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The Dallas Symphony leaves today on its first European tour in a decade. The trip is also something of a show-off homecoming. Music director Jaap van Zweden is bringing his new orchestra back to where he used to play. Van Zweden was the concertmaster, or lead violinist, of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam for 16 years. And Tuesday, the DSO will be playing in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam’s legendary music hall. In fact, that performance will be live-streamed. Cool.
After playing there, the DSO’s 110 musicians will perform in Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg before returning March 22.
Stay tuned: KERA will continue to cover the DSO in Europe through the voices of people on the tour.
The full release and itinerary:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Music Director Jaap van Zweden Embark on European Tour March 8-22, 2013
Two-week tour includes seven cities in the Netherlands, Austria, Germany
Follow the tour on the DSO Blog, Facebook and Twitter
Dallas, TX (February 21, 2013) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) announces today that the DSO, led by its Music Director Jaap van Zweden, will embark upon a European Tour, its first with Maestro van Zweden, March 8-22, 2013. The tour includes performances in seven cities in three countries: Eindhoven, Amsterdam (the Netherlands); Vienna (Austria); and Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Hannover (Germany).
The DSO and Jaap van Zweden will be joined in all European cities except Vienna by acclaimed violinist Hilary Hahn performing the Violin Concerto by Korngold. Violinist Simone Lamsma will perform the Korngold concerto in Vienna. Tour repertoire also includes Mahler’s Sixth Symphony; the Prelude and “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde by Wagner; Steven Stucky’s Elegy from the Grammy-nominated August 4, 1964; and the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss (see exact programs below).
“I am very honored to be taking the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to many of the important musical capitals of Europe,” said Music Director Jaap van Zweden. “It is very special for me to be leading these wonderful musicians from my second home to perform for audiences in my first home, Amsterdam. I hope people there, and in every city of our tour, will find inspiration in our music-making.”
“This European tour will capitalize on Maestro van Zweden’s fame and recognition in the Netherlands and across Europe,” says Dallas Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Jonathan Martin. “The attention generated by these European concerts will boost the reputation of the DSO, making our exceptional orchestra an even more attractive destination for the finest instrumental soloists and guest conductors. It also will serve to garner support from Dallas individuals who take pride in the fact that their orchestra is playing on international stages, as well as from corporations who see a tour as worthy support of their strategic initiatives.”
Marking the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s first tour to Europe since 2003, as well as its first with Maestro van Zweden, this tour will be the fifth European tour in the orchestra’s 112-year history.
Several Dallas Symphony supporters will be travelling to Europe on their own to hear one or more concerts by Maestro van Zweden and the DSO.
Throughout the tour, the Dallas Symphony will provide updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories via the DSO Blog (DallasSymphony.com/blog), Facebook (Facebook.com/DallasSymphony) and Twitter (@dallassymphony).
Tour expenses will be paid for using Dallas Symphony funds from endowments earmarked exclusively for touring purposes – The Linda and Mitch Hart International Touring Fund and the Fannie and Stephen S. Kahn Endowed Orchestra Travel Fund – and from fees earned from the European concert performances. Tour sponsors include Park Place Motorcars Dallas/Mercedes-Benz, Bosendorfer/Collora Piano, The Ritz-Carlton and Strong Travel Services.
The Dallas Symphony will present two programs during the upcoming European tour:
Program 1
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Mahler: Symphony No. 6
Program 2
Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Stucky: Elegy from August 4, 1964
R. Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct. Hilary Hahn will be violin soloist on the Korngold Violin Concerto. Simone Lamsma will be violin soloist on the Korngold Violin Concerto in Vienna only.
The tour itinerary and performance venues will be:
March 11 – Eindhoven: Muziekgebouw Frits Philips – Program 1
March 12 – Amsterdam: Concertgebouw – Program 1
March16 – Vienna: Konzerthaus – Program 1 (with Simone Lamsma)
March 17 – Munich: Gasteig Philharmonie – Program 2
March 18 – Frankfurt: Alte Oper – Program 2
March 19 – Hamburg: Laeiszhalle – Program 1
March 21 – Hannover: Hannover Congress Centrum – Program 2
Prior to the tour, the Dallas Symphony will present two concerts featuring European tour repertoire at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Those performances are:
February 21, 23, 2013, at 8:00 p.m./February 22, 2013, at 7:30 p.m./
February 24, 2013, at 2:30 p.m.
Texas Instruments Classical Series
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Anton Nel, piano
Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2
Stucky: Elegy
R. Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
February 28-March 2, 2013, at 8:00 p.m./March 3, 2013, at 2:30 p.m.
