Showing posts with label GuestConductor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GuestConductor. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

PSO: All That Jazz

For Immediate Release
Feb. 20, 2014


CELEBRATE KANDER AND EBB AND “ALL THAT JAZZ” WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PITTSBURGH – Some may not know their names, but everyone knows their music. Together John Kander and Fred Ebb were one of the most fruitful and creative teams in musical theater history, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra puts their talents on display at PNC Pops with “All That Jazz” on March 6-9 at Heinz Hall.

Kander And Ebb

Kander and Ebb have introduced music that became Broadway standards and contemporary classics. Their first produced musical, Flora, The Red Menace, introduced the world to a young Liza Minnelli, winning her first Tony Award, followed by “Cabaret”; “The Happy Time”; “Zorba”; “70, Girls, 70”; “Chicago” (the current revival is the fourth longest running show on Broadway and the longest running American musical on Broadway); “The Act”; “Woman of the Year” (Tony Award); “The Rink”; “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Tony Award); “Steel Pier”; “Curtains” and “The Scottsboro Boys.” Their collaboration also transferred itself to movies and television as they wrote original material for the Academy Awards; “Liza With a Z” (Emmy Award) and HBO’s “Liza Minnelli’s Stepping Out” (Emmy Award); “Funny Lady,” including the Oscar-nominated song “How Lucky Can You Get”; “Lucky Lady”; “New York, New York” and “Chicago,” the movie, with the Oscar-nominated song, “Move On.” Mayor Ed Koch made a declaration, making the song “New York, New York” to become the official anthem of New York City.

Guest conductor Jack Everly and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra give Kander and Ebb a symphonic salute in this rousing PNC Pops weekend, featuring selections from “Cabaret,” “Steel Pier,” “The Act,” “New York, New York” and more!

Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.  Tickets, ranging in price from $21-99, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of PNC Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Jack Everly (Photo Credit:  Michael Tammaro
Jack Everly is the principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). He has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and appears regularly with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. In the 2013-14 season, he will debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra at The Mann Center. This year, Everly will conduct more than 90 performances in more than 20 North American cities. As music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and “A Capitol Fourth” on PBS, Everly proudly leads the National Symphony Orchestra in these patriotic celebrations on the National Mall. These concerts attract hundreds of thousands attendees on the lawn and the broadcasts reach millions of viewers and are some of the very highest rated programming on PBS television. Originally appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Everly was conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for 14 years, where he served as music director. In addition to his ABT tenure, he teamed with Marvin Hamlisch on Broadway shows that Hamlisch scored. He conducted Carol Channing hundreds of times in “Hello, Dolly!” in two separate Broadway productions. Everly, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, holds an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Franklin College in his home state of Indiana. He is a proud resident of the Indianapolis community for more than 12 years and when not on the podium you can find Everly at home with his family, which includes Max the wonder dog.

Nikki Renée Daniels was most recently seen on Broadway singing "Summertime" as Clara in the 2012 Tony Award-winning revival of the Gershwins' “Porgy and Bess.” Other Broadway credits include “Les Misérables” (Fantine), “Nine” (Renata), “Aida” (Nehebka), “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Look of Love,” “Promises, Promises,” “Anything Goes” and “Lestat.” She made her New York City Opera debut as Clara in “Porgy and Bess.” Recently, Daniels played the featured role of Tracy in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, and was featured as a nun in the live NBC presentation of “The Sound of Music.” Regional theater credits include “Ray Charles Live!” (Della B.) at Pasadena Playhouse; “Anything Goes” (Hope) at Williamstown Theatre Festival; “Beauty and the Beast” (Belle) at Sacramento Music Circus, American Musical Theater of San Jose and North Shore Music Theater; “Ragtime” (Sarah) at North Shore Music Theatre; “Aida” (Aida) and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (Narrator) at ArtPark; and “Dorian” (Celia) at the Denver Center. Film and television credits include “The Other Woman” and “Chappelle's Show.” Daniels has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, New York Pops, Naples Symphony Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall. Her debut CD, “Home,” is available on iTunes and CDBaby.com. Please visit nikkireneedaniels.com for more.

