Gianandrea Noseda Withdraws from D.C. Concerts to Recover from Surgery

National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Music Director Designate Gianandrea Noseda has been forced to withdraw from upcoming concerts with the NSO as he recovers from surgery.

This includes a program at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts on July 28 and a free public performance on the National Mall on July 29, the latter of which will be postponed. National Dance Day, also slated for July 29, will now take place at the Kennedy Center. Details regarding all local performances are provided on page 2.

On June 26, Noseda suffered a herniated disc. Surgery to remove the hernia was successfully performed on June 29. Noseda is now recovering at his home in Torino and will continue to do so on the orders of Prof. Michele Naddeo, the doctor who performed the surgery. Prof. Naddeo has indicated that the recovery is already moving along very well and the prognosis is for a full recovery. The following cancellations announced by Maestro Noseda are his first cancellations in 20 years.

From the desk of Gianandrea Noseda:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

First of all, thank you so much for all of the love and support I have received from my many friends and colleagues around the world.

I am saddened to have to cancel all of my performances until the middle of August. However, Lucia and I have decided to follow very carefully the advice of Prof. Naddeo and that it would be best to take this time for me to make a full and complete recovery so I am physically prepared for the Teatro Regio Torino's historic residency at the Edinburgh International Festival in the second half of August and to start my new position as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

I cherish my relationships with the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, the Verbier Festival, the Ravinia Festival, and the Mostly Mozart Festival and look forward to returning to those festivals in the coming seasons. I was very much looking forward to my debut at Wolf Trap with the National Symphony Orchestra as well as my inaugural concert as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. next month. Together with my colleagues in Washington, D.C. we will present a special free public concert at a later date.

Once again, Lucia and I are grateful to all of our friends and colleagues all over the world and look forward to seeing you again soon. In the interim, I wish you all a wonderful summer of music and cannot wait to make music with all of you very soon.

With deep gratitude and respect,

Gianandrea Noseda

Maestro Noseda was also scheduled to begin his music directorship on July 28 at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the summer home of the National Symphony since 1971. The performance, which features Orff's Carmina Burana and Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho in Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, will continue as scheduled, and a replacement conductor will be announced at a later date.

National Dance Day will now take place at the Kennedy Center on July 29 beginning at 2 p.m. and will feature special guest dancers, interactive dance lessons, and performances in a wide variety of dance styles, as well as the official National Dance Day routine for this year's event, led by a well-known dance star, to be announced. This performance coincides with the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Center's free, daily performance series. At 7:30 p.m., Dancing Under the Stars begins with a beginner-level swing dance lesson by Gottaswing, followed by two hours of dancing with The Tom Cunningham Orchestra. All events are free and open to the public. Further information regarding the day and programming will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the NSO, visit nationalsymphony.org. For more information about the Kennedy Center, visit kennedy-center.org.

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