FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2011
THE UTAH SYMPHONY TO PERFORM SOME OF MOZART’S FINAL COMPOSITIONS
SALT LAKE CITY – Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, his Clarinet Concerto in A Major and his 22nd (and final) opera, “The Magic Flute,” are some of his more successful works, some of the last he composed in his short life and some of the highlights of an upcoming program by the Utah Symphony.
Internationally acclaimed guest conductor Matthias Bamert and Utah Symphony principal clarinetist Tad Calcara will join the Utah Symphony for these performances, March 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall. Bamert most recently conducted the Utah Symphony in 2009, and has always been a favorite among Utah Symphony orchestra members and patrons.
Bamert, Calcara and the orchestra will not only feature the music of Mozart, but also how his role as an operatic composer influenced his last symphonic works and how other composers can gain inspiration for their orchestral compositions from their own operas.
The evening will begin with Mozart’s overture “The Magic Flute,” composed in the last year of his life, followed by Hindemith’s “Mathis der Maler” Symphony, based on one of Hindemith’s own operas about Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald. Calcara will then solo with the Utah Symphony for Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, also composed in the last year of Mozart’s life. The program will conclude with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, featuring some of the composer’s most dramatic, emotionally charged music. There is much of Mozart the opera composer in his last symphonies, and this program finale will clearly demonstrate that connection to audience members.
Tickets for the evening’s performances start at $15 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org
Bamert, along with Toby Tolokan, Utah Symphony Vice President of Artistic Planning, will present a free pre-concert lecture each night, 45 minutes prior to the start of the performance in the First Tier Room of Abravanel Hall.
Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit
Artist Bios:
Matthias Bamert, Conductor
Matthias Bamert’s distinguished career started at the Cleveland Orchestra where he was Resident Conductor alongside the then Music Director Lorin Maazel. Since then he has held Music Director positions with the Swiss Radio Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Associate Guest Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He has recently finished a highly successful period as Music Director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Music Director of the London Mozart Players for seven years, he has masterminded a hugely successful series of recordings of works by “Contemporaries of Mozart" which has already exceeded 50 symphonies. In 1999, the orchestra’s 50th anniversary year, he conducted them at the BBC Proms, in Vienna and at the Lucerne Festival and returned with them to Japan in January 2000. He has worked frequently in the concert hall and studio with such orchestras as the Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, has appeared regularly at the London Proms, and often appears with orchestras outside London such as the BBC Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Director of the Glasgow contemporary music festival Musica Nova from 1985-90, Bamert became known for his innovative programming and has conducted the world premieres of works by many composers such as Takemitsu, Casken, Macmillan and Rihm. His gift for imaginative programming came to the fore during his tenure as Director of the Lucerne Festival (1992-98), when he was also responsible for the opening of a new concert hall, instituted a new Easter Festival, a piano festival, expanded the program and increased the festival’s activities several times over.
Tad Calcara, Clarinet
Tad Calcara began his position as principal clarinet of the Utah Symphony in 1999. He was born and raised in Oceanside, California where at the age of five began studying piano and later at the age of 12—clarinet. His first clarinet teacher was his father. In addition to his classical studies he played Jazz and Swing music with his grand father Carl Calcara who was leader of the popular Musi-Cals in Southern California. Mr. Calcara studied clarinet at the Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Cleveland Institute of Music. In addition he attended summer music festivals at Tanglewood, Aspen, Round Top, La Jolla Summer Fest and Music Academy of the West. Prior to his appointment to the Utah Symphony he performed with the New World Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and the Grand Tetons Music Festival Orchestra.
Mr Calcara has been heard as soloist on numerous occasions with the Utah Symphony including performances of the Concertos of Copland, Mozart, Lutosloawski and Artie Shaw. In addition he was soloist with Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, the Texas Festival Orchestra at Round Top (broadcast on NPR) and the Cleveland Orchestra. In recital he has performed for Radio France in Montpellier and in the spring of 1999 the first ever New World Symphony Honors Recital. He is also a frequent guest conductor/soloist with the Big Band Jazz Hall of Fame Orchestra based in California.
When not performing with the Utah Symphony he can be heard playing chamber music in and around Salt Lake City or leading his 15 piece New Deal Swing Big Band - performing classic Jazz & Swing Music from the 1930s. New Deal Swing has been guest soloist on the Utah Symphony Pops concert series in 2004, 2005, 2008 and the 2010 Deer Valley® Music Festival. In addition Mr. Calcara and New Deal Swing has performed at the Salt Lake International Jazz Festival as well as performing special centennial concerts for Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and a collaboration performance with Big Band Jazz legend, vocalist Herb Jeffries.
Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture to Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 (The Magic Flute)
Paul Hindemith Mathis der Maler, Symphony
I. Ruhig bewegt (Angel Concert)
II. Sehr langsam (Entombment)
III. Sehr langsam, frei im Zeitmass (Temptation of
St. Anthony)
INTERMISSION
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto in A Major for Clarinet and Orchestra, K. 622
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Rondo: Allegro
Tad Calcara, Clarinet
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
I. Molto allegro
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegretto
IV. Allegro assai
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Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA
(801) 869-9027 office
(801) 335-9387 cell
hashton@usuo.org
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