The Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo Makes its New York Debut on 5/2, Tour to Follow

The Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo, one of Japan's foremost chamber orchestras, will make its New York debut on Wednesday, May 2 at 7:30 pm at Alice Tully Hall. Conductor Thierry Fischer will lead the orchestra in popular works by Mozart and Beethoven, including Mozart's Overture from Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22 with pianist Yu Kosuge, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major "Eroica."

Tickets, priced at $35 and $20, are available at the Alice Tully Hall box office, by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 and online at www.lincolncenter.org. Proceeds from the concert will be donated to music activities in the areas affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

The concert is part of Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo's 2012 U.S. tour, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Japan's gift of the cherry blossom trees to Washington D.C. and New York. Additional concerts will take place at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia on Friday, April 27; the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 29 as part of the 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival; and the Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge on Tuesday, May 1.

The Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo (KST) was founded in 1995 as the resident chamber orchestra of Kioi Hall, built to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Nippon Steel Corporation. The ensemble is comprised of leading soloists, chamber artists and principal players from orchestras throughout Japan. The ensemble performs five programs over ten subscription concerts annually, with many of the world's most notable artists appearing with the ensemble. This season at Kioi Hall, the ensemble will be led by conductors Jean-Pierre Wallez, Rolf Beck, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Stefan Sanderling, with pianist Eric Le Sage, soprano Agata Wilewska, and violinist Barnabás Kelemen appearing as soloists. Violinist Rainer Honeck and cellist Mario Brunello will also play/conduct with the orchestra. The KST has released five recordings showcasing a wide range of repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary on the Exton Hybrid, Avex, RCA and BIS labels.

The KST has previously toured Europe with performances in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Following the concert in the Netherlands, the Eindhovens Dagblad wrote "The Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo…showed an extraordinary sample of orchestral playing; something that for us in Western Europe is difficult to match…They can play everything, these Japanese musicians. One also would want to hear them play everything, simply because one is curious to hear to which heights they can elevate a piece of music."

Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer will make his Kioi Sinfonietta Orchestra debut. He is Music Director of the Utah Symphony Orchestra, where he has instituted a major commissioning program. 2011-2012 is his sixth and final season as Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and from 2008-2011 he was Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic, making his Suntory Hall debut in May 2010. He is a regular guest with the London Sinfonietta and has also conducted, the Ensemble Modern, Orchestre of the Age of Enlightenment, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, SWR Baden Baden, Berlin Konzerthausorchester and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, among others. This season he returns to the Netherlands Radio Chamber and Scottish Chamber orchestras and debuts with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Orchestre National de Belgique and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Fischer's conducting career began when he was in his 30's, directing his first few concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe where he was Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado. Fischer became Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra 2001-2006.

Pianist Yu Kosuge will also make her KST debut. With her superlative technique, sensitivity of touch and profound understanding of the music she plays, Ms. Kosuge has attracted international attention. She has performed in recital and with orchestras since early childhood and made her debut when she was nine years old with the Tokyo New City Orchestra. At the age of ten, she moved to Europe to pursue her studies and has since performed all over the world. Her Carnegie Hall debut recital was met with acclaim, with critics praising her "acutely poetic sensibility…wit, drama, and effulgent lyricism." She regularly performs with major Japanese orchestras and has worked with many of the leading European orchestras as well. Her recordings on the Sony label include Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto with Mito Chamber Orchestra led by Seiji Ozawa and selections from Songs Without Words, Liszt's 12 Etudes d´execution transcendante, Chopin's Preludes and Nocturnes; Mozart's Piano Concertos, Fantasie and Live at Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information is below:

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY

Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo
Thierry Fischer, conductor
Yu Kosuge, piano

Mozart: Overture from Le Nozze di Figaro, KV 492
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, KV 482
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 "Eroica"

Tickets priced at $35 and $20 are available at the Alice Tully Hall box office, by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 and online at www.lincolncenter.org.

Additional tour dates:

Friday, April 27, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts: Verizon Hall Philadelphia, PA
For tickets, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.kimmelcenter.org

Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Cherry Blossom Music Festival
Concert is free of charge. Admittance is on a first-come, first seated basis.
For further information, call 212-842-6941

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Sanders Theatre, Harvard University Cambridge, MA
For tickets, call 617-696-2222 or visit www.boxoffice.harvard.edu