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  • THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES CONDUCTORS SELECTED FOR 2013/14 DUDAMEL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
  • Sep. 16, 2013
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    Los Angeles, CA (September 16, 2013) – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association has announced three conductors who will participate in the 2013/14 Dudamel Fellowship ProgramDaniel Cohen, Ben Gernon, and Antonio Méndez. Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, together with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, created the Dudamel Fellowship Program in 2009 to provide a unique opportunity for promising young conductors from around the world to develop their craft and enrich their musical experience through personal mentorship and participation in the LA Phil’s orchestral, education and community programs.

    “This program, now in its fifth year, reflects the LA Phil's commitment to nurture a new class of musicians through close mentorship and hands-on experience,” commented Dudamel. “These young conductors receive training unlike anything else available in the world.  I'm so proud that the LA Phil provides this unique opportunity and continues to support future generations of exceptional talent.”

    The Fellows will work alongside Dudamel, musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as visiting artists and conductors, and will also work with students in key LA Phil education programs. The program for each of the Fellows will run separately. The Fellows will hone their skills through observation and application, such as conducting Los Angeles Philharmonic youth concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, participating as a cover conductor, and serving as mentors themselves through participation in LA Phil education programs such as Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA).

    The 2013/14 participating Dudamel Fellows are:

    Daniel Cohen (Israel) who will be conducting:

    Wednesday, October 30, 2013
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Symphonies for Schools
    SALONEN: Wing on Wing

    Saturday, November 2, 2013
    Saturday, November 9, 2013
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Toyota Symphonies for Youth
    SALONEN: Wing on Wing

    A rising star in both concert and opera, Daniel Cohen has conducted such orchestras as the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Montpellier, and the Orchestra dell Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, as well as the Kammerphilharmonie Graz, the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He has recently conducted at the Festival della Valle d'Itria, the Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli and the Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona. He will soon make his debut with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

    Contemporary music is a prominent feature in Daniel’s repertoire and over the two recent seasons he took part in the Lucerne Festival Academy’s Composer Project, where he worked alongside Pierre Boulez. This collaboration culminated in a performance of a new commission by Benjamin Attahir at the 2013 Lucerne Festival. He is also greatly supported by Daniel Barenboim and is currently Assistant Conductor at the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, where he has been involved in the preparation of a Beethoven symphonies cycle as well as major works by Schoenberg and Boulez. At the Israeli Opera Daniel has conducted productions including Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Verdi's La traviata, Rigoletto and Otello and Berg's Wozzeck. Daniel also conducted the Israeli Opera Studio productions of Rossini's La Cenerentola and Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. He was recently invited to open the operatic season of the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari with a new production of Massenet's Don Quichotte. In February 2013, he made his debut at the Canadian Opera Company with a production of La clemenza di Tito, directed by Christopher Alden. He has also been invited to conduct a production of Francesco d’Avalos’ Maria di Venosa at the Festival della Valle d’Itria in July 2013. Daniel Cohen is currently Music Director of the Jersey Chamber Orchestra. Daniel is also Artistic Director of the Gropius Ensemble, specializing in a synthesis of music and theater in collaboration with actor Itay Tiran. During the 2010-12 seasons Daniel was Permanent Guest Conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra. From 2004 to 2009 Daniel was Music Director of the Eden Sinfonia in London, with which he made his Queen Elizabeth Hall debut. Following completion of the postgraduate conducting programme at London's Royal Academy of Music, Daniel won first prizes at the Admont International Conducting Competition and the Aviv Competitions. More recently Daniel received third prize at the Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition.  Daniel was supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation throughout his studies.

    Ben Gernon (England) who will be conducting:

    Saturday, January 25, 2014
    Saturday, February 1, 2014
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Toyota Symphonies for Youth
    VIVALDI: Four Seasons – special project involving dancers, actors and multi-media

    Tuesday, February 4, 2014
    Wednesday, February 5, 2014
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Symphonies for Schools
    VIVALDI: Four Seasons – special project involving dancers, actors and multi-media

    Thursday, February 6, 2014
    Friday, February 7, 2014
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Symphonies for Schools
    Program: TBD

    British conductor Ben Gernon studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he held the Conducting Fellowship, graduating in 2011. In 2013 he won the internationally acclaimed Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award conducting Camerata Salzburg following a unanimous decision from the jury, led by Ingo Metzmacher. As part of the Award, he later made his debut with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester at the Salzburg Festival conducting Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

    Forthcoming engagements include his debut with the Ulster Orchestra as part of the BBC Radio 3 “America” series; conducting the LPO Future Firsts at the Royal Festival Hall; and assisting Pierre-Andre Valade with Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest at Northern Ireland Opera. He also returns to the London Symphony Orchestra for two Discovery Series programs. In Spring 2014 he conducts two projects as part of the Bristol Ensemble “Northern Lights” Series, including one with acclaimed pianist Peter Donohoe. In future seasons he makes his debut with Vancouver Symphony, Sinfonietta Lausanne, Nagoya Philharmonic and returns to Camerata Salzburg.

    Highlights of recent seasons include his BBC Proms debut conducting Tansy Davies’ Composer Portrait, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra at the St Magnus Festival, London Sinfonietta, London Philharmonic Future Firsts and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as reaching the finals of the renowned Donatella Flick conducting competition in 2012. In Spring 2013 he assisted Gustavo Dudamel during the LA Philharmonic residency at the Barbican and most recently conducted a specially crafted arrangement of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Salzburg Festival to critical acclaim.

    Ben is Professor of Musicality at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has been mentored by Sian Edwards and the late Sir Colin Davis. In Summer 2013 BBC Music Magazine featured him as their “Rising Star: Great artist of tomorrow.”

    Antonio Méndez (Spain) who will be conducting:

    Friday, December 6, 2013
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Wilshire Boulevard Temple
    Neighborhood Concert
    Program: TBD

    Saturday, April 5, 2014
    Saturday, April 12, 2014
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Walt Disney Concert Hall
    Toyota Symphonies for Youth

    Minimalist Jukebox: Finding Patterns in Music

    Despite his youth, Spanish conductor Antonio Méndez has already worked with orchestras such as Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Residentie Orkest (The Hague), Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Berliner Symphoniker, North Czech Philharmonic and Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg, and has been the assistant conductor of the Spanish National Youth Orchestra (JONDE).

    Upcoming performance highlights include debuts and concerts with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bayerischer Rundfunk Munich, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Brussels Philharmonic, Wiener Kammerorchester, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Turku Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symfoniorkester, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Badische Staatskapelle and his debut in USA at the Castleton Festival at the invite of Lorin Maazel. He has recently assisted Bernard Haitink with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and also the Bayerischer Rundfunk.

    He attracted international attention as a prize-winner at the prestigious 2012 Nikolai Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen and more recently as a finalist at the 2013 Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award.

    The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from October through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

    Tickets for the 2013/14 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall are currently on sale and can be purchased online at LAPhil.com, in person at Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000. Tickets can also be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets.

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    9.16.13

     

  • Contact:

    Sophie Jefferies, sjefferies@laphil.org, 213.972.3422
    Lisa Bellamore, lbellamore@laphil.org, 213.972.3689
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