Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 Features Acclaimed Pianist, Simon Trpčeski

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, APRIL 16 AND 17, 2010, AT 8 PM;
SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010, AT 2 PM

April 16 Media Sponsor: Univision/TeleFutura

Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden makes his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 18, at 2 p.m. All three performances include Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring acclaimed Macedonian pianist, Simon Trpčeski. The Saturday and Sunday programs also include Johan Wagenaar’s Cyrano de Bergerac Overture.

All three performances feature Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 which was composed at the Moscow Conservatory. The 18-year-old’s work had its premiere with the composer at the piano on March 17, 1892, at a student concert at the illustrious music school.

Brahms fourth and last of his symphonies was written during the summers of 1884 and 1885, in the small town of Mürzzuschlag, where the composer found a congenial atmosphere for his labors. The soberness of much of the work reflects a build-up of the the composer’s constant pressure of extreme self-criticism, in large part caused by being considered the successor to Beethoven, as well as his unsatisfying personal life.

The Saturday and Sunday programs begin with Wagenaar’s Cyrano de Bergerac Overture, based on the play, Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand. It is the Dutch composer’s most successful work.

Upon Jaap van Zweden’s debut with the Chicago Symphony, Andrew Patner from the Chicago Sun-Times reported, “On the strength of this remarkable debut, I would go to hear van Zweden conduct anything, anywhere.” Born in 1960, in Amsterdam, van Zweden began his musical life as a violinist before moving from stage to podium. He began his violin studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory and, at 19, became the youngest concertmaster ever of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. As soloist and concertmaster, he performed under such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Antal Doráti, Kirill Kondrashin, Leonard Bernstein, Carlo Maria Giulini, Georg Solti and Riccardo Chailly before embarking on his conducting career in 1995. He is presently the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Radio Kamer Filharmonie, a position he commenced in the 2005/06 season and which has been extended until 2013. The 2008/09 season also marked his first season as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra.

With the ability to perform a diverse range of repertoire—from Haydn and Chopin to Debussy and Stravinsky—Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski has established himself as one of the most remarkable young musicians to have emerged in recent years, praised not only for his impeccable technique and delicate expression, but also for his warm personality and commitment to strengthening Macedonia’s cultural image. Mr. Trpčeski has appeared with many of the world’s finest orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh and San Francisco Symphony orchestras and the Chicago, Toronto and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras; the London and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras and the London Philharmonic; and the Royal Concertgebouw, Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Rotterdam, Strasbourg, Royal Stockholm, Royal Flanders and St. Petersburg Philharmonics.

The Friday, April 16 performance is part of the LA Phil’s 2009/10 Casual Fridays series. The series encourages audiences and orchestra members to attend in comfortable attire. These shorter programs – without intermission – feature free post-concert activities for all ticket-holders to enjoy. These activities include a TalkBack discussion with musicians held on stage after the performance and a chance to mingle with members of the orchestra in the Concert Hall Café.

The concerts are preceded by Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions which are free to ticket-holders, and occur in BP Hall one hour prior to the performances. Christopher Russell, Director of Orchestral Studies at Azusa Pacific University and Coordinator of the Orchestra Program at Orange County High School of the Arts, hosts.

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, APRIL 16, 2010, AT 8 PM (Casual Fridays)

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010, AT 8 PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010, AT 2 PM

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles



LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

JAAP VAN ZWEDEN, conductor

SIMON TRPČESKI, piano



WAGENAAR Cyrano de Bergerac Overture (except Friday)

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 1

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4



April 16 Media Sponsor: Univision/TeleFutura.

The concerts are preceded by Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions which are free to ticket-holders and occur in BP Hall one hour prior to the performances. Christopher Russell, Director of Orchestral Studies at Azusa Pacific University and Coordinator of the Orchestra Program at Orange County High School of the Arts, hosts.

Tickets ($42 - $160) 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.

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