Andris Nelsons to Make BSO Music Director Debut Leading Gala Program, 9/27

On Saturday, September 27, at 8 p.m., the Boston Symphony Orchestra will shine a welcoming spotlight on Andris Nelsons as he makes his highly anticipated debut as BSO Music Director leading a gala program filled with works and guest artists that have inspired his musical life. When Mr. Nelsons takes on the title of BSO Music Director on September 27, at age 35, he will be the youngest conductor to hold that title with the orchestra in over 100 years. The fifteenth music director since the Boston Symphony Orchestra's founding in 1881, Mr. Nelsons is also the first Latvian-born conductor to assume the post.

The concert will be recorded for national PBS telecast on Great Performances by THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Further details about the telecast will be announced at a later date.

In an evening of operatic and orchestral showpieces on September 27, Mr. Nelsons opens his first concert as BSO music director with the overture to Wagner'sTannhäuser-the first live opera Nelsons ever heard as a child and the work that would set him on the path of becoming a conductor-putting a special focus on this exciting new collaboration between conductor and orchestra. That focus on the orchestra and its new conductor continues with Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, which also features the highly acclaimed singer Krist?ne Opolais; the Intermezzo from Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, and Respighi's resplendent Pines of Rome, which will bring the program to an end.

The opera portion of the evening will feature the great tenor Jonas Kaufmannalong with Ms. Opolais-two artists with whom Mr. Nelsons frequently collaborates-in a performance of the famous duet "Tu, tu, amore? Tu?" from Puccini's Manon Lescaut. Each singer will also take center stage for solo arias, with Ms. Opolais singing the moving Italian aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" from Catalani's La Wally. When Mr. Kaufmann returns to the stage he will sing two beloved selections for tenor: the title character's magical third-act narrative, "In fernem Land," from Wagner's Lohengrin, and the moving aria, "Mamma, quel vino è generoso," from Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana.

GALA DINNER PARTY IN HONOR OF ANDRIS NELSONS ON SEPTEMBER 23
On Tuesday, September 23, a brass fanfare will herald the start of an extraordinary gala dinner party in honor of Andris Nelsons. This celebratory occasion will take place in festively adorned Symphony Hall, with an evening richly programmed to reflect this momentous time in the storied history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1881. One of the leading sopranos of our time, Krist?ne Opolais, will join Mr. Nelsons, her husband, for this special gala welcoming them both to the Boston community. The event, which is intended as a surprise for Mr. Nelsons and Krist?ne Opolais, will feature many contrasting musical elements, including a unique fanfare composed especially for the occasion, as well as performances by a small ensemble of BSO musicians, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Boston Children's Chorus. Guests will also be invited to dance to the music of the Boston Pops Swing Band, conducted by Bo Winiker.

The gala dinner, prepared by Chef Daniel Boulud of Bar Boulud, Boston, which opens September 16 in the Mandarin Oriental, will feature a local lobster salad with kaffir lime, watermelon, scallion, red curry, and coconut as an appetizer; a main course of Coq au Vin with button mushrooms, pearl onion, smoked carrot, and Cavetteli red wine jus; and the Bar Boulud sundae, featuring goat milk sorbet, fig, raspberry, and pistachio financier for dessert. Canapés include Mini Croque Monsieur, Gougères, Truffé Arancini, DB Smoked Salmon Mille Feuille, Classic Beef Tartar, and Vadouvan Ahi Tuna.

ANDRIS NELSONS LEADS TEN PROGRAMS IN 2014-15 SEASON
For his first full season as BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons leads performances that feature an eclectic offering of music and an impressive lineup of guest artists, and presenting programs that illuminate touchstone moments in his life as a musician, from his youngest days as a child in Riga, to his present-day stature as one of the world's most sought-after conductors.

In what promises to be a special occasion for BSO audiences, Mr. Nelsons' first week of subscription concerts, October 1-3, showcases the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring three major symphonic masterworks: Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, Bartók's Miraculous Mandarin Suite, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Pathétique.

