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Media Contact: Caroline Márkos
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For Immediate Release
MEDIA RELEASE
November 18, 2014
The VSO presents acclaimed
Russian-American violinist Philippe Quint in his VSO debut
Featuring works by Barber, Mozart, and Shostakovich
Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is proud to present the dynamic RussianAmerican violinist Philippe Quint in his anticipated VSO debut playing Mozart’s audience-favourite
Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major. In a concert conducted by the acclaimed and returning VSO guest
conductor, James Gaffigan, the concert also features one of the most dynamic pieces in the symphonic
repertoire: Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony. Saturday, November 29 and Monday, December 1;
8pm, Orpheum Theatre.
Award-winning violinist Philippe Quint is a multifaceted artist whose wide
range of interests has led to several GRAMMY® nominations for his
albums and performances with major orchestras throughout the world.
Of Quint the Chicago Tribune says, “Here is a fiddle virtuoso whose many
awards are fully justified by the brilliance of his playing.” Playing Mozart’s
famed Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, written by Mozart when he was
just 13 years-old, it’s a piece that radiates grace, good humour, warmth,
and serenity. Famed Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein called it “an
uninterrupted song, an avowal of love.”
Leading the orchestra in these concerts is returning VSO guest conductor James Gaffigan. Book-ending
the concert, Gaffigan will lead the orchestra through the famous Intermezzo from Samuel Barber’s
dramatic opera Vanessa, and Shostakovich’s war-themed Leningrad Symphony in a commemoration of
the 75th anniversary of the start of World War 2. Shostakovich composed the work during the latter-half
of 1941, after Hitler’s Nazi army had begun the siege of Leningrad (formerly and subsequently known as
St. Petersburg), and when he completed the symphony on December 27, he dedicated it “to the city of
Leningrad.” With opening musical themes depicting the peacefulness of pre-war life, the piece
progresses into a dramatic depiction of the invasion of war on a peaceful land, and the life-altering and
devastating consequences that result.
CONCERT INFORMATION:
AIR CANADA Masterworks Diamond
Leningrad: An Epic Symphony
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1
8pm, Orpheum Theatre
AIR CANADA Series Sponsor
James Gaffigan conductor
Philippe Quint violin*
BARBER Vanessa: Intermezzo
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major*
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Leningrad
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets: $25-$90 (senior, student, and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO Customer Service at
604.876.3434
BIOGRAPHIES
James Gaffigan, conductor
Hailed for the natural ease of his conducting and the compelling
insight of his musicianship, James Gaffigan continues to attract
international attention and is considered by many to be the most
outstanding young American conductor working today. In January
2010, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony
Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio
Philharmonic Orchestra and at the beginning of the 12/13 season,
Gaffigan was named the first ever Guest Conductor of Cologne’s
Gürzenich Orchestra.
In the United States, Mr. Gaffigan has guest conducted the Cleveland,
Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago, St. Louis,
Detroit, Cincinnati, National, Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, Vancouver, Milwaukee and New World
symphonies among others. His US festival engagements include appearances at Blossom, Aspen, Grand
Teton, Grant Park and the Music Academy of the West and he has twice led the Juilliard Orchestra at
Lincoln Center.
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James Gaffigan’s international career was launched when he was named a first prize winner at the 2004
Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition in Frankfurt, Germany. Since then, he has become
a sought-after guest conductor throughout Europe, working with prestigious orchestras such as the
Munich and Rotterdam Philharmonics, Dresden Staatskappelle, Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin,
London and Czech Philharmonics, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of
Enlightenment, Tonhalle Orchestra and the Camerata Salzburg among others.
Highlights of his 13/14 season include return appearances at Aspen and the Music Academy of the West,
a debut at the Hollywood Bowl, and re-engagements with the Toronto, Atlanta, New World, St. Louis,
Houston and Cincinnati symphonies. Internationally, in addition to his concerts in Lucerne, Amsterdam
and Cologne, he debuts with the London Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Konzerthaus Orchester of Berlin
and the Orchestra de Paris, returns to lead the Rotterdam, Czech and Dresden Philharmonics and the
MDR Leipzig and conducts the prestigious Odeonplatz Klassik open air concert in Munich with the
Munich Philharmonic.
James Gaffigan’s first recording with the Lucerne Symphony for Harmonia Mundi, an all- Wolfgang Rihm
disc, received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, while the second recording for Harmonia
Mundi will be an all-Dvorak disc featuring Symphony No. 6 and the American Suite. He is also in the
process of recording the complete Prokofiev symphonies with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and
the nine Beethoven symphonies with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra for Naxos.
James Gaffigan made his professional opera debut at the Zurich Opera in June 2005 conducting La
Boheme. In the summers of 2009 and 2010 he conducted performances of Don Giovanni and Marriage
of Figaro at the Aspen Music Festival and made his debut at Glyndebourne sharing a production of Cosi
fan tutti with Sir Charles Mackerras. He led performances of Marriage of Figaro at the Houston Grand
Opera in spring 2011, made his debut at the Vienna State Opera later that year conducting La Boheme,
returned the following year to conduct performances of Don Giovanni and returned to Glyndebourne in
spring 2012 for a production of La Cenerentola.
Born in New York City in 1979, Mr. Gaffigan attended the New England Conservatory of Music and the
Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, where he earned his Masters of Music in
conducting. He was also chosen to study at the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music
Festival and School and was a conducting fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. In 2009, Mr. Gaffigan
completed a three year tenure as Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony where he assisted
Michael Tilson Thomas, led subscription concerts and was Artistic Director of the orchestra’s Summer in
the City festival. Prior to that appointment, he was the Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra
where he worked under Music Director Franz Welser-Moest from 2003 through 2006.
