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Home , Allegro Brillante, Ballo della Regina, Bugaku (ballet), Concerto Barocco, George Balanchine, Giulio Gari

The Orchestra and PIFA

Participating Artist Biographies (By Date)

April 7 to 30, 2011

Pulcinella Alive ––– April 7, 8, 9, and 10, 2011

Rossen Milanov, Associate Conductor of The

Rossen Milanov currently holds the position of associate conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra; in July 2010 he concluded his tenure as artistic director of The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center. He was also recently appointed music director of the Princeton Symphony.

A committed supporter of youth and music, Mr. Milanov is music director of both the New Symphony Orchestra, a privately-funded youth orchestra in his native city of , and , one of America’s leading professional training orchestras. He regularly conducts productions at the Curtis Institute of Music and appears each season at Carnegie Hall for LinkUP!, a program of the Weill Music Institute. He has led tours with the Australian Youth Orchestra, the New Zealand Youth Orchestra, conducted the Aspen Chamber Symphony, and was music director of the Chicago Youth Symphony from 1997 to 2001.

With The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Milanov’s recent highlights have included the release of A Grand Celebration: The Philadelphia Orchestra Live with the Wanamaker Organ at Macy’s Center City, his first recording with the Orchestra, and critically-acclaimed concerts at the Kimmel Center, the Mann Center, and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.

In the 2010-11 season—in addition to conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra in subscription, Family, and community concerts, as well as the opening week of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts featuring a newly choreographed version of Stravinsky’s with Pennsylvania and Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat —Mr. Milanov makes his debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, his Spanish debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, and his European operatic debut conducting Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at the Komische Oper ; he also returns to the . In recent seasons he has worked with the National, Baltimore, , Seattle, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, BBC, Singapore, and NHK symphonies; the Rochester, Rotterdam, China, and philharmonics; the Scottish Chamber and Royal Scottish National orchestras; and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, among others.

Mr. Milanov studied conducting at the (where he received the Memorial Scholarship), the Curtis Institute of Music, Duquesne University, and the Bulgarian National Academy of Music. He has received the Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Bulgarian Culture, awarded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, and in 2005 was chosen as ’s Musician of the Year.

Isabel Leonard, Mezzo-soprano

Engagements for mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in the 2010-11 season include the roles of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the , Sesto in Handel’s Julius Cesaer and Cherubino in Mozart’s at the Opéra National de Paris, and Vivaldi’s Griselda at Santa Fe Opera. She also appears in concerts with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Leonard will open her 2011-12 season as Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the Metropolitan Opera.

The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 2

A graduate of the Juilliard School, Ms. Leonard is a recipient of the Richard Gold Award of the Shoshana Foundation, a -Puccini Foundation Award, the William Schuman Graduation Prize of the Juilliard School, the Makiko Narumi Prize of the Juilliard School, and the Foundation Award of the Music Academy of the West; she was also a winner of the Competition.

Ms. Leonard is a native New Yorker and received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School. She studies with Edith Bers and has also studied with Marilyn Horne, Brian Zeger, Warren Jones, Margo Garrett, Denise Massé, and Janine Reiss. Tonight’s performance marks Ms. Leonard’s Philadelphia Orchestra debut.

Nicholas Phan, Tenor

American tenor Nicholas Phan recently made debuts at the BBC Proms and the Bard Music Festival and his recital debut at Carnegie Hall. This season he returns to the Music of Baroque, the San Francisco Symphony for Bach’s in B minor and Orff’s Carmina burana, and to Carnegie Hall for Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Oratorio Society of New York. Mr. Phan makes his debut this season with Seattle Opera as Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and also goes on tour with Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco for performances of Handel’s Ariodante.

Mr. Phan’s recording of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony was recently released on the CSO Resound label. His world- recording of Evan Chambers’s orchestral song cycle The Old Burying Ground was released in 2010.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Mr. Phan also studied at the School of Music and the Aspen Music Festival and School, and he is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and the Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program. He was the recipient of a 2006 Sullivan Foundation Award and a 2004 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation. He makes his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with this performance.

