Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Announces 2017-18 Season at the Kimmel Center
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 17, 2017
A founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (COP) announces its 2017-2018 Season. From September 2017 through May 2018, the Chamber Orchestra will perform six programs as part of its subscription series. All six concert pairs will be performed in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater.
Building upon its 52-year history of world-class artistry, vibrant programming and innovative engagement, the 2017/18 season will represent an exciting, watershed moment for The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, featuring both an expansion of current programs and an introduction of new long-term initiatives.
17/18 marks an important year for Jazz in Philadelphia, it represents a multitude of significant anniversaries of Jazz legends with deep connections to the City, including Butch Ballard (100th), Dizzy Gillespie (100th), Gerry Mulligan (90th), Percy Heath (90th), Archie Shepp (80th), Bootsie Barnes (80th); and John Coltrane, who lived in Philadelphia from 1952-58. In partnership with the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz, COP will celebrate this landmark season with Improvisionaries: a variety of programs exploring the art of improvisation spanning the 17th through the 21st centuries, and culminating in the premiere of a new work - illuminating the immensely varied and colorful musical trajectory which furnished an essential backdrop to the birth of Jazz and fertile source of inspiration for the work of these Philadelphia-based Jazz visionaries. COP's series at the Kimmel Center will highlight the prismatic underlying tapestries of Baroque figured-bass, reprise the excitement of improvised cadenzas in Classical/Romantic concertos, explore the cross-fertilization of Jazz and Modernist composers in the 20th century, and journey into aleatoric and other contemporary improvisational models.
Executive Director Bill Rhoads adds, "inspired by the anniversaries of these Jazz icons, we have a unique opportunity to experience the oft-forgotten but incredibly varied art of improvisation in Classical music ranging from the Baroque era to the 21st century. We will also get a taste of the diverse and fascinating panoply of music that arose from the incredibly rich and fruitful dialog between Jazz and classical composers-highlighting the deep similarities and reveling in the differences between these two genres."
COP, The Clef Club of Jazz, and WRTI will be kicking off the Improvisionaries season on Thursday, September 14, 2017 with a celebration at The Clef Club of Jazz for COP and Clef Club patrons, press, media, and members of the arts community to announce our partnerships and to present an overview and preview of the season, followed by a light reception featuring players from The Clef Club of Jazz. For the Season Opening Celebration, WRTI will moderate a panel discussion and Q&A featuring COP's Executive Director, Bill Rhoads, Clef Club of Jazz' Artistic Director, Lovett Hines, COP musicians, COP's composer-in-residence, Adam Vidiksis, and other special guests.
COP's 40 Under 40 Young Friends program launches with a Season Opening Party at Bok-Bar atop the Historic Bok Vocation School in South Philadelphia. On Wednesday, September 27, 2017 from 6PM-9PM, all ages are invited to join COP for a rooftop celebration at the historic school with live music from 7PM to 8PM provided by Adam Vidiksis, COP's Concertmaster Stephan Tavani, and musicians from The Clef Club of Jazz.
Our Kimmel series begins on October 1st, 2017 featuring Norwegian rising star, Tine Thing Helseth. Hailed in 2011 by BBC as the "superstar of tomorrow", Helseth's international acclaim at a young age has taken her all over the world. This concert, entitled Haydn & Goldenthal will feature Helseth performing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in Eb with new cadenzas by Goldenthal written specifically for this performance. Helseth will present the world premiere of Academy Award-winner Elliot Goldenthal's Concerto for Trumpet and Strings. Written with Helseth in mind, Goldenthal - who is perhaps best known for his soundtracks to blockbuster films Alien 3, Batman & Robin, and Titus - will explore the relationship between a performer's artistic liberties and that of the orchestra though the partly-improvisatory musical structure of this new work.
