FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010, AT 8 PM

The Series is Endowed by a Generous Grant from the Colburn Foundation

Classical music superstar violinist Joshua Bell and award-winning pianist Jeremy Denk come together at Walt Disney Concert Hall in a program featuring music by Bach, Schumann, Grieg and Ravel, Friday, February 26, 2010. Bell and Denk met and first performed together in 2004, igniting a musical partnership that continues today. This season, the pair tours throughout the U.S., with performances in Bethesda, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, among others. The recital is part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2009/10 Colburn Celebrity Series, which features some of the world’s leading virtuosos.

The program opens with J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 4 in C minor for Violin and Keyboard, BWV 1017, the fourth of a set of six sonatas that Bach composed for violin and harpsichord. Following is Edvard Grieg’s Sonata No. 3 in C minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 45, Robert Schumann’s Sonata No. 1 in A minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 105, and Maurice Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano.

Of the program, Bell noted: “There are many factors that go into how we decide on a program, but one thing is always true – we will only choose pieces that we both truly love. The Bach starts it off with the baroque, then you have a big meat-and-potatoes piece like the Grieg that’s very rich and intense and with the Ravel, the end is flashy and fun with jazz elements.  Each work is a masterpiece, and our greatest hope is that the audience will walk away with at least some of the joy and excitement that we get from these incredible works.”

Joshua Bell has captured the public’s attention like no other classical violinist of his time. “Mr. Bell doesn’t stand in anyone’s shadow,” said The New York Times. For over two decades, Bell has enchanted audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare opulence. He came to national attention at the age of 14 in a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Today he is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra leader. Bell is the recipient of the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. Last month Joshua starred in his 5th “Live From Lincoln Center” broadcast titled Joshua Bell with Friends @ the Penthouse. He was named the 2010 Instrumentalist of the Year by Musical America; last year he was honored by Education Through Music for his dedication to sharing his love of classical music with disadvantaged youth; and in 2008, he received the Academy of Achievement award for exceptional accomplishment in the arts.

Jeremy Denk is an avid chamber musician and has an unusually vast repertoire. His widely-read blog, “Think Denk,” has been praised by colleagues and the music press alike. There, Denk writes about some of his touring, practicing, and otherwise unrelated experiences, as well as delving into fairly detailed musical analyses and essays. Alex Ross, the music critic of the The New Yorker, described the pianist as “a superb musician who writes with arresting sensitivity and wit ... This is a voice that, effectively, could never have been heard before the advent of the Internet: sophisticated on the one hand, informal on the other, immediate in impact. Blogs such as this put a human face on an alien culture.” 

The 2009/10 Colburn Celebrity recitals present virtuoso performances by world-renowned artists. Featured are two four-concert series, which includes three recitals anchoring the On Location: Emanuel Ax residency. Future recitals feature: Emanuel Ax, piano, and Dawn Upshaw, soprano (March 23, 2010); Emanuel Ax, piano (April 20, 2010); and Christine Brewer, soprano (June 1, 2010). Additionally, Ax’s On Location concerts feature Ax playing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the orchestra under the direction of LA Phil Associate Conductor Lionel Bringuier, and also presents new works from composer Thomas Adès.

For full artist biographies, please visit:  http://www.laphil.com.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Gustavo Dudamel, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable locations anywhere to experience music – Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational concerts, children's programming and community concerts, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010, AT 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
111 S. GRAND AVENUE, LOS ANGELES

Colburn Celebrity Series

JOSHUA BELL, violin
JEREMY DENK, piano

BACH Sonata No. 4 in C minor for Violin and Keyboard, BWV 1017
GRIEG Sonata No. 3 in C minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 45
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 1 in A minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 105
RAVEL Sonata for Violin and Piano

This series is endowed by a generous grant from the Colburn Foundation.

Tickets ($17 - $95) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Series, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.