Shenyang, Bass-Baritone

Bass-baritone Shenyang was the winner of the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, a 2008 winner of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, a first-prize winner at the International Opera Competition in Verona, and a 2010 winner of the Montblanc New Voices at Stars of the White Nights Festival. Born in Tianjin, China, Shenyang studied with Ping Gu at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Julliard School Opera Center.

Shenyang is heard this season on an international tour with Edo de Waart and the Hong Kong Philharmonic in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and excerpts from Mahler’s Des knaben Wunderhorn, as well as in performances of Handel’s Messiah with Helmuth Rilling and the Dallas Symphony. He joins the San Francisco Symphony for Bach’s Mass in B minor and the Cincinnati Symphony for Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and he appears at Carnegie Hall in a concert performance of Mozart’s Zaïde with Ensemble ACJW conducted by David Robertson. Shenyang also returns to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera as Colline in Puccini’s La bohème.

Shenyang has recorded Schubert's Winterreise on FengLin Records. Tonight’s performance marks his Philadelphia Orchestra debut.

Jorma Elo, Choreographer

Finnish-born Jorma Elo is one of the most sought-after choreographers in the world. He was named resident choreographer of in 2005 and has since created numerous works in the US and internationally, including Slice to Sharp for Ballet, Glow-Stop and C. to C. (Close to Chuck) for Theatre, Double Evil for , A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Ballet, Pur ti Miro for National Ballet of Canada, 10 to Hyper M for , Offcore for , and From all Sides for Hubbard Street Chicago. The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 3

Mr. Elo trained with the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School in Leningrad. Prior to joining Netherlands Dance Theater in 1990 he danced with Finnish National Ballet from 1978 through 1984 and Cullberg Ballet from 1984 to 1990.

For Boston Ballet Mr. Elo has created six world premieres: Sharp Side of Dark, Plan to B, , Brake the Eyes, In on Blue, and Le Sacre du printemps. He has received commissions from Netherlands Dance Theatre 1, Basel Ballet, , Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, 59° North, Alberta Ballet, Staatstheater Nurnberg, , and BalletX. He is also a designer of costumes, lighting, and video effects for his .

Martha Chamberlain, Dancer

Principal dancer and costume designer Martha Chamberlain began her dance training at age five at the Fellowship House in Media, PA, where she was born and raised. She went on to study with Donna Muzio, Paul Klocke, and Cherie Noble at West Chester’s Dance Center and the School of American Ballet’s Summer Program. A graduate of the School of , Ms. Chamberlain joined Pennsylvania Ballet as an apprentice in 1989 and was promoted to the three months later. She became a soloist in 1997 and a principal in 2000.

Ms. Chamberlain has danced leading roles in The Taming of the Shrew, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Giselle, ’s , and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also had featured roles in Balanchine’s , The , , , , , and ; Paul Taylor’s Company B and Arden Court; and Christopher d’Amboise’s Franklin Court. She has created roles for such choreographers as Trey McIntryre, Kevin O’Day, Jessica Lang, Jeffrey Gribler, and Matthew Neenan.

Ms. Chamberlain began designing costumes for Christopher d’Amboise in the early 1990s, and since then she has since designed for Matthew Neenan, Jorma Elo, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Helen Pickett, Zane Booker, Meredith Rainey, Christine Cox, and Edwaard Liang.

Francis Veyette, Dancer

A California native, soloist Francis Veyette began his dance training at age 10 at Dance Arts in Visalia, CA. He also studied at Westside Ballet in Santa Monica and took summer sessions at the School of American Ballet and the Rock School for Dance Education. He began as an apprentice with Pennsylvania Ballet in 1997 and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 1999. He has been featured in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In 2003 Mr. Veyette joined , where he appeared in such ballets as Balanchine's and Theme and , 's The Concert, The Nutcracker, Paquita, and Giselle. He has also created featured roles in several works by Matthew Neenan. He appeared as a guest artist for Pennsylvania Ballet on three occasions during the 2004-05 season before returning to the company for the 2005-06 season as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to soloist for the 2007-08 season.

Mr. Veyette has made guest appearances with Massachusetts Youth Ballet, Westside Ballet, and Festival Ballet Theatre, and he appeared in during the summers of 2002 and 2004. He has created seven of his own works for Shut Up and Dance and Kansas City Ballet's In the Wings.

