Yefim Bronfman News

After leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on a critically acclaimed seven-city, 11-concert European tour in January 2017, Music Director Riccardo Muti returns to Chicago in February for two weeks of concerts and activities, February 13-25.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) proudly presents its 13th annual New Creations Festival, March 4-11, 2017. Bold, experimental, and cutting edge, this year's Festival is curated by Polaris Music Prize-winner Owen Pallett, a renowned Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. The 2017 New Creations Festival fuses the pop- and classical-music worlds, with a touch of electronic music, a little dose of improvisation, and a blend of Aboriginal and folk sounds. To further enhance the Festival, concertgoers can enjoy an array of ancillary events-curated by Canadian composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte-including pre-concert performances, intermission chats, and post-concert parties (all included with concert tickets). The Festival also features two more free events: Composers in Conversation, a forum presented in collaboration with the Canadian Music Centre on March 7, and a noon-hour concert at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, presented in collaboration with the Canadian Opera Company on March 9. All New Creations Festival performances are part of Canada Mosaic-a Signature Project of Canada 150.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in the New York Premiere of The Marie-Josee Kravis Composer-in-Residence Esa-Pekka Salonen's Cello Concerto - a New York Philharmonic co-commission with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican Centre, and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - with Yo-Yo Ma as soloist.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic on the EUROPE / SPRING 2017 tour, March 23-April 7, 2017. The two-week tour - Alan Gilbert's ninth and final international tour as Music Director, the seventh with him to Europe - will feature fourteen concerts in seven countries.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Most have announced details of their latest DVD recording project: the Johannes Brahms Cycle DVD set, featuring the four Symphonies, both Piano Concertos, the Violin Concerto, and three other orchestral works. Beginning on December 1, 2015, the DVD set is exclusively available in the Cleveland Orchestra Store, located at Severance Hall. Starting January 8, 2016, it will be available in the United States via Amazon.com, where it is currently available for pre-order. This DVD project is the culmination of a series of live recordings by Music Director Franz Welser-Most and the Orchestra with guest artists Julia Fischer on violin and Yefim Bronfman on piano.

Today, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) proudly unveils its 96th performance season. From awe-inspiring music by legendary composers to dance-all-night Pops, and bold and experimental works to educational concerts and Hollywood films with live orchestra, the TSO has something for everyone.

Conceived, curated, and conducted by Semyon Bychkov, the New York Philharmonic presents Beloved Friend - Tchaikovsky and His World: A Philharmonic Festival, a three-week festival featuring orchestral, chamber, and vocal programs that explore music by Tchaikovsky and composers who influenced or were influenced by him, from January 24 to February 11. Beloved Friend continues the Philharmonic's recent tradition of annual, multi-week festivals, with Mr. Bychkov focusing this year's festival on Tchaikovsky as part of his international, multi-season Tchaikovsky project, Beloved Friend, which also includes recordings and additional concert series.

Acclaimed Music Director Xian Zhang and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra present Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and Elgar's Enigma Variations, February 23-26 in Englewood, Newark, Red Bank and Morristown. Pianist Kirill Gerstein-hailed as "alarmingly gifted" by Classical Review-returns to perform the Rachmaninoff concerto, one of the most enduring works in the canon.

fCelebrated violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman opens the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's three-concert 2017 Winter Festival with a program of works by Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn, January 13-15 in Newark, Red Bank and New Brunswick. Zukerman-the festival's Artistic Director-both leads the Orchestra and solos in Tchaikovsky's Serenade Melancolique and "Melodie" from Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher. The program also features Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4, "Italian."

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in the World Premiere of HK Gruber's Piano Concerto - a Philharmonic co-commission with the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic orchestras - with pianist Emanuel Ax as soloist; Weill's Little Threepenny Music for Wind Orchestra; and Schubert's Symphony No. 2. The performances will take place Today, January 5, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, January 7 at 8:00 p.m.