THREE PROGRAMS, NOVEMBER 6-22, FOCUS ON ANDRIS NELSONS' ROOTS AS A MUSICIAN AND SPOTLIGHT HIS FREQUENT COLLABORATORS
When Andris Nelsons returns to the BSO podium, November 6-22, he will lead three programs including works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Sibelius, and Tchaikovsky, putting a special focus on the rich Slavic and Scandinavian music traditions and offering audiences a glimpse into the repertoire that has made such a deep imprint on the conductor, from his early life as a student of music to his current life leading performances worldwide. In addition, Mr. Nelsons will bring to the Symphony Hall stage several of his favorite frequent collaborators, including Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger and Latvian musicians violinist Baiba Skride and composer ?riks Ešenvalds-all important members of his ever-growing musical family.

On November 6, 7, 8, and 11, Mr. Nelsons brings Latvian violinist Baiba Skride to the BSO for a performance of preeminent Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina's masterful Offertorium, on a program closing with Sibelius's majestic Second Symphony. The following week, November 13, 14, 15, and 18, Mr. Nelsons welcomes his frequent collaborator, Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger, for the American premiere of Australian composer Brett Dean's Trumpet Concerto, Dramatis personae, a title that refers to the varied characters the composer associates with the instrument. This program opens with Tchaikovsky's Hamlet and closes with Stravinsky's monumental TheRite of Spring.

[[Yo-Yo Ma (photo by Hilary Scott)]] The third program in this series, November 20, 21, and 22, opens with John Harbison's Koussevitzky Said: for chorus and orchestra, a musical tribute to one of the BSO's legendary music directors, the Russian-born Serge Koussevitzky, and originally composed for Tanglewood's 75th anniversary season in 2012. Following the Harbison work, Maestro Nelsons, the BSO, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus will present the world premiere of a new work for chorus and orchestra by Latvian composer ?riks Ešenvalds, a co-commission from the BSO and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, where Maestro Nelsons will have served as music director from 2008 to 2015. Yo-Yo Ma joins Maestro Nelsons and the BSO for the opening work on the second half of the program, Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto for cello and orchestra, which will be followed by Rachmaninoff's The Bells, a choral symphony the composer considered one of his own favorite works. Soloists for the Rachmaninoff include Czechoslovakian tenor Pavel ?ernochand Lithuanian baritone Kostas Smoriginas, both being previous collaborators of Mr. Nelsons, as well as Russian soprano Victoria Yastrebova, with whom Mr. Nelsons will work for the first time; all three will be making their BSO debuts.

ANDRIS NELSONS TO LEAD THE BSO IN SOME OF HIS FAVORITE WORKS FROM THE CORE GERMAN-AUSTRIAN REPERTOIRE, JANUARY 8-17, 2015
Maestro Nelsons brings a special focus to some works close to his heart from the core German-Austrian music tradition, January 8-17, with two BSO programs of music by Brahms, Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart, and Strauss. These programs will also showcase two artists with whom Mr. Nelsons frequently collaborates: cellistGautier Capuçon and pianist Lars Vogt.

Brahms's Haydn Variations opens the first of these programs, January 8, 9, and 10, followed by Haydn's Symphony No. 90 and Strauss's Don Quixote, with cellist Gautier Capuçon and BSO principal viola Steven Ansell. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24, with soloist Lars Vogt, is paired with Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 for Mr. Nelsons' program of January 15, 16, and 17.

ANDRIS NELSONS LEADS THE BSO IN THREE ORCHESTRAL MASTERWORKS AND A NEW WORK BY MICHAEL GANDOLFI, MARCH 26-APRIL 14, 2015; NELSONS TO LEAD BSO AT CARNEGIE HALL APRIL 15-17, 2015
For his final series of programs in his first season as the BSO's new music director, Mr. Nelsons will lead three orchestral masterworks, the world premiere of a new work by Michael Gandolfi, and the Boston premiere of a recent work by Gunther Schuller premiered by the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra during the 2012 Tanglewood season. These programs will mark the first time Mr. Nelsons will conduct works by Mr. Gandolfi and Mr. Schuller.

