N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2019
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to Lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on 2019 Tour of Asia October 31–November 10, 2019
Tour will include concerts in Taipei, Kyoto, Tokyo, Incheon, and Seoul with soloists Seong-Jin Cho, Haochen Zhang, and Lisa Batiashvili
(Philadelphia, July 11, 2019)—Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on a 2019 Tour of Asia, October 31–November 10, 2019. The tour will feature eight concerts in five cities: Taipei, Kyoto, Tokyo, Incheon, and Seoul. Pianists Seong-Jin Cho and Haochen Zhang and violinist Lisa Batiashvili will join as soloists.
“We are proud to be ‘Your Philadelphia Orchestra’ not just in our beloved Philadelphia communities and across the country, but also around the globe,” said Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “We look forward to reconnecting with audiences in Asia as we collaborate with incredible soloists to share the joy of music on our journey.”
“The relationships we have built around the world continue to inspire us,” said President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky. “It is extraordinary to witness the chemistry between Yannick and the musicians of the Orchestra, and to share this special connection with global audiences is particularly rewarding.”
Tour Concert Schedule Taipei: Oct. 31 at National Concert Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center Taipei: Nov.1 at National Concert Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center Kyoto: Nov. 3 at Kyoto Concert Hall Tokyo: Nov. 4 at Suntory Hall Tokyo: Nov. 5 at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall Tokyo: Nov. 7 at NHK Hall Incheon: Nov. 9 at Arts Center Incheon
Seoul: Nov. 10 at Seoul Arts Center
Click here for a complete listing of concert information.
Taipei During the opening concert of the tour, the Orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Seong-Jin Cho) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). The second concert will feature Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (with Lisa Batiashvili) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.
The Philadelphia Orchestra first performed in Taipei in 1999 with Music Director Wolfgang Sawallisch. Subsequent visits took place in 2005 under Music Director Christoph Eschenbach and in 2014 during Nézet-Séguin’s inaugural tour with the Orchestra.
Kyoto and Tokyo The concerts on November 3, 5, and 7 will feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (with Haochen Zhang) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). The concert on November 4 will feature Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (with Lisa Batiashvili) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. The November 7 concert, part of the prestigious NHK Festival, will be broadcast on NHK television throughout Japan.
The Philadelphia Orchestra first toured Tokyo in 1967 under Music Director Eugene Ormandy during the Orchestra’s first tour of Asia. The 2019 Tour of Asia will mark the Orchestra’s 15th visit to Tokyo and its second visit to Kyoto.
Incheon and Seoul The Orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Seoul-born Seong-Jin Cho) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”).
This will be The Philadelphia Orchestra’s debut in Incheon, one of Philadelphia’s sister cities, and the first time an American orchestra has performed at the Arts Center Incheon. The Orchestra has visited Seoul eight times throughout its history, beginning in 1978 under Ormandy, and most recently in 2017 under Nézet-Séguin.
Patron Tour The Orchestra is planning a Patron Tour as part of the 2019 Tour of Asia. From October 31–November 9, 2019, the Patron Tour will take place in Kyoto and Tokyo, including all four Orchestra concerts during that time, a variety of tourism activities in and around the two cities, and special opportunities to interact with Orchestra musicians and leadership. For more information, contact Mitch Bassion at 215.893.1811 or [email protected].