Janine DiVita appeared on the Broadway and first national tour of “Grease” (Rizzo, 2007 revival), “Anything Goes” (Reno, 2011 revival), “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Isabel Yearsley, Drood/Alice and Rosa Bud/Deirdre, 2012 revival) and “Young Frankenstein” (Elizabeth, first national tour).  Other New York City credits include “Odyssey” (Penelope), “Happy Hunting” (Mary Mills), “Houdini” (Bess Houdini) and Frank Wildhorn's “Excalibur” (Morgan Le Fay). Regional credits include Lady of the Lake in “Spamalot” (Broadwayworld Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), Nancy in “Oliver!” (Barrymore Nomination Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical), Dot in “Sunday in the Park with George,” Fania Fenelon in Arthur Miller's “Playing For Time,” Little Edie in “Grey Gardens,” Terri in “Sophisticated Ladies,” and Woman #1 and #3 in “The World Goes Round,” among others. Concerts include headliner of China Concert Tour of “Broadway Rox” and a solo cabaret show, “Blonde Ammunition,” at 54 Below. DiVita’s recordings include Bobby Cronin's “Reach the Sky: Live at the Beechman” plus a slew of demo recordings for new composers. She has appeared as a special guest on Irish Tenor Paul Byrom’s “This is the Moment” PBS Special, plus many other commercials and print advertisements. DiVita is the winner of the inaugural Alan Eisenberg/Actors' Equity Association award. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan. More at janinedivita.com.

Ted Keegan has been seen as the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, national tour, and Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular. He has performed the role in more than 24 states and has had the great pleasure of appearing as The Phantom on the “Today Show” on NBC. He has also sung the role in front of the largest audience ever during the halftime show of the NBA All-Star Game. He performed unpublished Gershwin at the opening of the George and Ira Gershwin Room at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and has sung Gershwin with Audra McDonald and with Marin Mazzie. He appeared as a soloist at Avery Fisher Hall, singing Unheard Bernstein. Keegan hosted Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has performed with many symphonies across North America, including the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. He made his Broadway debut in “Sweeney Todd,” where he was seen as Anthony. Other Broadway and National tour credits include “Cyrano: The Musical,” “Camelot” with Robert Goulet, Herman in “The Most Happy Fella” and Kander and Ebb’s “The World Goes Round.”

Beth Leavel received Tony, Drama Desk, New York Outer Critics Circle and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in “The Drowsy Chaperone.” She also received Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her role as Florence Greenberg in “Baby It’s You.” She recently performed the roles of Sally Adams in “Call Me Madame” at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias” at the North Carolina Theatre and the much put-upon maid Berthe in “Boeing-Boeing” at Paper Mill Playhouse. Other Broadway roles include Emily in “Elf,” Donna in “Mamma Mia!,” Frau Blucher in “Young Frankenstein,” Dorothy Brock in the revival of “42nd Street,” Tess in the original company of “Crazy For You,” Mrs. Bixby in “The Civil War,” Ellie in Hal Prince’s “Showboat” and Anytime Annie (her Broadway debut) in “42nd Street.” Leavel was also seen in New York City Center Encores! production of “No, No, Nanette” as Lucille. She has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows, regional theater, commercials and TV, including the final episode of “ER.”

Ron Remke was a featured soloist with the renowned 12 Irish Tenors and is a guest artist with symphonies throughout the United States. He is also a sought-after performer on the high seas and has had the privilege of visiting more than 70 countries while performing on board the Silver Spirit and the Regent Voyager as their production singer.  Select credits include, Lead Tenor in “The Producers” (Westchester Broadway Theater, Pioneer Theater), Hugo in “Aspects of Love,” Captain Tarnitz in “The Student Prince” (Media Theater), Dance Captain of “Kiss Me, Kate” (U.S. National Tour) and appearances at The Fulton Opera House, Marriott Lincolnshire, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Struther’s Library Theater and Cortland Repertory among others.  He also has worked with Sesame Street and Nickelodeon as a voice-over character artist and is the voice of Juan in Sonia Monzano's “No Dog Allowed!”  Most recently, Remke was with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and their annual Christmas spectacular, “Yuletide!”  His full symphonic CD, entitled “Broadway Classics,” is available on iTunes and on his website, ronremke.com.

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.


