Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to Perform Bach & More in Free Central Park Concert

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is featured in a free outdoor concert at Central Park's historic Naumburg Bandshell on Tuesday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m., presented by Naumburg Orchestral Concerts and hosted by WQXR's Annie Bergen.

The orchestra performs J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6. Showcasing the many aspects of the Baroque concerto form, these staple of the Orpheus repertoire exude a spirit of cheerfulness and joy. Also on the program is Christopher Theofanidis' Muse which was commissioned and premiered by Orpheus in 2007 as part of its New Brandenburgs project, and inspired by Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.

Following the Central Park concert, on Thursday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m., Orpheus travels to Winona, Minnesota to perform the same four Brandenburg Concertos (Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6) as part of the Minnesota Beethoven Festival at Winona State University.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is also pleased to announce that violinist Miho Saegusa has been added to its musician roster. Saegusa, who enjoys a multifaceted career as a versatile chamber musician, orchestral leader, and soloist, has performed and toured with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra previously.

"I am thrilled to join the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra," said Ms. Saegusa. "I love the energy and intimacy of chamber orchestras and being part of Orpheus is a longtime dream come true for me."

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Orpheus Chamber Orchestra 2017 Summer Program Information:

Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park
South of Bethesda Terrace between 66th and 72nd Streets

J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 C. THEOFANIDIS Muse J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047 J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050 J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051

Tickets not required; free and open to the public. More information at naumburgconcerts.org.

This performance has been made possible by a generous grant from a Naumburg Orchestra Concerts Board member.

Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Harriet Johnson Auditorium, Somsen Hall, Winona State University
175 W Mark Street
Winona, MN 55987

J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050 J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051 J.S.BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047

Tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for students and seniors, and can be purchased at the Saint Mary's University Performance Center Box Office (700 Terrace Heights), by calling 507-457-1715 (weekdays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), or by visiting the Minnesota Beethoven Festival website, mnbeethovenfestival.org.

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A standard-bearer of innovation and artistic excellence, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras. It was founded in 1972 by a group of like-minded young musicians determined to combine the intimacy and warmth of a chamber ensemble with the richness of an orchestra. With 71 albums, including the Grammy Award-winning Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures, and 45 commissioned and premiered original works, Orpheus rotates musical leadership roles and strives to perform diverse repertoire through collaboration and open dialogue. Performing without a conductor, Orpheus presents an annual series at Carnegie Hall and tours extensively to major national and international venues.

Orpheus has trademarked its signature mode of operation, the Orpheus Process, an original method that places democracy at the center of artistic execution. It has been the focus of studies at Harvard University and of leadership seminars at IBM, Morgan Stanley, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, among others. Two unique education and engagement programs, Access OrpheusTM and Orpheus Institute, aim to bring this approach to students of all ages.

Access OrpheusTM shares the orchestra's collaborative music-making process with public school students from all five boroughs in New York City. Due to declining resources for arts education, many public schools do not have access to full-time arts teachers to provide music instruction and exposure to art and culture. Access OrpheusTM helps to bridge this gap with in- class visits, attendance at Working Rehearsals, masterclasses with guest artists, Instrument Discovery Days, and free tickets for performances at Carnegie Hall.

Orpheus Institute brings the Orpheus Process and the orchestra's musicians to select colleges, universities, conservatories, and businesses to work directly with leaders of tomorrow. Corporate employees and students in all fields of study learn from Orpheus' creative process and in areas of collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, and shared leadership. In the coming seasons, Orpheus will continue to share its leadership methods and performance practices as the ensemble provides audiences with the highest level of musicianship and programming.

Violinist Miho Saegusa, a versatile chamber musician and orchestral leader, has built a multifaceted career that allows her to cherish the spirit of collaboration with a deep commitment to musical integrity. She is a founding member of the Aizuri Quartet, which has been named the 2017-2018 Quartet-in-Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Quartet is a prizewinner of the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in London and has been in residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and the Curtis Institute of Music. Recent highlights include performances at the Kennedy Center, Women's Musical Club of Toronto, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Wolf Trap, and Schneider Concerts in New York City.

Ms. Saegusa's passion for chamber music was ignited and nurtured through memorable summers at the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Steans Institute, and Music@Menlo as well as on tours with Musicians from Marlboro. She has collaborated with venerated musicians such as Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Arnold Steinhardt, David Soyer, and Miriam Fried.

For five seasons, Ms. Saegusa served as Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and has been a guest with A Far Cry, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and NOVUS. Since 2001, Ms. Saegusa has been a member of IRIS Orchestra, where she held the Isaac Stern Concertmaster Chair on numerous occasions.

Ms. Saegusa has been featured as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, IRIS Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Concert Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and the Yale Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Kitakyushu, Japan, Ms. Saegusa has played the violin since the age of five. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, and completed graduate work at The Juilliard School, earning her Master of Music and Artist Diploma.

Image at top of release by Ken Nahoum