BSO Music Director James Levine has had to withdraw from his upcoming conducting appearances October 3, 2009 at Symphony Hall in Boston, and Thursday, October 1, 2009 at Carnegie Hall in New York, due to immediate unanticipated back surgery for a herniated disc.
Boston Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Shi-Yeon Sung will conduct tonight’s performance of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Mozart’s Requiem with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Boston Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductors Julian Kuerti and Shi-Yeon Sung will split the program on Saturday, October 3, which honors Ann Hobson Pilot’s 40-year tenure as harpist with the BSO. Mr. Kuerti will conduct the first half of the program, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. Ms. Sung will conduct Elliott Carter’s Mosaic, for harp and chamber ensemble, Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane for harp and orchestra, John Williams’s On Willows and Birches, for harp and orchestra, and Ravel’s La Valse, with Ann Hobson Pilot returning to the BSO principal harp chair for this special occasion.
“All of us at the BSO are disappointed that Maestro Levine will not be able to conduct the Tuesday and Saturday subscription concerts in Boston and Opening Night at Carnegie Hall,” said Mark Volpe, BSO Managing Director. “Our thoughts are with Jim and we wish him a speedy recovery so he can soon return to the BSO podium and the glorious music-making for which he is so universally known. We are fortunate at the BSO to have two very talented assistant conductors, Shi-Yeon Sung and Julian Kuerti, who are scheduled to fill in for the two programs to take place in Boston this week. Despite Jim’s absence, we remain very excited to open Carnegie Hall’s 2009-10 season.”
Daniele Gatti will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the opening night concert of the 2009-10 Carnegie Hall season, Thursday, October 1, at 7 p.m. BSO Music Director James Levine had to withdraw from all his conducting appearances this week, including the Carnegie Hall opener, due to immediate unanticipated back surgery for a herniated disc.
For the first concert of the 119th Carnegie Hall season, Daniele Gatti will open the program with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, replacing the originally programmed Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture, and close with Debussy’s La Mer. Virtuoso pianist Evgeny Kissin will join Mr. Gatti and the BSO for Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Mr. Gatti will also lead the orchestra in the New York premiere of John Williams’s On Willows and Birches, featuring former BSO principal harpist Ann Hobson Pilot. John Williams wrote On Willows and Birches as a gift for Ms. Pilot—the first and only African-American woman to be appointed to the BSO, and who recently retired from the BSO after a legendary 40-year career with the orchestra. The new work received its world premiere at the opening of the BSO’s Symphony Hall season in Boston on Wednesday, September 23, under the direction of James Levine.
“All of us at the BSO are disappointed that James Levine is unable to conduct the Carnegie Hall opening night concert, but we are incredibly fortunate that Daniele Gatti was able to take over the program on such short notice.” said Mark Volpe, BSO Managing Director. “Our thoughts are with Jim and we wish him a speedy recovery so he can soon return to the BSO podium. His thoughts, I am sure, are with the orchestra and I know he shares our excitement to be opening Carnegie Hall’s 119th season.”
Maestro Levine also had to cancel two appearances with the BSO this week at Symphony Hall in Boston, including last night’s concert of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Mozart’s Requiem, which was conducted by Boston Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Shi-Yeon Sung. BSO Assistant Conductors Julian Kuerti and Shi-Yeon Sung will split the program on Saturday, October 3, which honors Ann Hobson Pilot’s 40-year tenure as harpist with the BSO. Mr. Kuerti will conduct the first half of the program, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. Ms. Sung will conduct Elliott Carter’s Mosaic, for harp and chamber ensemble, Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane for harp and orchestra, John Williams’s On Willows and Birches, for harp and orchestra, and Ravel’s La Valse, with Ann Hobson Pilot returning to the BSO principal harp chair for this special occasion.
Boston Symphony at Carnegie Hall 2009-10
Throughout the 2009–10 season, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and James Levine return three more times following this Opening Night appearance, including an all-Beethoven program on Monday, November 2 at 8:00 p.m. On Monday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m. pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard joins the Orchestra for Elliott Carter’s Dialogues, for Piano and Orchestra and Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, and BSO principal violist Steven Ansell is featured in Berlioz’s Harold in Italy. In the final performance, soprano Christine Brewer, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, and bass-baritone Shenyang are featured in Mendelssohn’s Elijah on Monday, April 5 at 8:00 p.m., along with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
There are a limited number of tickets remaining, starting at $59, available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street. Tickets may also be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or online by visiting carnegiehall.org. For information about the Boston Symphony Orchestra visit www.bso.org.