MANFRED HONECK AND THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TRAVEL TO ASPEN THIS SUMMER

News Release

PRESS CONTACTS
Laura Smith, VP for Marketing and Communications
970-205-5070, lsmith@aspenmusic.org
Janice Szabo, PR Manager
970-205-5071, jszabo@aspenmusic.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2016

MANFRED HONECK AND THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TRAVEL TO ASPEN THIS SUMMER

The world-class ensemble plays three post-season programs in the Benedict Music Tent
August 23, 24 and 25

Pinchas Zukerman will perform as soloist playing Bruch and Berg

ASPEN, Colo.—The Aspen Music Festival and School announced today that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), led by maestro Manfred Honeck, will be in residence in Aspen this summer and perform three post-season concerts in the festival’s 2,000-seat signature venue, the Benedict Music Tent.

The orchestra will perform August 23, 24 and 25, and will be joined by violinist Pinchas Zukerman and PSO principal clarinetist and AMFS artist-faculty member Michael Rusinek as soloists. The programs all start at 6 pm and will be as follows:
• August 23: Honeck conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 and Zukerman playing the Bruch Violin Concerto.
• August 24: Honeck conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Rusinek playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.
• August 25: Honeck conducts Strauss’ “Elektra” Symphonic Rhapsody, Dvořák’s “Rusalka” Suite and Zukerman playing the Berg Violin Concerto.

The festival’s summer program, which runs June 30 to August 21, presents more than 400 public events including orchestral, chamber, opera, master classes and family events. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will complement this robust musical programming with its own acclaimed sound.

Says AMFS president and CEO Alan Fletcher, “In Aspen we are deeply committed to presenting many forms and styles of music and to celebrating the many brilliant musicians and ensembles of our time who bring it to life. Each has a unique voice and hearing each is a unique experience. The Pittsburgh Symphony is simply a spectacular orchestra and hearing it perform in the crystalline air of Aspen, with Manfred leading, will be a life moment for us all to share.”

Tickets for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts in Aspen are $35 and $85 and are on sale now by phone at 970-925-9042 or online at aspenmusicfestival.com.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra residency in Aspen is generously underwritten by Sanford and Naava Grossman.

About the Artists
Manfred Honeck has served as the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since the 2008-2009 season. Together they regularly perform in major music capitals and festivals, among them the BBC Proms, Musickfest Berlin, Lucerne Festival, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Cetner.

Pinchas Zukerman made his New York Philharmonic debut in 1963. His career includes world-wide acclaim as a violin soloist as well as many conducting posts. He has been beloved by Aspen audiences since his teenage years of Aspen study with the great Dorothy DeLay.

Michael Rusinek has performed as a soloist with many orchestras around the world and in May 2008, he premiered a new concerto by composer and AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher, a concerto commissioned for him by the Pittsburgh Symphony. That performance was recorded and is available on the Exton label.

About the Aspen Music Festival and School
The Aspen Music Festival and School is the United States’ premier classical music festival, presenting more than 400 musical events during its eight-week summer season in Aspen. The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education. Many events are free, and seating on the David Karetsky Music Lawn and in the Music Garden is always free.

More than 630 music students from more than 40 U.S. states and more than 40 countries come each summer to play in five orchestras, sing, conduct, compose and study with approximately 130 renowned artist-faculty. Students represent the field’s best talent. Many have already begun their professional careers; others are on the cusp.

Renowned alumni include violinists Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, Midori, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Gil Shaham; pianists Ingrid Fliter, Orli Shaham, Conrad Tao, Yuja Wang, Wu Han and Joyce Yang; conductors Marin Alsop, James Conlon, James Levine, Leonard Slatkin and Joshua Weilerstein; composers William Bolcom, Philip Glass, Augusta Read Thomas, Bright Sheng and Joan Tower; vocalists Jamie Barton, Danielle de Niese, Sasha Cooke, Renée Fleming, and Dawn Upshaw; cellists Lynn Harrell and Alisa Weilerstein; guitarist Sharon Isbin; performer Peter Schickele and bassist Edgar Meyer.

About the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Now celebrating its 120th anniversary year, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra continues to be an essential part of Pittsburgh’s cultural landscape. The Pittsburgh Symphony, known for its artistic excellence, is credited with a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. This tradition was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900, the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras with more than 36 international tours, including 20 European tours, eight trips to the Far East, and two to South America. The Pittsburgh Symphony was the first American orchestra to perform at the Vatican in January 2004 for the late Pope John Paul II, as part of the Pontiff’s Silver Jubilee celebration.

The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony has broadcast coast-to-coast, receiving increased national attention in 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International. The PRI series is produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3 in Pittsburgh and is made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

The 2015-2016 season marks the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 120th anniversary.

Aspen Music Festival and School
225 Music School Road, Aspen, CO  81611
www.aspenmusicfestival.com
970-925-9042 box office | 970-925-3254 administration
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High resolution photos are available at www.aspenmusicfestival.com (media) or upon request.