Amy Aldridge, Dancer

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Amy Aldridge is a graduate of the North Carolina School for the Arts, where she received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and studied with Alonzo King, Jacques d’Amboise, , and . Ms. Aldridge began her training at the School of Richmond Ballet and continued with the School of American Ballet and the Boston Ballet School. She received an Apprentice position The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 4 with Pennsylvania Ballet in 1994, and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 1995, to soloist in 1997, and to principal in 2001.

Ms. Aldridge has performed principal roles in The Taming of the Shrew, , A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Sleeping Beauty, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She has performed featured roles in Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky , Allegro brilliante, Theme and Variations, , Agon, Apollo, and Ballo della Regina. In addition she has created original roles for Dwight Rhoden’s 2x7 and Trey McIntyre’s Plush and Cantilena.

Ms. Aldridge has appeared at the Sintra Festival in Portugal, the Northwest Phalen Tanz Festival in , and with the Stars of New York Ballet in . In 2004 She was a guest artist with in for the Balanchine Centennial Celebrations, and she also appeared with BalletX in Matthew Neenan’s Broke Apart, Jorma Elo’s Scenes View 2, and at Jacob’s Pillow.

Caralin Curcio, Dancer

Company member Caralin Curcio is from Sparta, NJ, where she began her ballet training at the age of seven at the Ballet Barre School of Dance. Following her studies with the Royal Academy of Dancing, she had the opportunity to perform The Nutcracker with the Donesk from at age 10. In 2003 she was invited to train in New York City in the Young Dancers Program at Steps of Broadway. There she received private coaching with Leslie Browne. In 2004 Ms. Curcio joined ASH Company, where she performed many original works by director Braham Crane.

Ms. Curcio has attended summer programs at the American Academy of Ballet, the School, Ballet Academy East, and , where she performed La bayadère, Push Comes to Shove , and appeared as a demi-soloist in Paquita. She also performed as a soloist in Brahms Trio, an original ballet choreographed by Leslie Browne.

In 2006 Ms. Curcio joined Pennsylvania Ballet II. She became an apprentice in 2007 and was promoted to the corps de ballet for the 2009-10 season. Since joining the company she has been featured in Matthew Neenan's Penumbra and Carmina burana. She has also danced in the world premiere of Peter Quanz’s Jupiter Symphony.

Arantxa Ochoa, Dancer

Principal dancer Arantxa Ochoa was born in Valladolid, . At age 12 she moved to to study at the Centro de Danza with Victor Ullate. She continued her studies at the Academie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo and came to the US three years later to study at the School of American Ballet. He teachers have included Stanley Williams, Truman Finney, Suky Schorer, and Marika Besobrasova. Ms. Ochoa spent three years at Hartford Ballet before joining Pennsylvania Ballet in 1996 as a member of the corps de ballet. She was promoted to soloist in 1999 and to principal in 2001.

Ms. Ochoa has danced such lead roles as Odette/Odile in the world premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s , Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Swanilda in Coppélia, Lise in La Fille mal gardée, James Kudelka’s , and Marius Petipa’s Giselle. Her repertoire of Balanchine ballets includes leading roles in Apollo, Agon, , , , Variations, Serenade, Western Symphony, and Who Cares?

Ms. Ochoa has danced leading roles in ballets by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and , and she has originated roles in works by Matthew Neenan and Kirk Peterson, among others. Ms. Ochoa has appeared throughout Europe, and she has led master classes in Boston, Philadelphia, and Connecticut.

The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 5

Gabriella Yudenich, Dancer

A native of southern New Jersey, soloist Gabriella Yudenich began dance training at age seven at the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet. She also trained under her mother, Barbara Sandonato, who was the first dancer hired as a member of Pennsylvania Ballet in 1963. Ms. Yudenich attended the School of American Ballet under full scholarship for two years. She also completed summer sessions at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre, and she performed with Patrelle in New York City.

Ms. Yudenich appeaered with Pennsylvania Ballet in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew before becoming the first member of Pennsylvania Ballet II. As a member of that ensemble for two seasons she performed in lecture demonstrations and in the company’s full-length productions. She became an apprentice in 2003, and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2005 and to soloist in 2007.

