British Violinist Daniel Hope Is Named Artistic Partner of New Century Chamber Orchestra; Three-Season Appointment Launches in 2017/18 Season

It was announced yesterday that British violinist Daniel Hope has been named Artistic Partner of the New Century Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco for a three-season appointment, to launch next fall. This position will see Hope – who already serves as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Associate Artistic Director of the Savannah Music Festival – direct the orchestra from the violin in multiple performances each season, providing artistic continuity throughout the orchestra’s search for a permanent successor to Music Director Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, who steps down at the end of the present season.

Philip Wilder, Executive Director of the New Century Chamber Orchestra, said:

“We are delighted that Daniel Hope has agreed to partner with us during this time of transition. Daniel’s creativity and experience as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral leader and music advocate makes him uniquely qualified to guide the New Century Chamber Orchestra into its next chapter. I have known Daniel for more than a decade, and have witnessed his ability to create one-of-a-kind programming and experiences for audiences. With Daniel’s artistic guidance, our audiences are guaranteed a thrilling ride over the next three years.”

Founded in 1992 by cellist Miriam Perkoff and violist Wieslaw Pogorzelski, the New Century Chamber Orchestra is one of only a handful of conductorless ensembles in the world. A 19-member string ensemble, it comprises musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area and across the U.S. and Europe, who make all musical decisions collaboratively. Hope made his debut with the orchestra this past February as Guest Concertmaster in a special centennial tribute to his late mentor, Yehudi Menuhin. This impressed the San Francisco Chronicle with its “winning spirit of camaraderie and collaboration,” and prompted the San Jose Mercury News to observe: “If the concert represented a high-water mark for the orchestra, what it suggested for the future was downright tantalizing. Hope merged brilliantly with the NCCO musicians — and infused each of the evening’s performances with consummate flair.”

As the New York Times put it, Daniel Hope’s “thriving solo career” is “built on inventive programming and a probing interpretive style.” He has appeared as soloist with the Boston and Chicago Symphonies and the foremost orchestras of Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Moscow and Vienna. In September 2016 he became Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, succeeding Sir Roger Norrington. Celebrated for his musical versatility as well as his dedication to humanitarian causes, he was recognized last year with the prestigious European Cultural Prize for Music, whose previous laureates include Daniel Barenboim, Plácido Domingo and the Berlin Philharmonic. As an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2007, he has received six ECHO Klassik Awards and five Grammy nominations. As well as publishing four bestselling books in Germany, he contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal, writes scripts for collaborative performances with actors Klaus Maria Brandauer and Mia Farrow, and regularly produces radio and television shows around the world.

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© 21C Media Group, October 2016