Editors Please Note:
March 6, 7:30 p.m.
March 7, 8:00 p.m.
March 8, 8:00 p.m.
March 9, 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PNC POPS
JACK EVERLY, conductor
NIKKI RENEE DANIELS, vocalist
JANINE DIVITA, vocalist
TED KEEGAN, vocalist
BETH LEAVEL, vocalist
RON REMKE, vocalist

John Kander (arr. Jack Everly)                   Overture
John Kander (arr. James Stephenson)         “Willkomen” from Cabaret
John Kander (arr. Bob Krogstad)                Cabaret Movie Medley
John Kander                                           "First You Dream" from Steel Pier
John Kander                                           “Two Ladies” from Cabaret
(orch. Michael Gibson/adapt. Michael K. Runyan)
John Kander                                           “Everybody’s Girl” from Cabaret
John Kander (arr. Fred Barton)                  “Songs You Might Have Missed”
John Kander (arr. Fred Barton)                  “Cabaret” from Cabaret
John Kander (arr. Jack Everly)                   “Ring Them Bells”
John Kander                                           “City Lights” from The Act
John Kander (arr. Michael K. Runyan)        “Go Back Home” from The Scottsboro Boys
John Kander (arr. Paul McKibbins) “But the World Goes ‘Round” from New York, New York
John Kander (arr. Fred Barton)                  Chicago Medley

###

Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsciannameo@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Joyce DeFrancesco, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: jdefrancesco@pittsburghsymphony.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Travel to Spain Musically

For Immediate Release
Feb. 14, 2014


TRAVEL TO SPAIN AND BACK AGAIN WITH PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS

PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra joins with one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Joshua Bell, and Victor de Sabata Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda for a BNY Mellon Grand Classics program inspired by dramatic tales and far off lands on February 28 to March 2 at Heinz Hall.

Gianandrea Noseda (Sussie Ahlburg)
During this performance, Noseda leads the Pittsburgh Symphony in a daring presentation of two alluring and fascinating pieces. The performance begins with Joshua Bell’s performance of Edouard Lalo’s challenging “Symphonie espagnole.” Although composed at the beginning of the French fascination with Spanish-themed music, this piece took many years to gain the fame it truly deserved. In the second half, the audience is taken through the rarely preformed tale of “A Faust Symphony.” Composer Franz Liszt, inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s drama “Faust,” dramatically portrays the three main characters— the fallen scholar, Faust, his innocent love, Gretchen, and the demon, Mephistopheles—in one beautiful movement after another.

Each BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert is part of the Explore & Engage program, which includes pre-concert talks, exhibits, display boards and interactive activities that illuminate the music, composers and the time in which they created. This weekend, Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh will conduct a pre-concert talk one hour before each performance. Also, on Sunday, March 2, the PSO Book Club with WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Grand Tier Lounge to discuss “The Violin Maker: Finding a Centuries-Old Tradition in a Brooklyn Workshop” by John Marchese. The book club session is free to all ticket holders to the Sunday afternoon performance, but availability is limited; advance registration is required. To register, call 412.392.4876 or email explore@pittsburghsymphony.org.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging in price from $25.75 to $105.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or by visitingwww.pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Joshua Bell ( Lisa Marie Mazzucco)
Joshua Bell is one of the world's most celebrated violinists. Recently named the music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Bell is the first person to hold this post since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and orchestra leader, Bell’s 2013 highlights included performances with the Israeli Philharmonic and at Eastern, Brevard, Tanglewood and Mostly Mozart festivals. In 2014, Bell reunites with his beloved Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, directing Beethoven’s 3rd and 5th Symphonies and recording the violin concertos of Bach. He will also perform the Brahms concerto with the legendary Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Paavo Järvi, and the Sibelius with Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Growing up with his two sisters in Bloomington, Ind., Bell was an avid computer game player and placed fourth in a national tennis tournament at age 10, and still keeps his racquet close by. At age four, he received his first violin after his parents, both mental health professionals, noticed him plucking tunes with rubber bands he had stretched around his dresser drawer handles. By 12, he was serious about the instrument, thanks in large part to the inspiration Josef Gingold, his beloved teacher and mentor. Two years later, Bell came to national attention in debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. His Carnegie Hall debut, an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a notable recording contract further confirmed his presence. In 1989, Bell received an Artist Diploma in Violin Performance from Indiana University where he currently serves as a senior lecturer at the Jacobs School of Music. His alma mater honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Service Award, he has been named an “Indiana Living Legend” and is the recipient of the Indiana Governor’s Arts Award. Bell has received many accolades: In 2013 he was honored by the New York Chapter, The Recording Academy; in 2012, by the National YoungArts Foundation, in 2011, the Paul Newman Award from Arts Horizons and the Huberman Award from Moment Magazine. Bell was named “Instrumentalist of the Year, 2010” by Musical America and received the Humanitarian Award from Seton Hall University. In 2009, he was honored by Education through Music and received the Academy of Achievement Award in 2008. In 2007, he was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize and recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2005. Bell serves on the artist committee of the Kennedy Center Honors and the Board of Directors of the New York Philharmonic. He has twice performed before President Obama and returned to the Capital to perform for Vice President Biden and President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin and uses a late 18th century French bow by Francois Tourte.

