Video: DSO Countdown Begins: 22 Days to Slatkin Era

Video: DSO Countdown Begins: 22 Days to Slatkin Era

Arrival of New Music Director Marks a New Period Of Artistic Leadership at Detroit Symphony Orchestra

DETROIT, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of music artists across every genre - R&B, rock, pop, jazz, blues, techno and classical - have called Motown home and now, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) welcomes another music superstar - Leonard Slatkin - to its ranks as the DSO's 12th Music Director.

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In just 22 days, the internationally-acclaimed, seven-time Grammy Award-winning conductor will take the podium to launch his much-anticipated tenure at the DSO. A household name in classical music, Maestro Slatkin was dubbed "America's Music Director" by the Los Angeles Times and is well-known as a visionary orchestra leader. During his distinguished career, he has led most of the world's finest orchestras as well as collaborations with leading opera companies. Maestro Slatkin has made more than 100 recordings with various ensembles around the world.

"This is a transformational time, both for the DSO and the City of Detroit, and it is exciting to be a part of both the challenges and the opportunities. Coming to Detroit allows me to reconnect to the concept of an artistic institution as a force for change in a community," said Maestro Slatkin.

"Words cannot adequately cover how much I am looking forward to coming to Detroit and becoming a member of its creative, resilient and vibrant community while conducting one of the best orchestra's in the nation at Orchestra Hall," said Maestro Slatkin. "This is a transformational time, both for the DSO and the City of Detroit, and it is exciting to be a part of something greater than myself."

"The excitement at the DSO is indescribable," said Anne Parsons, DSO President and Executive Director. "While Leonard is an intensely musical person, he is also a gifted leader who is closely involved in the DSO's strategic business plan, its long-term goals, fundraising and education outreach and more. He is already having a huge impact on the DSO. His presence helps us to cultivate new audiences and re-energize our listeners."

From the moment his appointment was announced in October 2007, Maestro Slatkin became immersed in helping to plan the future of the DSO. He traveled to Detroit multiple times last season, attending meetings, dinners and fundraising events. Maestro Slatkin has been collaborating closely with staff on programming, educational initiatives and setting down an agenda for recording, touring and commissioning projects. In addition, he has worked in conjunction with the audition committee to name a new principal flute (Sharon Sparrow), principal bass (Alex Hanna) and talented new members of the string section, Hong-Yi Mo and Adrienne Ronmark.

Maestro Slatkin's first concerts leading the DSO, appropriately titled The Slatkin Era Begins, take place Thu., Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 12 at 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 13 at 8:30 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.. The series features Carl Orff's magnum opus Carmina Burana and Verdi's La Forza del Destino Overture. Additionally, illustrating Maestro Slatkin's dedication to presenting new works by living American composers, the concerts will feature the World Premiere of A Different Soldier's Tale by James Lee III. Audience members attending these concerts are invited to join Maestro Slatkin at one hour before the concert for an "Open Forum with Leonard Slatkin," an informal pre-concert discussion with audience participation in Orchestra Hall.

On Sat., Dec. 13, Maestro Slatkin will lead a free family concert titled Civic Holidays with Leonard Slatkin with the DSO Civic Youth Orchestra (CYO) and the five winners of the DSO Student Piano Competition. This features the first performances of a new set of his own arrangements of classic holiday tunes for piano and orchestra, including "The First Noel," "Silent Night," "Deck the Halls" and "12 Days of Christmas." The ten selections featured Dec. 13 are included in Holidays for Piano and Strings, the first educational collection published by the Hal Leonard Corporation as part of the Leonard Slatkin Youth Orchestra Series.

"In 2007, my then 13-year-old son, who plays the piano, asked his school's music teacher if he could perform something for the annual holiday concert. This started me thinking about writing an arrangement that would be appropriate for his age group. If you are in middle school and play a string, wind or percussion instrument, most likely you can be in an ensemble. But when you play the piano, you are alone. There are few outlets for interaction with your fellow musicians at that point in your education. This new series is designed to fill that gap, and allow keyboard students the opportunity to show off a little and have fun with their musical colleagues at school. Some of the pieces are humorous and some serious, and there are references to works and styles from the classical canon."

