Tchaikovsky And Sibelius
Location: Civic Center Music Hall (Get Directions)
Price Range: $12-$65
Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010, 8:00pm
Program
Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
About the Music
Artists
Guest: Stefan Jackiw, violin
Violinist Stefan Jackiw is recognized as one of the most significant artists of his generation, capturing audiences with his poetry and purity, combined with an impeccable technique. In the U.S. Mr. Jackiw has performed with the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the orchestras of Baltimore, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Nashville, Oregon, Rochester, San Francisco, Seattle, and Utah, among many other ensembles.
In 2000 Mr. Jackiw made his European debut in London to great critical acclaim, playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Benjamin Zander. His sensational performance was featured on the front page of The Times, and The Strad reported, "a fourteen-year-old violinist took the London music world by storm." Abroad, Mr. Jackiw has also performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, l'Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Ulster Orchestra of Ireland, and the Seoul Philharmonic. Invited by Yuri Temirkanov, Mr. Jackiw performed the Barber Violin Concerto as part of the Winter Arts Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 2002 Mr. Jackiw made his debut with the Baltimore Symphony under Temirkanov, followed by a tour of Japan with the orchestra that featured his Tokyo debut at Suntory Hall. Later that season, he made debuts with the Boston Symphony and the Chicago Symphony, both conducted by Roberto Abbado. His performance with the Boston Symphony was selected by the Boston Globe as one of the top two solo appearances of the year. In the 2004-2005 season, Mr. Jackiw made his debut with the Seattle Symphony, conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Both the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer selected this performance as the best debut of the year.
In July 2007, Mr. Jackiw made his debut with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Ludovic Morlot in the Concerts in the Parks series. The following month, he appeared with the Boston Symphony and Morlot at Tanglewood and was immediately reengaged for the following summer under Hans Graf. In 2008, Mr. Jackiw made his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis and the San Francisco Symphony under James Gaffigan.
Highlights of the current season include engagements with the Baltimore Symphony under Juanjo Mena, the Milwaukee Symphony under Hannu Lintu, the Nashville Symphony under Giancarlo Guerrero, the Rochester Philharmonic under Yoav Talmi, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under Jean Deroyer.
Mr. Jackiw is also an active recitalist and chamber musician. He has appeared on numerous important series, including the Rising Stars Series of the Ravinia Festival and the Caramoor Festival, the Boston Celebrity Series, the "Accolades" series at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre Recital Series in Paris, and at the Mostly Mozart Festival. He is a regular participant at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and will appear at the Vail Music Festival in 2009. At the opening night of Zankel Hall in New York, Mr. Jackiw was the only young artist invited to perform, alongside Emanuel Ax, Renée Fleming, Evgeny Kissin, and James Levine.
Born to physicist parents in 1985, Mr. Jackiw began playing the violin at the age of 4. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair, and Donald Weilerstein. Mr. Jackiw holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, as well as an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory. In 2002, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. Mr. Jackiw makes his home in New York City.
Conductor: Maestro Joel Levine
Joel Levine begins his third decade leading the Philharmonic, having helped create Oklahoma’s largest performing arts agency and one of America’s most successful regional orchestras. Using thematic programming and comments from the podium designed to increase the knowledge and enjoyment of the audience, his style of music direction reflects a desire to bring the public and orchestra together as one.
Under his leadership, the orchestra has appeared on international, national and local television broadcasts and released several recordings. Maestro Levine’s reputation for sensitive musical accompaniment has enabled the Philharmonic to present one of the country’s most distinguished series of world-renowned guest artists. He has collaborated with many of the greatest classical artists of our time and has been called a “remarkable musician and visionary” by Yo-Yo Ma.
He has received international recognition for performances reflecting many different styles in the classical repertoire. His program of Schubert and Schumann symphonies with Germany’s Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra led the reviewer to write: “Joel Levine proved that he is an absolute master of his profession; the audience honored this impressive performance with much applause.” Engagements in the great European capitols include concerts with the Czech National Symphony in Prague’s Dvorák Hall, and the Symphony Orchestra of Portugal in Lisbon. Other international invitations have included orchestras in Spain, Israel, Belgrade, Bucharest, and an appearance with the Mexico City Philharmonic.
Maestro Levine has conducted many of America’s major ensembles including three seasons with The National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and the orchestras of St. Louis, Detroit, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Seattle, Denver, Nashville and New Orleans. The national press has praised his performances: “the orchestra played with clarity and energy” (Los Angeles Times), “fine musicianship” (Washington Post), “Levine brings the needed sheen and rhythmic verve to the music” (Minneapolis Star), “Levine drew a crisp, bold and tonally lustrous account of the varied score from the orchestra and full-throated chorus” (Houston Post). His Detroit Symphony performances received “four stars” - the highest rating from the Detroit News.
Oklahoma City audiences enjoyed Maestro Levine’s accomplished opera conducting at the Philharmonic’s 100th anniversary production of La Bohème. Also known for his work with major artists in the world of classical dance, he has performed Rodeo with Agnes deMille and conducted for three of the greatest male dancers: Rudolf Nureyev, Edward Villella, and Peter Martins. For the Kansas City Ballet, he collaborated with the great choreographer, Alvin Ailey and conducted the first contemporary performance of a “lost” Balanchine ballet, “Divertimento.”
Maestro Levine’s résumé includes collaborations with many of the immortal names of jazz, musical theater, film and television. Several of his recordings with Mexico’s Xalapa Symphony Orchestra are in international release and have been broadcast on the BBC.
Listen
Tchaikovsky's Fourth Movement of his Symphony No. 4