Gianandrea Noseda is among the world’s most sought-after conductors. Since becoming music director of the Teatro Regio Torino in 2007, he has propelled it into the ranks of leading opera houses. Noseda is chief guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic, Victor De Sabata Guest Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Conductor Laureate of the BBC Philharmonic. His career took off in 1997 when he was appointed the first foreign principal guest conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2002, he became principal conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, a post he held for nearly 10 years. He now visits many of the world’s great orchestras, including regular engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra. In addition to conducting numerous productions in Torino each season, Noseda’s work with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio Torino includes major recording projects and international tours and residencies he instituted in Asia (Japan and China) and Europe. In May he took his Italian forces to perform the Verdi Requiem at the Dresden Music Festival and then to the Vienna Konzerthaus for the first time. The current season has seen successful debuts in Europe at the Vienna State Opera as well as in the United States with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Born in Milan, Noseda is one of the highest profile Italian cultural figures, and regularly speaks publicly about the need to continue investing in culture despite difficult economic conditions. In March 2012, he was able to communicate the message to a massive American TV audience when he was interviewed on the subject on CNBC’s iconic “Closing Bell” with Maria Bartiromo at the New York Stock Exchange. He holds the Honor of “Cavaliere Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.”

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

Editors Please Note:

Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS
GIANANDREA NOSEDA, conductor
JOSHUA BELL, violin

Édouard Lalo                  Symphonie espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 21
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Scherzando: Allegro molto
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto non troppo
IV. Andante
V. Rondo

Franz Liszt                     A Faust Symphony
I. Faust
II. Gretchen
III. Mephistopheles

###

Contact: Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsciannameo@pittsburghsymphony.org
Contact: Joyce DeFrancesco, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: jdefrancesco@pittsburghsymphony.org
Twitter: @pghsymphony |Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Haydn & Zarathustra Features Plitmann, Konig

For Immediate Release
Jan. 3, 2014


THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS “HAYDN & ZARATHUSTRA” WITH SOPRANO HILA PLITMANN AND CONDUCTOR CHRISTOPH KÖNIG

PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra invites you to ponder universal questions and fundamental truths in a stirring BNY Mellon Grand Classics program featuring Haydn, Danielpour and Strauss on Jan. 17-19, 2014 at Heinz Hall, under the direction of conductor Christoph König and featuring the powerful voice of soprano Hila Plitmann.

Christoph Konig
König leads the Pittsburgh Symphony first in Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 22, “The Philosopher,” a nickname thought to be inspired by the musical “question and answer” in the first movement of this enchanting symphony. Plitmann joins the symphony for Darkness in the Ancient Valley, Richard Danielpour’s tribute to the plight of the Iranian people and a co-commission between the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Nashville Symphony. The concert concludes with Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra, inspired by the Friedrich Nietzsche book of the same name. Strauss’ “tone poems” tell remarkable tales about extraordinary characters, events and places, and in Also sprach Zarathustra, he comments on nothing less than the evolution of humankind. The “sunrise” portion of this piece was made famous in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, possibly the most well-known two minutes of music ever written.

