiered at the Berliner Festspiele and the BBC Proms, with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under his baton. His second orchestral work for Simon Rattle, Tevot, (2007) was commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Carnegie Hall. Adès’ music has attracted numerous awards and prizes, including the prestigious Grawemeyer Award (in 2000, for Asyla), of which he is the youngest ever recipient. From 1999 to 2008 he was Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival.

Mezzo-soprano MARY NESSINGER has been heard in concert, recital and opera throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has taken immense pleasure in performing some of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most dynamic works, as well as her own astute interpretations of standard repertoire. Of recent performances, The New York Times has praised her “remarkable fluidity and beauty of tone,” and described her interpretive skills as “a tour de force of characterization.” The New Yorker has heralded her “exacting musicianship and quiet dignity (which) have made her a fixture of the New York scene.” Nessinger has been heard as a soloist in some of this country’s finest venues, including Carnegie, Alice Tully, Avery Fisher, and Merkin Halls; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C.; Jordan Hall and the Gardner Museum in Boston; and she has appeared internationally at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie in Berlin, the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. In addition to works from the standard repertoire, Nessinger has devoted a large portion of her musical life to the performance of new music. She has enjoyed a close working relationship with some of contemporary music’s brightest and most innovative composers, including Lee Hyla, John Harbison, Haflidi Hallgrimsson, Harold Meltzer, David Del Tredici, Earl Kim, George Rochberg, Bernard Rands, George Crumb, Simon Bainbridge, Eric Moe, Sebastian Currier, Pia Gilbert and Anna Weesner. Nessinger obtained her Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, and afterwards studied at the Eastman School of Music with Seth McCoy and Jan DeGaetani and in New York with Chloe Owen. She has served on the voice faculty of Princeton University, and is currently a Lecturer in Voice at Vassar College. As a chamber musician Nessinger has collaborated with many fine artists, including Peter Serkin, Mitsuko Uchida, Robert Spano, Ida Kavafian, Fred Sherry, David Shifrin, Daniel Phillips, Peter Wiley and Martin Lovett. In her work with orchestra, Nessinger has been a soloist with the Baltimore, Grand Rapids, Jacksonville, and London Symphonies, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Her collaborative work has found her performing with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Millennium Ensemble, the Hebrides Ensemble (Scotland), the Brentano, Colorado, Pacifica, and Orion String Quartets, the Endellion String Quartet (London), and as a guest artist at the Tanglewood Music Festival and the Ravinia Festival. She has participated in the Santa Fe, Chamber Music Northwest, Marlboro, Music from Angel Fire, Aspen, International Musicians Seminar Open Chamber Music, the Wellesley Composers Conference, Skaneateles, Music from Salem, Tannery Pond, Salt Bay Chamberfest, Kingston (RI), Crested Butte, Portland (Maine) Chamber Music, and New England Bach Festivals; and has toured under the auspices of “Musicians from Marlboro” and the International Musicians Seminar in England. Nessinger has recorded for the Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch, CRI, New World, Naxos, Ondine, Mode, and Koch International labels, and is particularly proud of two recent releases of monodramas written specifically for her: Lee Hyla’s Lives of the Saints and Suma Beach on BMOP/Sound; and Eric Moe’s Tri-Stan on Koch International.

The Grammy-nominated LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE is led by Music Director Grant Gershon, who also serves as associate conductor/chorus master of the LA Opera. The Chorale, currently celebrating its 45th season, is in its sixth season as the resident chorus at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Among other accolades, the chorus received the 2006 WQXR Gramophone Award for its 2005 Nonesuch Recording of Steve Reich’s You Are (Variations), and “Voices Within,” one of the Chorale’s highly successful outreach programs, earned the coveted Chorus America Education Outreach Award in 2008. Founded in 1964, the Chorale was the first organization in the nation to offer a complete season of great choral masterworks. In addition to presenting its own concert series at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Chorale performs regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Chorale has recorded two other CDs under Gershon’s baton, including Daniel Variations by Steve Reich on Nonesuch Records, and an RCM recording featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund, and Itaipu, by Philip Glass. It previously released three CDs under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna. The Chorale is also featured on the soundtracks of numerous major motion pictures, including Lady in the Water, License to Wed, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Waterworld.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008, AT 8 PM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2008, AT 2 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
THOMAS ADÈS, conductor
MARY NESSINGER, mezzo-soprano
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE

