Carnegie Hall Announces 2010-2011 Season

Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director, today announced Carnegie Hall's 2010-2011 season, consisting of 180 performances and extensive educational programs, featuring collaborations with many of the world's greatest musicians and ensembles from the worlds of classical, pop, jazz, and world music, with concerts presented on Carnegie Hall's three stages and throughout New York City. A major highlight of Carnegie Hall's new season will be JapanNYC, an ambitious two-part citywide festival, led by Artistic Director Seiji Ozawa, exploring the incredible diversity of Japan's arts and culture with more than 40 events at Carnegie Hall and New York partner institutions in December 2010 and spring 2011.

Mr. Gillinson also announced extended Carnegie Hall residencies by a number of acclaimed artists, representing different musical genres, including two new Perspectives series of artist-curated programs with singer/songwriter James Taylor and with renowned violinist Christian Tetzlaff, and a season-long residency by composer/pianist Brad Mehldau as holder of the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall-the first jazz artist to hold this position since it was established in 1995. Among other major highlights: Musicians from Norway's Risør Chamber Music Festival will give four performances at Carnegie Hall next season, led by festival co-artistic directors, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and violist Lars Anders Tomter.

"Collaboration is at the heart of our programming philosophy for the 2010-2011 season," said Mr. Gillinson. "We're focused on bringing the world's finest artists and ensembles to Carnegie Hall's stages, and giving them a platform on which to express themselves, developing interesting programs that stimulate, engage, and delight audiences. Through creative partnerships with other leading cultural institutions, community partners, and educators, we seek to reach even further, finding new ways to spark the curiosity of arts-lovers and working tirelessly to ensure that people have access to great music of all genres as part of their daily lives. Whether it's through our citywide festival, fascinating Perspectives series with extraordinary artists, adventurous programs at Carnegie Hall and community venues, or creative learning projects and educational programs in the schools, we hope that this season encourages people to stretch and expand their musical horizons. How wonderful that 120 years after its doors first opened, we celebrate that Carnegie Hall not only continues to be the home of the best in music, but also an alive and vital place for all to enjoy."

Carnegie Hall launches its 2010-2011 season on September 29 with a gala all-Beethoven concert featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Pianist Lang Lang joins the orchestra on Opening Night for a program that includes Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 7. The concert will be recorded by Thirteen/WNET for later national broadcast on the PBS television series Great Performances. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra will perform three additional concerts during Carnegie Hall's opening week, appearing once more under the direction of Mr. Harnoncourt and twice under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins the orchestra as soloist for the week's fourth and final concert.

Carnegie Hall first opened its doors on May 5, 1891. The Hall will celebrate its 120th anniversary with gala concerts on April 12 by James Taylor paying tribute to Carnegie Hall's history, followed on May 5 by the New York Philharmonic and Music Director Alan Gilbert, vocalist Audra McDonald, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Gil Shaham, and pianist Emanuel Ax, performing a program of Beethoven, Dvo?ák, Ellington, and Gershwin.

Spring for Music, a new and innovative annual festival of concerts by North American orchestras, presented in partnership with Carnegie Hall, will make its debut in May 2011. For the inaugural festival, seven orchestras have been selected to present one concert each at Carnegie Hall over nine days from May 6 through 14, 2011: Albany Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Oregon Symphony, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Toledo Symphony. Programs will be announced in early 2011.

In New York, JapanNYC launches in December 2010 with Maestro Seiji Ozawa conducting three Carnegie Hall concerts by the Saito Kinen Orchestra, resident ensemble of the prestigious annual Japanese festival that Mr. Ozawa founded in 1984 to honor the memory of his beloved teacher, the conductor and influential educator Hideo Saito; pianist Mitsuko Uchida joins Saito Kinen as soloist for one performance. The festival will pay tribute to the late T?ru Takemitsu, considered by many to be Japan's greatest composer and also a close colleague of Mr. Ozawa's, with three performances in December on consecutive evenings, including a performance of his orchestral work November Steps by the Saito Kinen Orchestra, a concert of traditional Japanese music at Columbia University, and a Zankel Hall performance featuring improvisations on Takemitsu's film music, curated by the composer's daughter, Maki.

Four free Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts, presented by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute in partnership with community venues throughout New York City in the spring, will invite audiences to experience a diverse range of Japanese artists, including Taiko drumming group Soh Daiko; shamisen players Yutaka Oyama and Masahiro Nitta; and Line C3 Percussion Group in a program of works by Tokyo-based composers and New York composers influenced by Japan.

For more information about upcoming events at Carnegie Hall, visit their website at carnegiehall.org.

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