In 2009, the DSO will feature Maestro Slatkin leading the DSO during four additional subscription weeks. From Jan. 9-11, 2009, he will be joined by double bassist Edgar Meyer, banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and tabla player Zakir Hussain for the four-performance series titled Americans Here & Abroad, featuring the music of American composers, including another World Premiere of Rhapsody for Orchestra by Margaret Brouwer, the winner of the 2008 Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award for Female Composers Competition. Maestro Slatkin pays tribute to his roots with From Russia with Love Jan. 15-18, 2009 featuring all-Russian music. The program will include the World Premiere of Alla Borzova's cantata Songs for Lada with soprano Valentina Fleer, folk contralto Valentina Kozak and the Michigan State University Children's Choir. In addition, the dazzling Russian pianist Olga Kern will make her DSO debut performing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini. The Maestro will then collaborate with DSO Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert on Apr. 2-4, 2009 for a program whose centerpiece is Berg's Violin Concerto. Finally, Maestro Slatkin will lead the DSO in weekend concerts highlighting Mahler's titanic Symphony No.1 Apr. 23-25, 2009.

The free CYO holiday concert Dec. 13 is just the first of many educational initiatives, from both an audience and performance perspective, with which Maestro Slatkin will be directly involved this season. On Jan. 10, 2009 he will also lead the DSO and guests artists Meyer, Fleck and Hussain in Slatkin's All Stars, a National City Young People's Concert. On Apr. 25, he will lead the CYO in a second free family concert, titled Slatkin's Stars of the Future featuring two young soloists, Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, violin, and Sarina Zhang, piano.

"In the orchestra community, it's very rare to see a music director spend this much time conducting and educating students," said Parsons. "Most conductors are involved primarily with their own orchestras, but this is yet another example that shows how different Leonard is and how well he fits into the overall education philosophy which is reflected in these CYO concerts and the DSO's overall Education Program."

A native of Los Angeles, Maestro Slatkin comes to Detroit from a 12-year tenure as Music Director of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. In addition to his post at the DSO, Maestro Slatkin serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and Music Advisor to the Nashville Symphony. Maestro Slatkin is also renowned for his historic leadership of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1979 until 1996, where he is now Conductor Laureate. Last season, he concluded a successful three-year appointment as Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

Throughout his career, Maestro Slatkin has received seven Grammy Awards, 60 Grammy nominations and has been recognized for his continuing commitment to arts education and to reaching diverse audiences. He is the founder and director of the National Conducting Institute, an advanced career development program for rising conductors. Additionally, Maestro Slatkin founded the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and has also worked with student orchestras across the United States, including those at the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. He currently serves as Arthur R. Metz Foundation Conductor at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. He works frequently with youth orchestras across America and abroad and regularly addresses and mentors public and private school students of all ages.

Tickets for Leonard Slatkin's classical performances Dec. 11-14, Jan. 9-11, Jan. 15-18, Apr. 2-4 and Apr. 23-25 start at $19 with a limited number of box seats available for $123.

Tickets for the National City Young People's Concert Slatkin's All-Stars on Jan. 10 start at $10 with a limited number of box seats available for $46.

Tickets for Civic Holidays with Leonard Slatkin are free and must be reserved by contacting the DSO at (313) 576-5111.

Tickets may be purchased at the Max M. Fisher Music Center box office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit); online at www.detroitsymphony.com; or by calling the DSO at (313) 576-5111. Seniors (60 and over) and students (with a valid student ID) can purchase 50% off RUSH tickets at the box office 90 minutes prior to classical concerts based on availability. All regularly priced tickets can be purchased on line, 24-hours a day, via the DSO's web site at www.detroitsymphony.com. For group discount information, contact Chuck Dyer at (313) 576-5130 or cdyer@dso.org.

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/detroitsymphony/35941/
Source: Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall

CONTACT: Elizabeth Twork, etwork@dso.org , +1-313-576-5126, Marni Raitt,
mraitt@dso.org , +1-313-576-5128, both of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall

Web Site: www.detroitsymphony.com

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