Ms. Yudenich has performed in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Matthew Neenan’s Carmina burana, and many pieces from the Balanchine repertoire. Her lead roles include Myrta in Giselle, Lilac Fairy and Diamond in The Sleeping Beauty, and Sugarplum Fairy and Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

Ian Hussey, Dancer

Soloist Ian Hussey was born in Westmont, NJ, and began his ballet training at the age of nine at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. In 2001 he continued his training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. Mr. Hussey also attended summer intensives with scholarship at the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Exploring Ballet with , among others.

Mr. Hussey was a member of Pennsylvania Ballet II and an apprentice before being promoted to the corps de ballet for the 2007-08 season. Since joining the company he has danced featured roles in such ballets as Matthew Neenan’s As It’s Going, The Crossed Line, and Carmina burana; Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena; Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove and Nine Sinatra Songs; Paul Taylor’s Company B; Mauro Bigonzetti’s Kazimir’s Colours; Hans van Manen’s Five Tangos; and George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.

Mr. Hussey has also created principal roles in such ballets as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Requiem for a Rose and Matthew Neenan’s Pampeana #2, Penumbra, Keep, and At the border.

James Ihde, Dancer

A native of Kent, OH, soloist James Ihde began his ballet training at the Dance Institute of the University of Akron, where he studied for eight years. In 1993 he came to Philadelphia for a summer session at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Upon completion he was invited to join Pennsylvania Ballet as an apprentice for the 1993-94 season. In 1995 he joined the corps de ballet and was promoted to soloist in 2003.

During the 1996-97 season Mr. Ihde appeared in the featured role in Lar Lubovitch’s Waiting for the Sunrise. Since then he has danced several feature roles in the classical repertoire, including Paris in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Ivan in James Kudelka’s The Firebird, and the title role in Ben Stevenson’s Dracula. In the contemporary repertoire, he has danced leading roles in Paul Taylor’s Company B, Jerome Robbins’s Interplay, Lar Lubovitch’s Concert Six Twenty-Two, Margo Sappington’s Rodin, mis en vie, and the title role in George Balanchine’s Apollo.

Alexander Iziliaev, Dancer

Born and raised in Sterlitamak, Russia, principal dancer Alexander Iziliaev began his ballet training at age 11 at the Perm Ballet School. Upon graduating in 1992 he won the International Competition and the Perm Competition. That same year he traveled to the US and joined the Hartford Ballet. In 1995 Mr. Iziliaev was invited by The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 6

Peter Martins to join New York City Ballet. There his extensive repertoire of featured roles included George Balanchine’s Tarantella, , and The Four Temperaments; and Peter Martins’s Fearful Symmetries. Mr. Iziliaev also originated roles in Kevin O’Day’s Badchonim and Richard Tanner’s Schoenberg/Wuorinen Variations.

Mr. Iziliaev joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 2000 as a principal dancer. His roles with the company have included in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, Franz in Coppélia, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Prince Ivan in The Firebird, Frederick in Dracula, and James in La Sylphide. He has also danced principal roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Prodigal Son, , Agon, Serenade, and Western Symphony. Mr. Iziliaev has also performed in Paul Taylor’s Arden Court and Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk, and he has made numerous international appearances in London, Paris, Scotland, Brazil, and throughout .

Jermel Johnson, Dancer

Originally from Maryland, soloist Jermel Johnson began his dance education by attending at the Baltimore School for the Arts’ after-school program for four years. He continued training with the Baltimore School for the Arts for another three years. He then studied for one year at the School of American Ballet under such choreographers as Peter Martins, , , and Andrei Kramerevsky, and received a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet’s Summer Program in 2001.

Mr. Johnson joined Pennsylvania Ballet II in 2003 and was invited to become an apprentice with Pennsylvania Ballet in 2004. He has performed corps roles with the company in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew , and he danced the featured Pas de Trois in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake. During the 2007-08 eason Mr. Johnson performed at City Center in Manhattan and in the world premiere of Matthew Neenan's Pampeana No. 2 in Philadelphia.

In 2008 Mr. Johnson received a Ballet Fellowship from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, which supports his salary for this season and his choreographic endeavors in the future. He was promoted to soloist for the 2009-10 season.