ROUGET de LISLE/BERLIOZ Hymne des Marseillais
BERLIOZ “Royal Hunt and Storm” (from Les Troyens)
BERLIOZ Prelude to the Trojans at Carthage
BERLIOZ Overture to Les francs-juges
ADÈS America: A Prophecy
ADÈS Tevot

The Nov. 14 concert is generously supported by UBS.
Nov. 14 media sponsor: Time Warner Cable

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All-Star Duo of Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman Perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The LA PHIL’s 2008/09 Colburn Celebrity Series Continues

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008, AT 8 PM

The Series is Endowed By a Generous Grant from the Colburn Foundation
Media Sponsor: 89.3 KPCC

No strangers to each other nor to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the dynamic duo of Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman combine their mastery and skill on Wednesday, November 12, at 8 p.m. Appearing as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2008/09 Colburn Celebrity series, the pair’s recital opens and closes with works they have previously performed and recorded together: Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Rachmaninoff’s final work, Symphonic Dances. The remaining pieces in the program include Bolcom’s Recuerdos (Three Traditional Latin American Dances) for Two Pianos, and Mozart’s Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos, K. 448, a work used in the first “Mozart-effect” experiment.

As close collaborators with Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrators of the maestro’s final season, this recital is one of many performances for Ax and Bronfman at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Ax returns in January as soloist with Salonen and the orchestra, while Bronfman, an LA Phil 2008/09 On Location artist, has already appeared in a chamber music concert, a subscription series program with Salonen and the Philharmonic, joined them in Tokyo for part of their Asia tour, and appears in an upcoming subscription series program.

This season, the Colburn Celebrity series includes some of the leading pianists of our time as well as a masterful violinist. Future recitals feature Leif Ove Andsnes with violinist Christian Tetzlaff (January 29, 2009); Evgeny Kissin (March 16, 2009); and Krystian Zimerman (April 26, 2009).

EMANUEL AX is renowned not only for his poetic temperament and unsurpassed virtuosity, but also for the exceptional breadth of his performing activity. Each season his distinguished career includes appearances with major symphony orchestras worldwide, recitals in the most celebrated concert halls, a variety of chamber music collaborations, the commissioning and performance of new music, and additions to his acclaimed discography on Sony BMG Masterworks. Ax captured public attention in 1974 when, at age 25, he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975, he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists and, four years later, took the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. An established recording artist for Sony Classical, Ax’s celebrated discography includes two Grammy awards. Recent performance highlights have included separate recital tours with two longstanding colleagues, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Yefim Bronfman; a tour of the Far East with recitals in Guangzhou, Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong and Taipei; and a tour of the U.S. with the Dresden Staatskapelle and Myung-Whun Chung. Always a committed proponent of contemporary composers, Ax has turned his attention in recent years toward the music of contemporary composers, giving the world premiere of John Adams’ Century Rolls with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1997 and premiering Christopher Rouse’s Seeing (dedicated to him) in 1999 with the New York Philharmonic. Ax joined the Boston Symphony for the first performances of Bright Sheng’s Red Silk Dance, and in March 2003, he joined Yo-Yo Ma, David Zinman and the New York Philharmonic to premiere Sheng’s Song and Dance of Tears. Ax premiered Krzysztof Penderecki’s Resurrection with the Philadelphia Orchestra in May 2002, and in May 2003, he premiered a concerto written for him by Melinda Wagner, Extremity of Sky with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony.

