PIANIST ANDRÉ WATTS, UTAH SYMPHONY PRESENT RACHMANINOFF (SLC: Feb 17 - 18)

Media Contact:

Hilarie Ashton | Public Relations Manager

hashton@usuo.org | (801)869-9027

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

PIANIST ANDRÉ WATTS, UTAH SYMPHONY PRESENT RACHMANINOFF

SALT LAKE CITY—Celebrated Pianist André Watts will make his long-awaited return to Salt Lake City in a performance featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, a piece known for displaying the supremacy of the piano.

Music Director Thierry Fischer and the Utah Symphony will also perform Beethoven’s lyrical Symphony No. 4 and Igor Stravinsky’s jazz-inspired Scherzo á la Russe, Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 is often overshadowed by the more popular Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No.  9, but it still compares in brilliance. The work has been described by many music scholars as fresh and spontaneous, as well as being “a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants,” by composer Robert Schumann.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 has often been referred to as his creative resurrection, as it was much more admired than some of his earlier compositions. Its opening motif of toll bells has become a key attraction of the piece and is celebrated for its reflection of Rachmaninoff’s Russian roots and complexity. The concerto is considered an essential piece to the piano repertoire and is frequently performed around the world. Sergei Rachmaninoff dedicated his life to creating heart-filled compositions, making him one of the supreme composers of music for the piano of his time. 

Tickets for the evening performances range from $20 to $70 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org. Students can purchase discounted tickets with a student ID. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Prices and sections are subject to change and availability. Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit. (Username: usuoimages, Password: media).

André Watts, Piano

André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. Only two weeks later, Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for the ailing Glenn Gould in performances of Liszt's E-flat Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, thus launching his career in storybook fashion. More than 45 years later, André Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars.

A perennial favorite with orchestras throughout the US, Mr. Watts is also a regular guest at the major summer music festivals including Ravinia, the Hollywood Bowl, Saratoga, Tanglewood and the Mann Music Center. Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the St. Louis, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Cincinnati, Houston, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Seattle and National symphonies among others. In celebration of the Liszt anniversary in 2011, Mr. Watts plays all-Liszt recitals throughout the US, while recent and upcoming international engagements include concerto and recital appearances in Japan, Hong Kong, Germany and Spain.

André Watts has had a long and frequent association with television, having appeared on numerous programs produced by PBS, the BBC and the Arts and Entertainment Network, performing with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center among others. His 1976 New York recital, aired on the program Live From Lincoln Center, was the first full length recital broadcast in the history of television and his performance at the 38th Casals Festival in Puerto Rico was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cultural Programming. Mr. Watts' most recent television appearances are with the Philadelphia Orchestra on the occasion of the orchestra's 100th Anniversary Gala and a performance of the Brahms Concerto No.2 with the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz conducting, for PBS.

Previously Artist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, Mr. Watts was appointed to the newly created Jack I. and Dora B. Hamlin Endowed Chair in Music at Indiana University in May, 2004.

Program

Igor Stravinsky	Scherzo à la russe
Sergei Rachmaninoff	Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano And Orchestra, op. 18 I.  Moderato II.  Adagio sostenuto III.  Allegro scherzando André Watts, Piano
INTERMISSION
Ludwig Van Beethoven	Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, op. 60 I.   Adagio - Allegro vivace II.  Adagio III. Allegro vivace IV.  Allegro ma non troppo

###

Hilarie Ashton

Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027 office

801.335.9387 cell