Pianist André Watts and Maestro Riccardo Muti with the New York Philharmonic Return to the Kimmel Center in November
OCTOBER 14, 2009
- A superstar in the classical music world, André Watts performs a program of works by Romantic 19th Century composers Schubert and Liszt in Verizon Hall (Sunday, November 1, 2009)
- Maestro Riccardo Muti leads the New York Philharmonic through an enchanting program of works by Liszt, Elgar and Prokofiev
(Friday, November 20, 2009)
André Watts, piano
Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 3pm
Verizon Hall
Price: $36-$60
"Immediately evident was the crystal clarity of each note, playing that was powerful yet not percussive, detailed without becoming clinically dry, emotionally rich, but with no loss of control." — American Record Guide
One of the most celebrated luminaries of the classical world, pianist André Watts performs a recital of works by Schubert and Liszt in Verizon Hall on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 3pm. A featured artist at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, in July, Watts recently returned from an extensive tour of recital and orchestral performances and will continue to tour extensively this fall in the United States.
Deeply rooted in Philadelphia, André Watts graduated in 1963 from the Philadelphia Musical Academy, now part of The University of the Arts; and made his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at age nine. The son of a Hungarian mother and an African-American father, Watts was born in Nuremberg, Germany, but moved to Germantown, Pennsylvania, when he was eight years old, due to his father's military assignment. At age 16, Watts burst into the music world when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. Watts has since performed nationwide with renowned orchestras, and appeared as a regular guest at major music festivals worldwide, including Ravinia, the Hollywood Bowl, Saratoga and Tanglewood.
A much-honored artist, Watts was selected to receive the Avery Fisher Prize in 1988; he was awarded a 1964 Grammy® Award for Best New Classical Artist. At age 26 he was the youngest person ever to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Yale University and he has since received numerous honors from highly respected schools including the University of Pennsylvania; Brandeis University; The Juilliard School of Music; and his Alma Mater, the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. In June 2006, he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Previously Artist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, Watts was appointed to the newly created Jack I. and Dora B. Hamlin Endowed Chair in Music at Indiana University in May 2004.
Program:
SCHUBERT: Selections from Moments musicaux, D. 780
LISZT: Etude de concert No. 3, 'Un Sospiro'
LISZT: Sonata in B minor
LISZT: Nuages gris; Schlaflos, Frage und Antwort, En Rêve
SCHUBERT: Klavierstücke No. 2, D. 946
SCHUBERT: Fantasie in C Major, Op. 15 'Wanderer'
Sunday, November 1, 2009 | 2:15pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Free at the Kimmel
West Chester University Harp Ensemble
Led by West Chester University Professor Gloria Galante, WCU Harp
Ensemble is a diverse group of talented harpists. The ensemble performs
an annual concert known as 'Harpfest,' tours the tri- state area, and
performs on television and radio. The ensemble plays works of Bach,
Beethoven, Brahms, Grandjany, Godefroid, Salzedo, Renie, Mozart,
Debussy and much more. This free performance will take place prior to
the ticketed performance by André Watts in Verizon Hall.
New York Philharmonic
Riccardo Muti, conductor
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 8pm
Verizon Hall
Price: $39-$113
"Mr. Muti conducted a dynamic performance of majestic intensity. It was also a disciplined interpretation that clearly illuminated the contrapuntal lines and voices that lay beneath the swirling surface colors." — New York Times on Muti's performance with New York Philharmonic, January 30, 2009
Maestro Riccardo Muti opens the Kimmel Center Presents orchestral season as guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 8pm. The charismatic Italian conductor, called "one of the last lions of podium glamour" (New York Times), leads the nation's oldest symphony orchestra in a program featuring Liszt's Les Préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3; Elgar's In the South; and selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.
Born in Naples, Italy, Riccardo Muti has led the world's most important orchestras, from the Berlin Philharmonic and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to Orchestre National de France and Vienna Philharmonic. As music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1980 – 1992, Muti firmly established himself as one of the city's musical treasures. In June 2008, Muti was appointed music director-designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which he will lead for five years beginning in September 2010; concurrently, Muti has also agreed to lead Rome's opera house, beginning in December 2010. His other posts have included chief conductor of London's Philharmonia from 1972 – 1982 and music director of Milan's Teatro alla Scala from 1986 – 2005.
Muti has received various honors through the years, including being named a Knight of the Great Cross of the Italian Republic; a Knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II; Milan's Gran Medaglia d'Oro; Germany's Verdienstkreuz; France's Légion d'Honneur; and the Salzburg Mozarteum's silver medal. Russian President Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship, and the State of Israel honored him with the Wolf Prize in the Arts.
Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. In September 2009, Alan Gilbert began his tenure as music director, the latest in a distinguished line of 20th Century musical giants that includes Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez and Leonard Bernstein. The Philharmonic is a globally celebrated orchestra with appearances at 425 cities in 59 countries on five continents. In February 2008, the Orchestra, led by Music Director Lorin Maazel, gave a historic performance in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea — the first visit there by an American orchestra and an event that was watched around the world. The pioneering orchestra has championed the new music of its time since its inception, a tradition that continues to the present day with premieres of works by major contemporary composers. Since 1917 the Philharmonic has recorded nearly 2,000 albums; more than 500 recordings are currently available.
Program:
LISZT: Les Préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3
ELGAR: In the South
PROKOFIEV: Selections from Romeo and Juliet
Friday, November 20, 2009 | 5:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza | Friday LIVE
Lizanne Knott
A long standing member of the music scene in Philadelphia and an
award-winning singer-songwriter, Lizanne Knott has been captivating
audiences throughout the U.S. and garnering attention from industry
peers across the globe. Well known locally for her understated music,
floating vocals and lyrical juxtapositions, she moves easily through
dark poetic ballads to soul infused folk, folk rock & jazz, joined
by an eclectic group of musicians. This free performance will take
place in Commonwealth Plaza prior to the ticketed performance by the
New York Philharmonic in Verizon Hall, as part of the Kimmel Center's
Friday LIVE series of free performances every Friday at 5:30pm.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for these Kimmel Center Presents performances. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office at 5:30pm prior to evening curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
Kimmel Center Presents' 2009/10 Season is sponsored by Citi. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents.
Free at the Kimmel programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from the Wachovia Foundation.
The Kimmel Center is the recipient of partnership funding through the nationally recognized PNC "Grow Up Great" initiative, a ten-year, $100 million investment in preparing children for success in school and life. Funding gives support to the Kimmel Center's early childhood program "Bop and Swing," an arts program for children 1-5 years old, designed to promote an appreciation for American culture.
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