The Saturday night performance features the first Beyond the Notes program of the year, highlighting Also sprach Zarathustra. In these concerts, the conductor and orchestra will spend the first half of the concert explaining and demonstrating the nuances of the music, taking the audience inside the compositions and revealing many fascinating details. Following the intermission, audience members will hear the complete performance of the piece with an enriched understanding of its meaning. Please note that Plitmann will not be a part of the Saturday performance and the concert will open with Haydn’s “The Philosopher.”
The concerts will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging from $25.75 to $109.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900, or by visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2013-2014 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Christoph König currently holds positions as principal conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (from January 2009) and principal conductor and music director of the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg (from September 2010). With Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Musica, he has toured Brazil and Europe, including performances in Vienna, Rotterdam, Antwerp and at the Musica Festival in Strasbourg. He recently performed with the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and at the Philharmonie Cologne. König is in demand as a guest conductor. His recent performances have included engagements with the Orchestre de Paris, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London and many more. Since his debut in the United States in 2010, he has conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony and Colorado Symphony Orchestras. König was born in Dresden, where he sang in the celebrated Dresdner Kreuzchor. He studied conducting, piano and singing at the Dresdner Musikhochschule. His early work as a conductor took him to master classes given by, amongst others, Sergiu Celibidache and Sir Colin Davis, with whom he worked as assistant conductor/korrepetiteur at the Dresden Opera.

Hila Plitmann (Photo Credit:  Marc Royce)

Grammy Award-winning soprano Hila Plitmann is known worldwide for her astonishing musicianship, light and beautiful voice, and the ability to perform challenging new works. She regularly premieres works by today’s leading composers while maintaining a vibrant and extraordinarily diverse professional life in film music, musical theatre and song writing. Plitmann has worked with many of today’s leading conductors, including Leonard Slatkin, Kurt Masur, Robert Spano, Marin Alsop, Esa Pekka Salonen, Andrew Litton and Steven Sloane. She has appeared as a headliner with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New Israeli Opera and numerous other orchestras and ensembles in the United States and abroad. Plitmann has appeared as soloist in several world premieres, including “Paul Revere’s Ride” with the Atlanta Symphony, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Wing on Wing” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of the composer, “Mr. Tambourine Man” written by Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano with the Minnesota Orchestra and “Two Awakenings and a Double Lullaby,” a song cycle written for her by Pulitzer Prize winner Aaron Jay Kernis. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Plitmann received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees, with high honors, from the Juilliard School of Music, and has been awarded the coveted Sony ES Prize for her outstanding contribution to the vocal arts.
Editors Please Note:

Friday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 19 at 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS
CHRISTOPH KÖNIG, conductor
HILA PLITMANN, soprano

Franz Joseph Haydn        Symphony No. 22 in E-flat major, "The Philosopher"
I. Adagio
II. Presto
III. Menuet
IV. Presto

Richard Danielpour         Darkness in the Ancient Valley (Not performed on Jan. 18)
I. Lamentation
II. Desecration
III. Benediction
IV. Profanation
V. Finale: Consecration

Richard Strauss               Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Friday, November 15, 2013

Honeck Conducts Phila Orchestra, LA Philharmonic

For Immediate Release
Oct. 30, 2013


PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MUSIC DIRECTOR TO DEBUT AS CONDUCTOR IN PHILADELPHIA AND LOS ANGELES

PITTSBURGH—In November 2013, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck will lead performances of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Both engagements are debuts for Honeck, who has led the Pittsburgh Symphony since 2007.

On Nov. 14-16, Honeck will lead the Philadelphia Orchestra in “From Vienna to the New World,” a journey with which the Austrian conductor is quite familiar. The program features works by composers who were influenced by the music and spirit of foreign cultures, including Antonín Dvoøák’s “New World” Symphony, which was inspired by the composer’s three-year stay in the United States; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, which is punctuated by a Turkish-style dervish; and Johann Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus, which was originally based on a French stage comedy. More information or tickets can be found at www.philorch.org.


Honeck will cross the country to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Nov. 21-23 in a program of Dvoøák at the inspiring Disney Concert Hall. Featuring the composer’s Carnival Overture, tuneful, dancing Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 8. More information and tickets can be found atwww.laphil.com.

