For Immediate Release
March 1, 2012
ANDRÉ PREVIN, LEGENDARY CONDUCTOR, COMPOSER, FORMER PSO MUSIC DIRECTOR,
RETURNS TO HEINZ HALL FOR WORLD PREMIERE
PSO principal soloists Vosburgh, Caballero, Knox perform Previn’s Triple Concerto
PITTSBURGH – Legendary composer and conductor André Previn makes a long-awaited return to Heinz Hall this month to lead the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of his own Triple Concerto for trumpet, horn and tuba, featuring three outstanding principals from the PSO brass section.
PSO Principal Trumpet George Vosburgh, Principal Horn William Caballero, and Principal Tuba Craig Knox will be the featured soloists performing Previn’s original work at the BNY Mellon Grand Classic concerts. The former PSO Music Director (1976-1984) and winner of numerous awards, including Kennedy Center Honors and Grammy awards, for his contributions to American music, Previn last visited Heinz Hall in March 2008. In addition to his Triple Concerto, Previn will conduct two other musical gems – Haydn’s stirring Symphony No. 102 from the “London” Symphonies, and Mendelssohn’s vibrant “Italian” Symphony.
The concerts will begin at 8 p.m., Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Tickets, ranging from $20 to $93, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900, or by visiting the PSO at www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
As part of the PSO’s Explore and Engage program, ticket holders can experience even more of the symphony. One hour prior to the concert, guests can interact with WQED-FM’s Artistic Director Jim Cunningham. Heinz Hall will also host displays about Previn, the history of brass instruments, German Romanticism in music, and more. On Friday, March 9 only, Cunningham will moderate a Post-Concert Artist Chat, with Previn and Triple Concerto soloists, Caballero, Vosburgh and Knox.
Also, pre-concert, the Pittsburgh Brass Collective from Carnegie Mellon University will perform Previn’s Four Outings for Brass in the Grand Lobby. The group includes Erin Yanacek and Dan Blumenfield (trumpet), Joe Hughes (French horn), Patrick McIssac (trombone), and Tyler Schwirian (tuba).
The PSO would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for their 2011-2012 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. Bobby Rahal Automotive Group is the official automotive group of the PSO.
Conductor, composer and pianist André Previn has received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding musical accomplishments, including both the Austrian and German Cross of Merit, and the Glenn Gould Prize. He is the recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Kennedy Center, London Symphony Orchestra, Gramophone Classic FM and, this year was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also won several Grammy awards for recordings, including the CD of his violin concerto Anne-Sophie and Bernstein's Serenade featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter together with the Boston and London Symphony orchestras. Previn frequently works with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic, and has held chief artistic posts with such orchestras as the Houston Symphony, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony and Royal Philharmonic orchestras.
The 2011-2012 Season represents William Caballero’s 23rd year as Principal Horn with the PSO. Joining in May 1989, Caballero previously held Principal Horn positions with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and Hartford Symphony, as well as Third Horn positions with the Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera, and acting Third Horn with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He has performed as guest Principal Horn with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony. Presently he is Artist Lecture of the Horn at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, and chairs the Brass Department there.
Craig Knox joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as Principal Tuba in 2005. His previous orchestra positions included Acting Principal Tuba of the San Francisco Symphony, as well as Principal Tuba of the Sacramento Symphony and the New World Symphony (Miami). Prior to his appointment in Pittsburgh, he was in demand as regular guest artist with many other major American orchestras, including those of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota. Since 1995, he has spent part of each summer as Co-Principal Tuba of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, Wyoming.
PSO Principal Trumpet George Vosburgh, celebrated soloist and lecturer, is internationally acclaimed for his virtuosity on the trumpet in recordings, concerts and recitals, as well as many guest artist performances in such locales as the Bonn Festival at Rolandsek, Ravinia Festival, Chicago, and Curs Internacional de Musica in Valencia, Spain. In 1992, he joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as Principal Trumpet.
Editors Please Note:
Friday, March 9 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m.
Haydn, Previn, & Mendelssohn’s “Italian”
Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ANDRÉ PREVIN, conductor
WILLIAM CABALLERO, horn, GEORGE VOSBURGH, trumpet, CRAIG KNOX, tuba
Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 102 in B-flat major
i. Largo – Vivace
ii. Adagio
iii. Menuet: Allegro
iv. Presto
André Previn Triple Concerto for Horn, Trumpet, Tuba and Orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 in A major, Opus 90, “Italian”
i. Allegro vivace
ii. Andante con moto
iii. Con moto moderato
iv. Saltarello: Presto
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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
