Christopher Russell News

?Andrey Boreyko returns to lead the LA Phil and Danish-Israeli master violinist Nikolaj Znaider in three performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, this weekend, January 16 and 17, at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 18, at 2 pm. The program features the U.S. premiere of Górecki's LA Phil-commissioned Fourth Symphony. Boreyko conducted the highly anticipated world premiere of the piece with the London Philharmonic Orchestra to considerable acclaim last season.

WHAT: Andrey Boreyko returns to lead the LA Phil and Danish-Israeli master violinist Nikolaj Znaider in three performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Fridayand Saturday, January 16 and 17, at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 18, at 2 pm. The program features the U.S. premiere of Górecki's LA Phil-commissioned Fourth Symphony. Boreyko conducted the highly anticipated world premiere of the piece with the London Philharmonic Orchestra to considerable acclaim last season.

The Clive Barnes Foundation just announced nominees their fifth annual Clive Barnes Award for young performers.

27 American orchestras will be recognized with 2013-14 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming at the League of American Orchestras' National Conference, taking place June 4-6 in Seattle. ASCAP and the League present the awards each year to orchestras of all sizes for programs that challenge the audience, build the repertoire, and increase interest in music of our time. Approximately $750,000 has been bestowed on orchestras since the awards were established in 1947.

Focus on Peter Eötvös, a mini-residency in which the Hungarian composer is participating, features two LA Phil-hosted programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall - a Green Umbrella series concert, tonight, January 15, at 8 pm, and an LA Phil concert featuring renowned violinist Midori, Friday, January 18, at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, January 19 and 20, at 2 pm.

Focus on Peter Eotvos, a mini-residency in which the Hungarian composer is participating, features two LA Phil-hosted programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall - a Green Umbrella series concert, Tuesday, January 15, at 8 pm, and an LA Phil concert featuring renowned violinist Midori, Friday, January 18, at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, January 19 and 20, at 2 pm.

In-demand conductor Christoph Eschenbach returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its first three performances of the new year, tonight and Saturday, January 4 and 5, at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 6, at 2 pm. On the program is the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun's percussion concerto The Tears of Nature, featuring Martin Grubinger in his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, which was recorded by the LA Phil, with Zubin Mehta conducting, for Decca Records.

In-demand conductor Christoph Eschenbach returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its first three performances of the new year, Friday and Saturday, January 4 and 5, at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 6, at 2 pm. On the program is the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun's percussion concerto The Tears of Nature, featuring Martin Grubinger in his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, which was recorded by the LA Phil, with Zubin Mehta conducting, for Decca Records.

Marin Alsop returns to the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances, Today and Saturday, November 2 and 3, at 8 pm, as well as Sunday, November 4, at 2 pm. All three evenings include Golijov's Azul, featuring rising young cellist Joshua Roman, as well as hyper-accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman, and percussionists Jamey Haddad and Keita Ogawa. The three evenings close with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathetique," what many consider to be the composer's most profound symphony. The Saturday and Sunday programs open with Barber's Essay No. 2.

Marin Alsop returns to the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances, Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3, at 8 pm, as well as Sunday, November 4, at 2 pm. All three evenings include Golijov's Azul, featuring rising young cellist Joshua Roman, as well as hyper-accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman, and percussionists Jamey Haddad and Keita Ogawa. The three evenings close with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathetique," what many consider to be the composer's most profound symphony. The Saturday and Sunday programs open with Barber's Essay No. 2.

Sir Simon Rattle returns to Los Angeles for his first concerts leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, today, Friday and Saturday, May 3, 4 and 5, at 8 pm, and Sunday, May 6, at 2 pm. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožena sings Mahler's settings of Friedrich Ruckert's Romantic poetry. Also on the program are Ligeti's Atmospheres, Wagner's Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 9.

Sir Simon Rattle returns to Los Angeles for his first concerts leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 3, 4 and 5, at 8 pm, and Sunday, May 6, at 2 pm. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožena sings Mahler's settings of Friedrich Ruckert's Romantic poetry. Also on the program are Ligeti's Atmospheres, Wagner's Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 9.