Manfred Honeck was appointed the ninth music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in January 2007, and began his tenure at the start of the 2008-2009 season. After a first extension in 2009, his contract was extended for the second time in February 2012, now through the 2019-2020 season. Honeck was born in Austria and studied music at the Academy of Music in Vienna. An accomplished violinist and violist, he spent more than 10 years as a member of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. He began his career as conductor of Vienna's Jeunesse Orchestra, which he co-founded, and as assistant to Claudio Abbado at the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra in Vienna. In 2010, Honeck was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. Apart from his numerous tasks as conductor, he has been Artistic Director of the “International Concerts Wolfegg” in Germany for more than 15 years. Honeck served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 2008 to 2011, a position he will resume from 2013 to 2016. As a guest conductor, Honeck has worked with major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic and in the United States with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Washington and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Editors Please Note:
Thursday, Nov. 14, 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.

“FROM VIENNA TO THE NEW WORLD”
VERIZON HALL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
MANFRED HONECK, conductor
CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF, violin

Johann Strauss Jr.:                       Overture to Die Fledermaus
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:        Violin Concerto No. 5
Antonín Dvoøák:                         Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

Thursday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2 p.m.

“ZIMMERMAN PLAYS DVOØÁK”
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, LOS ANGELES, CA.
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
MANFRED HONECK, conductor
FRANK PETER ZIMMERMAN, violin

Antonín Dvoøák:                         Carnival Overture
Violin Concerto
Symphony No. 8

Photo Credit:  Felix Broeder
–30–

Louise Sciannameo, Vice President of Public Affairs Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsciannameo@pittsburghsymphony.org
Joyce DeFrancesco, Director of Media Relations Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: jdefrancesco@pittsburghsymphony.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Dindo, Noseda Perform with the PSO


For Immediate Release
Dec. 21, 2012

ITALIAN CELLIST ENRICO DINDO MAKES PSO DEBUT,
NOSEDA RETURNS TO CONDUCT DVOØÁK, SHOSTAKOVICH

 
PITTSBURGH – Italian cellist Enrico Dindo makes his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra debut next month in a weekend of BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts led by the PSO’s Victor de Sabata Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda.

The concerts will begin at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11 and at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 13, at Heinz Hall. Tickets, ranging from $20 to $35, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900, or by visiting the PSO online at www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

Enrico Dindo
Dindo, of whom the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote, “His face was as expressive as his sound, projecting pure, unmitigated joy,” will perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 2, originally composed for famed cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Noseda, who was named the PSO’s Victor de Sabata Guest Conductor beginning in the 2010-11 season, will also lead the orchestra in performances of Dvoøák’s Seventh Symphony, a glorious hymn to the Czech nationalism that sings dramatically of the composer’s love for the Bohemian homeland.

Gianandrea Noseda (Photo Credit: Chris Christodoulou)
Noseda also will participate in a Music 101 session at 1 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11, in the Dorothy Porter Simmons Regency Rooms at Heinz Hall. Presented by the Pittsburgh Symphony Association, Music 101 is a lunchtime series of informal lecture/performances by musicians, conductors, composers and staff of the PSO. Discussions usually include short performances, as well as Q&A sessions. Admission is $2. Patrons can also call 412.392.3303 to pre-order a $12 gourmet picnic lunch from The Common Plea.

The PSO would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2012-2013 season sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the PSO. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the PSO.


Since becoming music director of the Teatro Regio Torino in 2007, Gianandrea Noseda has propelled it into the ranks of leading opera houses. He regularly conducts many of the leading international orchestras and is also Chief Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic, Victor De Sabata Guest Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Laureate Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic. He served as the first foreign principal guest conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre from 1997–2007. The 2011–2012 season was a seminal one for him and included celebrated performances of Britten’s War Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in London and New York. The New York Timesselected the performance at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival as one of the top ten performances of 2011, while Alex Ross of The New Yorker wrote, “Noseda marshalled the finest War Requiem I have heard.” LSO Live subsequently released a recording in 2012 to mark the 50th anniversary of the War Requiem’s premiere.