Audience participation in the 2017-2018 season is encouraged in our second series concert featuring the music of Beethoven on November 5th and 6th, 2017 with pianist Charlie Albright. Hailed by the Washington Post as "among the most gifted musicians of his generation," Albright will perform an All-Beethoven program with improvisations on the beloved Für Elise, and in the cadenzas for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. As part of our Classical Conversations post-concert discussion on November 5th, Albright will take note requests from the audience and improvise on a theme built on the requested pitches. This concert will be conducted by Australian-born Sarah Ioannides, whose work has taken her all over the world performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Nationale de Lyon, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Flemish Radio Orchestra. Having studied conducing at The Curtis Institute of Music, this Chamber Orchestra debut marks a Philadelphia homecoming for Ioannides.
Our third series program, Mozart, Piazzolla, and John Cage will feature COP Music Director Dirk Brossé conducting in concert with flutist Mimi Stillman. Philadelphia native and the youngest wind player ever admitted to Curtis Institute of Music, Stillman will dazzle audiences with improvised Mozart and Piazzolla cadenzas, and as soloist for the U.S. premiere of Dirk Brossé's DNA in Music. COP will perform two realizations of Mozart's aleatoric work, Würfelspiel (Dice Game). In accord with Mozart's instructions and using the composer's chance algorithm, one of the two realizations were determined by the roll of the dice: one by COP patrons, and the other by Chamber Orchestra musicians. Both realizations will be constructed and orchestrated by COP's Composer-In-Residence, Adam Vidiksis. The aleatoric scores of Mozart's Würfelspiel and John Cage's Atlas Eclipticalis will be projected above the orchestra during the performance to illuminate the improvisatory aspects and unique performance challenges of these scores.
Perhaps no other composer in the history of classical music has had as profound an effect on western European musical tradition as Johann S. Bach. Historical accounts of Bach's style of improvisation on hymns and mass themes have generated schools of thought and interpretation that are perhaps more various and heavily debated than any other composer of his time. For our All-Baroque concert COP will present one of the world's leading improvisers on the keyboard, Philadelphia's Jeffery Brillhart, as he conducts and plays music of J.S. and C.P.E Bach, and Rameau. In addition to spotlighting the Baroque art of figured bass, embellishment and ornamentation, Brillhart will perform his own improvisations on themes heard in the concert as a centerpiece of the program.
COP's fifth series program at Kimmel, Mozart, Mooke, and Fauré, will feature Mozart's brilliant Symphony No. 38 "Prague." This iconic work received its first performance in Prague during one of Mozart's most successful tours to the city. The "Prague" symphony will share the program with a new commission by the trailblazing electric violist and composer Martha Mooke. Noted for her collaborations with musicians ranging from Philip Glass to David Bowie, Mooke will compose an improvisatory work in two parts - one a mirror reflection of the other. Mooke observes, "the idea of improvisation can be terrifying, especially to 'classically' trained musicians who are not used to playing without all the notes printed on a page. My motto is 'Illuminating the Creative Spirit' - this applies equally to player and listener. No two performances will be performed or perceived in the same exact way. Each one will be a uniquely shared, yet personal, experience." This series program also begins COP's annual partnership with Astral Artists, one of America's premiere incubators for rising-star classical musicians. Violist Born Lau, praised for his "immaculately refined" playing by The Philadelphia Inquirer, will perform Hummel's Fantasie improvising the cadenza (an homage to Hummel who was himself an accomplished and celebrated improviser) for this beautiful and charming work as the COP's inaugural Astral Spotlight Artist.
Philadelphia's love affair with Jazz spans over a century and the Clef Club of Jazz is very much at the center of the city's rich musical history. Our season finale concert, Bluegrass, Bernstein, and the Blues showcases acclaimed soloist and composer Mark O'Connor (spotlighting another vibrant improvised tradition) and the great musicians of the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz in what promises be a revelatory genre-defying experience. The program will celebrate the 100th anniversary of American visionary Leonard Bernstein - who described Jazz as "the ultimate common denominator of the American musical style" - with a new work inspired by Bernstein composed by fellow Curtis graduate, Dai Wei. The season-closing concert will also include the music of Jazz-great Dave Brubeck and the world premiere of a season-culminating new work for the Chamber Orchestra featuring musicians from the Clef Club of Jazz composed by Philadelphia's Adam Vidiksis, COP's Steven R. Gerber Composer-In-Residence. Special guest trumpeter and composer, Jeff Beal, will be on hand as improvising soloist to perform his famed suite House of Cards from Netflix's hit drama, House of Cards.
