Vienna Philharmonic Returns to Carnegie Hall, 2/24

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall this February for three concerts on consecutive evenings in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. During each of the three concerts, the orchestra highlights the music of Franz Schubert, beginning with the overture to Die Zauberharfe on its opening program on Friday, February 24 at 8:00 p.m., which is heard alongside Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 and the United States premiere of René Staar'sTime Recycling. Alongside his work as a composer, Mr. Staar is a longtime violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder joins the orchestra and Mr. Welser-Möst on Saturday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m. as soloist in Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor. Also on the program is Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony No. 8 and Bartók's The Miraculous Mandarin Suite.

The Vienna Philharmonic's third concert on Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m. concludes the orchestra's residency with Mr. Welser-Möst conducting Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 and Schubert's "Great" Symphony No. 9 in C Major. This concert is being broadcast live on Classical 105.9 FM WQXR, and streamed on wqxr.org and carnegiehall.org/wqxr as part of the Carnegie Hall Liveseries. It will be heard later on radio stations across the country through the WFMT Radio Network.

In advance of their three concerts at Carnegie Hall, musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra will lead a private master class on Thursday, February 23 in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing, working with alumni of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.

About the Artists
Rudolf Buchbinder is one of today's most pre-eminent performers. For more than fifty years, he has appeared in concerts all over the world with the most renowned orchestras and conductors. Having recently celebrated his 70th birthday, this season takes him on tours with the Vienna Philharmonic under the batons of Zubin Mehta and Franz Welser-Möst, as well as concerts with the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Berlin Philharmonic led by Christian Thielemann. At the invitation of Mariss Jansons, Mr. Buchbinder is Artist in Residence with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.

Rudolf Buchbinder has documented his broad artistic range-with repertoire from Bach to contemporary music-with more than one hundred recordings, many of which have won awards. He is especially known for his interpretations of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven. To date, he has performed Beethoven's complete cycle of sonatas more than fifty times in places including Berlin, Buenos Aires, Dresden, Milan, Beijing, St. Petersburg, Zurich, and four times each in Vienna and Munich. In 2014, he became the first pianist ever to perform the complete Beethoven sonatas during one summer season at the Salzburg Festival, a cycle that was recorded live and released on DVD.

Rudolf Buchbinder has been the artistic director of the Grafenegg festival since its founding in 2007. Under his leadership, it has developed into one of Europe's foremost festivals for orchestral music. He has published two books: his autobiography Da Capo, as well as My Beethoven-Life With the Master.

Franz Welser-Möst is one of the most distinguished conductors of our day. He has been music director of The Cleveland Orchestra since 2002 and his contract currently runs until 2022. From 2010 to 2014, Maestro Welser-Möst was general music director of the Vienna State Opera. In addition to cultivating the entire operatic repertoire, he notably conducted twentieth-century works such as Janá?ek's Ká?a Kabanová, From the House of the Dead and The Cunning Little Vixen, as well as Hindemith's Cardillac. In Vienna and Cleveland, he has focused on the operas of Richard Strauss and conducted performances of Salome, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Arabella.

Maestro Welser-Möst makes regular appearances at the Salzburg Festival. After triumphant successes with Rusalka, Der Rosenkavalier, and Fidelio, he conducted a new production of Richard Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae in 2016, and, having worked with the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 2009, he conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden there in 2017.

As a guest conductor, Franz Welser-Möst has developed a particularly close and productive relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic. He has twice appeared on the podium at the New Year's Concert and conducts the orchestra regularly in subscription concerts at the Musikverein, as well as in Lucerne, at the BBC Proms, and on tour in Scandinavia, Japan, and the US. This special relationship was recognized in spring 2014 when he was presented with the orchestra's Ring of Honour. Maestro Welser-Möst has received many other honors and awards, while his numerous CDs and DVDs have been awarded many international prizes.

There is perhaps no other musical ensemble more consistently and closely associated with the history and tradition of European classical music than the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this season. Since its inception by Otto Nicolai in 1842, the fascination that the orchestra has held for prominent composers and conductors, as well as for audiences all over the world, is based not only on a homogenous musical style carefully bequeathed from one generation to the next, but also on its unique history and structure. The foremost ruling body of the organization is the orchestra itself. In accordance with Philharmonic statutes, only a member of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra can become a member of the Vienna Philharmonic. Before joining the Philharmonic, one must first audition for a position with the State Opera Orchestra and then successfully complete a three year period before becoming eligible to submit an application for membership in the association of the Vienna Philharmonic.

The Vienna Philharmonic performs approximately 110 concerts every season at home, presents Vienna Philharmonic Weeks in New York and Japan, and has participated in the Salzburg Festival since 1922. The orchestra makes yearly guest appearances in leading concert halls and festivals around the world, presents the New Year's Concert, which is broadcast internationally in over 90 countries, and presents the free Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn, which is attended annually by up to 100,000 people.

In 2014, the VPO received the coveted Birgit Nilsson Prize for outstanding achievements and major contributions to the field of opera / concert, and the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize 2014. Since 2008, Rolex is the Exclusive Sponsor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The Vienna Philharmonic's mission is to communicate the humanitarian message of music to its listeners. For over a decade, the VPO has given benefit concerts in support of humanitarian causes around the world, and since 2012, has been Goodwill Ambassador for IIASA, an international scientific institute based in Austria that conducts research into humanity's most pressing problems. The musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic endeavor to implement the motto with which Ludwig van Beethoven prefaced his Missa solemnis: "From the heart, to the heart."

Program Information
Friday, February 24, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor

Franz Schubert Overture to Die Zauberharfe
RENÉ STAAR Time Recycling (US Premiere)
Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40

Sponsored by Deloitte LLP
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Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor
Rudolf Buchbinder, Piano

JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"
BÉLA BARTÓK The Miraculous Mandarin Suite
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Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor

Arnold Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944, "Great"

This concert is being broadcast live on Classical 105.9 FM WQXR, and streamed on wqxr.org andcarnegiehall.org/wqxr as part of the Carnegie Hall Live series. It will be heard later on radio stations across the country through the WFMT Radio Network.
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These concerts are made possible, in part, by the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation.

The Vienna Philharmonic Residency at Carnegie Hall is made possible by a leadership gift from the Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation.

Rolex is the Exclusive Partner of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information Tickets, priced $73-$250, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org. For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m.Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer. In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.

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