The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Set for Residency at the Annenberg Center

A founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (COP) announces the inaugural year of a new annual season-long partnership with the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Beginning in the 2017/2018 season, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will be orchestra-in-residence at the Annenberg Center.

The Annenberg Center residency will feature a three-concert chamber music series that will include a presentation of COP's groundbreaking intersect program. In addition to public performances at the Annenberg Center, COP will present a variety of classes and workshops at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Music, including a chamber music master class with COP musicians featuring a new work by UPenn PhD student composer Kevin Laskey, and visiting music business lecture led by COP Executive Director, Bill Rhoads.

Christopher A. Gruits, Executive & Artistic Director of the Annenberg Center, describes the venture as "a partnership of two great Philadelphia institutions." Gruits continued, "The Annenberg Center is one of the nation's foremost urban performing arts centers and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading chamber orchestras. Both presenters are looking for new and interesting performances to bring to their audiences. We're excited to make this annual partnership a long lasting and harmonious one." The residency is envisioned to include a series of performances, workshops and events throughout the season.

COP and the Annenberg Center debut their series on November 1, 2017 with Baroque Unbound: Improvisation in the Time of Bach. The program will spotlight the sophisticated, panoramic art of improvisation in chamber music of the 17th century and will include the world premiere of a new work by a Penn Graduate Student Composer, Kevin Laskey, inspired by Baroque improvisation and ornamentation. "We're thrilled about opportunities for our students, especially when they involve an ensemble of this caliber," says Dr. Anna Weesner, head of the Department of Music at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Weesner continues, "In this case, doctoral student Kevin Laskey brings deep experience with jazz improvisation to a project that spotlights improvisation from a distant era. We look forward to further collaborations in the future." COP weaves the ethereal sounds of Telemann, Handel, and Bach into an informative, yet relaxed environment where guests are encouraged to grab a drink and settle in for an interactive performance hosted by WRTI radio personality, Debra Lew Harder. The performance will feature conversations with the performers between each piece and will conclude with a panel discussion and audience Q&A. This innovative format will define each program in the series at Annenberg Center, providing a unique, intimate musical experience that is a hallmark of all COP concerts.

The second chamber music series program, Beyond Bebop: Jazz, Classical and the Third Stream on January 31, 2018, is inspired by the rich, fruitful, and multifaceted dialogue between Jazz and Classical music spotlighting works and composers that explore and fuse elements of both genres. Featuring the world premiere of a new work by Adam Vidiksis, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia/American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence, this concert will also include the evocative and colorful music of Maurice Ravel and seminal Third Stream American composer, Gunther Schuller.

The Chamber Orchestra's innovative and genre-blurring intersect program culminates COP's inaugural chamber music series at Annenberg Center on March 28, 2018 with Anatomy of Fusion - a fascinating look into improvisatory music that marries distinct genres into a compelling and provocative musical hybrid. Featuring local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke, intersect is a polystylistic exploration of music in all its forms. In collaboration with Music Director Dirk Brossé, every intersect concert is an innovative, multi-genre exploration of music's numerous crossroads. Audiences at intersect are encouraged to challenge their conceptions on where one genre of music ends and another begins, while enjoying an unprecedented collaborative performance in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

This partnership is part of COP's Improvisionaries season, a celebration and exploration of the art of improvisation in Jazz and Classical music. This year marks the official 100th anniversary of the first commercial recording of Jazz, and significant anniversaries of several iconic Jazz figures with deep connections to the city of Philadelphia. "From John Coltrane, to Dizzy Gillespie, to Gerry Mulligan, Jazz artists connected to the region have established Philadelphia as an important epicenter of our nation's rich jazz tradition," remarked COP Executive Director Bill Rhoads. Rhoads continued, "the art of improvisation in Classical music is equally rich and served as an essential backdrop to the birth of Jazz. We're thrilled to bring Improvisionares to the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts as part of our inaugural annual residency and are excited to play a role as resident ensemble for this prestigious and visionary institution."

Tickets for this series are on sale now at AnnenbergCenter.org or 215.898.3900. Subscription discounts are also available for COP Patrons at ChamberOrchestra.org or 215.545.1739.