In 2017/2018 the Chamber Orchestra will present the third season of its newest mini-series intersect. Featuring artists and performers from our Perelman Series, intersect is a bold venture celebrating the common DNA shared by music in all its forms, showcasing COP's phenomenal musicians in collaboration with artists of diverse backgrounds and styles and presented in a casual and intimate club-setting. In addition to World Café Live in University City, this season we will present intersect at The Clef Club of Jazz and in the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center of the Performing Arts. Hosted and curated by Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, Andrew Lipke, each intersect will present genre-blurring performances and artist talks focusing on the many-facets and practices of improvisation encountered in a wide variety of musical styles.
This season will mark the beginning of a new season long partnership with the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Beginning in the 2017/2018 season, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will be orchestra-in-residence at the Annenberg Center. Christopher A. Gruits, Executive & Artistic Director of the Annenberg Center, describes the venture as "a partnership of two great Philadelphia institutions." Gruits continued, "The Annenberg Center is one of the nation's foremost urban performing arts centers and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading chamber orchestras. Both presenters are looking for new and interesting performances to bring to their audiences. We're excited to make this annual partnership a long lasting and harmonious one." COP and Annenberg Live debut their series on November 1, 2017 with Baroque Unbound: Improvisation in the Time of Bach. The program will spotlight the sophisticated, panoramic art of improvisation in chamber music of the 17th century and will include the world premiere of a new work by a Penn Graduate Student Composer, Kevin Laskey, inspired by Baroque improvisation and ornamentation. "We're thrilled about opportunities for our students, especially when they involve an ensemble of this caliber," notes Dr. Anna Weesner, head of the Department of Music at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Weesner continues, "In this case, doctoral student Kevin Laskey brings deep experience with jazz improvisation to a project that spotlights improvisation from a distant era. We look forward to further collaborations in the future." COP weaves the ethereal sounds of Telemann, Handel, and Bach into an informative, yet relaxed environment where guests are encouraged to grab a drink and settle in for an interactive performance hosted by WRTI radio personality, Debra Lew Harder. The performance will feature conversations with the performers between each piece and will conclude with a panel discussion and audience Q&A. This innovative format will define each program in the series at Annenberg Center, providing a unique, intimate musical experience that is a hallmark of all COP concerts.
The second chamber music series program, Beyond Bebop: Jazz, Classical and the Third Stream on January 31, 2018, is inspired by the rich, fruitful, and multifaceted dialogue between Jazz and Classical music spotlighting works and composers that explore and fuse elements of both genres. Featuring the world premiere of a new work by Adam Vidiksis, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia/American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence, this concert will also include the evocative and colorful music of Maurice Ravel and seminal Third Stream American composer, Gunther Schuller. WRTI's Bob Craig will be on hand to host this performance leading conversations with performers between each piece and moderating the post-performance panel discussion and Q&A.
The Chamber Orchestra's innovative and genre-defying intersect program culminates COP's inaugural chamber music series at Annenberg Center on March 28, 2018 with intersect8: Anatomy of Fusion - a fascinating look into improvisatory music that marries distinct genres into a compelling and provocative musical hybrid. Featuring local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke, intersect is a polystylistic exploration of music in all its forms. In collaboration with Music Director Dirk Brossé, every intersect concert is an innovative, multi-genre exploration of music's numerous crossroads. Audiences at intersect are encouraged to challenge their conceptions on where one genre of music ends and another begins, while enjoying an unprecedented collaborative performance in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.
