Second Year of Adès' Residency Features Appearances Conducting his Acclaimed Asyla and Green Umbrella Program and Performing in Chamber Series;
Adès Also Conducts his Opera Powder Her Face at USC's Bing Theater
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT 8 PM,
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 AT 2 PM,
and SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2006, AT 7 PM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2006, AT 8 PM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2006, AT 8 PM
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 AT 8 PM and SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2006, AT 2 PM
Thomas Adès, the highly regarded and prolific composer and pianist, returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the second year of his two-year residency, conducting the orchestra in performances of his highly praised 1997 work Asyla, as well as participating in a chamber music program with members of the Philharmonic, and conducting a Green Umbrella program, all at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and leading three performances of his opera, Powder Her Face, at USC's Bing Theatre.
Adès' two-year residency, which began last season, continues this year with him conducting his opera Powder Her Face, a co-production of the USC Thornton School of Music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in cooperation with the Thornton Chamber Orchestra on Friday, November 17, at 8 p.m., Saturday, November 18, at 2 p.m., and Sunday, November 19, at 7 p.m. at the Bing Theater on the USC campus (for mature audiences only) . The production features the USC Thornton Opera and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with stage direction by Ken Cazan, music preparation by Brent McMunn, set design by Peter Harrison, and lighting design by David Jacques. Described as a salacious, scintillating character study of a highly eccentric woman, Powder Her Face explores what hypothetically happened in the life of the Duchess of Argyll behind the closed doors of London's exclusive Dorchester Hotel from 1930 to 1990. Adès' first opera, Powder Her Face (commissioned by Almeida Opera for the Cheltenham Festival in 1995), has been performed all around the world, has been televised by Channel Four, and is available on an EMI CD.
Adès next appears as pianist with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a chamber music program on Tuesday, November 21, 8 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring Françaix's Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano; Stucky's Nell'ombra, nella luce; and Fauré's Piano Quintet No. 2.
The U.S. premiere of Gerald Barry's The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit is conducted by Adès in a Green Umbrella program on Tuesday, November 28, 8 p.m., featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, with guest vocalists Andrew Watts, countertenor (Pleasure); Stephen Wallace, countertenor (Truth); Christopher Lemmings, tenor (Beauty); Keith Phares, baritone (Deceit); and Kevin Burdette, bass (Time). Barry, born in Ireland in 1952, first came to public attention in 1979 with his radical ensemble works '__________' and "Ø," and he has withdrawn all of his early works composed before Things that Gain by Being Painted (1977). He describes his new piece by saying, "The dramatic framework of The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit is taken from Handel's The Triumph of Time and Truth. The work revolves around questions of ageing, vanity, illusion, fear, wit, ecstasy, regret, and yearning. The climax is one of dramatic ambivalence and musical certainty."
Upbeat Live, a free event open to all ticket holders, is held in BP Hall one hour before the performance featuring Steven Stucky, Philharmonic Consulting Composer for New Music, in conversation with Barry.
Adès' residency concludes when he conducts his own work, Asyla, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Saturday, December 2 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, December 3 at 2 p.m., in a program that also includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique," under the baton of Assistant Conductor Joana Carneiro. Asyla was a Feeney Trust commission for Simon Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, who toured it together and repeated it at Symphony Hall in August 1998 at Rattle's last concert as music director. Rattle subsequently programmed Asyla in his opening concert as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic in September 2002.
Upbeat Live, a free event open to all ticket holders, is held one hour before each performance in BP Hall featuring Steven Stucky, Philharmonic Consulting Composer for New Music, in conversation with Carneiro.
On Location, in its fourth year as the Philharmonic's artist residency program, features some of the world's most distinguished artists participating in a special project including orchestral appearances as well as Green Umbrella new music performances, chamber music concerts and other activities. In addition to Adès, On Location artists for the 2006/07 season were Emanuel Ax and Joshua Bell. According to Philharmonic President Deborah Borda, "Because our On Location residences have had such a tremendous impact on our orchestra, audiences, and visiting artists, we feature four -- rather than two -- distinguished performers this season. Through these residencies, they each have a focused opportunity to explore their unique talent and insert their personal stamp on our season's programming."