Texas Instruments Classical Series
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Erik Bosgraaf, recorder
Vivaldi: Recorder Concerto in C major RV443
Vivaldi: Recorder Concerto in C major RV444
Mahler: Symphony No. 6
Single tickets start at $21 and can be purchased by calling 214.692.0203 or by visiting www.DallasSymphony.com.
About Jaap van Zweden
Amsterdam-born Jaap van Zweden has risen rapidly in little more than a decade to become one of today’s most sought-after conductors. He has been Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and in September 2012 he took up the position of Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, for an initial contract of four years. Appointed at nineteen as the youngest concertmaster ever of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he began his conducting career in 1995 and held the positions of Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (1996-2000), Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague (2000-2005), and Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011) and Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Radio Chamber Orchestras from 2005-2011(he remains Honorary Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra).
In November 2011 van Zweden was named as the recipient of Musical America‘s Conductor of the Year Award 2012 in recognition of his critically acclaimed work as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and as a guest conductor with the most prestigious US orchestras.
About Hilary Hahn
Violinist Hilary Hahn’s probing interpretations, technical virtuosity, and commitment to new music have brought her love of classical music to a diverse audience. At age 32, her international fame and recognition, including two Grammies, multiple Diapason “d’Or of the Year” and “Preis der deutschen Schallplat-tenkritik” prizes, seven Echo Klassik awards, and the 2008 Classic FM / Gramophone Artist of the Year, are a testament to her talent and drive.
Hahn began her 2012-13 season with performances throughout South America, Spain, and Scandinavia. She appears with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 and Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, respectively. She will tour Europe with the Dallas Symphony in March. In January, Hahn will embark on a series of European recitals of Fauré, Bach, Corelli, and pieces from her multi-year In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores project. February will see Hahn bow in a number of US cities including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, among others. Hahn’s season continues with Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor with the Seattle Symphony and Korngold’s Violin Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra in April and May. She will tour Japan in May and finish her regular season with appearances with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Spanish National Orchestra.
About Simone Lamsma
Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma has been described by conductor Jaap van Zweden as one of the leading violinists in the world. She is rapidly establishing herself as a much sought after soloist and recitalist performing with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide. In the 12/13 season, engagement highlights include performances with the London Philharmonic (Chausson Ravel/Gabel), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (Shostakovich 2/Gaffigan), Lucerne Symphony both in Lucerne and at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw (Paganini 2/Gaffigan), Turku Philharmonic (Szymanowski 1/Segerstam), at the Vienna Konzerthaus with the Dallas Symphony (Korngold/ van Zweden), Frankfurt Radio Symphony (Brahms/ Rivas) and Cincinnati Symphony (Britten/ Kalmar).
Recent season highlights include performing extensively throughout Europe and Asia with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestra Suisse Romande, Seoul Philharmonic, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra. In the USA, Simone Lamsma made her debut with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra in 2009 and since then has performed regularly throughout the States including with the St Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony, St Paul Chamber Orchestra and regular appearances with the Dallas Symphony.
About the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, in its fifth season under the leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, presents the finest in classical music at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, regarded as one of the world’s premiere concert halls. In November 2011 van Zweden was named as the recipient of Musical America‘s Conductor of the Year Award 2012 in recognition of his critically acclaimed work as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and as a guest conductor with the most prestigious US orchestras.
As the largest and oldest performing arts organization in the southwest, the Dallas Symphony is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience. Each year, the orchestra reaches more than 240,000 adults and 60,000 children through performances, educational programs and community outreach initiatives. In March, 2013 Mae
The DSO performs more than 175 public concerts each year, including the 16-week Texas Instruments Classical Series and a 9-week DSO Pops series. The DSO on the Go series takes the orchestra to concert halls in communities across North Texas. In June 2013 the DSO will begin its twelfth residency at the Bravo! Vail festival in Colorado.
Under Maestro van Zweden, the orchestra has released four CDs on the DSO Live label, including the world premiere recording of Steven Stucky’s oratorio August 4, 1964; Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies; and Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Suite No. 4, Mozartiana and Fifth Symphony and Capriccio italien. DSO Live recordings are distributed internationally and available as downloads through the Naxos.
A key part of its mission, the DSO’s award-winning youth education programs also enhances community ownership by building new and diverse audiences for the future. Key programs include the Cecil and Ida Green Youth Concert Series at the Meyerson Symphony Center, the Young Strings program for minority students, Symphony YES! ensemble presentations in the schools, Open Rehearsals, and DSOKids.com/ StudioDSO.com website resources for children and teenagers.
Founded in 1900, the Dallas Symphony is now a central figure in the Dallas Arts District, the largest of its kind in the nation. The 68-acre district in downtown Dallas is home to multiple museums, parks, and performing arts venues, including the Meyerson Symphony Center.
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