Astral Artists and COP are pleased to announce a new partnership between their esteemed Philadelphia institutions. Starting in the 2017/2018 season, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will present an annual "Astral Artist Showcase" featuring an Astral Spotlight Artist as soloist in a regular series program at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. With Astral's mission as an early career incubator for rising-star classical musicians and the COP's long history of, and ongoing interest in, presenting young, up and coming soloists as a key component to its regular season, this partnership represents a natural and strategic alignment of goals for both institutions. The partnership also marks a concerted effort to expand Philadelphia's musical footprint and exposure of its wealth of musical talent in the local, national, and international musical community. Astral's Executive Director, Julia Rubio, says, "We are thrilled to collaborate with such a respected chamber orchestra and music director Dirk Brossé. This is a wonderful opportunity for our outstanding artists that also establish an important long-term and creative partnership between our organizations. We both share a common interest in providing leadership and vision for Philadelphia's classical music community."
Propelled by a generous matching grant by the Steven R. Gerber Trust and in partnership with American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter, COP will launch our first-ever joint composer-residency. Resident composer, Adam Vidiksis, will work with COP on the world premiere of several new works and arrangements, will host a series of community discussions and Q&A's, and will lead composition workshops with students from area public schools and universities. Additionally, Vidiksis will lead a new musical project with Joybells of Melmark musicians throughout the season. The project will culminate in the premiere of a new improvisatory work in a free community concert featuring the special needs musicians of Melmark and members of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia in June 2018.
COP will partner with Philadelphia's Primavera Fund to host a one-day music intensive at the Curtis Institute of Music featuring Terry Riley's seminal improvisational minimalist work, In C... During the one-day intensive Primavera students will be coached by COP musicians, will participate in a composition workshop with COP composer-in-residence Adam Vidiksis, and will present a free side-by-side concert with COP musicians led by conductor, Robert Kahn. Admission to the event will be in the form of pay-as-you-wish donations, the proceeds of which will go toward future coaching of Primavera students by COP musicians.
Since its inception as an extension of Philadelphia's black musicians' union, the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz (PCC) has served as a hub for the city's Jazz community and provided space for socializing and musical experimentation. As a core season partner, COP and PCC will present workshops, concerts, and talks throughout the 2017/2018 season. In addition to our joint season opening celebration at the Clef Club, COP and PCC will present a one-day workshop and for young Clef Club and Primavera Fund musicians. Led by COP composer-in-residence, Adam Vidiksis, Primavera and Clef Club students will work together to interpret a varied collection of graphic and textual scores. The one-day workshop will culminate in a free, pay-as-you-wish public concert at the Clef Club of Jazz. Musical scores will be displayed above the stage during the performance to give the audience a sense of the visual beauty of these manuscripts and of the unique interpretive challenges presented to these young musicians. The workshop and performance provides an insightful forum for shared discovery, spotlighting connections between musical styles for performers and audiences coming from both Jazz and Classical music traditions.