Mikki Kunttu, Lighting and Set Designer

Lighting and set designer is currently one of the most sought-after lighting designers in Europe. He has been collaborating with since the ’s founding, creating the lighting designs and visualization for all its productions. In addition to contemporary dance, he also works in music, opera, television, and design. He has collaborated with prominent artists from and abroad, such as choreographers Jorma Elo, Jorma Uotinen, Carolyn Carlson, Jiří Kylián, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen. Mr. Kunttu has also worked on several large productions for Finnish television. Other recent projects include the lighting design for the Grand Opening of the New in Oslo and the Season of Light at Senate Square spectacle in the heart of .

In 2005 Mr. Kunttu was awarded a five-year grant by the Arts Council of Finland. In 2006 he received the prestigious Bessie Award in New York for lighting design for the Tero Saarinen and Akram Khan companies. In 2007 Kunttu received the Säde Award from the Finnish Association of Lighting Designers and the Koura Award for the visualization of the in Helsinki. The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 7

Mahler Symphony No. 4 ––– April 14, 15, and 16, 2011

David Zinman, Conductor

David Zinman studied conducting with Pierre Monteux, and since his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1967, he has conducted many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Boston, Chicago, and BBC symphonies; the Cleveland, Royal Concertgebouw, and Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestras; the Berlin, New York, and London philharmonics; and the Orchestre de Paris. Now in his 16th season as music director of Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, he was previously music director of the Rotterdam and Rochester philharmonics, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Aspen Music Festival and School and American Academy of Conducting; and principal conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Zinman recently performed with the NHK Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic and will make return visits to the Sydney and New Zealand symphonies in 2012. In addition he has toured widely with many international orchestras and continues to tour the world with the Tonhalle Orchestra. His most recent opera performance was Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann with Geneva Opera in 2010.

Mr. Zinman's extensive discography of more than 100 recordings has earned him numerous international honors, including five Grammy awards, two Grand Prix du Disque, two Edison Prizes, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, and a Gramophone Award. He was also the 1997 recipient of the Ditson Award from Columbia University, given in recognition of his commitment to the performance of works by American composers. On the Arte Nova label Mr. Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra have recorded a Beethoven symphony cycle, Strauss’s tone poems, and a Schumann symphony cycle. Current projects for Sony/BMG include a Mahler symphony cycle and the complete Schubert symphonies.

In 2000 the French Ministry of Culture awarded Mr. Zinman the title of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and in 2002 he received the City of Zurich Art Prize. In 2006 he received the Theodore Thomas Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in advancing the art and science of conducting. In 2008 he won the Midem Classical Award Artist of the Year for his work with the Tonhalle Orchestra.

Jennifer Welch-Babidge, Soprano

Soprano Jennifer Welch-Babidge’s recent highlights include her first performances of the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica with Utah Opera, a return to the role of Violetta in Verdi’s and her first performances of Verdi’s Requiem with the Utah Festival Opera, and Mozart’s Mass in C minor with the Mansfield Symphony.

With the Metropolitan Opera Ms. Welch-Babidge has appeared as Marzelline in Beethoven’s , Chloë in Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, Blonde in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Freia in Wagner’s Das Rheingold. In recent seasons she performed the title role of Donizetti’s at , Opera Colorado, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Greensboro Opera Company, and she made her debut as Blonde with , later returning as Adele in Johann Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus. She made her debut in Japan as Adele at the Saito Kinen Festival and also joined Houston Grand Opera for Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Opera Colorado for Gilda in Verdi’s , and both Opera Carolina and Washington Concert Opera for Leila in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers.

Ms. Welch-Babidge’s recent concert appearances include Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and Cunegonde in Bernstein’s Candide with the San Francisco Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Nashville Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah with Boston Baroque. She has also performed at Carnegie Hall with the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble and singing Berg’s Lulu Suite and song cycles of Webern.

Ms. Welch-Babidge is a recipient of many awards, including the ARIA Award and a Career Grant. She was also a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1997 and subsequently joined the The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 8 company’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Her other honors include a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation and an award from the William Mattheus Sullivan Foundation. A native of Aulander, North Carolina, Ms. Welch-Babidge is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts. She currently serves as a professor at Brigham Young University. These current performances mark her Philadelphia Orchestra debut.

