Carnegie Mellon University
September 13, 2013

Press Release: Carnegie Mellon's School of Music Announces 2013-2014 Season

Contact:  Dana Casto / 412-268-4921 / dcasto@cmu.edu
               Pam Wigley / 412-268-1047 / pwigley@andrew.cmu.edu

Andres CardenesPITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University School of Music's 2013-2014 season will feature several nationally and internationally recognized guest conductors. Overall, the school will present more than 250 concerts and events. Following are highlights of the new season. A complete schedule, ticket information, and other details can be found at http://music.cmu.edu.

The School of Music's 2013-2014 season begins at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 15, with the Philharmonic's Concert at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland under the direction of Maestro Andrés Cárdenes, the newly appointed Artistic Director of Orchestral Studies for the Carnegie Mellon School of Music. This concert features last year's concerto competition winner Mimi Jung on Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto." Also on the program are Beethoven's "Symphony No. 7 in A Major" and Verdi's "Overture to La forza del destino."

This year's Cèildh Weekend will showcase two versatile performances by the Wind Ensemble (4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Kresge Theatre) and the Carnegie Mellon Choirs (8 p.m., Sept. 28, Kresge Theatre). George Vosburgh & Thomas Thompson (Co-Directors) and Stephen Story (Associate Director) will lead the Wind Ensemble in performing Poulenc's "Suite Francaise," Stravinsky's "Symphonies of Wind Instruments," and Williams' "English Folk Song Suite," among others. Recently appointed Interim Director of Choirs, Maria Sensi Sellner, will lead the Choirs in a varied program in celebration of Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday.

Internationally acclaimed conductor and violinist Joseph Silverstein will lead the CMU Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 13. The 7:30 p.m. concert at Carnegie Music Hall will feature Silverstein performing Mozart's "Concerto No. 4 in D Major." Also on the program will be Beethoven's "Leonore Overture No. 3," Stravinsky's "Pulcinella Suite" and Prokofiev's "Symphony No. 1 in D Major 'Classical'". Silverstein was music director of the Utah Symphony Orchestra from 1983 through 1998, served as music director of the Chautauqua Symphony from 1986-87 through 1988-89 and has also served as principal guest conductor of Seattle's Northwest Chamber Orchestra. As a conductor and soloist, Mr. Silverstein has appeared with hundreds of orchestras in the United States, as well as the Far East, Israel, and Europe.

The season also features two opera productions by the school's talented vocal and orchestral musicians. Benjamin Britten's "Albert Herring" will run Oct. 23-26, and Emmanuel Chabrier's "L'étoile" will run Jan. 23-26. Both productions will take place in the Chosky Theater inside the Purnell Center for the Arts on campus.

The Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble and Choirs will perform at the Carnegie Music Hall under the direction of George Vosburgh, Thomas Thompson and Stephen Story at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. This concert will feature a multitude of pieces including Galbraith's "Danza de los Duendes," Whitacre's "Lux Aurumque," and Sparke's "Dance Movements."

The combined forces of Carnegie Mellon's Philharmonic and Choirs will perform a wide variety of holiday music as part of their annual Holiday Concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. This annual favorite, conducted by Maria Sensi Sellner, will feature a variety of holiday classics with other well-known festive music.

The Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra will return to Carnegie Music Hall on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Under the direction of guest conductor Ian Hobson, they will perform Ravel's "Tombeau de Couperin," Mozart's "Concerto in A Major, K 488," featuring Mr. Hobson on piano, and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 1 in C Major." A native of Wolverhampton, England, pianist and conductor Ian Hobson is recognized throughout the world for his masterful performances of the Romantic repertoire. As guest soloist, Mr. Hobson appears regularly with the world's major orchestras; in the United States these include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra, the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Florida, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and the American Symphony Orchestra. Abroad, he has been heard with Great Britain's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish National Orchestra, Orchester der Beethovenhalle, Moscow Chopin Orchestra, Israeli Sinfonietta and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

The Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble will perform at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, Pa., on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Under the direction of George Vosburgh, Thomas Thompson, and Stephen Story, the Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble will perform a multitude of pieces including Bates' Copland's "An Outdoor Overture," Varese's "Ionisation," and will feature the winner of the Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition.

Under the direction of guest conductor Gerard Schwarz, the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic and Choirs will join forces at the Carnegie Music Hall on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. to perform Brahm's "Schicklaslied," Ginastera's "Harp Concerto, Op.25," featuring soloist Natalie Severson, and Holst's "The Planets." One of the leading American conductors of his generation, Mr. Schwarz celebrated his 26th and final season as Seattle Symphony Music Director in the 2010-2011 season. Mr. Schwarz assumed the title of Conductor Laureate and returned to conduct the Orchestra for several weeks during the 2011-2012 season.

The Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic returns to the Carnegie Music Hall on Wednesday, March 5, at 8 p.m. for the Student Composers' Concert featuring original works composed for orchestra by Carnegie Mellon School of Music students, under the direction of Andrés Cárdenes, Daniel Nesta Curtis and guest conductor Guy Bordo. Dr. Bordo is the director of Orchestras at the University of Akron School of Music. Along with violinists Alan Bodman and Amy Barlowe, Dr. Bordo founded Akron Baroque, a professional ensemble including members of the Akron and Canton Symphony Orchestras. 

The Carnegie Mellon University Wind Ensemble will perform at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall on Sunday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. Under the direction of George Vosburgh, Thomas Thompson and Stephen Story, the Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble will perform several pieces including Mendelssohn's "Overture for Wind Band in C Major, Op. 24," Mahler's "Der grosse Apell, offstage sequence from Symphony No. 2," Fletcher's "Concerto for Clarinet," featuring soloist Michael Rusinek, and Mahler's "Um Mitternacht" from "Reuckert Lieder," featuring Tami Fire as soloist.

The Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic will return to Carnegie Music Hall for its last concert of the season on Wednesday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Under the direction of Andrés Cárdenes, the Philharmonic will perform Glinka's "Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture," Szymanowski's "Violin Concerto No. 1," featuring soloist Kryzsztof Rucinski, and Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor."

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Andrés Cárdenes (pictured above), who was recently appointed artistic director of Orchestral Studies at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Music, will conduct two concerts during the 2013-2014 season.