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2017-2018 Season:

Haydn & Goldenthal

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, October 1, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, October 2, 2017 | 7:30 PM

Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet

Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in Eb
Mozart - Symphony No 31 'Paris'
Elliott Goldenthal - Trumpet Concerto World Premiere
Bridge - Lament for string orchestra
Arnold - Serenade for small orchestra

Baroque Unbound: Improvisation in the Time of Bach

November 1, 2017

Annenberg Center Live

Telemann - Paris Quartet No. 7 in D TWV 43:D3 for flute, violin, cello, continuo

Handel - Trio Sonata in b, Op. 2, No. 1 for flute, violin, cello and continuo

Kevin Laskey - World Premiere featuring elements of Baroque improvisation

Bach - Musical Offering in c, BWV 1079 for flute, violin and continuo

All Beethoven

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, November 5, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, November 6, 2017 | 7:30 PM

Sarah Ioannides, Conductor
Charlie Albright, Piano

Beethoven - Overture to Creatures of Prometheus
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Beethoven - Contradances, WoO 14
Beethoven - Rondo for piano and orchestra
Beethoven/Albright - Improvisation on Für Elise (piano solo)
Beethoven (arr. Cooper) - Symphony No. 10

intersect 7: Improvised/Otherwise

November 29, 2017

Mozart, Piazzolla, and John Cage

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, December 3, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, December 4, 2017 | 7:30 PM

Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Mimi Stillman, Flute

Mozart (arr. Adam Vidiksis) - Würfelspiel (Dice Game) - Musician Realization - Kv516f, version one

Salieri - Sinfonia Veneziana in D
Mozart - Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major

Mozart (arr. Adam Vidiksis) - Würfelspiel (Dice Game) - Patron Realization - Kv516f, version two

Roussel - Concerto for Small Orchestra, Op. 34
Dirk Brossé - DNA in Music US Premiere
John Cage - Atlas Eclipticalis
Astor Piazzolla - Libertango

Aleatoric scores by Mozart and Cage to be projected above the stage during the performance

Beyond Bebop: Jazz, Classical and the Third Stream

January 31, 2017

Annenberg Center Live

Schuller - Densities I for clarinet, vibraphone, harp and contrabass

Ravel - Sonata for Violin and Cello

Schnyder - Haendel in Harlem for violin, clarinet and cello

Schnyder - East for violin, cello, contrabass and harp

Riley - Autumn Leaves 1965

Vidiksis - World Premiere with improvised electronics

Brillhart: All Baroque

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, February 25, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, February 26, 2018 | 7:30 PM

Jeffery Brillhart, Conductor and Soloist

Rameau - Overture from Zaïs

C.P.E. Bach - Harpsichord Concerto in D minor

J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto in G

Rameau - Chaconne from Les Indes galante

Brillhart - Improvisation on themes in the program

J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto in F

J.S. Bach - Suite in D Major

intersect 8: Anatomy of Fusion

March 28, 2018

Annenberg Center Live

Mozart, Mooke, and Fauré

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, April 1, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, April 2, 2018 | 7:30 PM

Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Martha Mooke, Electric Viola/Composer
Born Lau, Viola Astral Spotlight Artist

Mozart - Symphony No. 38, 'Prague'
Hummel - Fantasie for Viola and Orchestra

Martha Mooke - Part 1: New work for electric viola and orchestra World Premiere

Rodrigo - Dos danzas espanolas
Fauré - Pelleas et Melisande Suite
Martha Mooke - Part 2: New work for electric viola and orchestra World Premiere

intersect 9: Technical Ecstasy

May 16, 2018

Bluegrass, Bernstein, and the Blues

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center

Sunday, May 20, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, May 21, 2018 | 7:30 PM

Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Mark O'Connor, Violin

Jeff Beal, Trumpet

and featuring Musicians from The Clef Club of Jazz

Dai Wei - Homage to Bernstein
Jeff Beal - House of Cards Suite
Mark O'Connor - Concerto No. 6, Old Brass
Dave Brubeck/Brossé - Blue Rondo à la Turk
Adam Vidiksis (Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence) - Concerto Grosso* World Premiere
*featuring musicians from The Clef Club of Jazz

SPECIAL EVENTS:

intersect

7:00PM Meet and Greet

8:00PM Concert

intersect is a bold venture celebrating the common DNA shared by music in all its forms and showcasing the musicians of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Led by Philadelphia singer/songwriter, composer, and producer Andrew Lipke, in collaboration with Music Director Dirk Brossé, every intersect concert is an innovative, multi-genre exploration of music's numerous crossroads. Audiences at intersect are encouraged to challenge their conceptions of where one genre of music ends and another begins, while enjoying an unprecedented collaborative performance in the relaxed, informal atmosphere of the World Café Live. In juxtaposing seemingly polar styles, intersect illuminates the intrinsic universality of musical expression.

Brunch with Brossé

Dirk Brossé, Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

Discover how Music Director Brossé brings music from the page to the stage in a roundtable discussion. Examine the musical selections featured in upcoming programs with the Maestro before Sunday performances in a conversation over brunch.

This intimate endeavor takes place in the Comcast Circle at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts prior to select Sunday performances conducted by Maestro Brossé. Cost is $40 per person, which includes brunch and your very own copy of the score. Space is limited.

Admission: $40 - 215.545.5451 | chamberorchestra.org

Classical Conversations

Post-Concert Q&A

Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts

Immediately following every Sunday series concert

COP Music Director Dirk Brossé and guest artists host an informal and informative conversation and Q&A session in the Perelman Theater following all Sunday matinée performances.

