Pierre Boulez News

A recent trip to New York included a tour of Carnegie Hall. As we entered the famous auditorium someone asked, 'How are the acoustics?' The seasoned tour guide answered, 'they are good, but not as good as Cleveland's Severance Hall.' He went on to say, 'Though this is a beautiful setting, it doesn't compare to Cleveland's Severance Hall. This was followed, about ten minutes later by the comment, 'The orchestras that play here are top-notch, especially the Cleveland Orchestra.' Following the tour I asked if he was a northern Ohio native. He responded that he wasn't, but came to Cleveland at least twice a year to hear the orchestra and always attended their performances in the Big Apple.

The New York Times reports that French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, a dominant figure in classical music for over fifty years, passed away on Tuesday, January 5th at his home in Baden-Baden, Germany.

Festival General Director Nigel Redden announces the program for the 40th annual Spoleto Festival USA, taking place May 27 through June 12, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Cleveland Orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall for the first time since 2012 with two concerts this winter. On Sunday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m., Music Director Franz Welser-Most leads the orchestra and soprano Barbara Hannigan in the New York premiere of Hans Abrahamsen's let me tell you. The work, recently awarded the 2016 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, features texts from writer and critic Paul Griffiths's novella of the same name, in which the character of Ophelia delivers a first-person account of her life using only the words Shakespeare wrote for her in Hamlet. Also on the program is Shostakovich's monumental Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 43.

Poway OnStage is elated to participate as a featured stop in the Upright & Grand Piano Festival presented by The San Diego Symphony on January 15th, 2016 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts (15498 Espola Rd Poway, California). The evening will include a presentation of Liszt's Black Gondola, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5: Emperor, led by conductor Cristian Macelaru. The performance will feature renowned and award-winning pianist Jeremy Denk.

  Carnegie Hall today announced an updated program and artist listing for The Met Chamber Ensemble's concert on Sunday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. in Zankel Hall led by Artistic Director and Conductor James Levine. Pierre Boulez's Derive 1 replaces the previously announced Boulez work sur Incises on the program. In addition, Poulenc's Le Bal masque has been added to the program and will be sung by baritone John Moore. Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps concludes the program as previously announced.

CHICAGO—The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music Director Riccardo Muti take their first trip to Asia together in January 2016, marking the Orchestra's eighth trip to the Far East in its distinguished history.

Omaha Performing Arts presents a concert featuring one of the oldest boys choirs in the world singing classical masterpieces and holiday favorites: Vienna Boys Choir - Christmas in Vienna.

'Everyone at CSUN is always delighted to welcome back our alums who have risen to the top of their professions,' said VPAC Executive Director, Thor Steingraber. 'Michelle has conquered the stages at La Scala, the Met, Salzburg and LA Opera, and we welcome this great diva and look forward to her conquering the VPAC stage.'

Violinist Martin Chalifour, the Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will be the featured soloist at the professional debut of the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra on Friday, December 11, 2015, at 8pm at the Ricardo Montalban Theater. Mr. Chalifour will be the guest conductor and soloist for Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons collection of concerti.

Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), led by Artistic Director Alexander Treger, continues its inaugural season with a free concert spotlighting two remarkable artists from its own ranks on Sunday, December 6, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Entering its seventh season in 2015-16, CONTACT!, the Philharmonic's new-music series, will extend its reach across New York City through a new partnership with National Sawdust (formerly Original Music Workshop), a new, non-profit, state-of-the-art music venue opening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in October 2015.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in an all-Mozart program: his Divertimento in D major, K.136/125a; Horn Concerto No. 2, with Principal Horn Philip Myers; and Serenade for 13 Winds, Gran partita. The concerts take place tonight, November 4, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.

CHICAGO—Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Zell Music Director Riccardo Muti and CSO Association (CSOA) President Jeff Alexander announce the appointment of two new viola section members: Sunghee Choi and Youming Chen.

CHICAGO—Louise Dixon, second flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), has retired from her position with the Orchestra after 42 years.

'Everyone at CSUN is always delighted to welcome back our alums who have risen to the top of their professions,' said VPAC Executive Director, Thor Steingraber. 'Michelle has conquered the stages at La Scala, the Met, Salzburg and LA Opera, and we welcome this great diva and look forward to her conquering the VPAC stage.'

(CHICAGO)—Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Zell Music Director Riccardo Muti and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) President Jeff Alexander announce a two-year contract extension for world-renowned cellist and educator, Yo-Yo Ma, who has served as the organization's Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant since the position was established in 2010.

As part of its 2015-2016 season announcement, Carnegie Hall recently shared that singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will curate a four-concert Perspectives series at the Hall beginning this month. 

Omaha Performing Arts presents a concert featuring one of the oldest boys choirs in the world singing classical masterpieces and holiday favorites: Vienna Boys Choir - Christmas in Vienna.

Pianist Maurizio Pollini will return to the New York Philharmonic for the first time since 1994 to join Music Director Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra for a one-night-only performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1, tonight, October 16, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. The program also includes Berlioz's Le Corsaire Overture and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy.