Curtis Symphony Orchestra Performs Philadelphia Premiere of Theofanidis’s Drum Circles October 19–20

PHILADELPHIA—October 10, 2019—The Curtis Symphony Orchestra presents two concert programs at Alumnae Hall at Immaculata University on Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m. and at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m. Each concert features the Philadelphia premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’s new percussion concerto performed with guest artists the Percussion Collective. The October 20 program also sees the return of conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who leads operatic selections by Mozart.

The October 19 program in Immaculata opens with one of four overtures Beethoven wrote for his only opera, Fidelio, led by conducting fellow Robert Kahn, followed by Mozart’s sublime “Gran Partita” for winds. In the second half of the concert, conducting fellow Yuwon Kim leads the Philadelphia premiere of Drum Circles by celebrated composer Christopher Theofanidis. The dynamic Percussion Collective shares the stage with the Curtis Percussion Group, comprising students from the Curtis percussion department, in this rousing showcase.

On October 20 Yannick Nézet-Séguin weaves an unforgettable experience at the opera, as members of the Curtis Opera Theatre join forces with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for selections from Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte, two of Mozart’s best-loved operas. The program also features repeat performances of Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 and Theofanidis’s Drum Circles, under Mr. Kahn and Ms. Kim, respectively. As mentor conductor on the Curtis faculty, Mr. Nézet-Séguin works regularly with the student conductors and instrumentalists, and last appeared with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra at Verizon Hall in April 2019.

Three-concert subscriptions for Philadelphia concerts starting at $60 and single tickets to the Immaculata concert for $20 are available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/Orchestra. Single tickets to Verizon Hall start at $25 and can be purchased through the Kimmel Center Box Office at (215) 893-1999 or KimmelCenter.org. This concert is supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund.

Both concerts are presented as part of Philadelphia Music Week, in collaboration with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and REC Philly. Philadelphia Music Week runs from October 15 to 21 and showcases the diverse musical offerings in Philadelphia and their impact on the community. Curtis hosts additional festival events on its campus throughout the week. For more information, visit PHLMusicWeek.com.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin is music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera; and artistic director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. Widely recognized for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma, Mr. Nézet-Séguin has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most exciting talents of his generation.

Mr. Nézet-Séguin has appeared with most of the world’s leading orchestras. He enjoys close collaborations with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is honorary conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic after serving as its music director from 2008 to 2018; and was principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic from 2008 to 2014. He has appeared repeatedly at the BBC Proms and many European and North American festivals, among them Edinburgh, Grafenegg, Lanaudière, Lucerne, Mostly Mozart, Salzburg, Saratoga, and Vail. He has conducted annually at the Metropolitan Opera since 2009, and has led productions at Teatro alla Scala in Milan; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London; Netherlands Opera; and the Vienna State Opera. He records for Deutsche Grammophon.

A native of Montreal, Mr. Nézet-Séguin studied piano, conducting, composition, and chamber music at the Conservatoire de music du Québec. He continued his studies with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini, and also studied choral conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College. His honors include Musical America’s Artist of the Year (2016), the Royal Philharmonic Society Award, Canada’s National Arts Centre Award, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres du Québec. He holds honorary doctorates from multiple institutions, including the University of Québec in Montreal, Westminster Choir College, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he has served on the faculty as mentor conductor since 2013.

The Percussion Collective transcends the medium of percussion through uncommon performance experiences that surprise and engage audiences at a profound emotional level. Under the artistic direction of Robert van Sice, percussion faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and one of the world’s foremost performers of contemporary music for marimba, the Percussion Collective is flexible in size and draws from a rich bouquet of talent, offering exquisitely curated programs for an array of venues and settings. Featuring players from Europe, Asia, and the United States, the roster of the Percussion Collective represents the leading edge of innovation in concert conception and performance.

The ensemble’s inaugural tour of the United States in Spring 2018 featured the first performances of the newly commissioned Seaborne, an immersive multimedia work by Emmy Award-winning composer Garth Neustadter and videographer Kjell van Sice that celebrates the beauty of our world’s oceans. In 2018–19 the Percussion Collective toured Seaborne in China and made its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony and Carlos Kalmar in the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’s Drum Circles, later performing the work at the Aspen Music Festival. This season the Percussion Collective will tour Europe, appearing at Vienna’s Musikverein, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Purcell Hall in London. The October 19 and 20 performances feature three members of the Percussion Collective: Ji Hye Jung, Svet Stoyanov, and Mari Yoshinaga (Timpani and Percussion ’12).

The Curtis Percussion Group comprises the percussion studio of the Curtis Institute of Music and is directed by Curtis percussion faculty Robert van Sice. Four of the Percussion Group’s members are featured in the performances of Drum Circles: Julien Bélanger, from Montreal; Sijia Huang, from Shenzhen, China; Yoonseo Kang, from Seoul; and Thomas Kolakowski, from Dover, Delaware. All are students of Mr. van Sice, Don Liuzzi, and Eric Millstein.

Acclaimed for its “otherworldly ensemble and professional level of sophistication” (New York Times), the Curtis Symphony Orchestra offers a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent. Each year the 100 extraordinary musicians of the orchestra work with internationally renowned conductors, including Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Jurowski, Marin Alsop, Simon Rattle, Robert Spano, and Yannick Nézet Séguin, who also mentors the early-career conductors who hold Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowships. This professional training has enabled Curtis alumni to assume prominent positions in America’s leading orchestras, as well as esteemed orchestral, opera, and chamber ensembles around the world.

CURTIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Jack Wolgin Orchestral Concerts

Curtis at Immaculata
Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m.
Alumnae Hall, Immaculata University
1145 King Road, Immaculata, Pa.

Robert Kahn, conducting fellow
Yuwon Kim, conducting fellow
The Percussion Collective
Curtis Percussion Group

Single tickets: $20, sold by the Curtis Patron Services Office at Curtis.edu/Orchestra or (215) 893-7902.

Yannick at the Opera
Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m.
Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center
Broad and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
The Percussion Collective
Curtis Percussion Group
Members of the Curtis Opera Theatre
Robert Kahn, conducting fellow
Yuwon Kim, conducting fellow

3-concert subscription: $60–204, sold by the Curtis Patron Services Office at Curtis.edu/Orchestra or (215) 893-7902.

Single tickets: $25–85, sold by the Kimmel Center Box Office at KimmelCenter.org or (215) 893-1999.

The guest conductor for this Curtis Symphony Orchestra performance is made possible by the Gustave and Rita Hauser Chair.

These events are presented as part of Philadelphia Music Week, in collaboration with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and REC Philly. For more information, visit PHLMusicWeek.com.

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