LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SPRING SEASON 2002
JANUARY 22-MARCH 27
LSO CELEBRATES ROSTROPOVICH’S 75TH BIRTHDAY
WALTON CENTENARY CONCERT WITH MARIN ALSOP
ANDRÉ PREVIN CONDUCTS KYUNG-WHA CHUNG
MIKKO FRANCK’S LSO DEBUT
Spring 2002 for the LSO will bring glorious celebrations, culminating in
Mstislav Rostropovich’s 75th Birthday Series; the LSO gives the opening concert in the Walton Centenary; LSO Principal Conductor Sir Colin Davis conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No 6 and Symphony No 9,
which are being recorded for the LSO Live label;the LSO will work also with conductors Marin Alsop, Mikko Franck, Antonio Pappano,
André Previn and Mstislav Rostropovich and international soloists including
John Mark Ainsley, Alfred Brendel, Han-Na Chang, Kyung-Wha Chung, Michel Dalberto, Markus Groh, Denis Shapovalov, Nikolaj Znaider and Maxim Vengerov.
The London Symphony Orchestra is honoured to present Mstislav Rostropovich’s
75th Birthday Series, which opens with a concert staging of Prokofiev’s complete ballet
Romeo and Juliet
featuring the Lithuanian National Ballet on March 14, 15 and 16.On March 19 and 20, Rostropovich conducts his great friend Shostakovich’s mighty Symphony No 11
and Cello Concerto No 1, written especially for ‘Slava’, performed here by Denis Shapovalov. On March 24 his friend, violinist Maxim Vengerov and leading British tenor John Mark Ainsley, will join Slava in an all-Britten programme. The climax of this historic birthday series is a Gala Concert on his actual birthday, March 27, sponsored by UBS, in aid of LSO St Luke’s, the UBS and LSO Music Education Centre which will open in December 2002. Rostropovich will be honoured by Sir Colin Davis, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Mariss Jansons, Evgeny Kissin, Gidon Kremer,Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, Krzystof Penderecki and Maxim Vengerov. In April 2002, the LSO annual New York residency at the Lincoln Center is a series entitled
‘Shostakovich & Rostropovich’ celebrating Rostropovich’s 75th birthday.
The Centenary Celebrations of one of Britain’s most vibrant composers, William Walton, will be launched by the LSO on Sunday January 27 conducted by Marin Alsop. The LSO’s Conductor Laureate, André Previn returns on January 30 in a programme of Britten and Richard Strauss, featuring John Mark Ainsley and LSO Principal Horn,
David Pyatt in Britten’s
Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings. On February 3 and 4, André Previn directs his own composition, Diversions, and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto performed by Kyung-Wha Chung.Sir Colin Davis conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No 6 and is joined by Alfred Brendel in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 (‘Emperor’) on February 19 and 20. Bruckner’s Symphony No 9 is performed under Sir Colin Davis on February 22 and 24 and
Nikolaj Znaider is soloist in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No 1 on these dates.
The 21 year-old Finnish conductor Mikko Franck makes his LSO debut conducting Mahler’s Symphony No 5 on February 27 in an LSO Discovery Concert. In the first half, the LSO’s Music Animateur, Richard McNicol introduces the symphony with excerpts played by the LSO. In the second half, Mikko Franck conducts a complete performance. On February 28 Mikko Franck conducts Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder sung by mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and a second performance of Symphony No 5.
Soon to take up his role as the Royal Opera’s new Music Director, Antonio Pappano continues his close relationship with the LSO in a concert on March 7 with a performance of Prokofiev’s
Sinfonia Concertante with the 18 year-old cellistHan-Na Chang and soloists from the London Symphony Orchestra in a programme to include Copland’s
Quiet City and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloë.On February 15, the LSO String Ensemble celebrates British composers in an all-English programme that will be recorded for LSO Live, and LSO Principals perform a Mozart and Beethoven chamber concert on 22 January. On February 24 a further chamber concert with international pianist Markus Groh in a programme of Beethoven, Britten, Berg and Brahms, and on March 3 the LSO Chamber Ensemble is joined by violinist
Nikolaj Znaider and pianist Michel Dalberto in a programme of Beethoven, Strauss and Schubert.
LSO Discovery, the Orchestra’s pioneering education programme, is dedicated to bringing the Orchestra to the widest possible audience. LSO Discovery talks take place before many of the concerts from 6.15 - 6.45pm in the Barbican Hall and are free to ticket-holders. There is a special ‘Walton Discovery Day’ offered on January 27 from 10.00am to 5.30pm - a day exploring the music of William Walton.
The LSO Discovery Family Concert, sponsored by AVENT, at 3.00pm on March 3 is recommended for 7-to 12-year-olds. Families with younger children are offered the
LSO crèche also sponsored by AVENT. The LSO Discovery Family Concert ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’ takes the audience on a maritime adventure exploring music inspired by the sea. Young concert-goers are invited to bring their own instruments and to join in the sparkling music-making. Families are invited to join in creative music workshops earlier in the day on March 3 from 10.30 - 1.15pm with members of the LSO - no previous musical experience necessary!
LSO Live, the Orchestra’s outstandingly successful CD label, offers the excitement and energy of live performance delivered to the widest possible audience at budget and mid-price. New releases on the label in Spring 2002 include Elgar’s Symphonies No’s 1, 2 and 3 conducted by Sir Colin Davis. The latest high definition technology is used to record LSO performances at the Barbican Centre producing recordings combining the finest sound quality with the depth and emotion you only experience in live concerts. LSO Live CDs are now available from retailers in the UK, USA, Australia, the Far East and throughout much of Europe. They are also available from the LSO website
www.lso.co.uk , major on-line retailers or by calling the Barbican Box Office on020 7638 8891.
Booking for concerts:
Secure on-line bookings on the LSO Website:
www.lso.co.ukPhone the Barbican Box Office 020 7638 8891 (9.00am - 8.00pm every day)
Book in person at the Advance Box Office in the Barbican Centre (Mon - Sat: 10.00am - 8.00pm: Sun 12.00pm - 8.00pm)