Supporters The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2019 Tour of Asia is made possible through the generous support of valued sponsors and partners. Temple University is the official education partner of the tour. Morgan Lewis is the official legal
partner. Tour support is also provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Philadelphia Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. In addition to these sponsors, a number of partners who work closely with The Philadelphia Orchestra, including Team Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia International Airport, will join parts of the tour to recruit investment and jobs to the Philadelphia region.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
# # # CONTACTS:
Ashley Berke 215.893.1939 [email protected]
Natalie Lewis 215.893.3136 [email protected]
Alexa Vecchione 215.893.3142 [email protected]
2019 Tour of Asia
*Please note: Repertoire and artists are subject to change
Thursday, October 31 7:30 PM National Concert Hall, Taipei
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
Friday, November 1 7:30 PM National Concert Hall, Taipei
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lisa Batiashvili Violin
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 5
Sunday, November 3 3:00 PM Kyoto Concert Hall, Kyoto
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
Monday, November 4 4:00 PM Suntory Hall, Tokyo
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lisa Batiashvili Violin
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 5
Tuesday, November 5 7:00 PM Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall, Tokyo
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
Thursday, November 7 3:00 PM NHK Hall, Tokyo
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
Saturday, November 9 6:00 PM Arts Center Incheon, Incheon
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
Sunday, November 10 5:00 PM Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)
N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2019
The Philadelphia Orchestra Deepens People-to-People Exchange in China with Residency Activities in Shanghai and Beijing Following 2019 Tour of Asia
Activities to include side-by-side chamber concerts, coaching sessions, master classes, and more with partners ShanghaiTech University, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the China Conservatory of Music
(Philadelphia, October 15, 2019)—Following The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2019 Tour of Asia, October 31 to November 10, 2019, a string quartet will travel to China for residency activities that further the Orchestra’s commitment to people-to-people exchange through music. In Shanghai from November 11 through 13, Orchestra musicians will join members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in collaborative activities at ShanghaiTech University, as part of a new three-year strategic partnership designed to provide world-class musical performances on campus and to engage students in musical activities that inspire innovation and creativity. In Beijing from November 14 through 16, the musicians will engage in activities at the China Conservatory of Music.
Participating in the residency will be violinist Mei Ching Huang, Associate Principal Second Violin Paul Roby, violist Meng Wang, and Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni.
Residency activities include:
Monday, November 11 at 7:00 PM: Documentary screening at ShanghaiTech ShanghaiTech University will host a screening of a documentary from the January 29, 2019, Chinese New Year concert in Philadelphia featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra and members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tuesday, November 12 at 10:30 AM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tuesday, November 12 at 2:00 PM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 PM: Student performance and coaching sessions at ShanghaiTech The ShanghaiTech Student Orchestra will perform and receive coaching and feedback from Philadelphia Orchestra musicians to enhance their musical cultivation and arts education.
Wednesday, November 13 at 11:30 AM: Panel discussion at ShanghaiTech Philadelphia Orchestra musicians will join a panel discussion about their career development and inspirations, open to students of ShanghaiTech University.
Wednesday, November 13 at 2:30 PM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 PM: Side-by-side chamber concert at ShanghaiTech Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform side-by-side with musicians of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in a special chamber concert.
Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 PM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China (中国乐派交响乐团).
Friday, November 15 at 10:30 AM: Master classes at China Conservatory of Music Philadelphia Orchestra musicians and administrators will give master classes to students of the China Conservatory of Music.
Friday, November 15 at 2:00 PM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China.
Saturday, November 16 at 10:30 AM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China.
Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 PM: Concert at China Conservatory of Music Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform side-by-side with musicians of the Orchestra Academia China in a special chamber concert.
*Please note: All events are subject to change. ______
About The Philadelphia Orchestra ______
# # #
CONTACTS:
Ashley Berke 215.893.1939 [email protected]
Natalie Lewis 215.893.3136 [email protected]
Ashley Stahmer 215.893.3142 [email protected] Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music Director Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair
2019–20 Season
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra through at least the 2025–26 season, an extraordinary and significant long-term commitment. Additionally, he became the third music director in the history of New York’s Metropolitan Opera in August 2018. This consolidates his professional activity around two of the world’s pre-eminent artistic organizations, concentrating and honing his musical future.
Nézet-Séguin, who holds the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair, is an inspired leader of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Widely recognized for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma, he has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most thrilling talents of his generation. His intensely collaborative style, deeply rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times has called him “phenomenal,” adding that under his baton, “the ensemble, famous for its glowing strings and homogenous richness, has never sounded better.”
Nézet-Séguin has taken The Philadelphia Orchestra to new musical heights in performances at home in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; at the Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall (where, this season he is a Perspectives Artist), and the Kennedy Center; in Philadelphia neighborhoods; and around the world. His concerts of diverse repertoire attract sold-out houses, and he continues to make connections within Philadelphia’s rich arts community, showing his commitment to engaging music lovers of all ages across the region. In his eighth season as music director, he launches exciting artistic initiatives, including a complete cycle of the symphonies of Beethoven, juxtaposed with new compositions, in celebration of the composer’s 250th birthday; Bach’s Mass in B minor; and symphonically staged performances of Strauss’s Elektra.