James Gaffigan resides in Lucerne with his wife, the writer Lee Taylor Gaffigan, and their daughter, Sofia.
Philippe Quint, violin
Award-winning American violinist Philippe Quint is a multifaceted artist whose wide range of interests
has led to several Grammy nominations for his albums, performances with major orchestras throughout
the world at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York, a leading role
in a major independent film called Downtown Express, and explorations of tango with his band The
Quint Quintet.
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Highlights of his 2013/14 season include debut performances with the London Philharmonic, Vancouver
Symphony, Kansas Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and the San Antonio
Symphony as well as return engagements with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic,
Indianapolis Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and performances and a new recording of the Glazunov
and Khachaturian Violin Concertos with the Bochumer Symphoniker and Steven Sloane.
Quint’s live performances and interviews have been broadcast on television by CBS, CNN, ABC, BBC
World News, NBC, Reuters, Bloomberg TV, as well as by radio stations nationwide including NPR, WNYC
and WQXR. His recordings have received multiple “Editor’s Choice” selections in Gramophone, The
Strad, Strings, and the Daily Telegraph. His remarkable degree of lyricism, poetry and impeccable
virtuosity has gripped the eyes and ears of audiences in Asia, Australia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and
the U.S. with what The Times (London) describes as his “bravura technique, and unflagging energy.”
Philippe Quint is the first classical musician to star in the lead role of a major independent picture.
Downtown Express, from Michael Hausman (producer of Gangs of New York, Brokeback Mountain and
Amadeus) and multi-Emmy winning director David Grubin, is currently premiering through out the world
at various national and international film festivals including Woodstock, New York, Houston, Mons
(Belgium), Cuba, Vermont, and Florida.
philippe Quint’s formidable discography includes a large variety of rediscovered treasures along with
popular works from standard repertoire. In November 2013, he released Opera Breve with pianist Lily
Maisky, a unique collection of opera transcriptions for violin and piano featuring both popular and rare
songs, on Avanticlassic. His recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Sofia Philharmonic led
by conductor Martin Panteleev, paired with Anton Arensky’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 35 (for violin,
viola, and two cellos) written in memory of Tchaikovsky, will be released in spring 2014. In May 2014,
Quint records the Khachaturian and Glazunov Violin Concertos with the Bochumer Sinfoniker.
Quint’s first album for Avanticlassic, a recording of the Mendelssohn and Bruch Violin Concertos and
Beethoven’s Romances with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería led by Carlos Miguel Prieto, was released
in 2012. Gramophone described Quint’s performance as “pure sound and refined expression. An
account well worth hearing.” His recordings of William Schuman’s Violin Concerto (2007) and Korngold’s
Violin Concerto (2009) were both nominated for Grammy Awards. Other critically acclaimed albums
include the world premiere recording of John Corigliano's Red Violin Caprices, Ned Rorem’s Concerto,
Miklos Rozsa’s Complete Works for Violin and Piano with William Wolfram, Bernstein’s Serenade, and a
unique compilation of works by Paganini arranged by Fritz Kreisler, which BBC Music Magazine called
“truly phenomenal.” In addition, Quint is the featured violinist on the soundtracks of David Grubin's
documentaries The Buddha, RFK, and The Jewish Americans.
Constantly in demand worldwide, Quint’s most recent appearances include performances with the
orchestras of Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, New Jersey, Minnesota, Bournemouth, Houston, Weimar
Staatskapelle, Royal Liverpool, China National, Orpheus, Berlin Komische Oper, Leipzig’s MDR at the
Gewandhaus, Nordwestdeutsche and Bochumer Symphonikers, Cape Town Philharmonic, and Plácido
Domingo’s Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has performed under the batons of Marin Alsop, Carl St.
Clair, Daniel Hege, Andrew Litton, Kurt Masur, Jorge Mester, Marco Parisotto, Martin Panteleev, Carlos
Miguel Prieto, Klauspeter Seibel, Christopher Seaman, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Steven Sloane, Michael
Stern, Bramwell Tovey, Gregory Vajda, and Martin Yates.
Philippe Quint has given solo recitals and chamber music performances at the Mostly Mozart, Caramoor,
Ravinia, Aspen, Lincoln Center, and Chautauqua festivals, Lukas Foss's Hamptons Music Festival, Kravis
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Center, UC Davis Presents, Rome Chamber Festival, Moritzburg, El Paso, La Jolla SummerFest and at the
National Gallery in Washington. In 2009, Quint formed The Quint Quintet, an ensemble dedicated to
exploring the music of Astor Piazzolla and Argentine Tango.
Philippe Quint studied at Moscow's Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist
Andrei Korsakov, and made his orchestral debut at the age of nine, performing Wieniawski's Concerto
No. 2. After emigrating to the United States, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from
Juilliard. His distinguished pedagogues included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, and Felix
Galimir. He also studied and participated in masterclasses with Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, and Arnold
Steinhardt.
The Chicago Tribune proclaimed, “Here is a fiddle virtuoso whose many awards are fully justified by the
brilliance of his playing.” Among his many honors, Quint was the winner of the Juilliard Competition and
Career Grant Recipient of Salon de Virtuosi, Bagby and Clarisse Kampel Foundations. Philippe Quint
plays the magnificent 1708 "Ruby" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him through the generous efforts
of The Stradivari Society®. He is managed by Arts Management Group and records for Avanticlassic.
For media inquires, or to interview any of our esteemed soloists, please contact the VSO’s PR Associate,
Caroline Márkos at 604.684.9100 x266
[email protected]
-VSO-
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