2017-2018 Season:
Improvisionaries: Season Opening Celebration
The Clef Club of Jazz
Thursday, September 14, 2017 | 7:30PM
40 Under 40 Season Opening Party
Bok-Rooftop Bar | Historic Bok Vocational School
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | 6PM-9PM | Music from 8PM-9PM
Haydn & Goldenthal
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, October 1, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, October 2, 2017 | 7:30 PM
Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet
Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in Eb
Mozart - Symphony No 31 'Paris'
Elliott Goldenthal - Concerto for Trumpet and Strings World Premiere
Bridge - Lament for string orchestra
Arnold - Serenade for small orchestra
Baroque Unbound: Improvisation in the Time of Bach
November 1, 2017
Annenberg Center Live
Debra Lew Harder, Host
Telemann - Paris Quartet No. 7 in D TWV 43:D3 for flute, violin, cello, continuo
Handel - Trio Sonata in b, Op. 2, No. 1 for flute, violin, cello and continuo
Kevin Laskey - World Premiere featuring elements of Baroque improvisation
Bach - Musical Offering in c, BWV 1079 for flute, violin and continuo
All Beethoven
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, November 5, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, November 6, 2017 | 7:30 PM
Sarah Ioannides, Conductor
Charlie Albright, Piano
Beethoven - Overture to Creatures of Prometheus
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Beethoven - Contradances, WoO 14
Beethoven - Rondo for piano and orchestra
Beethoven/Albright - Improvisation on Für Elise (piano solo)
Beethoven (arr. Cooper) - Symphony No. 10
intersect7: Improvised/Otherwise
November 29, 2017
World Café Live, University City
8:00PM Show | Doors open at 7:00PM
Mozart, Piazzolla, and John Cage
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, December 3, 2017 | 2:30 PM
Monday, December 4, 2017 | 7:30 PM
Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Mimi Stillman, Flute
Mozart (arr. Adam Vidiksis) - Würfelspiel (Dice Game) - Musician Realization - Kv516f, version one
Salieri - Sinfonia Veneziana in D
Mozart - Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major
Mozart (arr. Adam Vidiksis) - Würfelspiel (Dice Game) - Patron Realization - Kv516f, version two
Roussel - Concerto for Small Orchestra, Op. 34
Dirk Brossé - DNA in Music US Premiere
John Cage - Atlas Eclipticalis
Astor Piazzolla - Libertango
Aleatoric scores by Mozart and Cage to be projected above the stage during the performance
Improvisation Workshop
January 20, 2018
The Clef Club of Jazz
Beyond Bebop: Jazz, Classical and the Third Stream
January 31, 2018
Annenberg Center Live
Bob Craig, Host
Schuller - Densities I for clarinet, vibraphone, harp and contrabass
Ravel - Sonata for Violin and Cello
Schnyder - Haendel in Harlem for violin, clarinet and cello
Schnyder - East for violin, cello, contrabass and harp
Riley - Autumn Leaves 1965
Vidiksis - World Premiere with improvised electronics
Primavera One Day Intensive
February 3, 2018
Curtis Institute of Music
Brillhart: All Baroque
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, February 25, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, February 26, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Jeffery Brillhart, Conductor and Soloist
Rameau - Overture from Zaïs
C.P.E. Bach - Harpsichord Concerto in D minor
J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto in G
Rameau - Chaconne from Les Indes galante
Brillhart - Improvisation on themes in the program
J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto in F
J.S. Bach - Suite in D Major
intersect 8: Anatomy of Fusion
March 28, 2018
Annenberg Center Live
7:30PM Show | Doors open at 7:05PM
Andrew Lipke, Host
Mozart, Mooke, and Fauré
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, April 1, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, April 2, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Martha Mooke, Electric Viola/Composer
Born Lau, Viola Astral Spotlight Artist
Mozart - Symphony No. 38, 'Prague'
Hummel - Fantasie for Viola and Orchestra
Martha Mooke - Part 1: New work for electric viola and orchestra World Premiere
Rodrigo - Dos danzas espanolas
Fauré - Pelleas et Melisande Suite
Martha Mooke - Part 2: New work for electric viola and orchestra World Premiere
Intersect9: Technical Ecstasy
May 16, 2018
The Clef Club of Jazz
8:00PM Show | Doors open at 7:00PM
Bluegrass, Bernstein, and the Blues
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | 2:30 PM
Monday, May 21, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Mark O'Connor, Violin
Jeff Beal, Trumpet
and featuring Musicians from The Clef Club of Jazz
Dai Wei - Homage to Bernstein
Jeff Beal - House of Cards Suite
Mark O'Connor - Concerto No. 6, Old Brass
Dave Brubeck/Brossé - Blue Rondo à la Turk
Adam Vidiksis (Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence) - Concerto Grosso* World Premiere
*featuring musicians from The Clef Club of Jazz
SPECIAL EVENTS:
intersect
7:00PM Meet and Greet
8:00PM Concert
intersect is a bold venture celebrating the common DNA shared by music in all its forms and showcasing the musicians of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Led by Philadelphia singer/songwriter, composer, and producer Andrew Lipke, in collaboration with Music Director Dirk Brossé, every intersect concert is an innovative, multi-genre exploration of music's numerous crossroads. Audiences at intersect are encouraged to challenge their conceptions of where one genre of music ends and another begins, while enjoying an unprecedented collaborative performance in the relaxed, informal atmosphere of the World Café Live. In juxtaposing seemingly polar styles, intersect illuminates the intrinsic universality of musical expression.
