New York, NY -- Pianist Hélène Grimaud will release a new album of Mozart concertos and a Mozart concert aria on November 8, 2011 for Deutsche Grammophon. In her 23-year career, Grimaud has recorded works by Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Brahms, Gershwin, Beethoven, and Bach, but this CD marks her first full-length foray into Mozart and her only recording of Mozart besides her fiery 2010 interpretation of Sonata No. 8 on her most recent disc, Resonances. Of Grimaud's interpretation of the Mozart sonata in live performance, The New York Times wrote, "Staccato passages were forbiddingly crisp, and shifts from ornamental passages back to the melody strongly emphasized." Known for her poetic sensibility and fiercely personal performances, Grimaud has been drawn to Mozart in recent years by the kinship she feels they share. She writes in the liner notes to this upcoming album, "This element of passion which gives sense to our existence is always there with him." The Mozart concertos disc was recorded live with the Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra in May, with an additional studio recording of the concert aria with soprano Mojca Erdmann.After the successful release of Resonances, which featured music by Mozart, Liszt, Berg, and Bartok, in 2010, and the subsequent tour supporting the album, Grimaud will keep up another busy season during 2011-2012. She appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra across Europe playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 on a tour that included an engagement at the famed BBC Proms. After recitals in Germany, Grimaud will perform Brahm's First Piano Concerto with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She will also have the honor of playing one of her favorite composers, Bach, in her home country in November. On the heels of engagements in England playing Schumann come appearances throughout Europe performing the Resonances recital program. In November, she appears in recital in Santa Barbara, California, and in April, she will perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. She will play this piece again with the New World Symphony in Florida.
Hélène Grimaud is a French pianist of international renown. Grimaud appears regularly with the most important conductors and orchestras in the world, in addition to her chamber and solos recitals in prestigious festivals and venues. Performing and recording since her teens, she has made appearances at MIDEM in Cannes, and performed at the piano festival La Roque d'Anthéron at the age of 17. The New York Times described her playing thus: "The slow passages were intensely eloquent, building carefully to the crashing climaxes, and Ms. Grimaud brought rapt concentration to the piece's hushed ending." Grimaud is also known for her efforts to aid wolf preservation in America and is the author of two books. She records exclusively with Deutsche Grammophon.
--Amanda Ameer, First Chair Promotion
Ludovic Morlot Debuts with Seattle Symphony with Charisma and Substance
Seattle Symphony opened its new season with the traditional gala evening Saturday and welcomed new music director Ludovic Morlot. Morlot led the orchestra (and played, too) in Ravel's Bolero; also on the program was a Gulda work played by former SSO cellist Joshua Roman, plus works by Beethoven and Gershwin.
Saturday evening was Ludovic Morlot's first Benaroya Hall appearance as the Seattle Symphony's new music director. The gala occasion may have been more about charisma than about substance, but there was certainly plenty of the former in evidence, along with a refreshing absence of high-art stuffiness.
The young maestro opened the proceedings with words of thanks--in notably fluent English--to everyone he could think of, including the often-unheralded stage crew.
At the other end of the program, a fine performance of Ravel's Bolero sported a telling touch of showmanship. Here, for a few go-rounds of that hypnotic tune, Morlot exchanged the podium for a spell at one of the violin desks, before stepping up again to take charge of the final volcanic catharsis-- and the unwavering way the players, with Michael Werner starring on snare drum, held the pace on their own was indicative of the Seattle Symphony's excellent orchestral discipline. In this gala setting, he impressed hugely.
--Bernard Jacobson, special to the Seattle Times
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/mobile/?type=story&id=2016245864&
Guitarist David Russell to Release New Recording of Baroque Music for Telarc
Following up on his successful "David Russell Plays Bach" recording, the master guitarist returns to baroque music on his upcoming Feb 2012 Telarc release.
In addition, the Steinway & Sons label continues to expand its roster of great talent with a new recording by the young Juilliard grads, the piano duo Anderson & Roe. The CD is entitled "When Words Fade…." and will feature their own arrangements of popular and classical songs including the Carmen Fantasy, The Erlking, and Rachmaninoff's Vocalise. The record is coming out on November 15 and will include four compelling music videos on a separate disc.
--Amanda Sweet, Bucklesweet Media
Music Director Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra Open 2011-2012 Season
Music Director Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra open their 2011-2012 20th Anniversary Season September 22-25 with concerts featuring the music of Bloch, Mendelssohn and Shchedrin. Ms Salerno-Sonnenberg has renewed her contract for an additional two years, with a third year option.
Since she joined as Music Director, ticket sales have hit all time highs with a 76% renewal rate, also an all time high. Total ticket sales have increased 67% and, coincidentally, the number of donors has increased by the exact same percentage. Total contributed income has increased by 114%. Other milestones include the release of two acclaimed recordings and the completion of one very successful tour with the booking complete for the second, which will take place this November.
Nadja has invited founding Music Director Stuart Canin returns to celebrate this important milestone in the orchestra's history with performances of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in D Minor. The season also includes the return of Krista Bennion Feeney.
Bloch's Concerto Grosso No. 1, first performed by the orchestra during Stuart Canin's final season, replaces Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste. Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch, who led the San Francisco Conservatory of Music 1925-30, often included various Jewish themes and subjects in his music. These Jewish influences can be heard in this work for string orchestra and piano obbligato, including a set of Swiss dances from the composer's childhood.
Shchedrin's Carmen Suite completes the program. This work was originally banned after its premiere in his native Soviet Union for being "insulting to Bizet's masterpiece." However, it has since become an American audience favorite, featuring all of the great melodies from the famous opera with imaginative writing for large percussion section.
The first program of the year will be given on four different evenings in four different locations around the Bay Area: Thursday, September 22 at 8 p.m., First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Friday, September 23 at 8 p.m., First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, Saturday, September 24 at 8 p.m., Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, and Sunday, September 25 at 5pm, Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael. New Century offers an Open Rehearsal at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 20 in the Herbst Theater for a price of only $8.00. (Picture Right: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg)
Single tickets range in price from $29 to $59 and are available through City Box Office: www.cityboxoffice.com or (415) 392-4400. Discounted single tickets are available for patrons under 35. Open rehearsal tickets are priced at $8.
--Karen Ames, Karen Ames Communications
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