James Judd Named New Music Director of The Little Orchestra Society

After an extensive international search, The Little Orchestra Society is excited to announce the appointment of James Judd as its new Music Director, effective June 1st. Mr. Judd will work closely with The Little Orchestra Society's Executive Director Joanne Bernstein-Cohen and its Board to advance the Orchestra's mission of producing innovative and extraordinary classical music programming for audiences of all ages. Mr. Judd becomes only the third Music Director of The Little Orchestra Society in its 65-year history.

Mr. Judd has appeared with renowned orchestras all over the world and will bring his exceptional talent, artistic vision and creative leadership to New York as he takes the helm of The Little Orchestra Society just in time for its exciting 2013-14 season. The season combines music, dance, puppetry and storytelling with audience interaction. Mr. Judd's first performance with the Orchestra will be conducting Music Under the Big Top, a special evening concert for audiences of all ages taking place in the ring of the beloved New York institution, the Big Apple Circus.

In the 2013-2014 season, Mr. Judd is scheduled to conduct the Happy Concerts performances of a new version of Hansel and Gretel featuring music by Engelbert Humperdinck and libretto by Craig Shemin; The Composer is Dead featuring a libretto by popular children's author Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) with music by Nathaniel Stookey; and the New York premiere of Embrace by composer Kenji Bunch at Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Judd will also bring his special programmatic approach to the brand new Lolli-Pops programs Bach, Beethoven & Brahms and the Orchestra's unique version of Peter and the Wolf at The Kaye Playhouse (see attached calendar).

Charismatic British-born Mr. Judd served for eight years as the Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, bringing the orchestra a new level of visibility and international renown through appearances at the 2000 Summer Sydney Olympics Arts Festival, the 2003 Auckland International Arts Festival, the Osaka Festival of International Orchestras, as well as a specially televised Millennium concert with Kiri Te Kanawa as soloist.

Prior to that, as Music Director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for 14 years, he established himself as an orchestra builder-growing what were once severAl Small, regional ensembles into the largest performing arts organization in the state. During his tenure, Mr. Judd led the Orchestra in its recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 1. The Mahler recording debuted to international acclaim, receiving the Gold Medal from France's Diapason and the Toblacher Komponierhauschen Award at the Salzburg Festival for the best new Mahler recording of the year.

Commenting on the work which lies ahead, James Judd said, "It's an inspiring opportunity to be invited to work with the musicians, Joanne Bernstein-Cohen and the whole highly talented Little Orchestra Society team to continue and expand the work of this unique organization. There is a highly impressive history to build on-and a look at the list of artists, composers, first performances and concerts since 1947 gives a picture of how well the Orchestra has educated, enlightened and enriched audiences of all ages. I feel privileged to be invited to dream and help shape the future."

"As we searched for a Music Director who could bring new vision and artistic leadership to our programs, it became clear that James Judd and the Orchestra were an excellent match. Mr. Judd shares our passion for innovative programming, our love of engaging audiences both young and old, and our important commitment to music education and community engagement. We are confident that he will help grow The Little Orchestra Society's unique productions and programs and build on the Orchestra's rich history," said Joanne Bernstein-Cohen, Executive Director.

The Little Orchestra Society's Musical Connections: The School Partnership ProgramTM, which brings music education into public school classrooms throughout New York City, will be buoyed by Mr. Judd's experience and input. In 2008, Mr. Judd founded the Miami Music Project which provides education, instruction and performance opportunities for hundreds of children, based on the "El Sistema" model.

Carol Schaefer, a Co-Chair of The Little Orchestra Society Board, said, "We are thrilled to welcome James Judd. The Orchestra's experience working with Mr. Judd as a guest conductor in the past truly showcased his musicianship, terrific work with the Orchestra, and ability to inspire audiences of all ages."

Bill Ohlemeyer, a Co-Chair of The Little Orchestra Society Board, said, "The Little Orchestra has a remarkable 65 year legacy and is an essential part of New York's cultural tapestry. Our new Music Director, James Judd, brings with him the experience, passion and vision that will help the Orchestra continue our tradition of innovation, education and entertainment well into the 21st century."

About James Judd

British conductor James Judd's music directorships have included Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Lille in France and a groundbreaking 14 years as Music Director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. During his eight years as Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony, Judd garnered acclaim for his recordings with the orchestra, including works by Copland, Bernstein, Vaughan Williams, Gershwin and many others. He brought the orchestra to international renown through appearances at many festivals, and led the orchestra on its first tour of the major concert halls of Europe, culminating with the BBC Proms and the Concertgebouw.

James Judd's live recordings of Mahler's Symphonies No. 9 with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and No. 10 with the European Community Youth Orchestra were enthusiastically received, and his performance of Elgar's Symphony No. 1 with the Hallé Orchestra is still a highly regarded reference standard among conductors today. The most recent addition to his discography is a recording with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on the Decca label.

