Peter Oundjian to Conduct Orchestra of St. Luke's at Caramoor Tonight

Conductor Peter Oundjian makes his long-awaited return to the Caramoor Summer Music Festival tonight to conduct the Orchestra of St. Luke's in the only symphonic concert of Caramoor's 2013 summer season. Mr. Oundjian will lead the orchestra in a program that includes Verdi's Overture to La forza del destino(as part of Caramoor's Verdi celebration), Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 tonight, Sunday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET in the Venetian Theater.

Mr. Oundjian's relationship with Caramoor dates back to 1981 when he performed there for the first time as first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet (which will have its final performances in July). After 14 years with the Tokyo Quartet, Mr. Oundjian launched his conducting career at Caramoor when he made his formal conducting debut in 1995 leading the Orchestra of St. Luke's. He later served as Artistic Director of the Festival from 1997-2003 and Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor from 2004-2007. His last appearance at Caramoor was in 2009.

Tickets are available online at caramoor.org, by phone at (914) 232-1252 and in person at the Caramoor Box Office at 149 Girdle Ridge Road.

Renowned for his orchestra-building skills and audience engagement, Peter Oundjian is currently Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra where, during the 2013-14 season, he celebrates his 10th year conducting the orchestra. Highlights of his upcoming season with the TSO include the 10th annual two-week New Creations Festival to be programmed this season by composer John Adams, the 10th annual Mozart Festival, a multi-concert Britten centennial celebration, and creatively programmed subscription concerts featuring world-renowned soloists. Mr. Oundjian and the TSO will also release a concert recording of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances next month on the Orchestra's self-produced record label "TSO Live".

Mr. Oundjian is an active guest conductor and in addition to his performances with the TSO this season, he opens the Houston Symphony Orchestra's 2013-14 Centennial Classical season conducting Verdi's Overture to La Forza del Destino, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Kirill Gerstein, Debussy's Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun and Respighi's Pines of Rome; and makes his debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducting Vaughn William's Tallis Fantasia, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 with Louis Lortie, and Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 7. He also returns to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony in the U.S. and guest conducts the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra Berlin and the Finnish Radio Orchestra abroad.

Mr. Oundjian is also Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and he has served as Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Originally trained as a violinist, he was educated in England at the Royal College of Music in London before studying at the Juilliard School in New York. He was the longest-serving first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet. Mr. Oundjian is in now in his 32nd year as a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music. In May 2009, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the San Francisco Conservatory. In January 2013 Mr. Oundjian was awarded the Samuel Simons Sanford Medal for distinguished service to music. Colloquially called the Sanford Medal, this award is the highest honor bestowed by the Yale School of Music, with previous recipients including Pierre Boulez, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Sunday, July 14 at 4:30 pm ET

Venetian Theater
Caramoor Summer Music Festival
149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY

Orchestra of St. Luke's
Peter Oundjian, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano

Verdi Overture to La forza del destino
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Tickets are available online at caramoor.org, by phone at (914) 232-1252 and in person at the Caramoor Box Office.