Sir Roger Norrington and Jeremy Denk Perform at Carnegie Hall, 2/16

On February 16, 2012 Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) will reunite with its first Music Director Sir Roger Norrington as part of its acclaimed three-concert Orchestra Series at Carnegie Hall. A leading figure in the movement for historically informed performance, Norrington will bring his keen perspective to a program of late-18th century works by three great masters of the Viennese Classical era: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Giving his first concert with OSL in New York City, virtuoso pianist Jeremy Denk will perform as featured soloist.

In this program Norrington and Denk-each of whom has made a unique imprint on established concert repertoire-will explore some of the ideas that exchanged between three composers who knew and admired one another, and in particular, lessons that Mozart and Beethoven learned from the elder Haydn. Haydn's Symphony No. 39 opens the program, revealing the composer's experimentation with new forms of expression that proved influential among later generations. Following this work is Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, which bears Haydn's playful rhythmic impulse while also showcasing the piano in a way that is distinctly the composer's own. Mozart's Symphony No. 39 completes the program, offering a Finale that is often recognized as one of the most Haydnesque movements Mozart ever wrote. This remarkable work was one of the composer's final three symphonies written over a period of only six weeks.

In keeping with its mission to open up the process of music-making to the public, OSL will host an open rehearsal of this program on February 15, 2012 at its new home, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music as part of the free concert series OSL@DMC. This event featuring Maestro Norrington is open to OSL's regular concertgoers and friends, who will be invited to participate in a Q&A session with Norrington and OSLmusicians during the program. For more information on this open rehearsal, visit DiMennaCenter.org and click on OSL@DMC.

OSL's 2011/2012 orchestra series continues on April 12, 2012 with the conductor Iván Fischer, who made his debut with OSL at Carnegie Hall last year. Fischer will lead the orchestra in an all-Mozart program that includes the Requiem and Symphony No. 34 along with one of New York City's most distinguished professional choruses, Musica Sacra under the music direction of Kent Tritle, and soloists soprano Dominique Labelle, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, tenor Joseph Kaiser and baritone Richard Paul Fink.

Photo: Samantha West