Grammy Winner Sharon Isbin to Perform North American Premiere of Tan Dun's Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra

Multiple Grammy Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin, recognized as the 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year by Musical America will perform the North American Premiere of Tan Dun's Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Yi2), written for her, with the Chicago Philharmonic on January 14, 2023 at the Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph, Chicago IL, 60601 at 7:30pm. Under the direction of Artistic Director Scott Speck, the program will also include cellist Joshua Roman performing Tan Dun's Crouching Tiger Concerto, and the World Premiere cello concertino by Reinaldo Moya. Tickets range from $10-$75.

Tan Dun's Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Yi2) was commissioned by the Donaueschingen Festival in Germany for Sharon Isbin, who has premiered over 80 works written for her by world-renowned composers, including more concerti than any other guitarist. Isbin premiered Yi2 with the Orchestre National de France followed by performances throughout Europe and Asia. At the UK premiere with the BBC Scottish Symphony, The Herald exclaimed: "Tan Dun's wonderful guitar concerto, flamenco meets Stravinsky in the Hard Rock Café, was stunningly played by Sharon Isbin."

Yi2 was inspired by Tan Dun's interest in the Yi-Ching and the converging worlds of East and West. "It blends and contrasts the different traditions, relationships, and characteristics of two plucked instruments: Spain's flamenco guitar and China's pipa," writes Tan Dun. "The guitar's solo line has been transformed by this mingling and exchange of two cultural traditions." Isbin's world premiere recording with the Gulbenkian Orchestra of Yi2 is available on her GRAMMY-winning album, Christopher Rouse/Tan Dun Concertos for Guitar (Warner Classics). Inspired by the success of Yi2, Tan Dun composed a solo work for Isbin, Seven Desires for Guitar, based on the concerto and which she recorded on her acclaimed Best of 2020 album, Affinity.

Sharon Isbin has received acclaim for her extraordinary lyricism, technique, and versatility. Celebrated as "the pre-eminent guitarist of our time," she has been the soloist with over 200 orchestras. Recent highlights include a 21-city Guitar Passions tour with jazz greats Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo, triumphant performances with the Detroit Symphony, Montreal Symphony and National Symphony, as well as sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall. Her most recent Carnegie Hall appearance included a collaboration with Sting. Recent projects include a quintet by Joseph Schwantner for Sharon and the Pacifica Quartet which celebrated its world premiere performance in New York this November: "The evening was a triumph for Isbin as she debuted yet another work and burnished her legacy of premieres of new music by venerated contemporary composers."

Sharon Isbin, acclaimed for expanding the guitar repertoire with some of the finest new works of our time, has two new world premiere recordings of works written for her. Affinity features multi-faceted works by leading composers from three continents including Chris Brubeck's Affinity: Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra and Danielpour's song cycle co-commissioned by Chicago's Harris Theater and Carnegie Hall. Gramophone praised the disc: "Isbin's recording evinces a wonderful talent for making fully hers what was written for her ... a sparkling, virtuoso account." The other, Strings for Peace is an album steeped in ragas and talas of North Indian classical music with sarod master Amjad Ali Khan. Both groundbreaking releases were named Best of 2020 by SiriusXM, NPR, and multiple media.

Isbin's catalogue of over 35 albums has sold nearly a million copies and reflects her remarkable versatility. Acclaim for her recording of Yi2 includes Los Angeles Times: "Isbin deserves a Nobel for this recording played with gripping persuasiveness, full of dramatic gestures with beautiful moments of ethereal lyricism," and Gramophone: "Spectacular.... Yi2 is the most remarkable work yet written for guitar and orchestra. No superlative would be excessive in describing Isbin's performances. Her work on behalf of the guitar remains unparalleled, a continuation of that of Segovia and Bream, supported by skill, musicality, dedication and seemingly boundless energy."

Her Souvenirs of Spain & Italy (Cedille) with the Pacifica Quartet debuted at #1 on Amazon and #2 on Billboard. Isbin's Grammy-winning Journey to the New World spent 63 consecutive weeks on top Billboard charts and her Rodrigo Aranjuez with the New York Philharmonic, their only recording with guitar, received a Latin Grammy nomination. She directs guitar departments she created at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School.

Isbin is the subject of an exciting one-hour documentary, Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, winner of the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award and seen by millions on PBS and abroad. Troubadour paints the portrait of a trailblazing performer and teacher who over the course of her career has broken through numerous barriers to rise to the top of a traditionally male-dominated field. To view the trailer visit: www.SharonIsbinTroubadour.com.

Visit www.sharonisbin.com for more information.

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