Back to Press Release List > 08/27/2007 - Boston Symphony Orchestra Performances, 2007-2008

Carnegie Hall presents the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director and Conductor James Levine in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Monday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m.; Monday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.; and Monday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m. Over the course of the three concerts, the BSO will be joined by renowned soloists including pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, soprano Renée Fleming, and bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, along with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus led by conductor John Oliver.

•   Monday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m.—Maestro Levine leads the Boston Symphony
    Orchestra in an all-Ravel concert featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet as soloist in
    Piano Concerto in G Major. Also on the program is Alborada del gracioso, Pavane
    pour une infante défunte, and Daphnis et Chloé featuring the Tanglewood Festival
    Chorus, John Oliver, conductor.

•   Monday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.—Celebrated soprano Renée Fleming joins
    Maestro Levine and the BSO for the New York premiere of Dutilleux’s Le Temps
    l’Horloge for Soprano and Orchestra. The all-French program also includes excerpts
    from Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet, Op. 17; Duparc’s Songs with orchestra; and
    Debussy’s La Mer.

•   Monday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m.—The BSO gives the New York premiere of William
    Bolcolm’s Symphony No. 8 for chorus and orchestra, and performs Schubert’s
    Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, “Tragic.” Also on the program is a selection of Schubert
    songs to be performed by bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff and the orchestra.

Artist Information
James Levine became Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in the fall of 2004. He is the orchestra’s 14th music director since the BSO’s founding in 1881 and the first American-born conductor to hold the position. Mr. Levine is also Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, where, in the thirty-five years since his debut there, he has developed a relationship with that company unparalleled in its history and unique in the musical world today. Mr. Levine also appears at Carnegie Hall with the MET Orchestra on Sunday, February 17; Sunday, May 18; and Thursday, May 22; and leads the MET Chamber Ensemble in Weill Recital Hall on Sunday, October 28, and in Zankel Hall on Sunday, January 27 and Sunday, March 30, 2008.

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet continues to bring joy to audiences around the globe with his elegant style, depth of color, and brilliant technique. The 2007–2008 season takes him to sixteen countries spanning five continents, with appearances including tours with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, as well as concerts with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the NHK and Singapore Symphony Orchestras, among others. Also in 2007–2008, Mr. Thibaudet gives recitals in Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Zankel Hall in New York, and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. Mr. Thibaudet is the recipient of the 2007 Victoire d’Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award and the highest honor given by France’s Victoire de la Musique. An exclusive recording artist for Decca, he has earned the Schallplattenpreis, the Diapason d’Or, Choc de la Musique, a Gramophone Award, two Echo awards, and the Edison Prize.

Soprano Renée Fleming’s luminous sound, brilliant stage presence, and superb artistry are just a few of the qualities that make her one of the world’s most beloved and recognizable figures. Her freshness and purity of tone, together with an exceptional musical intelligence and grace, continue to enchant audiences worldwide. As a passionate champion of creativity in the arts, she continues to be a proponent of new music and an advocate of overlooked masterpieces. Ms. Fleming’s 2007–08 season brings her to the opera houses of New York, Chicago, and Vienna. She appears in two of her signature roles with the Metropolitan Opera: Violetta in La traviata, in November 2007, and Desdemona in Otello, in February 2008. She repeats La traviata for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in January 2008, and in June, she appears at the Vienna State Opera in a new production of Strauss’ Capriccio. A much-loved and warmly welcomed artist throughout the world, Ms. Fleming performs at the 2007–08 season gala opening nights of the National Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and in November 2007, the Dallas Opera presents her in solo concert to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Other highlights include the world premiere of the song cycle Le Temps L’Horloge, written for her by Henri Dutilleux, which she debuts in September with Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan, and repeats in November with James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which brings it to Carnegie Hall in December. In Spring 2008, Ms. Fleming performs and records Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Munich Philharmonic under Christian Thielemann. A two-time Grammy winner, Ms. Fleming’s most recent CD, entitled Homage – The Age of the Diva, was released in the fall of 2006 and is comprised of rarely-heard works associated with legendary singers of the past. In recent years, this nine-time Grammy nominated artist has recorded everything from Strauss’ complete Daphne to the jazz recording Haunted Heart, to the movie soundtrack of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and has been honored with a 2006 Echo Award for her recording of Strauss’ Daphne, as well as the Classical Brits Awards in 2004 for Outstanding Contribution to Music and in 2003 for Female Artist of the Year. Ms. Fleming, who was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Rochester, New York, studied at The Juilliard School, holds degrees from the State University of New York at Potsdam and the Eastman School of Music, and was a Fulbright Scholar for study in Germany. Early awards included the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions, the Richard Tucker Award, and the George London Prize. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Hall Corporation and of the Advisory Board of the White Nights Foundation of America.

German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff is recognized as one of the most remarkable singers performing today. He began his vocal studies with Professor Charlotte Lehmann and Professor Huber-Contwig (musicology) in Hannover, Germany, and was awarded First Prize in the 1988 ARD International Music Competition in Munich. Mr. Quasthoff appears throughout the US and Europe both in recital and with orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and London Symphony Orchestra. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording artist since 1999, Mr. Quasthoff's recent releases include two Schubert masterpieces: Die schöne Müllerin and a DVD performance of Winterreise with Daniel Barenboim. A dedicated teacher and advocate for young vocalists, Mr. Quasthoff was a professor at the Music Academy in Detmold, Germany, from 1996–2004 and is currently Professor of Music at the Hanns Eisler School for Music in Berlin. During Carnegie Hall’s 2006–2007 season, Mr. Quasthoff was featured as a Perspectives artist.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra presents more than 250 concerts each year. Now in its 126th season, the BSO gave its inaugural concert on October 22, 1881. Since then, the orchestra has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, South America, and China and also reaches audiences through its performances on radio and television, along with its many recordings. The BSO plays an active role in commissioning new works from today’s most important composers, and the orchestra’s summer season at Tanglewood is regarded as one of the world’s most important music festivals. Established in 1970 by founding conductor John Oliver, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus is the official chorus of the BSO and Boston Pops Orchestra, and is comprised of over 250 musicians who perform on a voluntary basis.

Program Information
Monday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
James Levine, Music Director and Conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
John Oliver, Conductor

ALL-RAVEL PROGRAM
Alborada del gracioso
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Piano Concerto in G Major
Daphnis et Chloé (complete)
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Monday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
James Levine, Music Director and Conductor
Renée Fleming, Soprano

HECTOR BERLIOZ Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 17
HENRI DUTILLEUX Le Temps l’Horloge for Soprano and Orchestra (New York Premiere)
HENRI DUPARC Songs with orchestra
CLAUDE DEBUSSY La Mer
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Monday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
James Levine, Music Director and Conductor
Thomas Quasthoff, Bass-Baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
John Oliver, Conductor

FRANZ SCHUBERT Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, D.417, "Tragic"
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Tränenregen," D.795, No. 10 (orch. Webern)
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Prometheus," D.674 (orch. Reger)
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Der Wegweiser," D.911, No. 20 (orch. Webern)
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Ständchen," D.957, No. 4 (orch. Offenbach)
FRANZ SCHUBERT "Erlkönig," D.328 (orch. Reger)
WILLIAM BOLCOM Symphony No. 8 for chorus and orchestra (New York Premiere)
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