Nézet-Séguin is embraced by the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra and by audiences wherever they perform. He made his inaugural tour with the Orchestra during the 2014 Tour of Asia and the following year led the ensemble on their first European tour together. In September 2015, he conducted the Orchestra in two performances for Pope Francis as part of the World Meeting of Families, at the Festival of Families and the Papal Mass. In 2016 and 2017, Nézet- Séguin and the Orchestra returned to Asia. In 2018, they toured Europe and Israel and this past spring once again toured China. This fall they return to Asia with performances in Taipei, Kyoto, Tokyo, Incheon, and Seoul.
Under Nézet-Séguin’s leadership, the Orchestra returned to recording with a CD on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Leopold Stokowski transcriptions of works by Bach. Other discs for the label include Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with pianist Daniil Trifonov, Bernstein’s MASS, and Rachmaninoff’s Third and Fourth piano concertos, again with Trifonov. Their next collaboration with Trifonov, Rachmaninoff’s First and Third piano concertos, will be released in October. In Nézet-Séguin’s inaugural season, the Orchestra returned to the radio airwaves, with weekly Sunday afternoon broadcasts on WRTI- FM. In 2017, they also began a national series on SiriusXM.
Nézet-Séguin has been artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain since 2000, and in summer 2017 he became the third-ever honorary member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He was music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic from 2008 to 2018 (he is now the ensemble’s honorary conductor) and was principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic from 2008 to 2014. He enjoys close collaborations with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He has also made wildly successful appearances with many of the world’s other most revered ensembles, including the Boston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and all the major Canadian orchestras. Throughout Europe and North America, his appearances have left indelible marks on the international classical music scene, making him one of the most sought-after conductors in the world.
Nézet-Séguin’s talents extend beyond symphonic music into the world of opera and choral music. His critically acclaimed performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera (where he made his debut in 2009, returning each season), the Vienna State Opera, Milan’s La Scala, London’s Royal Opera House, Netherlands Opera, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, and the historic Salzburg Festival demonstrate that he is an artist of remarkable versatility and depth.
Nézet-Séguin and Deutsche Grammophon (DG) embarked on a major long-term collaboration in 2012; he signed an exclusive contract with the label in 2018. His upcoming recordings will include projects with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Orchestre Métropolitain, with which he will also continue to record for ATMA Classique. Additionally, he has recorded with the Rotterdam Philharmonic on DG, EMI Classics, and BIS Records, and the London Philharmonic for the LPO label.
A native of Montreal, Nézet-Séguin studied piano, conducting, composition, and chamber music at Montreal’s Conservatory of Music and continued his studies with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini; he also studied choral conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College.
Nézet-Séguin was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2012, one of the country’s highest civilian honors; Companion to the Order of Arts and Letters of Quebec in 2015; an Officer of the Order of Quebec in 2015; and an Officer of the Order of Montreal in 2017. His other honors include Musical America’s 2016 Artist of the Year; ECHO KLASSIK’s 2014 Conductor of the Year; a Royal Philharmonic Society Award; Canada’s National Arts Centre Award; the Virginia Parker Prize; the Prix Denise-Pelletier, the highest distinction for the arts awarded by the Quebec government; and the Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance. He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Quebec in Montreal; the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ; McGill University; the University of Montreal; and the University of Pennsylvania.
September 2019
Photo by Jessica Griffin
Lisa Batiashvili Violin 2019 Tour of Asia
Violinist Lisa Batiashvili was Musical America’s 2015 Instrumentalist of the Year and nominated as Gramophone’s 2017 Artist of the Year. The Georgian violinist, who has lived in Germany for over 25 years, has developed long-standing relationships with some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York and Berlin philharmonics, the Staatskapelle Berlin, Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the London Symphony. She made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2005 and toured with the ensemble and Yannick Nézet- Séguin to Europe in 2015 and to three cities in the United States in 2018. From 2019 to 2021 she is the artistic director of the Audi Sommerkonzerte festival in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Ms. Batiashvili’s recent performance highlights include the U.K. premiere of Anders Hillborg’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the BBC Symphony and Sakari Oramo; the work was written for, and premiered by, her in 2016 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Mr. Oramo. As part of her residency with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, she performed concertos by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, as well as Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe. She also toured Europe with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Staatskapelle Dresden.