YEFIM BRONFMAN is widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuoso pianists performing today. His commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won him consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide, whether for his solo recitals, his prestigious orchestral engagements, or his rapidly growing catalogue of recordings. Bronfman’s 2008/09 season highlights a duo recital tour with Emanuel Ax including performances at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall; and a solo recital tour traversing the U.S. and Europe and culminating in performances at London’s Wigmore Hall and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and in St. Petersburg. North American engagements include opening the 2008/09 season with the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, as well as performing with major orchestras across North America and Europe. He has worked with an equally illustrious group of conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph von Dohnányi, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yuri Temirkanov, Franz Welser-Möst and David Zinman. Summer engagements have regularly taken him to the Aspen, Bad Kissingen, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl, Lucerne, Mann Music Center, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, Salzburg, Saratoga, Tanglewood and Verbier festivals. In 1991, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists. Bronfman has won widespread praise for his solo, chamber and orchestral recordings. He won a Grammy in 1997 for his recording of the three Bartók Piano Concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and his vast discography also includes additional Grammy nominations and critical praise. His most recent releases are Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Mariss Jansons and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, a recital disc, Perspectives, which complements Bronfman’s designation as a Carnegie Hall ‘Perspectives’ artist for the 2007/08 season, and recordings of all the Beethoven piano concerti as well as the Triple Concerto together with violinist Gil Shaham, cellist Truls Mørk, and the Tönhalle Orchestra Zürich under David Zinman for the Arte Nova/BMG label. Soon to be released is Salonen’s Piano Concerto, which Salonen wrote for Bronfman. A devoted chamber music performer, Bronfman has collaborated with the Emerson, Cleveland, Guarneri and Juilliard quartets, as well as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In the U.S., he studied at the Juilliard School, Marlboro, and the Curtis Institute, and with Rudolf Firkus, Leon Fleisher and Rudolf Serkin.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008, at 8 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Colburn Celebrity Series

EMANUEL AX, piano
YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano

BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Haydn
BOLCOM Recuerdos (Three Traditional Latin American Dances) for Two Pianos
MOZART Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos, K.448
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances

This concert is generously sponsored by the Colburn Foundation.
Media Sponsor: 89.3 KPCC

Tickets ($17 - $92) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

Virtuoso Violinist Midori and Guest Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya Showcase Music of America, England and Mexico With Works by Copland, Britten and Revueltas

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, AT 8 PM
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, AT 11 AM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, AT 2 PM

The November 8 concert is generously sponsored by Acura, Official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic All Acura Vehicles Park Free for the Evening

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s former Associate Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead four performances featuring works by artists who embody nationalistic pride, Thursday, November 6, at 8 p.m., Friday, November 7, at 11 a.m., Saturday, November 8, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 8, at 2 p.m. The concerts begin with Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite and ends with Revueltas’ La noche de los mayas. Violinist Midori joins the orchestra for its first performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto.

Copland arranged an orchestral suite from Appalachian Spring, originally written as a ballet score for Martha Graham, in 1944. Highlighting a slice of Americana, Copland weaves the familiar Shaker tune, “Simple Gifts,” poignantly into the suite’s climax. Revueltas’ La noche de los mayas (The Night of the Mayas) utilizes folk-like melodies and percussive variations to voice the spirit of Mexico.

Virtuoso, professor, and humanitarian Midori joins the orchestra as soloist in Benjamin Britten’s challenging Violin Concerto. The most widely performed British composer of the 20th century, Britten, combines technicality, melancholy and lyricism in a youthful piece that reflects his pacifist views during a time of escalating tensions in 1939.

Upbeat Live pre-concert events, free to all ticket holders, take place in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall one hour prior to the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday concerts, and on stage in the main auditorium one hour and 15 minutes prior to the Friday concert. Alan Chapman, KUSC-FM radio host, composer-lyricist and pianist, hosts.

