Hawaii Symphony Announces Season Finale with Andre Watts

The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (HSO) concludes its 2016-17 Halekulani Masterworks season with a stellar evening of keyboard fireworks starring world-renowned pianist André Watts in performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor on Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 11 at 4 pm at Honolulu's Blaisdell Concert Hall. Regarded as one of the greatest works in the piano repertoire, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 embodies the composer's signature style with its unabashed Romanticism and the virtuosity demanded of the soloist. Watts, who chose to perform the Concerto for the New York Philharmonic's 100th anniversary, is described by The Huffington Post as having "a generosity and opulence that we associate with times of the past," and who "plays unstintingly, every little passage crafted with love and attention," will hold the audience spellbound.

Now more than 115 years since the premiere, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 continues to dazzle new audiences. Often heard in films, including "The Seven Year Itch" and "Hereafter," its adagio theme (the second movement) can be heard frequently in popular culture; it appears in the power ballad "All By Myself," which was performed by such greats as Frank Sinatra, Sheryl Crow and Celine Dion. It's also a favorite of figure skaters, including Midori Ito, Sasha Cohen and Mao Asada, as well as ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Tickets for the Season Finale are on sale now and range from $34 to $92. For more information, call the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra Box Office (808) 94-MUSIC - (808) 946-8742, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Maestro Naoto Otomo returns to Honolulu to lead the HSO in its season finale concerts, which feature Ravel's Mother Goose Suite and Stravinsky's The Firebird. Maestro Otomo, who is a familiar face to local music enthusiasts, conducted the opening concert of the HSO in 2012 and returned during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In addition, Maestro Otomo will lead the HSO in its free community concert - Symphony in Pearl City - on Thursday, June 8 at 7:30 pm. Ravel's Mother Goose Suite will also make a magical appearance at the community concert at the Pearl City Cultural Center.

About André Watts
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic on one of the orchestra's Young People's Concerts, a concert which was broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. Only two weeks later, Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for the ailing Glenn Gould in performances of Liszt's E-flat Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, thus launching his career in storybook fashion. More than 50 years later, Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars.

A perennial favorite with orchestras throughout the U.S., Watts is also a regular guest at the major summer music festivals. He has had a long and frequent association with television, having appeared on numerous programs produced by PBS, the BBC and the Arts and Entertainment Network, performing with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center among others. His extensive discography includes recordings of works by Gershwin, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky for CBS Masterworks; recital CD's of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin for Angel/EMI; and recordings featuring the concertos of Liszt, MacDowell, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens on the Telarc label.

A much-honored artist who has played before royalty in Europe and heads of government in nations all over the world, Watts received a 2011 National Medal of Arts, given by the President of the United States to individuals who are deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts. In 2006, he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl of Fame to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his debut (with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 10). He is also the recipient of the 1988 Avery Fisher Prize. In 2004, he was appointed to the Jack I. and Dora B. Hamlin Endowed Chair in Music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

About Naoto Otomo
During a career that spans more than three decades, Maestro Naoto Otomo has held the posts of Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra; Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra; Principal Conductor, Permanent Conductor and Music Director of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He is currently Music Director of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra; Honorary Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra; Conductor Laureate of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra; and Music Advisor to the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, he was appointed as the first Music Director of the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan concert hall, a post he held for 8 years. He also led the Osaka Philharmonic on a tour of Europe in 1986, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra to Southeast Asia in 1992, Portugal in 1994 and 1996, and Europe in 2001.

Outside Japan, Otomo has appeared with the Colorado Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; in 2001 he led the Philharmonia Orchestra on their tour to Japan. His career also includes collaborations with numerous soloists including: violinists Gil Shaham, Augustin Dumay, Joshua Bell, Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Shlomo Mintz; and pianists Radu Lupu, André Watts, Bruno-Leonardo Gelber, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Jean-Phillipe Collard, Cristina Ortiz, and Hélène Grimaud. He is the recipient of the Eighth Akio Watanabe Music Foundation Award (2000) and the Seventh Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award (2008).

Active-duty military ($20) and student rush ($13) discounts will be available for this concert beginning, Monday, June 5. Tickets must be purchased at either the Blaisdell Box Office or at the HSO Box Office in-person. Appropriate ID must be presented at the time of purchase. For more information, call the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra Box Office (808) 94-MUSIC - (808) 946-8742 from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

About the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra
The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2011 and made its debut in 2012. The new HSO carries on the legacy of the Honolulu Symphony, which was founded in 1900 and performed for more than a century. The orchestra employs 84 professional musicians and presents classical masterworks, pops, educational and community programs.

The mission of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra is to present the highest-quality performances of great music, bringing national and international distinction to the orchestra and its community; to delight and educate audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and enhance the cultural vitality and quality of life in these Islands; and to operate in a financially sound manner.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra.org. Share your Hawaii Symphony Orchestra experience with the #HiSymphony hashtag on Twitter and Instagram @HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra and on Facebook: facebook.com/HawaiiSymphony.

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