The first Italian to be awarded the First Prize at the International Cello Competition, “Mstislav Rostropovich,” Paris in 1997, Enrico Dindo has received international recognition for his exceptional and early talent. The great Russian maestro said about him: “He is a cellist of exceptional qualities, who has the gift of an incredible sound, which flows as a splendid Italian voice.” Born in Turin into a family of musicians, Dindo began studying cello at 6 at the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in his native town. He attended post-graduate courses with Egidio Roveda and Antonio Janigro at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1987, Dindo was invited by Riccardo Muti as first cello soloist to the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he held the post for eleven years, until 1998. Dindo has performed alongside great orchestras such as Orchestre National de France, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, Kirov Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, NHK Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Goethemburg Symphoniker, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic and Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg.

Editors Please Note:
Friday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Remmereit, Shaham Return to Heinz Hall with Walker Work


For Immediate Release
Dec. 5, 2012

GUEST CONDUCTOR ARILD REMMEREIT, GRAMMY-WINNING VIOLINIST GIL SHAHAM RETURN TO HEINZ HALL; PSO PERFORMS COMMISSIONED WORK BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COMPOSER GEORGE WALKER

Violinist Gil Shaham
 PITTSBURGH – Multiple Grammy Award-winner Gil Shaham returns to Heinz Hall to perform Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto in a weekend of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts led by guest conductor Arild Remmereit.

The concerts will begin at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16. Tickets, ranging from $20 to $93, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900, or by visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

The program also features Tchaikovsky’s “Winter Dreams” Symphony, and Pulitzer Prize-winner George Walker’s “Strands,” co-commissioned by the PSO and three other orchestras. In 1996, Walker became the first black composer to receive the coveted Pulitzer Prize in music for his work, Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra. His works have been performed by virtually every major orchestra in the U.S. and many in England and other countries. He has won numerous awards, including two Guggenheim Fellowships and two Rockefeller Fellowships.

Shaham last performed at Heinz Hall in January 2010. Nicknamed “the Turkish March,” Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto begins with a sweet melody and ends with hints of military-Turkish music. Tchaikovsky’s “Winter Dreams” is one of the Russian composer’s earliest and masterful works.
                                             
The PSO would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for their 2012-2013 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the PSO. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the PSO.
Arild Remmereit, Courtesy of RPO

Over a five-month period in 2005, conductor Arild Remmereit made five dramatic debuts with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Milan’s Filarmonica della Scala, Munich Philharmonic, and Vienna Symphony, quickly establishing himself as a major talent on the international scene. The New York Times called his Pittsburgh debut “a breathtakingly dynamic reading of the Schumann [Symphony No. 4]… The only thing listeners seemed to want to talk about afterward was Mr. Remmereit.  ‘Sensational’ was the word heard most frequently.” Remmereit was immediately re-engaged in Pittsburgh, Vienna, Milan and Baltimore and has since conducted many other prominent orchestras, including the Detroit Symphony, where he appears frequently, England’s Hallé Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale in Florence, National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, Dallas Symphony, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, and Seoul Philharmonic. The 2012-13 season includes return engagements with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and NACO, which he conducts in subscription and on tour, and debuts with the Naples Philharmonic and Orchestre Symphonique de Québec.

One of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham’s combination of flawless technique with inimitable warmth and a generosity of spirit has solidified his legacy as an American master. In the 2012-13 season, Shaham continues his long-term exploration of “Violin Concertos of the 1930s,” a project beginning in 2010 and comprising performances at some of the most well-established concert venues with the world’s greatest orchestras. “Violin Concertos of the 1930s,” including the Barber, Berg, Stravinsky and Britten Violin Concertos, as well as the Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2 and the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, will be performed with the Orchestras of Baltimore, Boston, New York, Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco and Kansas City and abroad with the Orchestre de Paris and the NHK Symphony.