Ms. Batiashvili records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon. Her latest recording, Visions of Prokofiev, features Mr. Nézet-Séguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Earlier recordings include the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius concertos with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin; the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Staatskapelle Dresden; and a disc of works by Tchaikovsky with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Mr. Nézet-Séguin. Her honors and awards include an Opus Klassik Award, the MIDEM Classical Award, the Choc de l’Année, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana International Prize, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival’s Leonard Bernstein Award, the Beethoven-Ring, and an honorary doctorate from the Sibelius Academy. A student of Ana Chumachenco and Mark Lubotsky, Ms. Batiashvili gained international recognition at age 16 as the youngest-ever competitor in the Sibelius Competition. She plays a Guarneri del Gesù violin from 1739, generously loaned by a private collector.
October 2019
Photo by Sammy Hart Seong-Jin Cho Piano 2019 Tour of Asia
Pianist Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s attention in 2015 when he won First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In January 2016 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His first CD features Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 with the London Symphony and Gianandrea Noseda and the Four Ballades. A solo Debussy recital was then released in November 2017, followed in 2018 by a Mozart album featuring sonatas and the D-minor Concerto with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
An active recitalist, Mr. Cho performs in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Walt Disney Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, Munich’s Prinzregententheater, the Liederhalle Stuttgart, and at the Gstaad Menuhin, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Rheingau festivals. During the next two seasons he will play debut recitals at the main hall of Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Washington D.C’s Kennedy Center, and Wigmore Hall, and return to Suntory Hall, the Konzerthaus Vienna, and the Verbier Festival. Recent and upcoming orchestral appearances include debuts with such ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Boston Symphony, and return engagements with the London Symphony, the Munich Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, and the Finnish Radio Orchestra. He made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in November 2018.
Born in 1994 in Seoul, Mr. Cho started learning the piano at age six and gave his first public recital when he was 11. In 2009 he became the youngest-ever winner of Japan’s Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. In 2011 he won Third Prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the age of 17. In 2012 he moved to Paris to study with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. He is now based in Berlin.
October 2019
Photo by Harald Hoffmann
Haochen Zhang Piano 2019 Tour of Asia
Twenty-six-year-old Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in 2006 and his subscription debut in 2017, the same year he received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, which recognizes the potential for a major career in music. Since winning the gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, he has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the China Philharmonic with Long Yu at the BBC Proms; the Munich Philharmonic with Lorin Maazel at home and in a sold-out tour to China; the Sydney Symphony and David Robertson in a tour to China; the NDR Hamburg and Thomas Hengelbrock in a tour of Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai; and at the Easter Festival in Moscow by special invitation of Valery Gergiev.
In addition to these current performances, Mr. Zhang continues his ongoing collaboration with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin with a tour of Japan in November. He previously toured China with the Orchestra in May 2019. Additional highlights of the 2019–20 season include an engagement with the Singapore Symphony, performances of all the Beethoven concertos with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, a China tour with the National Symphony and Gianandrea Noseda, and solo recitals across China and Europe. In July Mr. Zhang released his debut concerto album on BIS Records: Prokofiev’s Second Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto with the Lahti Symphony and Dima Slobodeniouk. His debut solo album—including works by Schumann, Brahms, Janáček, and Liszt—was released by BIS in February 2017. He is also featured in Peter Rosen’s award-winning documentary A Surprise in Texas, chronicling the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition.
Mr. Zhang is an avid chamber musician. He is frequently invited by chamber music festivals in the U.S. and collaborates with such colleagues as the Shanghai, Tokyo, and Brentano quartets. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he studied under Gary Graffman. He was previously trained at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shenzhen Arts School, where he was admitted in 2001 at the age of 11.
October 2019
Photo by Benjamin Ealovega