The Southwest Florida Symphony continues its 58 th season of Masterworks with The most famous classical composition ever written: Beethoven No.

Transcription

1 8290 College Parkway Suite 103 Fort Myers, FL NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: October 11, 2018 Contact: (239) Media inquiries: Amy Ginsburg, Executive Director, The Southwest Florida Symphony continues its 58 th season of Masterworks with The most famous classical composition ever written: Beethoven No. 5 Fort Myers, Florida - The Southwest Florida Symphony, Lee County s only professional orchestra, and the fourth oldest in the State of Florida, continues its 58 th Season on Saturday, January 12, 2019 with Masterworks II: Beethoven 5 Hear the Fantasy at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW. The performance happens at 7:30 p.m., with Maestro Kabaretti s highly popular pre-concert lecture taking place at 6:30 p.m. These lectures are offered in order to better educate audiences about the pieces being performed and often feature a guest artist Q & A and demonstrations. Tickets cost between $25 and $105 per person and may be purchased online at by visiting the Southwest Florida Symphony Box Office located at 8290 College Parkway, Suite 103 in Fort Myers, by calling the Symphony Box Office at (239) or at the door, one and a half hours prior to the concert. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall is located at FSW Parkway in Fort Myers Masterworks II: Beethoven 5 Hear the Fantasy is conducted by the Southwest Florida Symphony s internationally renowned music director, Maestro Nir Kabaretti and, in addition to spotlighting Beethoven s 5 th Symphony, the most famous piece of classical music ever written, the concert features the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto with special guest artist, multi-award winning and Grammy nominated Thomas Mesa. Also on the program is How Slow the Wind by 20 th century self-taught composer, Toru Takemitsu. This truly promises to be an evening abundant with musical genius. Thomas Mesa is truly one of the most gifted, charismatic musicians of his generation, says the Southwest Florida Symphony s Executive Director, Amy Ginsburg. I hope our community is aware of how fortunate it is to attract artists of this caliber to perform with its resident orchestra.

2 Maestro Nir Kabaretti Bio Internationally acclaimed conductor Nir Kabaretti is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Southwest Florida Symphony, and has been described as, a conductor with immense musicality and warm personality by Maestro Zubin Mehta. In 2018, Kabaretti started his tenure as Music Director of The Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva. He also continues as Music & Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony. Kabaretti has earned an impressive reputation across several continents for his command of a vast symphonic and operatic repertoire. Upon graduation from the prestigious University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Kabaretti began working as coach and Chorus Master at the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival. He later advanced to positions as Assistant to the Music Director at the Teatro Real in Madrid and Personal Assistant to Maestro Zubin Mehta at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy. Nir Kabaretti has worked with some of the world s most sought-after musicians, such as Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Itzhak Perlman, and Hélène Grimaud. His guest conducting appearances include: the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires, Orquestre National du Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestra del Teatro dell Opera di Roma, Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, Orchestra Sinfónica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, La Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, La Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, and the Bochumer Symphoniker. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra in Israel in 2002, and later its Music Director until Kabaretti s operatic experience includes productions at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Real in Madrid, The Israeli Opera, Opéra de Lausanne, Avenches Opera Festival in Switzerland, Tokyo New National Theatre and Opera Santa Barbara. He conducted The Diary of Anne Frank, a guest production of the Vienna State Opera performed at both the Bregenz Festival and Expo 2000 in Hanover. In 2005, Kabaretti led Teatro San Carlo di Napoli on its first tour to Japan, conducting Il Trovatore, both in Kyoto, and Tokyo. During the season, he made his debut at Teatro alla Scala di Milano. In 2007, he was invited back for the ballet production of Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night s Dream (broadcast by Italian television RAI, and released as a commercial DVD). Maestro Kabaretti received the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Grant for Young Conductors. In 1993, he won the Forum Junger Künstler Conducting Competition in Vienna. In 1994, he was among the finalists in the International Competition for Conductors in Douai, France. Upcoming engagements as guest conductor include a debut with the Bogotà Philharmonic Orchestra, a tour in Belgium with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, and a return to the Opera di Roma.