Admission: Included in Sunday's ticket

Concerts & Cocktails

Post-Concert Cocktail Hour

The PECO Bar at the Kimmel Center's Commonwealth Plaza

Immediately following every Monday series concert

This post-concert celebration, featuring cocktails crafted by Garces Group, offers patrons the opportunity to meet-and-greet with COP soloists, guest conductors, composers, and musicians.

Admission:

Included with the purchase of concert ticket

Bar: Cash Bar

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A founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member professional ensemble led by Music Director Dirk Brossé. The Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1964 by Marc Mostovoy, has a well-established reputation for distinguished performances of repertoire from the Baroque period through the twenty-first century.

The Chamber Orchestra's development was motivated, in part, by the desire to provide performance opportunities to young professional musicians emerging from the Curtis Institute of Music and other regional training programs, but also by a desire to make a substantial contribution to the city and the region's cultural life. In addition to presenting its own productions, the Chamber Orchestra started to develop an entrepreneurial business model by seeking other performance opportunities among the region's presenter/producer community, thereby providing supplementary employment for its members. The ensemble also championed new music, with a focus on local composers. In total, the organization has commissioned and premiered over seventy new works.

In 1994, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, a concert pianist and conducting graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music, joined the Chamber Orchestra as Assistant Conductor. In 1998, he was named Principal Conductor and, ultimately, Music Director in 2004. A conductor and composer of international acclaim, Maestro Dirk Brossé now enters his eighth season as Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. In the 2017-2018 season, the Orchestra will perform six programs from October through May in the Kimmel Center's intimate, 600-seat Perelman Theater.

Over the course of the ensemble's rich and diverse history, COP has performed with such internationally acclaimed guest artists as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Isaac Stern, Rudolph Serkin, The Eroica Trio, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Romero Guitar Quartet, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Ben Folds, Branford Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Sylvia McNair, Steven Isserlis, Joseph Silverstein, Ransom Wilson, Gerard Schwarz, Jahja Ling, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, among others. The ensemble travels regularly, having toured the United States, Europe, and Israel.

Sir Dirk Brossé, music director, born in Ghent, Belgium in 1960, is a multi-faceted composer and an internationally acclaimed conductor. He is currently Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Music Director of the Film Festival Ghent and Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Star Wars In Concert World Tour.

Brossé began his music studies at the Music Conservatories of Ghent. He subsequently specialized in conducting, which he studied in Maastricht, Vienna and Cologne. He is currently Professor of Composition and Conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent. Dirk Brossé has conducted every leading Belgian orchestra, among them, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Flemish Opera and the National Orchestra of Belgium. Outside his native Belgium, he has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Shanghai, the Vancouver Opera, the KBS Symphony Orchestra of South Korea, l' Orchestra de l'Opéra de Lyon, the World Symphony Orchestra (Japan), the Ulster Symphony Orchestra of Northern Ireland, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the RTE Orchestra Dublin, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Porto Philharmonic, the Queensland Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata St. Petersburg, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Noord Nederlands Orkest, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Orchestras of Venezuela and Ecuador.

Dirk Brossé is a versatile and prolific composer. He has written over 400 works, including concerti, oratorios, lieder, chamber music and symphonic works that have been performed all over the world and have been recorded in more than 40 countries. Among his most performed works are La Soledad de América Latina, written in collaboration with the Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Artesia, a universal symphony for orchestra and ethnic instruments, the ethno-classical symphony The Birth of Music; the oratorio Juanelo; the lieder cycles Landuyt Cycle and La vida es un Sueño, the War Concerto for clarinet and orchestra; and the violin concertos Black, White & Between, Sophia and Echoes of Silent Voices.

He has also composed extensively for cinema, television and stage. Brossé'sfilm soundtracks include Boerenpsalm, Daens (Academy Award Nominee, 1993), Koko Flanel, Back to Utopia, Licht, Stijn Coninx's de Kavijaks, Marian Handwerker's Marie, Martin Koolhoven's Knetter, Roland Joffé's The Lovers, Jaques Feyder's 1925 silent film Visages d'Enfants, and Knielen op een bed violen (Golden Calf Nominee, 2016). His score for the BBC/HBO series Parade's End starring Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Emmy Award. He wrote the scores for the musicals Sacco & Vanzetti, Ben X, The Prince of Africa, Tintin - The Temple of the Sun (based on Hergé's world-famous cartoon character Tintin), Rembrandt the Musical, 14-18 the musical, Pauline & Paulette and Musical Daens - each time in close collaboration with stage director Frank Van Laecke.

In 2007, Dirk Brossé made his debut in the Royal Albert Hall, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in A Night of Music from the Movies, featuring the music of Patrick Doyle, with guest appearances by renowned actors Emma Thompson, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Kenneth Branagh.

