The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Presents BEETHOVEN'S 9TH SYMPHONY, 3/21-23

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Edo de Waart open the 2014 Beethoven Festival with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 on March 21-23, 2014 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The program features the MSO Chorus, soprano Susanna Phillips, mezzo- soprano Kelley O'Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, and baritone Christopher Maltman. The performances open with John Adams's The Wound-Dresser, a setting of Walt Whitman's Civil War prose.

In culmination of the One City, One Symphony initiative, the MSO is proud to partner with Wisconsin Public Radio for a live broadcast of the Sunday, March 23 performance. Hosted by Lori Skelton, the broadcast can be heard on WPR's News & Classical and All-Classical Networks. All concerts include Meet the Music, a free, interactive pre-concert discussion, held in the Anello Atrium of Uihlein Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. John Adams's The Wound-Dresser was composed in 1988 and premiered in 1989 with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Adams was appointed composer-in-residence for the San Francisco Symphony by their music director at the time, Edo de Waart. Adams completed The Wound-Dresser utilizing the text from Walt Whitman's prose just after the premiere of his first opera, Nixon in China. About the piece, Adams wrote: "The Wound-Dresser is not just about the Civil War; nor is it just about young men dying (although it is locally about both). It strikes me as a statement about human compassion of the kind that is acted out on a daily basis, quietly and unobtrusively, and unselfishly and unfailingly."

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125, was composed from 1822-1824 and premiered in1824. By the time he began conceptualizing the idea of his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven was completely deaf and still coming to terms with this reality. The Ninth Symphony pushed musical boundaries as never before, serving as the inspiration for several composers that came after. It is difficult to imagine another piece of music that has had more influence on modern society, as it has been used in recent history to mark momentous world events, from the celebration surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall to providing a unifying message to the student protesters at Tiananmen Square. The poignancy of its music, coupled with its message of universal brotherhood, continues to inspire our generation, and its influence will undoubtedly continue for generations to come.

A B O U T T H E A R T I S T S

The 2013.14 season is Edo de Waart's fifth as the sixth music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He is also chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, artistic partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and conductor laureate of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.

Guest conducting highlights include performances with the San Francisco Symphony, NHK Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Washington's National Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As an opera conductor, Mr. de Waart has conducted at Nikikai Opera, Geneva Opera, Opera de Bastille, Santa Fe Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera. Semi-staged and concert opera performances include Der Rosenkavalier (The Metropolitan Opera), Bluebeard's Castle (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra), and The Rake's Progress (Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra). He regularly conducts an opera with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic as part of the Concertgebouw's Zaterdag Matinee series.

Edo de Waart's extensive catalogue encompasses releases for Philips, Virgin, EMI, Telarc, and RCA. With the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, he has recorded all the orchestral works of Rachmaninoff, the overtures of Wagner for Octavia/Exton, and a Wagner series for Challenge Classics.

Born in Holland, he studied oboe, piano, and conducting at the Music Lyceum in Amsterdam and upon graduating took up the position of associate principal oboe of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Two years later, at the age of 23, he won the Dimitri Mitropoulos Conducting Competition in New York which resulted in his appointment as assistant conductor to Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic. On his return to Holland, he was appointed assistant conductor to Bernard Haitink at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 1967, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra appointed him guest conductor and, six years later, chief conductor and artistic director. Since then, Edo de Waart has also been music director of the San Francisco Symphony and Minnesota Orchestra, chief conductor and artistic director of the Sydney Symphony, and chief conductor of De Nederlandse Opera. In December 2004, he was made a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion, and in 2005, he was appointed an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

Alabama-born soprano Susanna Phillips, recipient of The Metropolitan Opera's 2010 Beverly Sills Artist Award, continue to establish herself as one of today's most sought-after singing actors and recitalists. The 2013.14 season sees Phillips return to The Metropolitan Opera for a sixth consecutive season. Starring roles with the company include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte under the baton of returning music director James Levine, Rosalinde in a new staging of Strauss's Die Fledermaus as a part of the annual New Year's Eve gala, and Musetta in La Bohéme, a reprise of the role in which she made her house debut in 2008.

Kelley O'Connor, possessing a voice of uncommon allure, musical sophistication far beyond her years, and intuitive and innate dramatic artistry, the Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano has emerged as one of the most compelling performers of her generation. During the 2012.13 season, the California native's impressive calendar included John Adams's The Gospel According to the Other Mary in a world premiere staging by Peter Sellars performed in America and Europe with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel's baton, and a role debut as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly in a new production by Lillian Groag at Boston Lyric Opera.

Minnesota-born tenor Thomas Cooley is quickly establishing a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond as a singer of great versatility, expressiveness, and virtuosity. Highlights of the 2013.14 season include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, and the Bremen Philharmonic; Britten's War Requiem with the Grand Philharmonic Choir, Oregon, and Indianapolis symphonies; and appearances with the St. Louis Symphony in Carnegie Hall, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Pacific Musicworks, American Classical Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Cincinnati Opera, Bergen National Opera, and Mark Morris Dance Group.

Christopher Maltman, winner of the Lieder Prize at the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, read biochemistry at Warwick University and studied singing at the Royal Academy of Music. He made an acclaimed debut at the Salzburg Festival in the title role of Don Giovanni. He is a regular guest at the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden, and he created the role of Sebastian in the world premiere of Thomas Adès's The Tempest. His roles at the Glyndebourne Festival have included Papageno, Figaro, and Sid. Other opera appearances in Europe include Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas) in Vienna and Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the Deutsche Staatsoper, Berlin.

Milwaukee Symphony Chorus has become one of the finest symphony choruses in the country. Founded in 1976 by Margaret Hawkins at the request of the MSO's second music director, Kenneth Schermerhorn, the MSO Chorus's 150 volunteer members are dedicated to artistic excellence and performances of the highest caliber. The Chorus performs with the MSO throughout each season and also performs regularly at Ravinia with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In addition, the chorus is featured on many of the MSO's recordings, including the current MSO Classics digital series. The 2013.14 season includes performances of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Schubert's Mass No. 6, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Chamber groups from the chorus also perform Handel's Messiah in December. The 2012.13 season included performances of John Adams's On the Transmigration of Souls, Rachmaninoff's The Bells, and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, as well as a Pops concert of Gershwin

A B O U T T H E P E R F O R M A N C E

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano

Christopher Maltman, baritone

MSO Chorus, Lee Erickson, director

Uihlein Hall, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, March 21 | 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 22 | 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 23 | 2:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $25-$105. For more information, please call 414.291.7605 or visit mso.org. Tickets may also be purchased through the Marcus Center Box Office at 414.273.7206. This weekend's concerts are sponsored by Michael & Jeanne Schmitz. This weekend's concerts are dedicated to the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. Wisconsin Public Radio is the Beethoven Festival Media

The 2013.14 Classics Series is presented by UPAF. Friday Classics Series is sponsored by Chase. Saturday Classics Series is sponsored by Rockwell Automation. Sunday Classics Series is sponsored by Johnson Ranked among the top orchestras in the country, the MSO is the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the orchestra has received critical acclaim for artistic excellence. The orchestra's full-time professional musicians perform more than 135 concerts each season. A cornerstone organization in Milwaukee's arts community, the MSO provides enrichment and education activities for audiences of every age, economic status, and background.