Michael Tilson Thomas To Be Featured In Idagio's Global Concert Hall

Coming soon to IDAGIO's recently launched Global Concert Hall is Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the New World Symphony (NWS), conducting the orchestra in an NWS-commissioned elaboration of Berlioz's Harold in Italy by composer Steven Mackey. Featuring viola soloist Tabea Zimmermann, this performance was filmed in October 2019 as part of the grand finale of MTT and NWS's Viola Visions festival at the New World Center in Miami Beach. The IDAGIO webcast will include an introduction from MTT, Mr. Mackey, and Ms. Zimmermann, followed by the performance and a live Virtual Green Room audience Q&A with the artists after the concert. This virtual event is scheduled for Friday, August 21 at 2:00 p.m. ET, after which time it will be available for on-demand viewing until Sunday, August 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets priced €9.90 (approximately $12) are available via globalconcerthall.com.

In August 2019, when this commission from Steven Mackey was originally announced, MTT said:

"Since I first performed Harold in Italy with Joseph de Pasquale and the Philadelphia Orchestra some 40 years ago, it has been one of my favorite pieces. Since then, I've harbored the wish that the collaboration between Berlioz and Paganini might have really worked, and that the viola part would have been more virtuosic allowing the soloist to become a true protagonist as well as observer of the shifting scenes. Particularly the last movement suggests many opportunities for the viola to assume a larger role. Steven Mackey seems the perfect person to fulfill this dream. His super imaginative instrumental writing as well as the no-holds-barred exuberance of his music reminds me much of the spirit of Berlioz. Steven and I have done many projects over some decades. This time, we have worked together as if we were creating a new Broadway show; he being the composer, me being the director. It is our hope that this newly expanded version will bring new excitement to-and win many new friends for-this wonderful piece."

As a commission that casts a familiar viola classic in a contemporary light, this reconceived Harold in Italy reflects MTT's mission with the Viola Visions festival, which was to explore the past, present, and potential future of the instrument from the perspectives of performers, composers, and listeners. Viola Visions brought today's leading violists together with young artists at the New World Center and online participants around the world for a series of master classes, seminars, and performances in partnership with Medici.TV and The Violin Channel.

IDAGIO, the premier global streaming service for classical music, launched its Global Concert Hall in May 2020. The Global Concert Hall is an online concert venue that brings artists direct revenue and offers listeners a new, interactive classical music experience. Its concerts are streamed live and are available across the globe for at least 24 hours following the initial broadcast. Interactive features, such as introductions from the artists and Virtual Green Room Q&As, are an integral part of the Global Concert Hall experience.

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