Acclaimed French organist Olivier Latry joins Maestro Nelsons and the BSO for the world premiere of a new work for organ and orchestra by Mr. Gandolfi, composed in memory of former BSO organist Berj Zamkochian, to open the orchestra's program of March 26, 27, 28, and 31, which will conclude with Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 6. On April 2, 3, and 4, Christian Tetzlaff is the soloist for Beethoven's Violin Concerto, on a program with Shostakovich's dramatic Symphony No. 10. Gunther Schuller's Dreamscape opens Maestro Nelsons' final program of the season, April 9, 10, 11, and 14, which will also feature Richard Goode in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, and Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. Maestro Nelsons and the BSO will bring these three programs to Carnegie Hall-except for the Gandolfi work, due to the lack of a concert organ at Carnegie Hall-for performances on April 15, 16, and 17.

ANDRIS NELSONS TO LEAD BSO IN AN 8-CITY 2015 SUMMER TOUR TO MAJOR EUROPEAN MUSIC CAPITALS INCLUDING BERLIN, COLOGNE, LONDON, LUCERNE, PARIS, AND SALZBURG
In late August/early September 2015, Andris Nelsons and the BSO will be featured in an 8-city tour to major European capitals, including Berlin, Cologne, London, and Paris, as well as the Lucerne and Salzburg festivals. Further details about the tour will be announced at a later date.

ANDRIS NELSONS AND THE BSO AT TANGLEWOOD IN 2015
Mr. Nelsons will be in residency at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for three weeks during the 2015 season. In addition to several programs with the BSO, Maestro Nelsons will lead the Tanglewood Music Center in Mahler's Symphony No. 8, "Symphony of a Thousand," as part of a summer-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Tanglewood Music Center, the BSO's prestigious summer music academy founded by former BSO music director (1924-49) Serge Koussevitzky in 1940.

Subscriptions for the BSO's 2014-15 season are available by calling the BSO Subscription Office at 888-266-7575 or online through the BSO's website (http://www.bso.org/subscriptions). Single tickets, priced from $30-$135 (tickets to the sold out September 27 gala are priced differently, with information about this available at 888-266-1200), may be purchased by phone through SymphonyCharge (617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200), online through the BSO's website (www.bso.org), or in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston). There is a $6.25 service fee for all tickets purchased online or by phone through SymphonyCharge.

The BSO's <40=$20 program allows patrons under the age of 40 to purchase tickets for $20. The BSO College Card and High School Card are the best way for students and aspiring young musicians to experience the BSO on a regular basis. A limited number of Rush Tickets for Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons are set aside to be sold on the day of a performance. The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers groups advanced ticket reservations and flexible payment options for BSO concerts at Symphony Hall.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra's extensive website, BSO.org, is the largest and most-visited orchestral website in the country, receiving approximately 7 million visitors annually and generating over $92 million in revenue since its launch in 1996. The site's Media Center consolidates its numerous new media initiatives in one location, including audio concert preview podcasts; Emmy Award-winning interviews with guest artists and BSO musicians; concert program notes; WGBH radio broadcast streams of select BSO, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood performances; and all self-produced albums by the BSO, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Tanglewood Music Center Fellows. BSO.org is now accessible in a smart phone-/mobile device-friendly format, where patrons can access performance schedules, purchase tickets and pre-performance food and beverages, access the BSO's new media content, and make donations to the BSO - all in the palm of their hand. BSO.org also launched eTicketing and Print-at-Home tickets, making it easier for patrons attending a concert to access their tickets at home or on their smartphones. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is on Facebook at Facebook.com/BostonSymphony on Twitter at Twitter.com/BostonSymphony, and on Google+ at Google.com/+bostonsymphony. Video content from the BSO is also available at YouTube.com/BostonSymphony.

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