George Walker
Born in June 1922 in Washington, D.C., of West Indian-American heritage, George Theophilus Walker’s first piano lessons began at age 5 under the supervision of his mother, Rosa King. Before graduating from Dunbar High School at age 14, Walker was presented in his first public recital at 14 at Howard University's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. In 1937, he was admitted as a scholarship student to Oberlin College, where he studied piano with David Moyer and organ with Arthur Poister. Graduating at 18 from Oberlin College with the highest honors in his Conservatory class, he was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music to study piano with Rudolf Serkin, chamber music with William Primrose and Gregor Piatigorsky, and composition with Rosario Scalero, teacher of Samuel Barber. He graduated from the Curtis Institute with Artist Diplomas in piano and composition in 1945, becoming the first black graduate of this renowned music school. Walker has published more than 90 works for orchestra, chamber orchestra, piano, strings, voice, organ, clarinet, guitar, brass, woodwinds, and chorus. His awards include the Harvey Gaul Prize, MacDowell Colony, Yaddo and Bennington Composer Conference Fellowships, two Guggenheim Fellowships, two Rockefeller Fellowships, a Fromm Foundation commission, two Koussevitsky Awards, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, a Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust Award, the Mason Gross Memorial Award, numerous grants from the Research Councils of Smith College, The University of Colorado, Rutgers University, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Jersey Council on the Arts. Walker has received important commissions from many ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic (Cello Concerto), Cleveland Orchestra (Dialogus for Cello and Orchestra),  Boston Symphony (Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra), Eastman School of Music (An Eastman Overture) , Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Violin and Piano Sonata No. 2), David Ensemble (Five Fancies for Clarinet and Piano Four Hands), Affiliate Artists and Xerox (Guido's Hand), Pew Charitable Trust (Piano Sonata No. 4), The Boys Choir of Harlem (Cantata), The Cleveland Chamber Symphony (Orpheus), New Jersey Symphony (Pageant and Proclamation), Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust (Modus), New Jersey Chamber Music Society (Wind Set), Maryland International Piano Competition (Bauble), Columbus Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra (Tangents), New Jersey Youth Symphony (Icarus In Orbit), and Network for New Music (Abu).

Editors Please Note:
Friday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ARILD REMMEREIT, conductor
GIL SHAHAM, violin

George Walker                          Sinfonia No. 4, “Strands”
Wolfgang Amadé Mozart                        Concerto No. 5 in A major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 219
I.                    Allegro aperto
II.                  Adagio
III.                Rondo: Tempo di menuetto
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky              Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Opus 13, “Winter Dreams”
I.                    Allegro tranquillo
II.                  Adagio cantabile man non tanto
III.                Scherzo: Allegro scherzando giocoso
IV.                Finale: Andante lugubre – Allegro moderato – Allegro maestoso

-30-
Contact: James Barthen, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org
Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

GLEE's Matthew Morrison Opens PNC Pops Season


For Immediate Release
Sept. 21, 2012

‘GLEE’ STAR MATTHEW MORRISON OPENS PSO’S 2012-2013 PNC POPS SEASON
Guest Conductor Lucas Richman leads PSO in performances of Broadway, movie music

PITTSBURGH – Matthew Morrison, star of the hit TV show Glee will headline the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) opening weekend of the 2012-2013 PNC Pops season at Heinz Hall.
The concerts begin at 2:30 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.  Tickets, ranging from $20 to $108, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900, or visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

Lucas Richman, music director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, will lead the PSO.
Morrison, who has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards, will perform favorite hits from his forthcoming album of Broadway standards, as well as other songs.

The program will include such popular hits as “Mambo” from West Side Story, “Luck Be a Lady” from Guys and Dolls, “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, “As Long as She Needs Me” from Oliver, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, “Younger Than Springtime” from South Pacific, “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz, and the title song from Singin’ in the Rain.

The PSO would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2012-2013 title sponsorship of PNC Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the PSO.

Matthew Morrison studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University’s renowned Tisch School of the Arts. His big Broadway break came when he was cast as heartthrob Link Larkin in the hit Hairspray. He was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in The Light in the Piazza, and received a Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for 10 Million Miles. He also starred in the Tony-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater in New York. Morrison currently stars in season four of Glee, Fox’s hit musical comedy series from Ryan Murphy. Morrison stars as Will Schuester, an optimistic high school teacher, who tries to refuel his own passion while re-inventing the high school’s glee club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential. Morrison also starred in the 2012 Lionsgate film, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, alongside Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Chris Rock, Joe Manganiello and Dennis Quaid. Morrison hosted and narrated the PBS special entitled, Oscar Hammerstein II - Out of My Dreams, focusing on the Broadway producer’s life and career, in March 2012.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh