Orchestra of St. Luke’s to Begin 2012-13 Season at Caramoor, 6/23

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) announces its 33rd summer residency at Caramoor International Music Festival. OSL will open Caramoor's season on June 23, 2012 with an all-Mendelssohn concert led by Italian maestro Roberto Abbado. The program includes A Midsummer Night's Dream narrated by Tony Award-winner Bebe Neuwirth and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor featuring violin virtuoso Gil Shaham.

Both Abbado and Shaham have a strong history of performances with OSL. Maestro Abbado made his North American concert debut with OSL in 1991 at Lincoln Center. Since then, he has become one of the most sought-after conductors in the United States. He last shared the stage with OSL at Caramoor in 2007. Over the past two decades Gil Shaham has been a regular presence with OSL at Caramoor, performing as guest artist on numerous occasions.

OSL's second symphonic performance at Caramoor will mark the much-anticipated debut of Pablo Heras-Casado as its new Principal Conductor. On July 15, 2012, Heras-Casado will lead the orchestra in a program of music by Beethoven and Ravel. Renowned pianist Emanuel Ax will perform as soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3-his first performance with OSL at Caramoor in 25 years.

An artist of uncommon depth and range, Heras-Casado first performed with OSL at Caramoor in 2011. "It was last summer that I fell in love with Orchestra of St. Luke's, and I can't wait to perform with them again," he said. "St. Luke's was formed at Caramoor, and I am proud to have also had my start with the orchestra there."

Speaking about pianist Emanuel Ax, Heras-Casado said: "He is a very deep and honest artist. Everything is about music, and making music together. He can give any piece an intimate, chamber music feeling."

As part of the Bel Canto at Caramoor series, OSL will perform two semi-staged operas under the baton of Will Crutchfield. The two-concert series begins with Gioachino Rossini's Ciro in Babilonia on July 7, 2012-a lesser-known opera that displays the 19th century interest in operatic stories from the Old Testament. Renowned contralto Ewa Podle? will perform the leading role of Ciro in the story of the overthrow of the Babylonian king Belshazzar.

The second Bel Canto program will be Vincenzo Bellini's setting of the Romeo and Juliet story, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, on July 21, 2012. Based on the same ancient Italian sources that Shakespeare used, the opera features the gorgeous language of Italian bel canto with a stellar, young cast.

On July 4, 2012, OSL will perform another of its popular Independence Day programs-this year featuring music by George Gershwin with pianist John Musto, and vocalists Darius DeHaas and Carla Jablonski. Fireworks will immediately follow the performance.