The Orchestra Now Closes 3rd Season At Carnegie Hall

Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, April 18, 2018 - The Orchestra Now (T?N) concludes its third season at Carnegie Hall under the baton of music director Leon Botstein on May 3 with music by Béla Bartók and two other composers with whom he collaborated on research of native folk music. Featured soloists are Grammy award-winning American pianist Peter Serkinand distinguished Russian pianist Anna Polonsky.

The program opens with Turkish Ahmed Adnan Saygun's dark, but colorful fourth symphony and continues with the seventh of Hungarian László Lajtha's nine symphonies, known as the "Revolution" Symphony. Influenced by the ruthless suppression of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution against the communist government, Lajtha wrote of the work lamenting, "The musical instruments grieve at the tragedies of Hungary, pray for truth and quote the sounds of the hymn for a peaceful future." The program climaxes with Bartók's popular Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orchestra with pianists Peter Serkin and Anna Polonsky. One of the most well-known Hungarian composers, Bartók originally composed the work as a Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion - requiring just two percussionists - in 1937 and premiered it with his wife, also a pianist, Ditta Pásztory-Bartók. He later orchestrated it in 1940, keeping most of the solo parts the same including the exploration of the percussive nature of piano.

Carnegie Hall SERIES, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

Bartók's Concerto for Two Pianos

Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 7 pm

Leon Botstein, conductor

Peter Serkin, piano

Anna Polonsky, piano

Ahmed Adnan Saygun: Symphony No. 4
László Lajtha: Symphony No. 7, 'Revolution'

Bartók: Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orchestra

Tickets prices start at $25. Tickets may be purchased online at www.carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or in person at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th and Seventh.

The Orchestra Now

The Orchestra Now (T?N) is a group of some 80 vibrant young musicians from more than 12 different countries around the globe, whose goal is to make orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences. They are lifting the curtain on the musicians' experience by sharing their unique personal insights in a welcoming environment. Hand-picked from hundreds of applicants from the world's leading conservatories - including The Juilliard School, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Curtis Institute of Music - the members of T?N are not only rousing audiences with their critically acclaimed performances, but also enlightening curious minds by presenting on-stage introductions and demonstrations at concerts, offering program notes written from the musicians' perspective, and connecting with patrons through one-on-one discussions during intermissions.

Conductor, educator, and music historian Leon Botstein founded T?N in 2015 as a master's degree program at Bard College, where he also serves as president. The Orchestra is in residence at Bard's Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, offering multiple concerts there each season as well as participating in the annual Bard Music Festival. The Orchestra also performs numerous concert series at major venues in New York, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as a schedule of free performances across New York City boroughs. T?N has collaborated with many distinguished conductors, including Fabio Luisi, Neeme Järvi, Gerard Schwarz, and JoAnn Falletta.

For upcoming activities and more detailed information about the musicians, visit theorchestranow.org.

Leon Botstein

Leon Botstein brings a renowned career as both a conductor and educator to his role as music director of The Orchestra Now. He has been music director of the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992, artistic co-director of Bard SummerScape and the Bard Music Festival since their creation, and president of Bard College since 1975. He was the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 2003-2011, and is now conductor laureate. This year, he assumes artistic directorship of Campus Grafenegg and Grafenegg Academy in Austria. Mr. Botstein is also a frequent guest conductor with orchestras around the globe, has made numerous recordings, and is a prolific author and music historian. He is the editor of the prestigious The Musical Quarterly, and has received many honors for his contributions to music. More info online at LeonBotstein.com.