Thomas Ades Will Make NY Phil Debuting Conudcting TOTENTANZ, 3/12-14

Composer-conductor Thomas Ade?s will make his New York Philharmonic conducting debut leading the U.S. Premiere of his Totentanz, featuring mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn and baritone Simon Keenlyside, both in their Philharmonic debuts; Beethoven's Symphony No. 1; and Berlioz's Les Francs-juges Overture, Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m.

Thomas Ade?s and his works have appeared frequently at the Philharmonic in recent seasons. The Philharmonic commissioned and premiered his America (A Prophecy) in November 1999 as one of the "Messages for the Millennium," led by then Music Director Kurt Masur. In January 2011 Mr. Ade?s made his Philharmonic debut as soloist in his work In Seven Days (Concerto for Piano with Moving Image), led by Music Director Alan Gilbert. In 2012 Alan Gilbert conducted Mr. Ade?s's Polaris, a Philharmonic co-commission, in its New York Premiere and later in its U.K. Premiere during the Philharmonic's Barbican Centre International Associate residency as part of the EUROPE / WINTER 2012 tour. Most recently, in December 2013, the Philharmonic performed his Three Studies from Couperin, led by David Zinman.

Speaking about the composer, Alan Gilbert has said: "Tom Ade?s has absolute control over what he puts on the page and how it translates into actual sound in the concert hall. For me, the measure of a real composer is someone who is able to manipulate sounds in a very controlled way. Tom has an incredible ear and sense of rhythm, so the complexity in his score is always there for a reason, and he knows how to express feelings through his craft."

Thomas Ade?s conducted the World Premiere of his Totentanz with Christianne Stotijn, Simon Keenlyside, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in July 2013 during the BBC Proms. The other works on the program - Beethoven's First Symphony and Berlioz's Les Francs-juges Overture - have become staples of Mr. Ade?s's conducting career.

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