Brunch with Brossé
October 1, 2017 | 12:30PM
December 3, 2017 | 12:30PM
April 1, 2018 | 12:30PM
May 20, 2018 | 12:30PM
Comcast Circle at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Dirk Brossé, Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Discover how Music Director Brossé brings music from the page to the stage in a roundtable discussion. Examine the musical selections featured in upcoming programs with the Maestro before Sunday performances in a conversation over brunch.
This intimate endeavor takes place in the Comcast Circle at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts prior to select Sunday performances conducted by Maestro Brossé. Cost is $40 per person, which includes brunch and your very own copy of the score. Space is limited.
Admission: $40
215.545.5451
chamberorchestra.org
Classical Conversations
Sunday Post-Concert Q&A
Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts
COP Music Director Dirk Brossé and guest artists host an informal and informative conversation and Q&A session in the Perelman Theater following all Sunday matinée performances.
Haydn & Goldenthal
October 1, 2017 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Elliot Goldenthal, Dirk Brossé, Tine Thing Helseth
All Beethoven
November 5, 2017 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Charlie Albright, Sarah Ioannides, Bill Rhoads
Mozart, Piazzolla, and John Cage
December 3, 2017 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Dirk Brossé, Mimi Stillman
Brillhart: All Baroque
February 25, 2018 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Jeffrey Brillhart, Bill Rhoads
Mozart, Mooke, and Fauré
April 1, 2018 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Dirk Brossé, Martha Mooke, Born Lau
Bluegrass, Bernstein, and the Blues
May 20, 2017 | Post-Concert
Speakers: Jeff Beal, Mark O'Connor, Dirk Brossé, Lovett Hines
Admission:
Included in Sunday's ticket
Concerts & Cocktails
Post-Concert Cocktail Hour
The PECO Bar at the Kimmel Center's Commonwealth Plaza
Immediately following every Monday series concert
This post-concert celebration, featuring cocktails crafted by Garces Group, offers patrons the opportunity to meet-and-greet with COP soloists, guest conductors, composers, and musicians.
Admission:
Included with the purchase of concert ticket
Bar:
Cash Bar
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
A founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member professional ensemble led by Music Director Dirk Brossé. The Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1964 by Marc Mostovoy, has a well-established reputation for distinguished performances of repertoire from the Baroque period through the twenty-first century.
The Chamber Orchestra's development was motivated, in part, by the desire to provide performance opportunities to young professional musicians emerging from the Curtis Institute of Music and other regional training programs, but also by a desire to make a substantial contribution to the city and the region's cultural life. In addition to presenting its own productions, the Chamber Orchestra started to develop an entrepreneurial business model by seeking other performance opportunities among the region's presenter/producer community, thereby providing supplementary employment for its members. The ensemble also championed new music, with a focus on local composers. In total, the organization has commissioned and premiered over seventy new works.
In 1994, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, a concert pianist and conducting graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music, joined the Chamber Orchestra as Assistant Conductor. In 1998, he was named Principal Conductor and, ultimately, Music Director in 2004. A conductor and composer of international acclaim, Maestro Dirk Brossé now enters his eighth season as Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. In the 2017-2018 season, the Orchestra will perform six programs from October through May in the Kimmel Center's intimate, 600-seat Perelman Theater.