In 2010, at the request of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, he wrote The Hallow-e'en Dances. This Halloween-inspired work was especially written for traditional Chinese instruments. He recently composed Haiku Cycle 1, for Jessye Norman and based on Haiku by Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Union.

In 2016, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York, conducting his violin concerto Black, White & In Between with the Chamber Orchestra of New York.

Dirk Brossé has made more than 80 CD recordings and has conducted in numerous world-famous concert halls, such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican Centre, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Opera La Monnaie in Brussels, the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Seoul Arts Center, the Tokyo Forum, and the Concert Hall Shanghai. He has collaborated with world-class artists such as José Van Dam, Philip Webb, Barbara Hendricks, Claron McFadden, Julia Migenes, Derek Lee Ragin, Sabine Meyer, Julian Lloyd Webber, Daniel Blumenthal, and Salvatore Accardo. On a broader musical platform, he has performed with John Williams, Toots Thielemans, Hans Zimmer, Elmer Bernstein, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Randy Crawford, Lisa Gerrard, Mel Brooks, Maurane, Sinead O' Connor, Viktor Lazlo, Maurice Jarre, and Youssou N'Dour.

Dirk Brossé has been awarded the title Cultural Ambassador of Flanders, the Flemish Parliament's Gold Medal for Merit, the Achille Van Acker Prize, the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, and the Global Thinkers Forum Award for Excellence in Cultural Creativity. In 2010, Dirk Brossé was made an honorary citizen of Destelbergen. In 2013, he was elevated to Belgium's hereditary nobility, with the personal title of Sir. In late 2010, EMI Classics released the 6 CD Box-Set Dirk Brossé, A Portrait in Music. The documentary Brossé, a destiny in Music by Jacques Servaes received international acclaim. Since 2016, Dirk Brossé is a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. dirkbrosse.be

Adam Vidiksis, Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence, is a composer, conductor, percussionist, improviser, and technologist based in Philadelphia whose interests span from historically informed performance to the cutting edge of digital audio processing. Often drawing from both acoustic and electronic sounds, his music has been heard in concert halls and venues around the world. Critics have called his music "mesmerizing", "dramatic", "striking" (Philadelphia Weekly), "notable", "catchy" (WQHS), "interesting", and "special" (Percussive Notes), and have noted that Vidiksis provides "an electronically produced frame giving each sound such a deep-colored radiance you could miss the piece's shape for being caught up in each moment" (Philadelphia Inquirer). His unique approach to composition has been praised for its "outstanding control" (Philadelphia Weekly) and for being "restrained" and "magical" (Local Arts Live).

His music has been played by many ensembles including the Black Sea Symphony in Constanta, Romania, Omaha Symphony, Momenta Quartet, Zephyrus Duo, and SPLICE. His commissions include Network for New Music, ICIA, Luna and Renegade Theater Companies, Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology, Ensemble Mise-En, Federal Winds, and the ElectroAcoustic Piano project. His compositions have been heard at numerous festivals and conferences including SEAMUS, ICMC, the College Music Society, the National Student Electronic Music Event, the Society of Composers, Incorporated conferences, the Huntsville New Music Festival, Soundcrawl Festival, the Electroacoustic Barn Dance, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Raven Stadium, the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium, Athens Slingshot, the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, the International Csound Conference, and the Licino Refice Conservatorio di Musica in Frosinone, Italy. Vidiksis's music has been recognized with awards from SCI, ASCAP, Phindie, and Blow-Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival. His works are available through HoneyRock Publishing and PARMA Recordings.

A devoted advocate of new music and improvisation, Vidiksis has served for six years as the conductor of the Temple Composers Orchestra, and two as a founding member on the executive board of the Impermanent Society of Philadelphia, a Philadelphia based organization that is focused on promoting freely improvised live performance that focuses on experimental sound and movement. He has performed in the North America, Europe, and China as an improviser in both percussion and electronics. His deep interest in bringing new works to life has led him to conduct numerous premieres, working with international groups such as Ensemble NJ_P and the Black Sea Symphony.

Vidiksis previously held positions as director of the wind ensemble at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and also as assistant conductor of the Delaware County Symphony in Aston, PA. Vidiksis holds degrees from Drew University, New York University, and Temple University, culminating in a doctoral degree in music composition. Vidiksis currently serves on the composition and music technology faculty of Temple University as a Conwell Entrepreneurial Fellow, where he teaches classes in music theory, orchestration, composition, and music technology. He is currently conductor of the Temple Composers Orchestra, faculty advisor to conTemplum (Boyer College's new-music student organization and student chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc.), director of the Boyer Electroacoustic Ensemble Project (BEEP), and has co-curated the electroacoustic concert series Cybersounds.