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  • ITALIAN CONDUCTOR ROBERTO ABBADO LEADS PHILHARMONIC IN U.S. PREMIERE OF ALBERTO COLLA'S "LE ROVINE DI PALMIRA"
  • Jan. 31, 2003
  • ALSO ON PROGRAM: PIANIST GIANLUCA CASCIOLI IN MOZART'S "CORONATION" PIANO CONCERTO

    January 31 at 1 pm, February 1 at 8 pm, & February 2 at 2:30 pm

    at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

    Conductor Roberto Abbado leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the United States premiere of Italian composer Alberto Colla's Le rovine di Palmira (The Ruins of Palmyra) at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on January 31 - February 2. In addition, Italian pianist Gianluca Cascioli makes his debut in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K. 537, "Coronation." Also on the program is Brahms' Symphony No. 4.

    Upbeat Live, a free pre-concert event with Tom Neenan, takes place in the Pavilion's Grand Hall one hour before each performance. On February 1, Upbeat Live also includes an interview with conductor Roberto Abbado.

    Italian composer Alberto Colla is one of the most prolific young composers in Europe, integrating many compositional techniques in his style, including borrowing music from Middle Eastern, Mesopotamian, Indonesian, and European sources. Le rovine di Palmira, composed in 1999, is a multi-sectional, one-movement work whose ancestral voice is the Rimsky-Korsakov of Scheherazade and more importantly his Symphony No. 2, Op. 9, Antar.

    Also on the program, pianist Gianluca Cascioli is the soloist in Mozart's "Coronation" Piano Concerto, No. 26. Mozart composed the work in February of 1788 in Vienna. Its nickname, "Coronation," is attributed to the fact that Mozart performed the work when Leopold II was crowned Emperor in October 1790. Brahms' Symphony No. 4 closes the program.

    Italian conductor ROBERTO ABBADO is considered a rising force in the classical music world. He made his North American concert debut at New York's Lincoln Center in 1991 and continues to expand his relationships with major U.S. orchestras and opera companies, including the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and New York's Metropolitan Opera. In addition, his European credits include the finest opera houses and orchestras such as La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and Swedish Radio Orchestra, to name a few. A recording artist for BMG, Abbado's releases include I Capuleti e I Montecchi and Tancredi. Following studies in Italy with Franco Ferrara, Abbado conducted his first opera performance, Simon Baccanegra, at age 23.

    The career of Italian pianist GIANLUCA CASCIOLI was launched with his victory at the 1994 Umberto Micheli International Piano Competition before a jury that included Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter, Maurizio Pollini, and Charles Rosen. A Deutsche Grammophon recording followed - the first of several releases - along with invitations from many of Europe's leading orchestras. He has since appeared in the major music centers of Europe, North America, and Japan. Cascioli made his United States debut in 1999 with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Born in Turin in 1979, this young pianist is also an experienced conductor and composer.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1 PM

    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 8 PM

    SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2:30 PM


    ROBERTO ABBADO, conductor

    GIANLUCA CASCIOLI, piano

    COLLA: Le rovine di Palmira (U.S. Premiere)

    MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 26 in D, K. 537, "Coronation"

    BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4

    Upbeat Live, a free pre-concert event with Tom Neenan, takes place in the Pavilion's Grand Hall one hour before each performance. On February 1, Upbeat Live also includes an interview with conductor Roberto Abbado.

    Tickets ($14 - $82) are on sale now at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. Tickets are also available on-line at www.laphil.com. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available two hours prior to the performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts. For further information, please call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Elizabeth Hinckley, 323/850-2047; Rachelle Roe, 323/850-2032