Greek Tragedy and Mythology ––– April 28, 29, and 30, 2011; May 3, 2011

Charles Dutoit – Chief Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra

In the 2010-11 season The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates its 30-year artistic with Charles Dutoit, who made his debut with that ensemble in 1980, and who has held the title of chief conductor since 2008. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra will honor Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title of conductor laureate. Also artistic director and principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic, Mr. Dutoit regularly collaborates with the world’s pre-eminent orchestras and soloists. He has recorded extensively for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Philips, CBS, and Erato, and his more than 200 recordings have garnered over 40 awards and distinctions around the world.

For 25 years (1977 to 2002), Mr. Dutoit was artistic director of the Montreal Symphony, a dynamic musical partnership recognized the world over. Between 1990 and 2010 he was artistic director and principal conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra's summer festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York. From 1991 to 2001 he was music director of the Orchestre National de , with which he toured extensively on the five continents. In 1996 he was appointed music director of the NHK Symphony in , with which he toured Europe, the United States, China, and Southeast Asia. He is today music director emeritus of that orchestra. Mr. Dutoit has been artistic director of both the Sapporo Pacific Music Festival and the Miyazaki International Music Festival in Japan, as well as the Canton International Summer Music Academy in Guangzhou, China, which he founded in 2005. In summer 2009 he became music director of the Verbier Festival Orchestra. While still in his early 20s, Mr. Dutoit was invited by Herbert von Karajan to conduct the Vienna State Opera. Mr. Dutoit has since conducted at Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, the , and the Teatro Colón in .

In 1991 Mr. Dutoit was made an Honorary Citizen of the City of Philadelphia. In 1995 he was named Grand Officier de l’Ordre National du Québec, and in 1996 Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France. In 1998 he was invested as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest award of merit. Most recently Mr. Dutoit was the recipient of the 2010 Governor’s Distinguished Arts Award, which recognizes a Pennsylvania artist of international fame, leadership, or renown whose creations or contributions enrich the state.

Mr. Dutoit was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, and his extensive musical training included violin, viola, piano, percussion, music history, and composition at the conservatories and music academies of Geneva, Siena, Venice, and Boston. A globetrotter motivated by his passion for history and archaeology, political science, art, and architecture, Mr. Dutoit has traveled all the nations of the world.

Paul Groves, Tenor (Oedipus)

Tenor Paul Groves began the 2010-11 season with his debut at the Grand Teatre de in the role of Alwa in Berg’s Lulu. Other highlights of the current season include the role of Pylade in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride at the Madrid and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as his debut as Gualtiero in the premiere of Vivaldi’s Griselda at Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Groves’s concert performances this season include a tour of Switzerland with Stravinsky’s , Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at Salisbury Cathedral with the London Philharmonic, Britten’s War Requiem at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence, a return to the Edinburgh Festival with Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in Boston.

A winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions in 1991 and a graduate of The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 9 the company’s Young Artists Development Program, Mr. Groves made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1992. His recent recordings include Roger Waters's opera Ça Ira for Sony Classics, Ravel’s cantatas with Michel Plasson for EMI Classics, and songs by Duparc for the Naxos label. He has also recorded for the Telarc, Teldec, Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, and Decca labels.

Petra Lang, Mezzo-Soprano (Jocasta)

Born in , mezzo-soprano Petra Lang studied voice at the Akademie für Tonkunst in and in after graduating as a violinist. She currently studies with . Upon attending the Opernstudio of the in Munich, Ms. Lang started her career in Dortmund and Braunschweig . Future plans include Brangäne in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde in Bregenz and Las Palmas, Schoenberg’s Erwartung in Toulouse, Venus in Wagner’s Tannhäuser at Munich’s Opera Festival, and Berlioz’s and her debut as Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

In 2002 Ms. Lang won two Grammy awards for her interpretation of Cassandra in the London Symphony's live recording of Les Troyens conducted by . The album also won two Brit Awards in London, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik, and the Orphée d'Or de l'Academie du Disque Lyrique.