Over the course of the ensemble's rich and diverse history, COP has performed with such internationally acclaimed guest artists as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Isaac Stern, Rudolph Serkin, The Eroica Trio, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Romero Guitar Quartet, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Ben Folds, Branford Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Sylvia McNair, Steven Isserlis, Joseph Silverstein, Ransom Wilson, Gerard Schwarz, Jahja Ling, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, among others. The ensemble travels regularly, having toured the United States, Europe, and Israel.
Dirk Brossé, Music Director
Sir Dirk Brossé, born in Ghent, Belgium in 1960, is a multi-faceted composer and an internationally acclaimed conductor. He is currently Music Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Music Director of the Film Festival Ghent and Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Star Wars In Concert World Tour.
Brossé began his music studies at the Music Conservatories of Ghent. He subsequently specialized in conducting, which he studied in Maastricht, Vienna and Cologne. He is currently Professor of Composition and Conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent. Dirk Brossé has conducted every leading Belgian orchestra, among them, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Flemish Opera and the National Orchestra of Belgium. Outside his native Belgium, he has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Shanghai, the Vancouver Opera, the KBS Symphony Orchestra of South Korea, l' Orchestra de l'Opéra de Lyon, the World Symphony Orchestra (Japan), the Ulster Symphony Orchestra of Northern Ireland, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the RTE Orchestra Dublin, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Porto Philharmonic, the Queensland Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata St. Petersburg, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Noord Nederlands Orkest, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Orchestras of Venezuela and Ecuador.
Dirk Brossé is a versatile and prolific composer. He has written over 400 works, including concerti, oratorios, lieder, chamber music and symphonic works that have been performed all over the world and have been recorded in more than 40 countries. Among his most performed works are La Soledad de América Latina, written in collaboration with the Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Artesia, a universal symphony for orchestra and ethnic instruments, the ethno-classical symphony The Birth of Music; the oratorio Juanelo; the lieder cycles Landuyt Cycle and La vida es un Sueño, the War Concerto for clarinet and orchestra; and the violin concertos Black, White & Between, Sophia and Echoes of Silent Voices.
He has also composed extensively for cinema, television and stage. Brossé'sfilm soundtracks include Boerenpsalm, Daens (Academy Award Nominee, 1993), Koko Flanel, Back to Utopia, Licht, Stijn Coninx's de Kavijaks, Marian Handwerker's Marie, Martin Koolhoven's Knetter, Roland Joffé's The Lovers, Jaques Feyder's 1925 silent film Visages d'Enfants, and Knielen op een bed violen (Golden Calf Nominee, 2016). His score for the BBC/HBO series Parade's End starring Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Emmy Award. He wrote the scores for the musicals Sacco & Vanzetti, Ben X, The Prince of Africa, Tintin - The Temple of the Sun (based on Hergé's world-famous cartoon character Tintin), Rembrandt the Musical, 14-18 the musical, Pauline & Paulette and Musical Daens - each time in close collaboration with stage director Frank Van Laecke.
In 2007, Dirk Brossé made his debut in the Royal Albert Hall, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in A Night of Music from the Movies, featuring the music of Patrick Doyle, with guest appearances by renowned actors Emma Thompson, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Kenneth Branagh.
In 2010, at the request of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, he wrote The Hallow-e'en Dances. This Halloween-inspired work was especially written for traditional Chinese instruments. He recently composed Haiku Cycle 1, for Jessye Norman and based on Haiku by Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Union.
In 2016, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York, conducting his violin concerto Black, White & In Between with the Chamber Orchestra of New York.
Dirk Brossé has made more than 80 CD recordings and has conducted in numerous world-famous concert halls, such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican Centre, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Opera La Monnaie in Brussels, the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Seoul Arts Center, the Tokyo Forum, and the Concert Hall Shanghai. He has collaborated with world-class artists such as José Van Dam, Philip Webb, Barbara Hendricks, Claron McFadden, Julia Migenes, Derek Lee Ragin, Sabine Meyer, Julian Lloyd Webber, Daniel Blumenthal, and Salvatore Accardo. On a broader musical platform, he has performed with John Williams, Toots Thielemans, Hans Zimmer, Elmer Bernstein, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Randy Crawford, Lisa Gerrard, Mel Brooks, Maurane, Sinead O' Connor, Viktor Lazlo, Maurice Jarre, and Youssou N'Dour.
