Conductor Nicholas McGegan Returns to Pasadena Symphony with Dvorák and Chopin, 1/11

Celebrate 2014 with Pasadena Symphony's Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas McGegan as he delivers Dvorák's marvelous Sixth Symphony and enjoy Young Steinway Artist Umi Garrett in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 on Saturday January 11, 2014 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm at Ambassador Auditorium.

Most musicians rate Dvorák's Sixth as an even greater work then his New World, with ravishing melodies, a vivacious dance and a soundscape of remarkable beauty and subtlety. Beloved by musicians and audiences alike, McGegan has made a splash with the Pasadena Symphony for his uniquely vibrant and critically acclaimed interpretations of Romantic symphonic masterpieces. "[McGegan] did some wonderful things...overall, the freshest live performance I've heard of Mahler in some time," raved the Los Angeles Times.

McGegan's highly anticipated return will be paired with Umi Garrett's debut with the Pasadena Symphony. A prodigious talent, she has been described by Massachusetts's News Telegram as an "Amazing playing that may well have duplicated the effect felt by European audiences encountering Mozart in his earliest prodigy years." Garrett is the youngest winner ever of the Chopin International Piano Competition. Since appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show at 8 years old, she has gone on to perform worldwide, appearing regularly with symphony orchestras in the US and around the world.

Audiences will also enjoy the new and vibrantly social Symphony Lounge, yet another addition to the care-free and elegant concert experience the Pasadena Symphony offers. A posh setting at Ambassador Auditorium's beautiful outdoor plaza, audiences can now enjoying delicious morsels from Claud &Co, fine wines by Michero Wines plus music before the concert and during intermission.

Nicholas McGegan is a pioneer in exporting historical practices of period instruments to the conventional symphonic forces. His discography includes more than 100 recordings, including the Gramophone-winning, GRAMMY® nominated world premiere of Handel's Susanna. He is also credited with the first performance in modern times of Handel's Gloria. As long-standing music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorale, McGegan established the leading period performance ensemble in the United States.

Performances on January 11, 2014 take place at both 2:00pm and 8:00pm and are accompanied by pre-concert discussions with McGegan one hour before curtain. The Ambassador Auditorium is located at 131 South St. John Avenue, Pasadena, CA. Ticket prices start at $35 and may be purchased online at www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org or by calling (626) 793-7172.

Photo Credit: Steve Sherman