Gianandrea Noseda to Lead National Symphony Orchestra In His First Concerts As Music Director Next Month

Gianandrea Noseda makes his highly anticipated first appearances as the seventh music director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in July with two performances: Friday, July 28, at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and Saturday, July 29, on the National Mall (between 4th and 7th Streets) with a free concert for the community as part of the day's celebration of Music and Movement: The National Symphony Orchestra and National Dance Day.

The July 29 NSO and National Dance Day events are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages, spotlighting music and dance through interactive dance lessons, performances, and other hands-on activities in a unique Kennedy Center presentation on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall.

On Friday, July 28, Wolf Trap welcomes the NSO and Noseda, as well as Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho, in a program that features the young soloist in Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto. The centerpiece of the program is Orff's Carmina Burana, featuring the NSO and three Wolf Trap Opera alumni as vocal soloists: soprano Heidi Stober, tenor Nicholas Phan, and baritone Brian Mulligan. A large chorus includes The Choral Arts Society of Washington, Scott Tucker, Artistic Director; The Washington Chorus, Christopher Bell, Artistic Director Designate; and the Children's Chorus of Washington, Margaret Nomura Clark, Artistic Director; as well as seven community choruses from the Washington, D.C. area. Tickets ($20-$58) are available at the Wolf Trap Box Office, online at wolftrap.org, and via phone (877) WOLFTRAP.

On Saturday, July 29, Music and Movement: The National Symphony Orchestra and National Dance Day takes place on the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets with free, family-friendly events.

National Dance Day begins at 4 p.m. and features 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 marks the first time a Kennedy Center Millennium Stage event has taken place outside the Center.

At 7 p.m., Gianandrea Noseda leads the National Symphony Orchestra-for the first time ever on the Mall-and several of the community choruses that performed the previous night at Wolf Trap in a program of classic favorites featuring songs and familiar tunes by Bernstein, Verdi, Beethoven, John Williams, Gershwin, Rossini, and John Philip Sousa. These events are free and open to all and will welcome Noseda to Washington and the NSO!

Additional activities for all ages, including an instrument "petting zoo" and short performances by community ensembles, will also be featured.

Following the NSO concert, at 8:30 p.m., Dancing Under the Stars begins with a dance lesson, followed by two hours of dancing on the Mall. All are free and open to the public.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Friday, July 28, at 8:15 p.m.
Filene Center, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA 22182
National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Heidi Stober, soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Brian Mulligan, baritone
The Choral Arts Society of Washington, Scott Tucker, Artistic Director
The Washington Chorus, Christopher Bell, Artistic Director Designate
Children's Chorus of Washington, Margaret Nomura Clark, Artistic Director
Capitol Hill Chorale
The City Choir of Washington
Fairfax Choral Society
George Mason University
The Heritage Signature Chorale
Howard University
The Reston Chorale

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"
ORFF Carmina Burana

Tickets ($20-$58) are available at the Filene Center Box Office, online at wolftrap.org, and via phone (877) WOLFTRAP.

Saturday, July 29
National Mall, between 4th and 7th Streets

4 p.m.-National Dance Day
FREE

7 p.m.-National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Program to include:

Bernstein Overture to Wonderful Town
Williams Theme from JFK
Gershwin "Summertime"
Bizet "Les Toréadors" from Carmen, Suite No.1
Verdi TriumpHal March from Aida
Holst "Mars" from The Planets
Spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
Rossini Overture to William Tell
Beethoven "Ode to Joy" - excerpt from Symphony No.9
FREE

8:30-11 p.m.-Dancing Under the Stars-free dance lesson and dancing on the Mall
FREE

In case of inclement weather on July 29, events will move to the Kennedy Center. Check the Kennedy Center website and social media channels for updates.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The 2017-2018 season marks the NSO's 87th season, and its first under the artistic leadership of its seventh music director, Gianandrea Noseda. Founded in 1931, the Orchestra has, throughout its history, been committed to artistic excellence and music education. In 1986, the National Symphony became an artistic affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed a full season of subscription concerts since the Center opened in 1971. The National Symphony Orchestra regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including performances for state occasions, presidential inaugurations and official holiday celebrations. Its regularly televised holiday appearances for Capitol Concerts and local radio broadcasts on WETA make the NSO one of the most-heard orchestras in the country.

The Orchestra itself numbers 96 musicians who perform approximately 150 concerts each year. These include classical subscription series, pops concerts, summer performances at Wolf Trap and on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, chamber music performances in the Terrace Theater and on the Millennium Stage, and an extensive educational program, with performances designed for ages three years and up, and audience engagement activities, as well. Additionally, the NSO's community engagement projects are nationally recognized, including NSO In Your Neighborhood which comprises a week of approximately 50 performances in schools, churches, community centers, and other neighborhood venues) and NSO Sound Health, which has taken the NSO to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Children's Inn at NIH, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Children's National Medical Center, and Inova Health System. Career development opportunities include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its Summer Music Institute.

For more information, visit nationalsymphony.org.

ABOUT GIANANDREA NOSEDA
Gianandrea Noseda, 53, is widely recognized as one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was named the National Symphony Orchestra's seventh music director in January 2016, with his tenure beginning as Music Director Designate in the 2016-2017 season, and a four-year term as Music Director beginning with the 2017-2018 season.

His appointment as Music Director of the Teatro Regio Torino in 2007 ushered in a transformative era for the company matched with international acclaim for productions, tours, recordings, and film projects. His initiatives have propelled the Teatro Regio Torino onto the global stage, where it has become one of Italy's most important cultural ambassadors.

Noseda is also Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Orquestra de Cadaqués, and Artistic Director of the Stresa Festival located on the shores of Lago Maggiore and among the oldest musical festivals in Italy. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI from 2003 to 2006 and was the BBC Philharmonic's Chief Conductor from 2002 to 2011. In 1997, he was appointed the first foreign Principal Guest Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre, a position he held for a decade.

Noseda is a frequent guest of many of the most important orchestras and has ha an enduring relationship with the Metropolitan Opera since 2002 where he is conducting a new production of Romeo et Juliette which premiered on New Year's Eve. In 2015 made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and at the Salzburg Festival. Last season he made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London and this season he makes his debut with two productions at the Zurich Opera. In December 2016 he conducted the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm.

Noseda's intense recording activity counts over 50 CDs, many of which have been celebrated by critics and received awards. His Musica Italiana project, which he initiated over ten years ago, has chronicled underappreciated Italian repertoire of the 20th century and brought to light many masterpieces. Conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino he has also recorded opera albums with celebrated vocalists such as Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, Rolando Villazon, Anna Netrebko, and Diana Damrau.

A native of Milan, Gianandrea Noseda is Cavaliere Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, marking his contribution to the artistic life of Italy. In 2015, he was honored as Musical America's Conductor of the Year, and was named the 2016 International Opera Awards Conductor of the Year. He is a 2017 recipient of the Kennedy Center International Committee Gold Medal in the Arts.

ABOUT NATIONAL DANCE DAY
Launched in 2010 by So You Think You Can Dance co-creator and Dizzy Feet Foundation co-president Nigel Lythgoe, National Dance Day (NDD) is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. This grassroots campaign encourages Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and fight obesity. NDD achieved national recognition when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton(D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, announced at a press conference on July 31, 2010, in Washington, D.C., that she was introducing a congressional resolution declaring the last Saturday in July to be the country's official National Dance Day.

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