Currently in his ninth season as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony, MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA is one of this country’s most exciting and sought-after conductors. Under his leadership, both the artistic level of the Fort Worth Symphony and its contribution to the cultural life of the community have grown enormously. In the words of the Dallas Morning News, “The transformation of the FWSO under music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya continues to amaze.” The orchestra, under the direction of Harth-Bedoya, made its Carnegie Hall debut in January 2008. Recording projects of the Fort Worth Symphony include an all-Tchaikovsky CD and a bilingual recording of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf featuring narrations in Spanish and English with Michael York. Sentimiento Latin (2006), with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez (Decca), and Alma del Perú, a recording of Peruvian traditional music with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Lima (Filarmonika) are also available. An active guest conductor, Harth-Bedoya has appeared with major orchestras across North America and Europe. Festival appearances include Adelaide, Aspen, Avanti (Helsinki), BBC Proms, Blossom, the Hollywood Bowl (for which he received an Emmy), Interlochen, Oregon Bach, Ravinia and Tanglewood. Recent and upcoming performances include the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony in Australia. Increasingly in demand as an opera conductor, Harth-Bedoya will conduct a new production of La bohème at the English National Opera in London, directed by Jonathan Miller during the winter of 2009. He has also appeared with the Canadian Opera Company (The Barber of Seville), the Minnesota Opera (Un ballo in maschera), and the Santa Fe Opera (Ainadamar with Dawn Upshaw). Winner of the 2002 Seaver/NEA Conductors Award, Harth-Bedoya has also served as Music Director of the Auckland Philharmonia, the Eugene Symphony and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Lima.

In the 2008/09 season, violinist MIDORI concocts the blend of worldwide performances, expanding commitment to community engagement, devotion to her various roles at the prestigious University of Southern California, and enthusiastic exploration of new territory that fans, students, and media alike have come to expect from this brilliant and multi-faceted artist. The season commences with a first-ever tour of trio repertoire with two distinguished colleagues, pianist Jonathan Biss and cellist Johannes Moser, in appearances at numerous European festivals. Aside from the new trio and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Maestro Harth-Bedoya, Midori’s performing colleagues of 2008/09 will also include the Toronto Symphony / Jun Märkl, Boston Symphony Orchestra / Leonard Slatkin, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln / Pietari Inkinen, Vienna Symphony / Christian Arming, Seattle Symphony / Gerard Schwarz, the Cincinnati Symphony / Paavo Järvi, and the LSO / Kristian Järvi. In addition to the standard repertoire, Midori’s musical palette for 2008/09 extends back as far as J.S. Bach, and forward to embrace such composers as Cage, Enescu, Kirchner, and Pärt. Midori feels passionately that people must have access to a variety of great music, regardless of their age, race, social class, geographic location, or financial means. Each year Midori devotes a substantial amount of time to several community-directed initiatives she has established, in both the U.S. and internationally, to address this issue. In 2007, Midori was designated an official U.N. Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who cited her community engagement work as a model of exemplary commitment to worldwide goals shared by the U.N. Midori’s devotion to music education involves not only her extensive community engagement efforts but a deep commitment to her work at the University of Southern California. At USC’s Thornton School of Music, Midori holds the prestigious Jascha Heifetz Chair, and also serves as Chair of the Strings Department. As such, in addition to her administrative duties, she provides private violin instruction, chamber music coaching and devising a curriculum in community engagement studies. At USC, Midori actively performs with her students both on and off campus. In addition and on an ongoing basis, Midori enjoys working with young violinists in master classes all over the world. Midori records exclusively for Sony BMG, which issued two releases by the artist in 2008 – an album joining sonatas of J.S. Bach (Unaccompanied No. 2 in A minor) and Bartók (No. 1 in C-sharp minor, with pianist Robert McDonald), and a 2-CD compilation of catalogue material, The Essential Midori. Midori’s violin is the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu “ex-Huberman,” which is on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. She uses three bows, two by Dominique Peccatte and the third by François Peccatte.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, at 8 PM
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2008, at 11 AM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008, at 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2008, at 2 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA, conductor
MIDORI, violin

COPLAND Appalachian Spring Suite
BRITTEN Violin Concerto
REVUELTAS La noche de los mayas

The November 8 concert is generously sponsored by Acura, Official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic – all Acura vehicles park free for the evening.

