Dallas Symphony, van Zweden launch Vail Music Festival residency June 27
To launch its eleventh residency at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents the first of six concerts on June 27, when music director Jaap van Zweden – Musical America’s Conductor of the Year 2012 – leads a program featuring the Festival’s artistic director, Anne-Marie McDermott. Other highlights of the residency include performances of Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (concert version); seminal symphonies by Schubert and Prokofiev; concerto collaborations with Alisa Weilerstein, Jennifer Koh, and Inon Barnatan; a program showcasing the perfect partnership of legendary jazz vocalist Curtis Stigers, in his Festival debut, and guest pops conductor Jeff Tyzik; and, concluding the orchestra’s residency in grand style, a “Patriotic Celebration” on July 4.
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary season, the Vail Valley Music Festival runs for seven weeks, from June 25 to August 4, in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Besides the Dallas Symphony, it boasts residencies by two other world-class orchestras – the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra – plus chamber music, jazz, an impressive guest-star roster, numerous Festival premieres, a series juxtaposing time-honored classics with trailblazing new music, and multi-event immersions in the art of Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Gershwin. As before, large-scale concerts take place in Vail’s spectacular Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, which accommodates 1,260 guests in covered seating and an additional 1,300 on the expansive, grassy hillside, with its breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains.
When Jaap van Zweden made his first New York appearance as the Dallas Symphony’s music director, the New York Times’s Anthony Tommasini paid tribute to “their shared artistic priorities and working relationship,” pronouncing their performance to be “vivid, glowing, and calmly assured.” This positive assessment is one that is widely shared. Reporting for the Dallas Morning News, an awed Scott Cantrell confessed, “I’ve heard the famous orchestras of Berlin, Vienna, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. I cannot recall orchestral music-making as gripping or as lovingly expressive as what Jaap van Zweden got out of the Dallas Symphony. …Rare’s the conductor with van Zweden’s feeling for how phrases rise and fall, how they accumulate into broader musical sentences and paragraphs, and when the music wants to breathe. Again and again, one marveled at inner voices brought out just so.”
For their opening night in Vail, van Zweden and the Dallas Symphony present Festival artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott – “one of the great pianists of her generation” (Philadelphia Inquirer) – as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25, alongside two works that consciously address themes of freedom and political oppression: Prokofiev’s stirring Fifth Symphony, written under Soviet rule “to sing the praises of the free and happy man,” and the Overture to Beethoven’s opera Fidelio, whose depiction of the struggle for liberty and justice reflected on political movements in the Europe of Beethoven’s own time (June 27).
Johannes Brahms is one of three composers whose art is explored in depth at Vail this season; the Dallas Symphony and van Zweden join forces with 2011 MacArthur Fellow, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, and “risk-taking, high-octane” (Strad) violinist Jennifer Koh in a performance of the great German Romantic’s final orchestral work, the sonorous Double Concerto, paired with Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, the “Great” (June 29).
Also under the spotlight at Vail Music Festival this season is George Gershwin, who died 75 years ago this July. In his short life, Gershwin penned much of America’s most recognizable music, including such beloved numbers as “Summertime,” and “I got plenty o’ nuttin’” from his folk opera Porgy and Bess, the concert version of which forms the centerpiece of “A Salute to George Gershwin” presented by the Dallas Symphony with leading pops conductor Jeff Tyzik (June 30). This marks the first time Porgy and Bess will be performed at the Vail Valley Music Festival.
To honor the Festival’s silver jubilee season, a number of other important works will be performed at Vail for the first time as well. These include Bruckner’s monumental Eighth Symphony, which the orchestra and van Zweden tackle after traversing Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in F minor with pianist Inon Barnatan – “a player of uncommon sensitivity” (New Yorker) – in the solo role (July 1).
Tyzik returns to conduct the orchestra for “Swingin’ with Curtis Stigers” (July 2). The celebrated jazz singer’s first album sold more than 1.5 million copies; the Village Voice claims, “Not since Chet Baker has a male warbler been quite so cool at impeccably interpreting the Great American Songbook.”
Finally, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra draws its summer residency to a close on Independence Day, with the wildly popular annual “Patriotic Celebration.” This year’s event, a co-presentation with the Vail Valley Foundation, is led once again by Tyzik (July 4).
Tickets for the Dallas Symphony and other events in the Vail Music Festival’s 25th anniversary season are available for purchase at www.vailmusic.org, and further details are provided below.