Herbert Blomstedt comes to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, at 8 pm, as well as Sunday, April 15, at 2pm. Also performing are soprano Ruth Ziesak, mezzo-soprano Gerhild Romberger, tenor Richard Croft, bass-baritone Hanno Muller-Brachmann and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Beethoven's 80-minute Missa Solemnis, considered by the composer to be his greatest work, is atypical for him. It's missing the sustained development of themes that is one of the composer's hallmarks. Also missing is Beethoven's penchant for theme and variations. Instead, the Missa presents a continuous musical narrative, almost without repetition. The first LA Phil performances (in 1952) were followed by downtown performances in 1961, 1970 and 1980. The work has not been performed by the Philharmonic in 32 years. Herbert Blomstedt was chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden from 1975 to 1985 and, in his continued relationship with the orchestra, was awarded its Golden Badge of Honour in 2007. Additionally, he holds the following titles with the various orchestras: Honorary Conductor of the NHK Symphony, Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, Honorary Conductor of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig, the Danish and Swedish Symphony, as well as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he continues guest conducting the world's most pre-eminent orchestras. Blomstedt, who celebrates his 85th birthday in 2012, has an extensive discography that includes over 130 works with the Dresden Staatskapelle, among them all symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the complete orchestral works of Carl Nielsen with the Danish Radio Symphony. With the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra he recorded exclusively for Decca. Several of the numerous recordings received major awards; the complete cycles of the symphonies of Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen enjoy reference standard. In September 2012, to make Blomstedt's jubiless, the querstand label is releasing a CD box set with all the symphonies by Anton Bruckner from live recordings with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Blomstedt has received several Honorary Doctorates and is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy and he was awarded the 'Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz' by the German Federal President Johannes Rau. Following her debut at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein based in Dusseldorf and Duisburg, Ruth Ziesak's career led her from the stages of Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin and Dresden to the international platforms of Milan, Florence, Vienna, Paris, London and New York, where she shone in signature roles of Pamina, Ännchen, Marzelline, Ilia and Sophie. She has also extended her repertoire and made her debut in the role of the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro in Glyndebourne and Zurich. It is in this role that she appeared at the Wurttembergisches Staatstheater in Stuttgart under Manfred Honeck in the 2009/10 season. The versatile artist is a much sought-after concert soloist and works with the leading orchestras in Paris, Milan, Vienna, Munich, Leipzig, Amsterdam and London. She is also a frequent guest at the Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the BBC Proms. In addition to her concert recordings with Georg Solti, Riccardo Chailly and Herbert Blomstedt for Decca, Ziesak has recorded Die Zauberflote (Solti/Decca), Fidelio (Dohnanyi/Decca), La Clemenza di Tito (Harnoncourt/Teldec), Der Freischutz (Janowski/BMG), Hansel und Gretel (Runnicles/ Teldec) and Robert Schumann's Genoveva with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Harnoncourt/Teldec). Her solo recordings include Opera Arias by Mozart with the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin (German Symphony Orchestra Berlin) conducted by Marcus Creed (Capriccio) and lieder by Mahler (Gatti/BMG), as well as a series of lieder recitals for BMG, Naxos and Sony with Ulrich Eisenlohr. Recent highlights of Gerhild Romberger's concert career include concerts with Manfred Honeck, who invited her for, among others, Mahler´s symphonies, Beethoven´s Missa Solemnis or the Große Messe by Walter Braunfels. Additional highlights include concerts at the NDR Hamburg with Wolfgang Rihm´s Drei spate Gedichte von Heiner Muller, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Prague, numerous performances with Enoch zu Guttenberg (among others Bach´s Passions, Verdi´s Messa da Requiem, Beethoven´s Missa solemnis and Wagner´s Wesendoncklieder). She frequently works with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester under Riccardo Chailly, as well as with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (in Schmidt´s Buch mit den sieben Siegeln and Mendelsson´s Elias with Thomas Hengelbrock), the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert Blomstedt, the Symphony Orchestras of WDR and MDR and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. This season, Romberger performs with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, on tour with Beethoven's Missa solemnis with the Orchestre des Champs Elysees Paris under Philippe Herreweghe, the Bavarian Radio Chorus and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck in the United States and on tour in Europe. American tenor Richard Croft is internationally renowned for his performances with leading opera companies and orchestras around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Opera National de Paris, the Berlin Staatsoper, Opera Zurich, Glyndebourne Festival, the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. His clarion voice, superlative musicianship and commanding stage presence allow him to pursue a wide breadth of repertoire from Handel and Mozart to the music of today's composers. The 2011/2012 season sees Croft returning to the Metropolitan Opera for an encore engagement of their visually extravagant production of Satyagraha in the role of Gandhi which will also be broadcast live in HD to movie theatres around the world. He continues the operatic season with Bayerische