Orchestre National de France Performs Final Tour with Conductor Kurt Masur at the Kimmel Center
April 17, 2008
Kurt Masur
French Pianist David Fray Will Join the Orchestra on Stage
"A mature ensemble with a musical range from the suave and delicate to the uninhibitedly rambunctious... a rich palette of tone colors."
Orchestre National de France makes its Kimmel Center debut, as part of a final tour with conductor Kurt Masur on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 8pm in Verizon Hall. Maestro Masur celebrates 60 years of his career as a professional conductor, recently named Honorary Music Director for Life of Orchestre National, effective in the 2008-09 season. French pianist David Fray, who has performed under the artistic direction of Dimitri Bashkirov, Paul Badura-Skoda and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s own Christoph Eschenbach, will join the orchestra on stage. The program includes Beethoven's "Lenore" Overture No. 3, Op.72a and Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19; as well as Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 "From the New World."
This concert is the final concert in the Great Orchestras on Tour Series scheduled for the Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season.
Tickets for Orchestre National de France are $33, $52, $60, $76, $95 and $115 and 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 every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
France's first permanent symphony orchestra, Orchestre National de France has toured the United States, Europe, China, Japan and South Africa. Founded by Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht in 1934, the orchestra has flourished under the leadership of several great conductors, including Lorin Maazel and Charles Dutoit. Masur took the helm in 2002 after his 11 year tenure at the New York Philharmonic. In September 2008, Italian conductor Daniele Gatti will succeed Masur as the orchestra's next music director. Throughout its history, the orchestra has nurtured strong relationships with many of the most prominent conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis; and soloists such as Martha Argerich, Yo-Yo Ma, Gidon Kremer, among many others. The orchestra has been credited with giving the first performance of some of the major works of the 20th century, such as Soleil des Eaux by Pierre Boulez, the Turangalia Symphony of Olivier Messiaen and Déserts by Edgar Varése. Radio France, which funds and operates the orchestra, records and broadcasts all performances on "France Musiques."
German conductor Kurt Masur, music director since 2002, will assume the title of Honorary Music Director for Life of the Orchestre National de France in September 2008. He will also step down from his other major post as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra this coming September after seven seasons. Masur served as music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1991 to 2002, and was named Music Director Emeritus, becoming the first New York Philharmonic music director to receive that title. He also earned his high reputation as chief conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1970 to 1996, a position of profound historic importance. Masur is a guest conductor with the world's leading orchestras and holds the lifetime title of Honorary Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic. In 2007, the President of Germany awarded Masur the prestigious Great Cross of the Legion of Honor with Star and Ribbon. Maestro Masur and the Orchestre began a residence in the Vienna's Musikverein in 2008.
Pianist David Fray, a native of Tarbes, France, graduated with top honors from the Conservatoire National Supérior de Musique de Paris, where he studied under Jaques Rouvier. He then studied chamber music with Christian Ivaldi and Claire Désert, and collaborated with Dimitri Bashkirov, Menahem Pressler, Paul Badura-Skoda and Christoph Eschenbach. He has been awarded the Diploma of Outstanding Merit at the Fifth International Hamamatsu Competition in Japan, the Jeune Soliste de l' Année (Young Soloist of the Year) award, and the Révélation Classique (Classical Discovery) prize from the French performance rights agency ADAMI. In 2007, Fray appeared with the Orchestre de Paris and John Axelrod at the Salle Pleyel, and undertook a major concert tour of Italy with the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra under Riccardo Muti.
Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season is sponsored by Citi. The Great Orchestra Series is supported by ARC Wheeler. Support for the Mellon Jazz Series comes from The Bank of New York Mellon. Additional support is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and American Express. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz, Mellon Jazz Up Close and World & Pop.
The Kimmel Center also receives support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents, and additional media sponsors include WDAS, WRTI, WJJZ, Afro-Pop, WXPN and WXPN's Kids Corner 20th Anniversary.
Free in the Plaza 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 Wachovia Foundation.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS SPONSORED BY CITI
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 8pm
Verizon Hall
Great Orchestras on Tour
Orchestre National de France
Kurt Masur, conductor
David Fray, piano
BEETHOVEN: "Lenore" Overture No. 3, Op.72a
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19
DVORÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 "From the New World."
FREE AT THE KIMMEL:
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 6:15pm
Commonwealth Plaza Stage
American Composers Forum: Philadelphia Chapter
The Kimmel Center and the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum have teamed up to present some of the most cutting-edge composers in the region. Join us in the Plaza for a free performance featuring music by Robert Maggio, Maurice Wright, and Joseph Hallman prior to the ticketed Orchestre National de France performance in Verizon Hall.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | Post-show
Verizon Hall
Organ Postlude with Peter Conte
Join us for an Organ Postlude featuring Peter Conte on the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ following the ticketed Orchestre National de France performance in Verizon Hall.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | Pre-show
Commonwealth Plaza
Art Exhibit from Paris' Institute of Arts and Graphic Industries Ecole Estienne
Through Orchestre National de France's partnership with the prestigious Institute of Arts and Graphic Industries Ecole Estienne in Paris, students were commissioned to depict musicians from the orchestra though various art forms. Join us in the Plaza for an exhibition of the "Traits d'orchestre," featuring photos, sketched portraits, watercolors and typographic shapes of more than 80 musicians.
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