Archived Releases:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Violinist Nicola Benedetti and Pianist Elizabeth Schumann Debut with The Phoenix Symphony
Acclaimed Soloists join the Symphony for April Classics
(PHOENIX) – The Phoenix Symphony performs two weekends of Classics Concerts in April featuring two acclaimed soloists: Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition winner Elizabeth Schumann performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 on April 4-6 and violinist Nicola Benedetti, the BBC’s 2004 Young Musician of the Year, performing Mendelssohn’s lyrical Violin Concerto on April 24-26. These concerts are both performed at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.
Music Director Michael Christie leads the first weekend of Classics, entitled “Daphnis and Chloé” April 4-6. Described as “magnificent” by The Washington Post Magazine, Elizabeth Schumann makes her Phoenix Symphony debut performing Mozart’s energetic Piano Concerto No. 21. Members of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus join the orchestra for Ravel’s evocative masterpiece Daphnis and Chloé, which is scored for large orchestra, wordless chorus and wind machine. Continuing The Phoenix Symphony’s Composer Spotlight on Leonard Bernstein, his Chichester Psalms open the program. Friday and Saturday evenings’ concerts begin at 8 p.m., and the Sunday afternoon concert begins at 2 p.m.
Later in April, acclaimed violinist Nicola Benedetti debuts with The Phoenix Symphony performing Mendelssohn’s melodic Violin Concerto April 24-26. After being named the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004, Benedetti toured the globe as recitalist and soloist while her recordings topped the BBC music charts. Guest conductor Pietari Inkinen, also making his debut with The Phoenix Symphony, leads performances of Sibelius’s En Saga and Shostakovich’s compelling Symphony No. 5. Thursday’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday evening’s performance, sponsored by Northern Trust, begins at 8 p.m. Friday morning’s Coffee Concert begins at 11:00 a.m. and includes one hour of music selected from the evening’s program.
Tickets to hear violinist Nicola Benedetti and pianist Elizabeth Schumann with The Phoenix Symphony range from $19-$68 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602.495.1999 or online at www.phoenixsymphony.org.
These concerts are part of The Phoenix Symphony’s 2007-08 Classics Season. Future concerts in this season include “Schubert’s 'Great' C-major Symphony” on May 1 and 2, “Brahms Third Symphony” on May 15, 16 and 17, and “Ainadamar” with soprano Dawn Upshaw on May 23 and 24.
# # #
About pianist Elizabeth Schumann: Elizabeth Schumann performs internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist. Ms. Schumann has distinguished herself many times in competition, most recently winning the first prize at the 2007 Bösendorfer International Piano Competition. Ms. Schumann was a recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Young Artists Award in 2004, and was highlighted in a PBS Television documentary on the Gilmore Festival. She has performed solo recitals and chamber music concerts at the Kennedy Center, the Ravinia “Rising Stars” Series, and on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” This season, she will give recitals in the USA, Europe and Australia, including performances at the Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna.
About violinist Nicola Benedetti: Named BBC’s Young Musician of the Year in 2004, Nicola Benedetti will make debut performances this season with the BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Tonhalle and Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestras. In addition, she will return to the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and London Mozart Players and will also tour Spain with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Ms. Benedetti’s North American engagements this season include the Colorado and Virginia Symphony Orchestras. She will also continue her extensive recital and festival program throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. An exclusive Universal/Deutsche Grammophon artist, this season sees the release of Ms. Benedetti’s third album, featuring a new violin concerto, “Lalishri,” by John Tavener and Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.” Her second album, including Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and “From Ayrshire,” a piece written for her by James MacMillan, reached No. 1 on the BBC Music charts and named “Disc of the Month” by Classic FM.
About conductor Pietari Inkinen: Pietari Inkinen is the music director of the New Zealand Philharmonic and is fast establishing himself on the international concert scene with upcoming engagements with the orchestras of the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Bayerische Rundfunk, as well as the Finnish Radio Symphony and the Vienna Radio Symphony. Mr. Inkinen studied at the Sibelius Academy from the age of fourteen and has performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Helsinki Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and the Melbourne and Queensland Orchestras. Mr. Inkinen’s recent recording with the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic on the Oehms Classics label was voted the BBC Music Magazine’s recording of the month. This season, he will record two discs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for the Naxos label.
About Music Director Michael Christie: Michael Christie begins his third season as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony with the 2007-08 season. He also serves as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival and of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has appeared with orchestras across the United States, Europe, and Canada, as well as with the Finnish National Opera, Queensland Opera, and Zürich Opera. In 1995, Mr. Christie was awarded a special prize at the First International Sibelius Conductor's Competition. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony. Michael Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, Eiji Oue, and Peter Jaffe.
About The Phoenix Symphony: Celebrating its 60th Anniversary Season, The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.
Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.
The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length Classical and Pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, along with a variety of symphonic and community performances in Mesa, Prescott, Scottsdale, and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.
DAPHNIS AND CHLOÉ Symphony Classics Concert No. 12 Sunday Concert No. 5
April 4 - Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. April 5 - Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. April 6 - Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Symphony Hall
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Michael Christie, conductor Elizabeth Schumann, piano The Phoenix Symphony Chorus
BERNSTEIN Chichester Psalms MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21 RAVEL Daphnis and Chloé
Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe produced many important scores that would become more famous than the ballets for which they were written, none more passionate or original than Ravel’s signature masterpiece, Daphnis and Chloé.
Hear Ravel’s complete score as it was intended, with
large orchestra, wind machine, and wordless chorus.
TICKETS: $19, $29, $39, $48, $58, $68
BENEDETTI PLAYS MENDELSSOHN Symphony Classics Concert No. 13 Friday Morning Coffee Classics No. 7
April 24 - Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. April 25 - Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.* April 26 - Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. Symphony Hall
THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Pietari Inkinen, conductor Nicola Benedetti, violin
SIBELIUS En Saga MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5
Named the BBC’s 2004 Young Musician of the Year, Nicola Benedetti is well on the path to superstardom. Don’t miss her Phoenix Symphony debut in Mendelssohn’s lyrical Violin Concerto.
Saturday’s concert is sponsored by Northern Trust.
Friday’s coffee concert is one hour of music selected from the evening’s program.
TICKETS: $19, $29, $39, $48, $58, $68 FRIDAY COFFEE CONCERT: $22, $28, $34
--------------------------------------------------------- The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.
