The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Performs Final 2008/09 Chicago Concert at Mandel Hall, May 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 21, 2009
Contact:
Ian Martínez, Director of Communications
imartinez@uchicago.edu
(773) 834-7965
THE SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PERFORMS FINAL 2008/09 CHICAGO CONCERT AT MANDEL HALL, MAY 1
Chicago debuts of conductor Pablo Heras-Casado and Chen Yi's Prelude and Fugue for Chamber Orchestra. Principal horn Bernhard Scully performs Strauss Horn Concerto No. 2
CHICAGO - The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will perform the final concert of its fourth consecutive year as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago, Friday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m in Mandel Hall. Young European sensation, conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, replaces Xian Zhang, who was originally scheduled to lead this performance.
The 35-member Minnesota-based orchestra opens its program with Sergei Prokofiev's tribute to the musical style of Haydn in his famous Symphony No. 1, nicknamed "Classical." Newly appointed principal horn Bernhard Scully will take center stage performing Richard Strauss' Horn Concerto in E-flat major, followed by Beethoven's Eighth Symphony.
This concert also marks the Chicago premiere, and second public performance, of Chen Yi's Prelude and Fugue for Chamber Orchestra, which was commissioned by the SPCO, Meet the Composer and the League of American Orchestras. Chen Yi's Cantonese-inspired work marks the latest installment from Music Alive, a national program dedicated to promoting new works for orchestras.
TICKETS are $35 for general public and $5 for students with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased by calling the University of Chicago Presents concert office at (773) 702-8068, or by visiting 5720 S. Woodlawn Avenue on the University of Chicago campus.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Residency is made possible by generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, ArtsMidwest Performing Arts Fund and National Endowment for the Arts.
Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor (Chicago debut)
Bernhard Scully, horn
Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street, Chicago
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D major, op. 25, "Classical"
Chen Yi: Prelude and Fugue for Chamber Orchestra (Chicago premiere)
R. Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, op. 132
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F major, op. 93
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The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO), currently in its 50th season, is the nation's only full-time professional chamber orchestra and is widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. In collaboration with five Artistic Partners--Roberto Abbado, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Douglas Boyd, Nicholas McGegan and Dawn Upshaw--the thirty-five virtuoso musicians present more than 150 concerts and educational programs each year, and are regularly heard on public radio's Performance Today, which reaches over one million listeners each week on 242 stations, and Symphony Cast reaching more than 200,000 listeners each week on 104 stations. The SPCO has released 67 recordings, commissioned 114 new works, and premiered 53 additional compositions. The SPCO has also earned 13 ASCAP awards for adventurous programming.
Only 31 years old, Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado has recently received rave reviews for his appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ensemble ACJW at Carnegie Hall and the Opéra National de Paris. Heras-Casado graduated from the University of Granada with degrees in music and art history. In 2000 he was awarded second prize at the National Competition for Young Conductors and was one of only three conductors selected to participate in a project led by Daniel Barenboim together with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 2004. Beginning in 2010, Heras-Casado will begin a series of annual appearances with Teatro Real Madrid, the Canadian Opera Company, and Opera National de Bordeaux.
Prior to his appointment with the SPCO, Saint Paul native Bernhard Scully was a member of the world-renowned Canadian Brass Quintet. During his time with this ensemble he performed in sixteen countries, on three separate continents, and recorded four CDs. He has recently completed a solo recording project for the Hal Leonard Publishing Company that includes much of the standard repertoire for horn and piano. In 2004 he was the only American invited to participate in the Geneva International Horn Competition.
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The University of Chicago Presents is one of the city's landmark classical music presenters on the campus of the University of Chicago in the heart of the city's South Side. Among the musical legends who made their debuts at Mandel Hall are violinist Isaac Stern, guitarist Andres Segovia, soprano Cecilia Bartoli and The Juilliard String Quartet.
UCP offers five concert series--Classic Concert, the Howard Mayer Brown International Early Music, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Artists-in-Residence Series featuring the Pacifica Quartet, and the Contempo series.
TICKETS:
By phone with credit card at (773) 702-8068; minimum $10 charge
In person with cash, check or credit card, weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Office of Professional Concerts, 5720 S. Woodlawn Ave.
- At Mandel Box Office after 6:30 p.m. on concert day
- By email at chicagopresents@uchicago.edu
PARKING:
Street or free in lot at 55th Street and Ellis Avenue
DISABILITIES:
Persons with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance may call the Office of Professional Concerts at (773) 702-8068 prior to the concert, but no later than 3 p.m. on concert day.
PHOTOS:
Photos of the artists may be obtained upon request to the University of Chicago Presents at (773) 834-7965, or by fax at (773) 834-5888. To download pictures directly from the web site, visit chicagopresents.uchicago.edu/news/photos.
ONLINE:
chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
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