Upbeat Live pre-concert events, free to all ticket holders, take place in BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall one hour prior to the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday concerts, and on stage in the main auditorium one hour and 15 minutes prior to the Friday concert. Alan Chapman, KUSC-FM radio host, composer-lyricist and pianist, hosts.

Tickets ($17 - $147) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

THE 2008/09 WORLD MUSIC SERIES AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL BEGINS WITH LEGENDARY BRAZILIAN VOCALIST MILTON NASCIMENTO AND THE RENOWNED JOBIM TRIO

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Milton Nascimento and the Jobim Trio Make their Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut in Support of Their New Release Novas Bossas

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008, at 8 PM

Media support provided by 89.9 KCRW

Vocalist Milton Nascimento, one of the most celebrated and iconic figures of Brazilian music, performs at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, October 29, at 8 p.m., with the Jobim Trio, in support of their new Blue Note Records release, Novas Bossas. This performance marks the first of four concerts that comprise the 2008/09 World Music series at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Antonio Carlos Jobim, otherwise known as Tom Jobim, used to say that Milton Nascimento was the only singer capable of reaching the original pitches of his compositions. In 1958, an unknown João Gilberto tirelessly rehearsed the acoustic guitar beat – fueled by Jobim’s songs – that would launch the bossa nova movement. Nothing could be more appropriate, therefore, than Milton Nascimento joining the Jobim Trio to release Novas Bossas, a homage to the bossa nova movement, during the year of bossa nova’s 50th anniversary.

Brazil’s angelic-voiced Nascimento has been enchanting audiences the world over for over four decades. Combined with the Jobim trio – Paulo and Daniel Jobim and drummer Paulo Graga, and young bass player Rodrigo Villa – this evening’s program features bossa nova masterpieces and pays tribute to one of the richest periods in Brazil’s musical history.

The 2007/08 World Music series at Walt Disney Concert Hall continues with the taiko drumming group Kodo on Sunday, February 8; one of the world’s most captivating tango groups, Estampas Porteñas, on Sunday, March 1; and Portugal’s alluring fado singer, Mariza, on Wednesday, March 18.

The seeds for Novas Bossas, the new release (Blue Note Records) by MILTON NASCIMENTO AND THE JOBIM TRIO, were planted in 2007, by virtue of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of Tom Jobim’s birth. Nascimento and the Jobim Trio performed together at Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Garden, in a concert rendering homage to the supreme maestro. The event was a reunion of long-acquainted artists. Milton was Tom Jobim’s friend, and Jobim once wrote a text calling him his “true panther” and his “true song-bird.” As for Paulo Jobim, he took part in Nascimento’s Clube da Esquina 2 tour, carrying along with him his son Daniel. The relationship between Milton and drummer Paulo Braga, third member of the Jobim Trio, goes back to the early days in their careers. Novas Bossas is one more chapter of this story, which already adds up to more than four decades. It was born without any rush, in a friendly atmosphere. The first song recorded was “Samba do Avião,” which appeared in the soundtrack of Paraíso Tropical, a soap opera. Daniel Jobim explains that the track list emerged “spontaneously, in afternoons of music and reminiscences.” “Milton wanted to record several pieces from my father,” says Paulo Jobim. Daniel suggested the inclusion of “Tudo que Você Podia Ser.” “I have always been in love with this song and I thought it had a lot to do with the album’s atmosphere. Milton loved the suggestion, because the only time he recorded it was for Clube da Esquina and he never sang it again, not even at concerts.” The couple of recordings that came from Milton’s repertoire were ideas from Paulo Jobim. “While I was playing at the studio, I felt an urge to remember ‘Cais’ and also suggested ‘Tarde,’ which has a beautiful harmony and reminds me a lot of the time Milton came to Rio.” “I thought it was great to have the opportunity to play my songs in a different way,” adds Milton. Paulo also wanted a song from Caymmi in the album. “Milton agreed with that right away, since he had been showing interest in recording “O Vento” for a long time.” Paulo Jobim was responsible as well for the inclusion of Daniel Jobim’s composition, “Dias Azuis.” Milton also felt like recording a samba – Daniel Jobim thought of “Velho Riacho.” Milton wanted a song in F – Daniel brought in “Esperança Perdida.” Milton remembered Vinicius de Moraes’ melodies and decided to record them – the chosen one was “Medo de Amar,” a song with lyrics and music from Moraes, aka “The Poet.” And that is how the album evolved, in an absolutely intuitive way.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008, 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