About the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival
The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival was founded in 1987 by John Giovando, an attorney with a love of classical music, with eminent violinist Ida Kavafian. Through world-class performances, dedicated leadership, and generous support from the community, the Festival has grown from attracting a handful of attendees to an annual audience of more than 60,000. More than 30 distinguished soloists visit the Vail Valley to perform in chamber ensembles and as soloists with the three world-class resident orchestras. Running from late June through early August, Vail Music Festival presents the highest level of music-making in spectacular Vail Valley venues, touching the lives of thousands of people – many of whom come to the area specifically to experience the pleasures of the Festival and the beauty of the majestic Rocky Mountains. As the Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Patrick Stearns observes, “Few if any classical music institutions west of the Mississippi have flourished as Bravo! has.”
Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival 2012 Program Details
Monday, June 25 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
A 25-Year Salute to Three Artistic Directors
Bach: Partita No. 2 in C minor (selected movements)
Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major (selected movements)
Elgar: Salut d’amour, Op. 12
Shostakovich: Three Duets for violin and piano
Gershwin: It Ain’t Necessarily So
Doppler: Rondo and Andante
Rachmaninoff/Kriesler: Liebeslied
Liszt: Étude de Paganini No. 6 in A minor
Ida Kavafian, violin
Eugenia Zukerman, flute
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Free
Wednesday, June 27 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Beethoven: Fidelio Overture
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K. 503
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Thursday, June 28 at 6pm
Concert Hall, Vail Mountain School
Big Music for Little Bands
Mendelssohn: Trio in D minor for piano, violin, and cello, Op. 49
Brahms: Trio No. 1 in B for piano, violin, and cello, Op. 8
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Jennifer Koh, violin
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Friday, June 29 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Brahms: Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra, Op. 102
Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C, D. 944 (“Great”)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Jennifer Koh, violin
Saturday, June 30 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
A Salute to George Gershwin
Funny Face Overture, Gershwin Lullaby, Rialto, Ripples, “The Man I Love,” Cuban Overture
Porgy and Bess, Concert Version – Vail Premiere
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jeff Tyzik
Evans Chorus / Catherine Sailer
Janice-Chandler Eteme, soprano
Kevin Deas, baritone
Sunday, July 1 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C minor
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden
Inon Barnatan, piano
Monday, July 2 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Swingin’ with Curtis Stigers
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jeff Tyzik
Curtis Stigers, jazz vocalist (Vail Music Festival Debut)
Wednesday, July 4 at 2pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
A Patriotic Celebration
Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Jeff Tyzik
Friday, July 6 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin
James Ehnes, violin
Saturday, July 7 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Kirill Gerstein, piano
Sunday, July 8 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Cirque de la Symphonie
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Cristian Macelaru
Monday July 9 at 6 pm
Little Beach Amphitheater, Minturn
Free & Easy
Cantus Vocal Ensemble
Monday, July 9 at 6pm
Location TBA
A Gypsy Affair
Soirée
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Paul Neubauer, viola
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Tuesday, July 10 at 11am
Vail Interfaith Chapel, Vail
Free & Easy
Cantus Vocal Ensemble
Tuesday, July 10 at 6pm
Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek
Big Music for Little Bands
Donor Appreciation Concert and Reception
Mendelssohn: Songs
Brahms: Trio for Viola (Clarinet), Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Brahms: Songs
Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major for strings, Op. 40
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Paul Neubauer, viola
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Members of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Wednesday, July 11 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Selections from Wicked, Carmen, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, and Ragtime
Wicked Divas
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Steven Reineke
Stephanie Block, vocalist
Julia Murney, vocalist
Thursday, July 12 at 11am
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Family Youth Concert
Program to include:
Bach Concerto for Two Violins in B minor,
BWV 1043
National Repertory Orchestra / Carl Topilow
Clara Neubauer, violin
Oliver Neubauer, violin
Free
Friday, July 13 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Stéphane Denève
Alban Gerhardt, cello
Saturday, July 14 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Mendelssohn: Concerto in E minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 64
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Stéphane Denève
Joshua Bell, violin
Monday, July 16 at 6pm
Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek
