Irish Chamber Orchestra to Welcome Flute Virtuoso Sir James Galway at UConn, 10/27

Legendary flute virtuoso Sir James Galway will celebrate the 35th anniversary of his U.S. debut with a tour stop at Jorgensen with the Irish Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. On this 14-city tour, Galway will appear with acclaimed ICO conductor JoAnn Falletta, and his wife and frequent duet partner, Lady Jeanne Galway, also an accomplished flutist. Alain Frogley, professor of music history at UConn, will give insights about the program at the 2:15 p.m. Concert Talk before the Oct. 27 program.

The program will include Mozart's Flute Concerto in D Major, with Galway as soloist, and, in the second half, Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, Op. 56, A Minor ("Scottish"). Sir James and Lady Jeanne will perform Belfast composer Philip Hammond's Carolan Variations, to be heard on this tour in its U.S. premiere, a work inspired by two tunes by Irish harpist Turlough O'Carolan.

When he first toured the United States, Galway appeared with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The fall tour is also a special reunion for Lady Galway and JoAnn Falletta, who were students together at the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where they often played flute and guitar duets. Lady Jeanne served as Falletta's principal flute at the Queens Philharmonic.

Sir James Galway has performed throughout the world with the leading orchestras and conductors.
He held the coveted position of solo flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, launching his career as a soloist in 1975. Known as "The Man with the Golden Flute," his recordings have sold more than 30 million copies. Just this month, the Belfast-born Galway received a lifetime achievement award at the National Concert Hall in Dublin for his contribution to classical music worldwide.

Galway was recently selected, along with violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonneberg and double bassist Edgar Meyer, to headline for the 2014 Minnesota Beethoven Festival next summer in Winona. And this fall he is poised to kick off "First Flute," his online series of comprehensive flute lessons.

"All performing musicians aspire to the condition of James Galway," says the Los Angeles Times, "... He has a technical mastery so complete that it makes everything look easy ... No one in their right mind, or ear, could object to such committed, insightful and lovable performances."

Falletta serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and principal guest conductor of the Brevard Music Center. She also is principal guest conductor of the Phoenix Symphony for the 2013-14 season. In August, she conducted a full concert in the Peninsula Music Festival in Wisconsin, the first woman in its 61-year history to do so. Falletta will conduct the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall in December.

Considered by the Chicago Tribune to be "a razor-sharp, fully seasoned ensemble, a worthy ambassador," the Irish Chamber Orchestra performs an annual season in Limerick and Dublin. The orchestra has toured the U.S., with pianist Leon Fleischer, and successfully throughout Europe, Australia, South Korea, China and Singapore.

Jorgensen was named Best College/University Performing Arts Center in the Hartford Advocate Best of Hartford Readers' Poll for both 2012 and 2013.

Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is located at 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. Ticket prices are $47, $44 and $40, with some discounts. For tickets and information go to jorgensen.uconn.edu, or call the Box Office at 860.486.4226, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., or. Convenient, free parking is available across the street in the North Garage.

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