The New York Philharmonic will present Beloved Friend - Tchaikovsky and His World: A Philharmonic Festival, January 24-February 11, 2017, featuring Russian-born Semyon Bychkov conducting works by Tchaikovsky as well as composers he was influenced by and whom he influenced, with piano soloists Yefim Bronfman and Kirill Gerstein.

Internationally-renowned cellist Ralph Kirshbaum and pianist Shai Wosner release an all-Beethoven disc on the Onyx Classics label on December 9, 2016.  The duo's album, which was recorded live in London's Wigmore Hall, consists of the complete Beethoven cello sonatas and variations, to be released as a two-disc set.  Last season, Kirshbaum and Wosner performed Beethoven cycles extensively throughout the United States and Europe; the tour culminated with a performance of the complete cycle in London, recorded for Onyx Classics.  Mr. Kirshbaum and Mr. Wosner continue their performances of Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano in March, with a two-concert series at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, followed by a performance with Chamber Music Sedona in Arizona.

fCelebrated violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman opens the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's three-concert 2017 Winter Festival with a program of works by Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn, January 13-15 in Newark, Red Bank and New Brunswick. Zukerman-the festival's Artistic Director-both leads the Orchestra and solos in Tchaikovsky's Serenade Melancolique and "Melodie" from Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher. The program also features Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4, "Italian."

CBS has announced the presenters and performers for THE 39TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, an entertainment special to be broadcast Tuesday, Dec. 27 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The event took place in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016 with Stephen Colbert as Host.

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by seven-time Grammy winner and piano superstar Emanuel Ax on December 3 at 8 p.m. and December 4 at 2 p.m. Both concerts will be lead by Music Director Eric Jacobsen and will be held at Bob Carr Theater, 401 W. Livingston Street, Orlando, Florida.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in Brahms's Symphony No. 3 and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor, with Stephen Hough as soloist, Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 13 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, January 14 at 8:00 p.m. The January 14 performance will be broadcast on Facebook Live, the Philharmonic's second live concert broadcast on Facebook, following the 2016-17 season Opening Gala Concert. Hosted by WQXR's Terrance McKnight and directed by Habib Azar, the live, online broadcast - available at facebook.com/nyphilharmonic - will also feature live interviews with the evening's artists. The concert will be available for on-demand viewing on the Philharmonic's website, YouTube, and Facebook through August 31, 2017.

Internationally-renowned cellist Ralph Kirshbaum and pianist Shai Wosner release an all-Beethoven disc on the Onyx Classics label on December 9, 2016.  The duo's album, which was recorded live in London's Wigmore Hall, consists of the complete Beethoven cello sonatas and variations, to be released as a two-disc set.  Last season, Kirshbaum and Wosner performed Beethoven cycles extensively throughout the United States and Europe; the tour culminated with a performance of the complete cycle in London, recorded for Onyx Classics.  Mr. Kirshbaum and Mr. Wosner continue their performances of Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano in March, with a two-concert series at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, followed by a performance with Chamber Music Sedona in Arizona.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in the World Premiere of HK Gruber's Piano Concerto - a Philharmonic co-commission with the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic orchestras - with pianist Emanuel Ax as soloist; Weill's Little Threepenny Music for Wind Orchestra; and Schubert's Symphony No. 2. The performances will take place Thursday, January 5, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, January 7 at 8:00 p.m.

The Marie-Josee Kravis Prize for New Music at the New York Philharmonic, which recognizes a composer for extraordinary artistic endeavor in the field of new music, has been awarded to Dutch composer Louis Andriessen.

Conceived, curated, and conducted by Semyon Bychkov, the New York Philharmonic presents Beloved Friend - Tchaikovsky and His World: A Philharmonic Festival, a three-week festival featuring orchestral, chamber, and vocal programs that explore music by Tchaikovsky and composers who influenced or were influenced by him, from January 24 to February 11. Beloved Friend continues the Philharmonic's recent tradition of annual, multi-week festivals, with Mr. Bychkov focusing this year's festival on Tchaikovsky as part of his international, multi-season Tchaikovsky project, Beloved Friend, which also includes recordings and additional concert series.