THOMAS ADÈS, constantly in demand worldwide as a conductor and pianist, was born in London in 1971. Between 1993 and 1995 he was Composer in Association with the Hallé Orchestra, which resulted in The Origin of the Harp (1994), and These Premises Are Alarmed for the opening of the Bridgewater Hall in 1996. Most of the composer's music has been recorded by EMI, with whom Adès has a contract as composer, pianist, and conductor. Adès' second opera, The Tempest, was commissioned by the Royal Opera House, was premièred there under the baton of the composer to great critical acclaim in February 2004, and will be revived there in 2007. His Court Studies from The Tempest was first performed at last year's Aldeburgh Festival by the Composers Ensemble. Adès' music has attracted numerous awards and prizes, including the Paris Rostrum for the best piece by a composer under 30 (The Origin of the Harp, 1994); the 1997 Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for Asyla; the Elise L. Stoeger Prize for Arcadiana (New York, 1998); the Salzburg Easter Festival Prize (1999); the Munich Ernst von Siemens Prize for Young Composers (1999); the 2000 Grawemeyer Award for Asyla (the largest international prize for composition, here awarded to the youngest recipient); the Hindemith Prize (2001); and the 2005 Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for The Tempest. Next year the Barbican Centre offers a festival devoted to his work, including the British premiere of Tevot, commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic. Adès is a renowned interpreter of his own music, and his performances and recordings of works by composers including Kurtág, Nancarrow, Schumann, Schubert, Ruders, Tchaikovsky, and Barry have also been critically acclaimed. He performs regularly in collaboration with artists including Ian Bostridge and the Belcea Quartet and has conducted many orchestras, including the Orchestre National de Radio France, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles including the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, the Athelas Ensemble, and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. Adès has been Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival since 1999.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music - Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association's involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT 8 PM
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 AT 2 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2006, AT 7 PM
SPECIAL NOTE:
These three performances take place at
USC BING THEATRE, USC CAMPUS, LOS ANGELES, 90089
POWDER HER FACE
(a co-production of the USC Thornton School of Music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in cooperation with the Thornton Chamber Orchestra)
MEMBERS OF THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
USC THORNTON OPERA
THOMAS ADÈS, guest conductor
KEN CAZAN, stage director
BRENT MCMUNN, music preparation
PETER HARRISON, set design
DAVID JACQUES, lighting design
General admission, $18
Seniors and non-USC students, $12
Students with valid USC ID, free
For tickets: (213) 740-2167; http://www.usc.edu/tickets
For mature audiences only.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2006, AT 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
MEMBERS OF THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
THOMAS ADÈS, piano
CHRISTOPHER WELDON, piano
FRANÇAIX Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano
STUCKY Nell'ombra, nella luce
FAURÉ Piano Quintet No. 2
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2006, AT 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC NEW MUSIC GROUP
THOMAS ADÈS, conductor
BARRY The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit (U.S. premiere)
Upbeat Live, a free event open to all ticket holders, is held in BP Hall one hour before this performance featuring Steven Stucky, Philharmonic Consulting Composer for New Music, in conversation with Barry.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2006, AT 2 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
THOMAS ADÈS, conductor
JOANA CARNEIRO, conductor
ADÈS Asyla
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique"
Upbeat Live, a free event open to all ticket holders, is held one hour before each of these December performances in BP Hall featuring Steven Stucky, Philharmonic Consulting Composer for New Music, in conversation with Carneiro.
Tickets ($15 - $135) are on sale now online at LAPhil.com, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($15) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.
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Adam Crane, 213.972.3422; Rachelle Roe, 213 972.7310; Photos: 213.972.3034