Pianist Robert McDonald Joins Midori in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s 2007/08 Colburn Celebrity Recital Series

SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008, AT 7:30 PM

Series Endowed by a Generous Grant from the Colburn Foundation

World-renowned violinist Midori returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s Colburn Celebrity Recital series on Sunday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. She is joined by pianist Robert McDonald, the longtime colleague with whom she has performed and recorded for nearly two decades. The program includes Dvo?ák’s Romantic Pieces, Op. 75, Franck’s Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano, Beethoven’s Sonata in A major, Op. 30, No. 1 and Corigliano’s Sonata for Violin and Piano.

A frequent guest at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Midori maintains an ambitious international concert schedule while devoting considerable time and energy to five community engagement organizations she has founded, both in the U.S. and Japan. Midori is actively involved in education in a wide variety of contexts, principally at the University of Southern California. Pianist Robert McDonald is also an educator, teaching for years at, among others, the Juilliard School and the Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico. Together Midori and McDonald have played recitals the world over since Midori was a teenager. They have made several recordings together for Sony BMG; their recording of French sonatas won the coveted Deutsche Schallplatten prize, and their new recording of Bartók’s Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano has just been released to great critical acclaim. McDonald last appeared on the Colburn Celebrity Recitals series in 1996; tonight marks his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's Colburn Celebrity Recitals series offers virtuoso performances by world-renowned artists. This is the final concert of the series’ 2007/08 season.

The violinist MIDORI made her historic debut at the age of 11 when she was introduced as a surprise guest artist by conductor Zubin Mehta at the New York Philharmonic's annual New Year's Eve concert in 1982. Since that night over 25 years ago, she has established a record of achievement which sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator, and a champion of the developmental potential of children. In 1992 Midori founded Midori & Friends, a non-profit organization in New York, which brings music education programs to thousands of underprivileged children each year. Two other organizations, Music Sharing (based in Japan), and Partners in Performance (based in the U.S.), also bring music into the lives of people who may not otherwise have involvement with the arts. Her commitment to community collaboration and outreach extends beyond these foundations to her work with young violinists in master classes all over the world, to her University Residencies Program, to her Orchestra Residencies Program, and to her positions as Jascha Heifetz Chair, co-director of the Midori Center for Community Engagement, and Chair of the Strings Department at USC’s Thornton School of Music. In 2007 Midori was named a U.N. Messenger of Peace by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Midori has a glorious musical gift. Equally important is her generosity of spirit, which motivates her to reach out and give something back.

American pianist ROBERT McDONALD has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Far East as solo recitalist and as recital partner to Midori, the late Isaac Stern, and many others. An active and enthusiastic chamber musician, he has also performed with the Juilliard, American, Muir, Takács, Brentano, Fine Arts, Orlando, and Chicago string quartets, as well as with Musicians from Marlboro. He has appeared as soloist with the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Omaha, and more. McDonald’s summer teaching and festival activities have taken him to the Bergen, Besançon, Lucerne, Montreux, Salzburg, Aldeburgh, and Schleswig-Holstein festivals in Europe, as well as the Marlboro, Brevard and Caramoor festivals in the United States, and the International School for Musical Arts in Canada. He also gives piano and chamber music master classes at prominent universities, music schools, and music festivals in the U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe. Among many awards, prizes, and grants, McDonald has won the Gold Medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy, and the top prizes at both the William Kapell International Competition and the Washington International Competition. McDonald’s discography includes recordings for Sony BMG, Vox, Bridge, Musical Heritage Society, and CRI.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places 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 programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008, at 7:30 PM

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles



Colburn Celebrity Recitals



MIDORI, violin

ROBERT McDONALD, piano



DVO?ÁK Romantic Pieces, Op. 75

FRANCK Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano

BEETHOVEN Sonata in A major, Op. 30, No. 1

CORIGLIANO Sonata for Violin and Piano



Series endowed by a generous grant from the Colburn Foundation.

Tickets ($35 - $88) are on sale now online at LAPhil.com, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($15) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital 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 10 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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