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  • BASS-BARITONE THOMAS QUASTHOFF SINGS JAZZ IN SPECIAL PROGRAM AT REDCAT
  • Nov. 14, 2004
  • Co-Presentation by REDCAT and Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
    Part of Renowned
    On Location Residency with Philharmonic

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, AT 2 PM

    The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and REDCAT present bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff in a program of jazz and popular song at REDCAT - Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater - at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday, November 14 at 2 p.m. "Quasthoff Sings Jazz," with the renowned singer accompanied by pianist Gabriel Kahane, features Quasthoff, who is known widely for his work as a classical artist, as he explores jazz standards, classic American tunes, and pop favorites by composers ranging from Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and Henry Mancini to Elvis Presley.

    According to a Musical America piece in September 2004, "After establishing himself as a Baroque artist of the first water, [Quasthoff] flabbergasted and delighted the discriminating Festival audience by strutting his stuff as a jazz singer. His first gig with five Berlin Philharmonic jazzbos had a similar effect on the even more discriminating Salzburg Festival audience two years ago, and that in turn led to [a] Berlin date, which attracted a slightly incongruous capacity mob into the hallowed Philharmonie, and soon after things got started the crowd showed every indication of possibly tearing the house down."

    Quasthoff is a Los Angeles Philharmonic On Location resident artist during the 2004/2005 season. The On Location residency also includes appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Christoph Eschenbach at Walt Disney Concert Hall (Thursday, November 11 at 8 p.m., Friday, November 12 at 11 a.m., and Saturday, November 13 at 8 p.m.) and another in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's Baroque Variations series with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Kahane at Walt Disney Concert Hall (Tuesday, November 16 at 8 p.m.). Quasthoff also leads a master class for vocal students at CalArts as part of his residency.

    German bass-baritone THOMAS QUASTHOFF is recognized as one of the most remarkable singers performing today. Since making his US debut at the Oregon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling, he has sung with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston and at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony under the batons of Daniel Barenboim, Colin Davis, Mariss Jansons, Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa and Franz Welser-Möst. In recital, he has performed at Lincoln Center and The Kennedy Center, on the major recital series in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto, and Atlanta, and made appearances at the Ravinia, Tanglewood, and Mostly Mozart festivals. In Europe, Quasthoff regularly appears with the most distinguished orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra under such eminent conductors as Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, and Daniel Barenboim. His impressive discography includes recordings for BMG, Haenssler, EMI-Electrola, Philips, and the Bayer labels. In June 1999 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His first recording for DG, Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Anne Sofie von Otter and the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado, received the 1999 Grammy Award for best vocal performance; his Winterreise received a Grammy nomination in the same category. In February 2004, Quasthoff won a second Grammy for his recording of orchestrated songs by Schubert with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Claudio Abbado. A dedicated teacher and advocate for young vocalists, Quasthoff was a professor at the Music Academy in Detmold, Germany from 1996-2004. As of October 2004 he is a Professor of Vocal Music at the Hanns Eisler School for Music in Berlin.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
     

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2004, 2 PM

    REDCAT - Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater at Walt Disney Concert Hall

    631 West Second Street, Los Angeles

    "QUASTHOFF SINGS JAZZ"

    THOMAS QUASTHOFF, bass-baritone

    GABRIEL KAHANE, piano

    Tickets ($20 - $35) are on sale now at the REDCAT box office, online at redcat.org, or via credit card phone order at 213.237.2800.

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  • Contact:

    Laura Stegman, 310.645.1755; Rachelle Roe, 213.972.7310; photos: 213.972.3034