World Music Series

MILTON NASCIMENTO AND THE JOBIM TRIO

Media support is provided by 89.9 KCRW

Tickets ($36- $89) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

# # #

DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET KICKS OFF LA PHIL'S 2008/09 JAZZ SERIES AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 AT 7:30 PM

Concert generously sponsored by Acura, the official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
All Acura Vehicles Park Free for the Evening

Legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck opens the LA Phil's 2008/09 Jazz Series at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday, October 26, at 7:30 pm. For more than 50 years, 87-year-old Brubeck, a veteran pianist and composer, has electrified audiences with his inventive and versatile style.

Brubeck's musical contributions and innovations have garnered him countless prestigious accolades. He has performed for eight U.S. Presidents as well as princes, kings, heads of state and Pope John Paul II. He belongs to both the Playboy Hall of Fame and the Down Beat Hall of Fame, and in 1996 he was inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame. The same year Brubeck was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 1999, he was presented a Jazz Master's Award by the National Endowment for the Arts and has also received the National Medal of the Arts from the NEA.

A bonafide jazz icon, Brubeck performs with Bobby Militello, alto saxophone and flute; Michael Moore, bass; and Randy Jones, drums, for an evening of solid swinging and improvisation.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's Jazz Series, under the guidance of Creative Chair for Jazz Christian McBride, offers a four-concert series featuring major artists from the world of jazz. Three additional concerts round out the 2008/09 Jazz Series: Wayne Shorter Quartet and Imani Winds on Wednesday, December 10, 2009; A Tribute to Ray Brown featuring Christian McBride as Musical Director, Brown's former band mates, and special guests John Clayton, Russell Malone, Benny Green and more on Wednesday, January 28, 2009; Pre-eminent jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves on Wednesday, May 20, 2008. McBride's excellence in both programming and performance led to the extension of his contract through the 2009/10 season.

DAVE BRUBECK began his career more than 50 years ago working his way through college performing in jazz clubs in Stockton, California. After serving under General Patton in the Army's European Theater, Brubeck began studying composition with Darius Milhaud, the famous French composer, at Mills College in Oakland. The Frenchman encouraged Brubeck to pursue a career in both jazz and composition. He quickly distinguished himself by employing a unique harmonic approach and daring improvised choruses. Brubeck pioneered what would become defined as “West Coast” or “cool” jazz. Since then, Brubeck has become a legend and a jazz icon, with a substantial discography of important recordings and compositions. His album Time Out is one of the top-selling jazz albums of all time. His performances throughout the world for heads of state, dignitaries and fans has made Brubeck one of America's foremost goodwill ambassadors. Brubeck's charismatic performances and ground-breaking compositions continue to challenge and excite new generations of musicians and listeners.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music — Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association's involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
Sunday, October 26, 2008, at 7:30 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Jazz Series

The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Dave Brubeck, piano
Bobby Militello, alto saxophone and flute
Michael Moore, bass
Randy Jones, drums

Concert generously sponsored by Acura, the official Automotive Sponsor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

Tickets ($36 - $99) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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