Dirk Brossé has been awarded the title Cultural Ambassador of Flanders, the Flemish Parliament's Gold Medal for Merit, the Achille Van Acker Prize, the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award, and the Global Thinkers Forum Award for Excellence in Cultural Creativity. In 2010, Dirk Brossé was made an honorary citizen of Destelbergen. In 2013, he was elevated to Belgium's hereditary nobility, with the personal title of Sir. In late 2010, EMI Classics released the 6 CD Box-Set Dirk Brossé, A Portrait in Music. The documentary Brossé, a destiny in Music by Jacques Servaes received international acclaim. Since 2016, Dirk Brossé is a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. dirkbrosse.be
Adam Vidiksis, Steven R. Gerber Composer-in-Residence
Adam Vidiksis is a composer, conductor, percussionist, improviser, and technologist based in Philadelphia whose interests span from historically informed performance to the cutting edge of digital audio processing. Often drawing from both acoustic and electronic sounds, his music has been heard in concert halls and venues around the world. Critics have called his music "mesmerizing", "dramatic", "striking" (Philadelphia Weekly), "notable", "catchy" (WQHS), "interesting", and "special" (Percussive Notes), and have noted that Vidiksis provides "an electronically produced frame giving each sound such a deep-colored radiance you could miss the piece's shape for being caught up in each moment" (Philadelphia Inquirer). His unique approach to composition has been praised for its "outstanding control" (Philadelphia Weekly) and for being "restrained" and "magical" (Local Arts Live).
His music has been played by many ensembles including the Black Sea Symphony in Constanta, Romania, Omaha Symphony, Momenta Quartet, Zephyrus Duo, and SPLICE. His commissions include Network for New Music, ICIA, Luna and Renegade Theater Companies, Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology, Ensemble Mise-En, Federal Winds, and the ElectroAcoustic Piano project. His compositions have been heard at numerous festivals and conferences including SEAMUS, ICMC, the College Music Society, the National Student Electronic Music Event, the Society of Composers, Incorporated conferences, the Huntsville New Music Festival, Soundcrawl Festival, the Electroacoustic Barn Dance, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Raven Stadium, the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium, Athens Slingshot, The New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, the International Csound Conference, and the Licino Refice Conservatorio di Musica in Frosinone, Italy. Vidiksis's music has been recognized with awards from SCI, ASCAP, Phindie, and Blow-Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival. His works are available through HoneyRock Publishing and PARMA Recordings.
A devoted advocate of new music and improvisation, Vidiksis has served for six years as the conductor of the Temple Composers Orchestra, and two as a founding member on the executive board of the Impermanent Society of Philadelphia, a Philadelphia based organization that is focused on promoting freely improvised live performance that focuses on experimental sound and movement. He has performed in the North America, Europe, and China as an improviser in both percussion and electronics. His deep interest in bringing new works to life has led him to conduct numerous premieres, working with international groups such as Ensemble NJ_P and the Black Sea Symphony.
Vidiksis previously held positions as director of the wind ensemble at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and also as assistant conductor of the Delaware County Symphony in Aston, PA. Vidiksis holds degrees from Drew University, New York University, and Temple University, culminating in a doctoral degree in music composition. Vidiksis currently serves on the composition and music technology faculty of Temple University as a Conwell Entrepreneurial Fellow, where he teaches classes in music theory, orchestration, composition, and music technology. He is currently conductor of the Temple Composers Orchestra, faculty advisor to conTemplum (Boyer College's new-music student organization and student chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc.), director of the Boyer Electroacoustic Ensemble Project (BEEP), and has co-curated the electroacoustic concert series Cybersounds.
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