David Robertson to Conduct the Academy Festival Orchestra June 30
For Immediate Release June 1, 2007
Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908
Program will include a performance by the gifted pianist Orli Shaham
Santa Barbara, CA- David Robertson has been celebrated the world over for his fresh stylistic instincts and for his technical and interpretive mastery at conducting both cutting-edge contemporary scores and touchstones of the classical repertory. Mr. Robertson will amply demonstrate these same talents at the Lobero Theatre on June 30, when he conducts the Academy Festival Orchestra in performances of John Adams' Century Rolls, featuring the brilliant pianist Orli Shaham, and Nielsen's Symphony No. 5, op. 50.
Mr. Robertson, who recently concluded his second season as music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, also serves as principal guest conductor of London's BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post he assumed in 2005. In addition to guest conducting such national orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Boston Symphony, he has appeared with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Hamburg NDR Symphony Orchestra, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, among others. Previously, Mr. Robertson served as music director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and artistic director of that city's Auditorium, becoming the first artist ever to hold both posts; music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris; and resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. A recipient of Columbia University's 2006 Ditson Conductor's Award, he and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra received the ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming for the 2005-06 season from the American Symphony Orchestra League. Musical America named Mr. Robertson Conductor of the Year for 2000, and in 1997 he received the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award, the premier prize for American conductors. In the words of The Washington Post's Tim Page, Mr. Robertson "is clearly the young conductor of the hour."
Orli Shaham, who has established an international reputation as one of today's most engaging pianists, has been lauded for an intriguing combination of lyricism and bold intensity. Recent appearances have included debuts with the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Saint Louis, and San Francisco Symphony orchestras, all resulting in re-engagements; numerous acclaimed recitals, including appearances in New York and Washington, D.C.; and two prestigious prizes, the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Career highlights include several tours of Japan and performances with the National, Houston, New World, San Diego, Jerusalem, Sydney, La Scala, and Bilbao symphonies; the Rochester and Florida philharmonics; the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; and the Orchestra della Toscana. In addition to regular appearances at Aspen, Ms. Shaham has performed at the Amelia Island, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, Caramoor, Grand Teton, Verbier, Spoleto (Italy), and Davos festivals.
The concert will begin at 8 pm. Tickets cost $43.
The Music Academy of the West will celebrate its 60th anniversary with an unprecedented 2007 season program featuring numerous classical music luminaries. The Academy will present more than 190 events over the course of this year's Summer School and Festival, which begins June 18 and concludes on August 11. Highlights will include a community concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl featuring conductor/composer John Williams and violinist Gil Shaham, an ambitious production of La Bohème, performances by baritone Thomas Hampson, violinist Gilles Apap, and the Takács Quartet, and conducting turns by Alexander Lazarev and Jeffrey Tate.
For tickets and information, call 969-8787. Information is also available online at www.musicacademy.org.
Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, as well as guest conductors and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and students receive full scholarships. Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many have established themselves as prominent solo artists. Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 175 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and students; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged opera. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.
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