Ms. Lang has performed with leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, including the Dallas and Chicago symphonies; the Munich, Berlin, Vienna, London, and Israel philharmonics; and 's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Robert Gierlach, Bass-Baritone (Creon/Messenger)

In the 2010-11 season, Polish bass-baritone Robert Gierlach performs Creon and the Messenger in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Charles Dutoit and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Vienna and Cracow; Mendelssohn’s Elijah and a Mozart and Chopin concert in Warsaw; and Papageno in Mozart’s The Magic Flute in Gdansk. Recent engagements include Figaro in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in his Opera Lyra Ottawa debut; Creon/Messenger with the NHK Symphony in Tokyo; Papageno with Warsaw National Opera; the title role of Mozart’s with Michigan Opera Theatre; his New York City Opera debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni; and the role of Vronsky in the world premiere of David Carlson’s Anna Karenina with Florida Grand Opera and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

Mr. Gierlach received his degree from the Chopin Academy of Music, studying with Kazimierz Pustelak. He can be heard on numerous recordings with Polish radio and television, and in Szymanowski’s King Roger with the City of Birmingham Symphony conducted by Simon Rattle.

David Wilson-Johnson, Baritone (Tiresias)

Highlights this season and beyond for baritone David Wilson-Johnson include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic and at the Casa da Musica in Portugal; Haydn’s “Harmoniemesse” with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra; Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Orchestra of Opera North; Haydn’s L’isola disabitata at the Ittingen Whitsun Festival; Britten’s Peter Grimes at the Teatro Regio Turin; Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Haydn’s Creation with the Rotterdam Philharmonic; Maxwell-Davies’s Taverner with the BBC Scottish Symphony; Handel’s Athalia with the Basel Chamber Orchestra; Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the King’s Consort; and Stravinsky’s with the London at the BBC Proms.

Born in Northampton, England, Mr. Wilson-Johnson studied modern languages at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and singing at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He taught at the Summer School Ferrandou and now teaches at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory. His discography includes Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, Frank Martin's Jedermann Monologues, and, for the GMN label, Schubert's Winterreise and songs by Finzi and Quilter.

The Philadelphia Orchestra and PIFA – Participating Artist Biographies Page 10

Matthew Plenk, Tenor (Shepherd)

This season tenor Matthew Plenk returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Arturo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and makes his debut at Atlanta Opera as Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. A recent graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Mr. Plenk made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble. Other concert engagements have included his Boston Symphony debut at Tanglewood as Iopas in Berlioz’s Les Troyens with James Levine conducting, and appearances with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano , the Hartford Symphony, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Musica Angelica Baroque, and the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Mr. Plenk is a Samling Scholar, and he holds a bachelor’s degree from the Hartt School of Music and a master’s degree from Yale University. His was a Grand Finalist in the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, First Place winner of the Five Towns Music Competition, and Grand Prize winner at the Music Lovers Competition. He has recorded songs of Charles Ives for the Naxos label.

David Howey, Narrator

David Howey is head of the Acting Program at the Brind School of Theatre at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He was an actor in England for 30 years, appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre Company, in London’s West End, and in numerous TV series and films. He has appeared on Broadway twice and performed Shakespeare across the United States, including the title role in Macbeth at the Annenberg Center, Prospero in The Tempest at Arcadia University, and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and Leontes in The Winter’s Tale for the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival.

Mr. Howey has performed with the Walnut Street Theatre, Bristol Riverside, 1812 Productions, Interact, the Arden Theatre Company, and the Wilma Theater. He made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2002 as the Colonel in Tom Stoppard and André Previn’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, a collaboration between the Orchestra and the Wilma Theater.

Philadelphia Singers

Founded in 1972 and now under the leadership of David Hayes, the Philadelphia Singers is a professional chorus that performs regularly with leading national and local performing arts organizations including The Philadelphia Orchestra, the , the Curtis Institute of Music, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Kimmel Center Presents, and the Mannes Orchestra.

In 1991 the Philadelphia Singers founded the Philadelphia Singers Chorale, a symphonic chorus composed of professional singers and talented volunteers. In its role as resident chorus of The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chorale appears with the Orchestra in all its choral subscription concerts, as well as annual performances of Handel's Messiah.

David Hayes was appointed music director of the Philadelphia Singers in 1992. Director of orchestral and conducting studies for the Mannes College of Music in New York, he is also staff conductor of the Curtis Symphony and a cover conductor for The Philadelphia Orchestra.

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