Mr. Judd came to international attention as the assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra at the invitation of Lorin Maazel. Four years later, he returned to Europe after being appointed Associate Music Director of the European Community Youth Orchestra by Claudio Abbado, an ensemble which he continues to serve as honorary Artistic Director.

Since that time, James Judd has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, conducted in the great halls of Europe including the Salzburg Mozarteum and Vienna's Musikverein, and made guest appearances with such prestigious ensembles as the Vienna Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, Prague Symphony, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Monte Carlo Symphony Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Flemish Radio Orchestra, and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. In the Far East, he works regularly with Tokyo's NHK Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic.

Dedication to the development of young musicians and a passionate belief in the transformative power of music have inspired James Judd to make an important place in his life for this work. Since 2007 he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Asian Youth Orchestra, an ensemble of the most gifted musicians from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. For more than twenty years the AYO has brought these young musicians across political, social and religious boundaries to perform with some of the finest conductors and soloists in the world. His highly successful Miami Music Project, which he founded in 2008, uses music on El Sistema lines as an instrument for social transformation, enabling children to achieve their full potential while positively influencing their society through the study and performance of music.

James Judd is the co-founder of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, which he led on tours throughout the United States, the Far East and Europe. In North and South America he is a frequent and much admired guest conductor, having appeared with the orchestras of St. Louis, Montreal, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Seattle, Indianapolis, Utah, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

His recent performances of Holst's The Planets with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, where he replaced Mariss Jansons at short notice, brought standing ovations. Highlights of last season included concerts with the Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Evgeny Kissin as soloist, the Hungarian National Orchestra, the Beijing Symphony with Vadim Repin and the Vienna Symphony with performances of Elgar's oratorio The Dream of Gerontius.

The present season includes concerts with the Japan Virtuoso Symphony Orchestra and with the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra in Tokyo's Suntory Hall, performances with The Little Orchestra Society in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, and concerts in locations as diverse as Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Melbourne, Taipei and Puerto Rico. The forthcoming summer sees James Judd at the Istanbul Festival with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and opening the Féstival de Radio France in Montpellier with Leonard Bernstein's Mass, prior to touring Asia with his Asian Youth Orchestra.

About The Little Orchestra Society

The Little Orchestra Society, entering its 66th season, performed its inaugural concert at The Town Hall on October 20, 1947, and has since been devoted to performing innovative concerts of classical music for both adults and children. The Orchestra performs dynamic repertoire using multiple art forms with a variety of artists to create meaningful musical experiences for today's audiences.

The Orchestra's productions include the crowd-favorite Lolli-PopsTM series for children ages 3 to 5, the Peabody Award-winning Happy Concerts for Young People for children ages 6 to 12, and the adult concert series Vivaldi's Venice and Sound Discoveries, as well as Cathedral Concerts - Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome.

As the first orchestra in New York to present professional classical music concerts for children, its Happy Concerts for Young People at Avery Fisher Hall have provided over one million school children a first acquaintance with great music and have been broadcast nationwide to hundreds of thousands of homes. These concerts have won the coveted George Foster Peabody Award for outstanding and venturesome programming.

Founded in 1947 by Music Director Thomas Scherman, the Orchestra filled a crucial void in New York's cultural tapestry, offering engaging and educational classical music programs for all ages. This commitment to dynamic concert programming was refined under the late Dr. Dino Anagnost. Known for building creative, collaborative programs such as Music Takes Flight, (an aviation-themed concert that ranged from the music of Samuel Barber to Glenn Miller), Dr. Anagnost led the Orchestra from 1979 to 2011.

The Orchestra has given many important premieres, more than 65 throughout its history, and launched the careers of major musical talents in its concert programming for adult audiences. Past guest artists include iconic rock star Patti Smith as narrator in Tubby The Tuba; academy award winning actress Sigourney Weaver as narrator in Music Takes Flight; world renowned violinist Mark O'Connor in Honest Abe: Four Scores and More; violinist Lara St. John and guitarist Sharon Isbin in the critically-acclaimed Vivaldi's Venice series; cellist Matt Haimovitz also in Vivaldi's Venice and Victor Herbert's 150th Birthday Celebration; the popular children's book author Daniel Handler as Lemony Snicket narrating the New York Premiere of The Composer is Dead, and soprano Angela Meade in the exquisite Candlelight Cathedral Concerts. Lynn Redgrave, Claire Bloom, James Earl Jones, Glenn Close, and Estelle Parsons have also performed with The Little Orchestra Society.

The Little Orchestra Society is also committed to music education and public service. This year alone its public service programs, Musical Connections: The School Partnership Program, Live in Concert! and Project 65Plus brought music education and live concert experiences to 12,000 New York City public school children, families and seniors. Participants attend LOS concerts without charge. These important public service and music education programs are at the core of the Orchestra's mission and vision.

For more information, please visit www.littleorchestra.org or call 212-971-9500.

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