Russian star to conduct here

Exciting news in this article by Janelle Gelfand!

Russian star to conduct here
By Janelle Gelfand
Cincinnati Enquirer (3/12/06)

Russian conducting star Valery Gergiev will take time from his busy international schedule to make his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut in a special concert next season.

Gergiev will conduct Stravinsky's "Petrouchka" and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 on Feb. 22 in Music Hall. A coup for the orchestra, the performance will be one of just two U.S. conducting engagements for Gergiev next season.

Cincinnati Symphony music director Paavo Järvi said he was pleased Gergiev had accepted his invitation. During the Cincinnati Symphony's 2004 European tour, Gergiev attended the orchestra's concert in Vienna.

"Valery Gergiev and I are very close friends," Järvi said.

Known for his intense persona and electrifying podium style, the globe-trotting maestro is principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. Artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theater, Gergiev has toured widely with the Kirov Opera and Orchestra. He leads four festivals, including the Stars of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Järvi will conduct 14 subscription weeks in 2006-07. The 112th season will open Sept. 15-16 with an all-Brahms program starring violinist Gil Shaham.

Tickets to Gergiev's concert will be available only to 2006-07 subscribers, beginning today.

EVEN OLD FAVORITES WILL SOUND NEW

For his sixth season as music director, Järvi is balancing masterworks with a mix of symphony premieres.

"Pairing something fresh with an established masterpiece can help the audience discover something new in both cases," Järvi says. "On the one hand, they are hearing something new, and on the other hand, they are hearing an old favorite in a new way."

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will present 19 premieres this season, including the world premiere of "Deep Woods" by American Charles Coleman and the U.S. premiere of "Zeitraum" by Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tuur.

Coleman has been awarded a five-week residency with the Cincinnati Symphony through Meet the Composer and the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Soloists will include Grammy-winning cellist Truls Mork in the Schumann Cello Concerto (Sept. 29-30). His Virgin Classics recording of the same work with Järvi leading the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France was nominated for a Grammy this year.

The field of nine guest violinists includes Shaham performing Brahms on opening night (Sept. 15-16) and 26-year-old phenom Hilary Hahn in Britten's Concerto No. 1 (Oct. 13-14). The dynamic Leila Josefowicz will tackle the John Adams Violin Concerto (Feb. 16-17), and Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman performs Bernstein's "Serenade" in March.

Making their debuts are Munich-born violinist Julia Fischer in Mendelssohn(Feb. 9-10) and Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, who will play Sibelius (April 12-14).

Perhaps the season's most unusual debut will be percussionist Colin Currie, who will introduce "Der gerettete Alberich" (Alberich Saved) by Christopher Rouse (Dec. 2-3).

Pianists include Yefim Bronfman performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 (March 9-10). Helene Grimaud, who joined the orchestra on its 2004 European tour, will play Brahms' Concerto No. 1 (Jan. 18-20), and Piotr Anderszewski performs Bartok's Concerto No. 3 (March 24-25).

Eleven guest conductors will visit Music Hall, including Kwame Ryan, a native of Trinidad, and Michael Christie, just named music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

The season includes the return in October of James DePreist, who in 2005 received the National Medal of the Arts.

Järvi's symphonic repertoire will include Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7, Brahms' Symphony No. 1, Mahler's Symphony No. 9, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, ("Pathetique") and Beethoven's Sixth. A Nordic evening in April will include Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 ("The Inextinguishable").

Premieres will include the orchestra's first performances of Leonard Bernstein's "Slava! A Political Overture for Orchestra," Sibelius' symphonic poem "Night Ride and Sunrise," Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 and Schubert's Mass No. 2 in G Major ("The Great") with the May Festival Chorus.

Polish composer Krzystof Penderecki will conduct his own Symphony No. 2 (Feb. 24-25), and principal bass Owen Lee will premiere John Harbison's Double Bass Concerto (March 30-31).

The orchestra will make two Telarc recordings: an album of Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kije" Suite and Symphony No. 5 and a Tchaikovsky disc pairing the "Romeo and Juliet" Overture-fantasy with Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique").

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com