NEC Presents New Golijov Work

NEC Presents East Coast Premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Sidereus, Oct. 26

Conducted by Alumna Mei-Ann Chen, Who Led World Premiere at Memphis Symphony, Oct. 17

Second Performance of New Piece Commissioned by 35 Orchestras

NEC alumna and newly appointed Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Mei-Ann Chen '95, '98 M.M. returns to NEC, October 26 to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra in the East Coast premiere of Sidereus, a new work by Osvaldo Golijov.  Written to honor Henry Fogel, a leader in the field of orchestral management and advocacy, the work was commissioned by a consortium of 35 orchestras, including professional, college, and chamber orchestras. Chen conducted the world premiere October 17 with the Memphis Symphony.

Scored for chamber orchestra, the new work has a somewhat mysterious title that may refer obliquely to Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius” a 400-year old treatise on celestial observations made through a telescope. About the name, Golijov offered the following tantalizing comment: “I was/am hoping for a giant object from outer space, floating ominously above us. I hope that with all the superlow instruments and the compressing and expanding accents in bass trombone and bass [clarinet], we can generate enough overtones and strange atmospheres there.”

Also on the program are Dvorak’s Scherzo capriccioso and Rimsky-Korsakoff’s Scheherazade. Violin soloist in the latter work is Quan Yuan ’12, a student of Donald Weilerstein, who was chosen by competition.

The concert at 8 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall is free and open to the public.

For further information, check the NEC Website or call the NEC Concert Line at 617-585-1122.  NEC’s Jordan Hall, Brown Hall, Williams Hall and the Keller Room are located at 30 Gainsborough St., corner of Huntington Ave. Pierce Hall is located at 241 St. Botolph St. between Gainsborough and Mass Ave.

ABOUT NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY

Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader among music schools, New England Conservatory offers rigorous training in an intimate, nurturing community to 720 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral music students from around the world.  Its faculty of 225 boasts internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars.  Its alumni go on to fill orchestra chairs, concert hall stages, jazz clubs, recording studios, and arts management positions worldwide.  Nearly half of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is composed of NEC trained musicians and faculty.

The oldest independent school of music in the United States, NEC was founded in 1867 by Eben Tourjee. Its curriculum is remarkable for its wide range of styles and traditions.  On the college level, it features training in classical, jazz, Contemporary Improvisation, world and early music. Through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Collaboration Programs, it provides training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, adults, and seniors.  Through its outreach projects, it allows young musicians to engage with non-traditional audiences in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes—thereby bringing pleasure to new listeners and enlarging the universe for classical music and jazz.

NEC presents more than 600 free concerts each year, many of them in Jordan Hall, its world- renowned, 106-year old, beautifully restored concert hall.  These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz and opera scenes.  Every year, NEC’s opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.

NEC is co-founder and educational partner of From the Top, a weekly radio program that celebrates outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country. With its broadcast home in Jordan Hall, the show is now carried by National Public Radio and is heard on 250 stations throughout the United States.

Contact: Ellen Pfeifer
Public Relations Manager
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
617-585-1143
Ellen.Pfeifer@necmusic.edu