3 Thomas Mesa Bio Thomas Mesa, Cuban-American cellist, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most charismatic and engaging performers of his generation with solo engagements across the United States. Thomas is the Winner of the Astral Artists National Auditions 2017, 2016 Sphinx Competition, Thaviu Competition for String Performance (Chicago, 2013), and the Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition. As a soloist, Thomas s most recent past and present engagements include the Mainly Mozart Festival, Bargemusic, Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Columbia University, Carnegie Hall, The Supreme Court of The United States, The Heifetz Institute (guest artist), Meadowmount School of Music, Strad for Lunch Series in NYC, International Beethoven Project, Perlman Music Program Alumni Recital as well as universities across the United States. His concerto engagements for this season and future seasons include The Cleveland Orchestra, Erie Chamber Orchestra, Firelands Symphony, and Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Thomas was one of the featured instrumentalists on The Crossing Choir s album called Bonhoeffer that was nominated for a Grammy. Led by Donald Nally, this multiple award-winning ensemble has invited Thomas as the featured soloist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Longwood Gardens, The Winter Garden (broadcast on WNYC) and the Theological Seminary in New York City. Additionally, Thomas and The Crossing Choir collaborated on the American premiere of Astralis (Choir and Solo Cello) composed by Wolfgang Rihm, one of the most important composers of this generation. As a chamber musician, Thomas has toured with Perlman and Protégés both nationally and internationally and is a member of St. Petersburg Piano Quartet who are in high demand for the most important series across the nation. St. Petersburg Piano Quartet has played sold-out concerts at Bargemusic, Doheny Mansion, Kohl Mansion, Music Mountain and countless other venues across the U.S. Thomas is in high demand as a teaching artist for his innate ability to connect with students and teach them to teach themselves. Future and past masterclasses include institutions such as UC Berkeley, University of Nevada - Las Vegas, University of Miami, and Meadowmount School of Music. Thomas has held faculty positions at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Montecito International Music Festival, St. Petersburg International Music Academy, The Mozart Academy at John Jay College in New York, and Manhattan School of Music where he teaches through the Long Distance Learning Program. Thomas has attended Summer festivals and institutes include the Perlman Chamber Workshop (with additional residencies in Stowe, Vermont), Heifetz International Music Institute, Banff Masterclasses, Kronberg Academy, Royal Danish Academy Masterclasses, Aspen Music Festival, and Kneisel Hall. Thomas s extensive orchestral experience includes principal cellist for Northwestern Symphony Orchestra when he was not performing in their Contemporary Music Ensemble; Juilliard Orchestra and ensembles in New York; Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in Boston; and principal cellist of Greater Miami Youth Symphony. He has performed under the batons of James Levine, Tan Dun, David Afkham, Alan Gilbert, James Conlon, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, Franz Welser-Most, Joel Sachs, Benjamin Zander, Victor Yampolsky, Donald Nally, and Timothy J. Robblee. Thomas is a graduate of The Juilliard School (B.M. 2012) where he received various scholarships; and Northwestern University (M.M. 2014) where he was the recipient of the Richard and Helen Thomas Fellowship and Graduate Program Honors for extraordinary contributions to the String Department. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studies with Julia Lichten. His principal teachers have been Timothy Eddy, Hans Jorgen Jensen, Mark Churchill, Ross Harbaugh, and Wells Cunningham. Thomas plays on a Richard Tobin cello dated 1826.

4 Southwest Florida Symphony General Information The Southwest Florida Symphony s 58th year continues the orchestra s tradition of artistic excellence as internationally acclaimed Maestro Nir Kabaretti leads the Symphony in another exciting season of spectacular performances. Maestro Kabaretti is the fifth music director in the organization s history. He has led critically acclaimed performances throughout his first three seasons with the Southwest Florida Symphony. In April 2017 he signed a new three-year agreement with the Symphony, extending his contract as Music Director through the season. The Southwest Florida Symphony is the only professional symphony orchestra in Lee County and one of the oldest on Florida s Gulf Coast. Founded by conductor Arlo Deibler, the Symphony made its debut as a community orchestra on April 15, 1961 with a roster of 24 musicians who performed in community centers and schools throughout Lee and Collier Counties. It has since grown to become Lee County s premiere symphonic ensemble, with a roster of 65 world-class musicians playing to packed houses at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. The Southwest Florida Symphony s mission is to celebrate the joy of music and to inspire audiences with a variety of professional-quality concerts that are accessible to all. The Symphony s season features exciting concerts in all of its signature series. The Masterworks Classical Concert Series, performed at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW. January 12, Beethoven No. 5: Hear the Fantasy; February 2, Vive La Mer; March 2, Verdi Requiem; and April 27, Fantastique! Pops Concert Series, also performed at Barbara B. Mann. January 19, OH WHAT A NIGHT! A Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; February 16, Super Diamond The Neil Diamond Tribute; March 16, Sinatra and Beyond featuring Tony DeSare. Small Stage Symphony Series performed at multiple venues throughout Lee and Collier Counties. February 6, 7, and 8: Appalachian Spring {BIG ARTS on Sanibel, Shell Point, St. Leo the Great-Bonita Springs}; March 20, 21, and 22: Back to Back Bach {Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Shell Point, Sanibel Community House}; April 5, 6, and 7: Mozart in Paradise {Sanibel Community House, Faith Presbyterian Church, Cape Coral, Moorings Presbyterian Church-Naples}. The April 6 performance at Faith Presbyterian Church in Cape Coral features the Poulenc Organ Concerto, with special guest artist, Michael Helman. Further details on all of these concerts can be found at Our Generous Sponsors The Southwest Florida Symphony s sponsor list includes: The City of Fort Myers, The State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, The Florida Council on Arts & Culture, The Southwest Florida Symphony Endowment Foundation, The Southwest Florida Symphony Society, The L.A.T. Foundation, Uhler & Vertich Financial Planners, Ellie Fox in memory of Ed Fox, Burgess Brant Engineers, Florida Weekly, Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Munsch, The Enterprise Foundation, Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts, Bailey s General Store, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Iberia Bank, The Friends of the Symphony on Sanibel, Mr. & Mrs. Steve and Charlotte Qua, Ernie Fogg Sr. & Margot Flinn, Mr. Jeff Cull & Ms. Ella Nayor, Craig Choate, Rob and Ruth Diefenbach, Mr. Eric Diefenbach & JK Brown. #####

5 Event: Masterworks 2: Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto and Takemitsu How Slow the Wind Date: Saturday, January 12, 2019 Location: Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW Time: Concert 7:30pm, pre-concert lecture 6:30pm Tickets: $25 - $105