World-renowned violinist Midori, flautist Sir James Galway and the Metropolitan Opera's star soprano, Deborah Voigt, headline the Honolulu Symphony's 2003-04 Halekulani MasterWorks Season, which opens Sept. 5 with Midori performing the Brahms Violin Concerto. 3 top artists headline
symphony seasonBy Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com
The 14-concert series includes several classical masterpieces: Orff's "Carmina Burana" and Brahms' "German Requiem," Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" Symphony and Mahler's Seventh Symphony.
HONOLULU SYMPHONY
The violinist Midori opens the symphony season Sept. 5.
Symphony music director Samuel Wong said the organization is writing a "new chapter in ... artistic development."
"That so many of classical music's most exciting artists are coming to Hawaii to work with us reveals our growing international reputation and renewed commitment to our art," he said.
Midori, celebrating her 20th year of performing, will release her latest recording this fall. It will feature French sonatas, including works by Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc and Camille Saint-Saëns, with pianist Robert McDonald.
Midori debuted at age 11 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta.
She was born in Osaka, Japan, and began studying the violin with her mother, Setsu Goto. In 1982, Mehta heard Midori play and was so impressed that he invited her to be a surprise guest soloist for the Philharmonic's New Year's Eve concert, the impetus to a major career. Commemorative events have been planned throughout the world.
She's also initiated a unique series of concerts titled "Total Experience," based on the Japanese concept of "kizuna," or "human interconnectedness." All these appearances were in small towns all over Japan and involved experimentation with thematic concepts and audience participation.
In 2001, Midori received the Avery Fisher Prize, bestowed on established artists in recognition of career accomplishments, and the Instrumentalist of the Year award from Musical America.
The first of two East-West weekends, Sept. 19 and 21, features a synthesis of Eastern music and instruments with the Western symphony orchestra through Miki's Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra.
A second East-West program, Nov. 7 and 9, includes Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sheherazade," featuring concertmaster Ignace "Iggy" Jang.
Stephen Bloom, symphony president, said commitments from the symphony board and community have allowed the organization to turn a corner from dealing almost exclusively with "financial crisis management to moving the symphony forward."
HONOLULU SYMPHONY
Pianist Vladimir Feltsman joins the symphony Sept. 12 and 14. Piano classics will be showcased again Nov. 14 and 16, when Van Cliburn gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch performs.
"We're six months (into the fiscal year) and tracking toward a balanced budget," Bloom said. "We're now able to do some of the fun artistic stuff."
The symphony's annual budget is $6 million.
The organization's newfound credibility is attracting more corporate funding, including First Hawaiian Bank's recently donated $100,000, the first major financial gift in eight years, Bloom said.
The symphony's new five-year plan includes an East-West music project, expansion of education programs, a possible CD recording next year and a future tour to the West Coast or Asia.
A feasibility study also is planned to determine whether the symphony should aim for a $20 million-to-$30 million endowment, Bloom said.
The symphony board, which includes Mayor Jeremy Harris, was reorganized "when it became clear we needed some new energy," Bloom said.
New board members include Mike O'Neill, Bank of Hawaii CEO and board chairman; Jim Andrasick, Alexander & Baldwin executive vice president, CFO and treasurer; Ryozo Sakai, Sony Hawaii president; Hamilton McCubbin, Kamehameha Schools CEO; Marlene Lum, American Savings Bank senior vice president; and University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle.
"This is the most corporate board the symphony has ever had," Bloom said.
"It makes more business sense when trying to run a responsible organization. These board members can pick up a phone and get anyone in town, any time they want."
Masterworks single-ticket sales and revenues the last two years have increased, Bloom said. Last year, those sales rose 13 percent, and symphony executives expect that to rise another 14 percent this year.
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Concerts take place at 8 p.m. Fridays and 4 p.m. Sundays at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Honolulu Symphony
Season tickets
MasterWorks Series: $252 to $714 (full season, 14 concerts)
Great Composers or Platinum series: $126 to $378 (half-season, seven concerts)
Purchase tickets: At the ticket office, Dole Cannery, Suite 202, or call 792-2000. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Groups: Call 524-0815, ext. 245.
Renewal packets: Mailed to current subscribers; to be received this week
Single tickets: Offered for sale in August
Samuel Wong conducts, unless otherwise noted. For ticket information, see Page D1: Honolulu Symphony 2003-04
Halekulani MasterWorks SeasonViolinist Midori: Performs Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F Major and Brahms' Violin Concerto in D Major. Sept. 5, 7.
"Russian Romance": With Vladimir Feltsman on piano, and guest conductor Tadaaka Otaka. On the program will be Mussorgsky's "Khovantchina: Introduction," Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2. Sept. 12, 14.
"East/West Synthesis": Features works for the Eastern "pipa" and "dizi." Featured will be Stravinsky's "Song of a Nightingale," Miki's Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra, and Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis." Sept. 19, 21.
Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi on cello: Program features Strauss's "Don Juan," Bruch's "Kol Nidrei," Tchaikovsky's "Variations on a Rococo Theme" and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9 in E-flat Major. Oct. 10, 12.
Brahms' Requiem: Featuring the Honolulu Symphony Chorus and symphony clarinetist Scott Anderson. Also to be featured: Sisler's "Cosmic Divide," Busoni's Concertino for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra, and Debussy's Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra. Oct. 17, 19.
The symphony's own stars: Soloists Mike Szabo on bass trombone and Darel Stark on violin perform Ewazen's Concerto for Bass Trombone, W. Schumann's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique"), conducted by Naoto Otomo. Oct. 24, 26.
"Exotic Nights": Eastern exotica, climaxing with Rimsky-Korsakov's masterpiece, "Scheherazade," featuring symphony concertmaster Ignace "Iggy" Jang. Chris Wilkins conducts. Nov. 7, 9.
Van Cliburn gold medalist: Stanislav Ioudenitch performs Ravel's "Alborada del Gracioso," Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor and Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 ("The Great"). Scott Yoo conducts. Nov. 14, 16.
Soprano Deborah Voigt: Program features Strauss's "Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs)." Jan. 2, 4. 2004 concerts
Sir James Galway: "The man with the golden flute" is joined by Lady Jeanne Galway, performing concertos for flutes by Cimarosa and Mercadante. March 19, 21.
Violinist Tamaki Kawakubo: Performs Janácek's "Taras Bulba," Dvorák's Violin Concerto in A Minor and Smetana's Má Vlast ("My Fatherland") Nos. 2, 3, & 6. March 26 and 28.
"Carmina Burana": The Honolulu Symphony Chorus will be led by new assistant conductor Karen Kennedy. Also on the program: Haydn's Symphony No. 101 in D Major ("The Clock"). April 2, 4.
The three B's: Brahms, Beethoven and Berlioz will be featured in a program featuring Jane Coop on piano and Mark Butin on viola. May 14, 16.
"Dueling Dichters": Misha and Cipa Dichter tangle on pianos in a program featuring Mendelssohn's Concerto for 2 Pianos in E Major and Mahler's Symphony No. 7. May 28, 30.
New Year's presentation: Beethoven's Ninth, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30. Tickets will be sold individually at $28 to $73. Special Event
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