Staatsoper where he will play the title role in Mitridate under Ivor Bolton. He began the concert season with two performances of the Messiah with the Minnesota Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and continues with performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and then with the Berliner Philharmonker conducted by Herbet Blomstedt. Hanno Muller-Brachmann has sung with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including: Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the London Philharmonic under Masur, Bach's St. John Passion with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra under Gardiner and with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester under Blomstedt, Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette with the Berlin Staatskappelle under Luisi, Schubert's Alfons und Estrella with the Berlin Philharmonic under Harnoncourt, Beethoven IX with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Dohnanyi and with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Chailly and Beethoven IX and Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi under Chailly, Britten's War Requiem with the European Youth Orchestra under Ashkenazy and Beethoven IX with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Haitink. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Barenboim and has sung at the Festivals of Granada, Dresden, Salzburg, Lucerne, Vienna's Klangbogen, Tanglewood and the BBC Proms. Muller-Brachmann made his operatic debut in 1996 in Telemann's Orpheus under Rene Jacobs at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where he was a member of the ensemble from 1998 and where he sang the great Mozart roles of Leporello, Figaro, Guglielmo and Papageno as well as his first Wotan under Barenboim. In addition to opera and oratorio, he can be heard in recitals in Berlin at both the Staatsoper and Philharmonie. He has given recitals in Graz, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Tokyo, Hamburg, Paris, Lausanne, London's Wigmore Hall and at the Vienna Konzerthaus, and at the Schwarzenberg Schubertiade, Berlin Festwochen, Ittingen and Edinburgh Festivals. He also works with the pianists Burkhard Kehring, Andras Schiff, Philippe Jordan, Graham Johnson, Malcolm Martineau and Daniel Barenboim. Giving a voice to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), considered one of the world's leading choirs, is led by Music Director Grant Gershon. The Los Angeles Times proclaims, "Under Gershon, the Master Chorale seems to be able to master anything," The New York Times calls the choir "inspired," and The New York Observer declares it "a superb vocal ensemble." The Chorale is currently in its 48th season as a resident company of the Music Center of Los Angeles County and its 9th as the resident chorus at Disney Hall. Presenting its own concert series each season, it performs choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions. To date, the choir has commissioned 27 and premiered 69 new works, of which 44 were world premieres, and has been awarded the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming three times - in 1995, 2003 and 2010. Its discography includes four CDs under Gershon's baton: A Good Understanding, an all-Nico Muhly disk recorded at Disney Hall and released by Decca in September 2010; Daniel Variations by Steve Reich, released in spring 2008 on Nonesuch Records; You Are (Variations) by Steve Reich, released in September 2005 on Nonesuch Records; and an RCM recording featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen's first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jaderlund, and Philip Glass' Itaipu. A fifth CD with Gershon, to be recorded in June 2012 at Disney Hall and released in Fall 2012 on Decca, will feature three works by Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, including his rapturous Miserere, and two that have never been recorded - Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise) and Five Marian Songs. LAMC previously released three CDs under Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna. The Chorale is also featured with Gershon on the soundtracks of such major motion pictures as Charlie Wilson's War, Lady in the Water, and License to Wed. Serving more than 30,000 audience members of all ages annually, the Los Angeles Master Chorale also provides education outreach to some 6,000 students each year.

Conductor Semyon Bychkov leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Katia & Marielle Labèque in the world premiere of Richard Dubugnon's Concerto for Two Pianos and Double Orchestra, 'Battlefield,' commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, on Friday & Saturday, November 11 & 12 at 8 PM and Sunday, November 13 at 2 PM at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This will mark the first time Semyon and Marielle (husband and wife) perform together at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Conductor Semyon Bychkov leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Katia & Marielle Labèque in the world premiere of Richard Dubugnon's Concerto for Two Pianos and Double Orchestra, 'Battlefield,' commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, on Friday & Saturday, November 11 & 12 at 8 PM and Sunday, November 13 at 2 PM at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This will mark the first time Semyon and Marielle (husband and wife) perform together at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Conductor Semyon Bychkov leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Katia & Marielle Labèque in the world premiere of Richard Dubugnon's Concerto for Two Pianos and Double Orchestra, 'Battlefield,' commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, on Friday & Saturday, November 11 & 12 at 8 PM and Sunday, November 13 at 2 PM at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This will mark the first time Semyon and Marielle (husband and wife) perform together at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Conductor Jaap van Zweden leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m.

Conductor Jaap van Zweden leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m.