Big Music for Little Bands
Tiempo Libre – “Bach in Havana”
Tuesday, July 17 at 6pm
Sherry and Jim Smith Residence, Arrowhead
Soirée
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Wednesday, July 18 at 5pm
Gypsum Town Hall, Gypsum
Free & Easy
Cantus Vocal Ensemble
Friday, July 20 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
De Falla: Danza Ritual del Fuego (Ritual Fire Dance) from El Amor Brujo
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
New York Philharmonic / Andrey Boreyko
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Saturday, July 21 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Tchaikovsky: Festival Coronation March
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44
Tchaikovsky: Excerpts from Act IV of Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
New York Philharmonic / Bramwell Tovey
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Saturday, July 21 at 8pm
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail
Under the Silvery Moon
25th Annual Gala
Dinner Dance and Auction
Sunday, July 22 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Copland: Suite from Billy the Kid
Bernstein: Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, and “Glitter and be Gay” from Candide
Gershwin: “The Man I Love,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “A Foggy Day in London Town,” “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” and An American in Paris
New York Philharmonic / Bramwell Tovey
Tracy Dahl, soprano
Monday, July 23 at 7:30pm
Cordillera Lodge and Spa
Free & Easy
Jasper String Quartet
(J Freivogel, violin; Sae Chonabayashi; violin, Sam Quintal, viola; Rachel Henderson Freivogel, cello)
Tuesday, July 24 at 6pm
Sandi and Greg Walton Residence, Arrowhead
Soirée
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Wednesday, July 25 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Respighi: Fountains of Rome
Vivaldi: Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, La primavera (Spring)
Vivaldi: Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L’inverno (Winter)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36
New York Philharmonic / Alan Gilbert
Sheryl Staples, violin
Thursday, July 26 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
New York Philharmonic / Alan Gilbert
Jennifer Zetland, soprano
Joshua Hopkins, baritone
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Friday, July 27 at 6pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements
Mozart: Mass in C minor, K. 427
New York Philharmonic / Alan Gilbert
Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus / Duain Wolfe
Jennifer Zetlan, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Paul Appleby, tenor
Joshua Hopkins, baritone
Sunday, July 29 at 6pm
Concert Hall, Vail Mountain School
Big Music for Little Bands
Mendelssohn: Trio in C minor for Piano, Violin and Cello, Op. 6
Brahms: Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
Opus One Piano Quartet
(Ida Kavafian, violin; Steve Tenenbom, viola; Peter Wiley, cello; Anne-Marie McDermott, piano)
Monday, July 30 at 6pm
Carol and Pat Welsh Residence, Vail
Soirée
Calder Quartet
(Benjamin Jacobson, violin; Andrew Bulbrook, violin; Jonathan Moerschel, viola; Eric Beyers, Cello)
Ida Kavafian, violin
Steven Tenenbom, viola
Monday, July 30 at 7:30pm
Brush Creek Pavillion, Eagle
Free & Easy
Jasper String Quartet
(J Freivogel, violin; Sae Chonabayashi; violin, Sam Quintal, viola; Rachel Henderson Freivogel, cello)
Tuesday, July 31 at 6pm
Donovan Pavilion, Vail
Big Music for Little Bands – Silver Nights at the Donovan (Evening I)
6 pm: Cosma: Promenade sentimentale from the film Diva
Couperin: L’âme-en-peine (“The Anguished Soul”)
Evans: Turn Out the Stars
Scriabin: Etude No. 5 in C sharp minor, Op. 42
Korngold: (arr. Prutsman) Farewell Moon
Feldman: Intermission I
Scarlatti: Sonata K. 247
Crumb: Pastorale (from the Kingdom of Atlantis, ca. 10,000 BC) from Makrokosmos No.1
Debussy : Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest (“What the West Wind Saw”)
7 pm: Wine and Conversation with Performers and Composers
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Pedja Muzijevic, piano
Stephen Prutsman, piano
Wednesday, August 1 at 6pm
Big Music for Little Bands – Silver Nights at the Donovan (Evening II)
6 pm: Kahane: Come on all you Ghosts (a Bravo commission)
Adès: Arcadiana for String Quartet
Schubert: Auf dem Wasser zu Singen
Ives: The Things Our Fathers Loved
Schubert: Suleika
Ives: Tom Sails Away
Schubert: Litanei
7 pm: Wine and Conversation with Performers and Composers
7:30 pm: Works for solo and four-hands piano
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Gabriel Kahane, singer/composer
Calder String Quartet
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Pedja Muzijevic, piano
Stephen Prutsman, piano
Thursday, August 2 at 6pm
Big Music for Little Bands – Silver Nights at the Donovan (Evening III)
6 p.m. Program to include:
Mackey: Physical Property; I’ve Grown So Ugly – for String Quartet and Electric Guitar
Barber: String Quartet, Op. 11
Golijov: Nonet for Two String Quartets and Double Bass
7 p.m. Wine and Conversation with Performers and Composers
7:30 p.m. Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703
Glass: The American Four Seasons for Violin and String Quartet
Robert McDuffie, violin
Steve Mackey, electric guitar
Calder String Quartet
Jasper String Quartet
Saturday, August 4 at 6pm
Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek
4 x 4 – A Two Piano Extravaganza REDUX
Alessio Bax, piano
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Pedja Muzijevic, piano
Stephen Prutsman, piano
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© 21C Media Group, June 2012