{"id":3945,"date":"2010-02-01T06:00:53","date_gmt":"2010-02-01T14:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/?p=3945"},"modified":"2010-02-01T08:05:08","modified_gmt":"2010-02-01T16:05:08","slug":"osos-2010-2011-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2010\/02\/01\/osos-2010-2011-season\/","title":{"rendered":"OSO’s 2010-2011 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saturday evening, the Oregon Symphony unveiled its 2010-2011 season programming.\u00a0 I was giving the pre-concert talk that night, so I couldn’t be at the unveiling reception, but I suspect that there must have been a fair amount of applause and the sound of jaws hitting the floor as the specifics were announced.\u00a0 It’s that good.<\/p>\n

I believe that this is the strongest, most impressive season in my 15 years with the orchestra – and that includes the season-long celebration of the OSO’s 100th anniversary season in 1995.\u00a0 There are so many A-list soloists, great repertoire (both new and old, known and unknown), and the promise of many, many great performances from the world-class Oregon Symphony.<\/p>\n

Here are the concerts that I most eagerly anticipate, as well as individual works and artists that really piqued my interest.<\/p>\n

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Sept. 16, 2010 – Joshua Bell plays Lalo<\/strong>
\nIt’s great to have Josh back so soon after his last appearance, and we haven’t had the pleasure of hearing the Lalo Symphonie espagnole since Elmar Oliviera played it under James DePriest quite some time ago.\u00a0 Word has it that Josh was highly impressed by the OSO the last time he was here, and it must be true if he’s back with us so soon.<\/p>\n

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Oct. 2 -4, 2010 – Hilary Hahn plays Tchaikovsky<\/strong>
\nYes, it’s the Tchaikovsky concerto, but I don’t care.\u00a0 I’ve been wanting to hear Hahn play live since the moment I first heard her solo Bach recording over 10 years ago.\u00a0 She’s one of the most probing and honest artists out there today, and she has one of the most formidable techniques seen since Heifetz.\u00a0 If these concerts don’t sell out, I’ll eat something really disgusting.<\/p>\n

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Oct. 30 & Nov. 1, 2010 – Bolcom Violin Concerto<\/strong>
\nThe Bolcom is a wonderful piece that I think audiences will love, and I always enjoy playing new concerto repertoire, especially for the violin.\u00a0 Violinist Benjamin Schmid has just recorded the Korngold Concerto with Seiji Ozawa and the Vienna Philharmonic, and is definitely a hot young violinist on the rise, so that brings even more excitement to the Bolcom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Nov 20 – 22, 2010 – Stephen Hough and Mahler 10<\/strong>
\nStephen Hough can play anything, and I will await it eagerly.\u00a0 He’s an amazing artist, and such a wonderful gentleman as well.\u00a0 Then there is Mahler’s 10th Symphony, in the completion by Deryck Cooke.\u00a0 Violists both love and fear this symphony, as it opens with a long, exposed, and difficult slow section solo.\u00a0 It’s an amazing piece, and I’m so glad that we’re doing a full version of it rather than just the opening movement (the only one that Mahler completed scoring).<\/p>\n

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Jan 15-17, 2011 – Emanuel Ax plays Brahms<\/strong>
\nFirst: Emanuel Ax.\u00a0 He’s always been a hero of mine, and I’m so glad to finally be seeing him live for the first time.\u00a0 Second: Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto – my favorite piano concerto, bar none.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jan 29 & 31, 2011 – Percussion Spectacular<\/strong>
\nThe amazing Colin Currie returns to play Jennifer Higdon’s GRAMMY-winning Percussion Concerto<\/em>, along with the amazing Shchedrine adaptation of the Carmen Suite<\/em> by Georges Bizet for strings and percussion.<\/p>\n

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Feb 5 – 7, 2011 – Yuja Wang plays Rachmaninoff<\/strong>
\nYuja Wang is often mentioned in the same breath as her more famous colleague Lang Lang.\u00a0 In my opinion she has all the virtuosity of Lang, but combines it with a more subdued stage persona and perhaps a bit more substance.\u00a0 It will be great to see how their Rachmaninoff traversals compare.\u00a0 A chance to learn Nielson’s 6th Symphony “Sinfonia semplice” is also exciting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Feb 20 & 21, 2011 – Jennifer Koh plays Barber<\/strong>
\nJennifer Koh has quickly become one of my favorite guest artists, and to have her coming back in one of my favorite violin concertos, the beautiful and rhapsodic concerto by Samuel Barber, is a dream pairing.\u00a0 Also on the program, a new piece by Resident conductor Gregory Vajda, and my favorite Dvorak Symphony, No. 7.<\/p>\n

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Feb 26 – 28, 2011 – Lauderdale plays Grieg<\/strong>
\nHaving Thomas Lauderdale back to solo with the orchestra is a treat, of course, but the real story is the guest conductor.\u00a0 She is Alondra de la Parra, and her name drew some appreciative applause from members of the orchestra who know her from Youth Orchestra of the Americas tours in the past.\u00a0 She has real buzz right now, and it will be great to see what she’s like.\u00a0 And it’s great to finally have a woman on the podium, too.<\/p>\n

This post has gotten really long, so I’ll just list the remaining highlights that I’m looking forward to:<\/p>\n