Back to Press Release List > 02/17/2010 - San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas in Two Carnegie Hall Programs, March 25-26

Carnegie Hall presents the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) and Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas on Thursday, March 25 and Friday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The first concert offers Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with soloist Christian Tetzlaff as well as the New York premiere of Post-scriptum by Russian composer Victor Kissine, Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales, and Liszt’s Tasso: lamento e trionfo. On March 26, the SFS and MTT are joined by soprano Laura Claycomb, mezzo-soprano Katarina Karnéus, and the Westminster Symphonic Choir for a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”. The San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas have recorded Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 as part of the orchestra’s ongoing Mahler Project, which to date has won seven Grammy Awards, including three recent Grammy Awards on January 31 for their recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and the Adagio from Symphony No. 10.

Artist Information
Carnegie Hall recently announced that acclaimed violinist Christian Tetzlaff would be one of the featured artists to present a Carnegie Hall Perspectives series during the 2010–2011 season, showcasing his versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He is also featured in two programs of trios in Zankel Hall on February 27 and 28 of the current season. Mr. Tetzlaff is internationally recognized as one of the most important violinists of his generation. His musical integrity, technical assurance, and intelligent, compelling interpretations have set the standards by which violin performances are measured. From the outset of his career, he has performed and recorded a broad spectrum of repertoire, ranging from Bach’s unaccompanied sonatas and partitas to 19th-century masterworks by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Brahms; and from 20th century concertos by Bartók, Berg, and Shostakovich to world premieres of contemporary works. Mr. Tetzlaff has been in demand as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, establishing close artistic partnerships that are renewed season after season. Also a dedicated chamber musician, he frequently collaborates with distinguished artists and is the founder of the Tetzlaff Quartet, which he formed in 1994 with violinist Elisabeth Kufferath, violist Hanna Weinmeister, and his sister, cellist Tanja Tetzlaff.

Soprano Laura Claycomb, known for her delicacy, refinement, and theatricality in high-flying repertoire, is one of the world's foremost lyric coloraturas. Following concurrent degrees in music and foreign languages at Southern Methodist University and a subsequent apprenticeship with San Francisco Opera, Ms. Claycomb burst on to stages as Giulietta in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi in Geneva, Paris, Los Angeles, and Munich. She has since taken stages worldwide by storm as Gilda in Rigoletto, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, and the Donizetti heroines in Linda di Chamounix, Lucia di Lammermoor, and La Fille du Régiment. Other signature roles include Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Anne Trulove in The Rake's Progress, Amanda in Le Grand Macabre, Morgana in Alcina, Comtesse Adèle in Le comte Ory, Ophelie in Hamlet, and the creation of Queen Wealtheow in Eliot Goldenthal's Grendel. A favorite with top conductors and orchestras, Ms. Claycomb enjoys a busy concert and recital schedule as well. Her recordings include Mahler's Symphony No 4 with Michael Tilson-Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Le Grand Macabre with Esa-Pekka Salonen, Handel's Arcadian Duets with Emmanuelle Haïm, Sir John in Love with Richard Hickox, two recordings of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini with Sir Roger Norrington and Sir Colin Davis, and numerous recordings on the Opera Rara label.

Stockholm-born mezzo-soprano Katarina Karnéus studied at Trinity College of Music in London and at the National Opera Studio. Since winning the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1995 she has established a major international career in opera, concert, and recital. She has appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall in London, Lincoln Center in New York, and La Monnaie in Brussels, as well as in San Francisco, Vancouver, and Washington. Ms. Karnéus performs on the San Francisco Symphony’s acclaimed recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.

This season, Michael Tilson Thomas celebrates his 15th season as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony. In 1996, MTT led the orchestra on the first of their 22 national and international tours together to Europe, Asia, and throughout the United States, with annual performances at Carnegie Hall. Last season, they opened Carnegie Hall’s 2008–2009 season with a gala tribute to Leonard Bernstein, which was filmed and broadcast nationally on Thirteen/WNET New York’s Great Performances on PBS. Other tour highlights have included the orchestra’s third West Coast tour with MTT in January 2009, including their first concerts in Seattle since 1981; their first appearances in mainland China as part of their 2006 Asia tour; a three-week 2007 European tour that featured two televised appearances at the BBC Proms in London and concerts in such European music capitals as Dublin, Vienna, Paris, and Belgium; and at several major European festivals, including Lucerne.

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony maintain a leading presence among American orchestras through over 230 concerts at home and abroad, an active touring program, award-winning recordings, and innovative broadcast and education projects. Their commitment to music education has resulted in the groundbreaking television, radio, and multimedia project Keeping Score; a nationally syndicated radio series on avant-garde American composers, American Mavericks; an award-winning children’s website, sfskids.com; and Adventures in Music, a nationally acclaimed in-school music education program in San Francisco schools. The Keeping Score series has been viewed by over six million Americans since its first broadcast in September 2006 and acclaimed for making classical music accessible to a wider, more diverse audience. This year, Mr. Tilson Thomas and the SFS conclude an ambitious self-produced Mahler recording project, launched in 2001.

Program Information
Thursday, March 25 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director and Conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, Violin

VICTOR KISSINE Post-scriptum (NY Premiere)
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
MAURICE RAVEL Valses nobles et sentimentales
FRANZ LISZT Tasso: lamento e trionfo

Sponsored by Deloitte LLP
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Friday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director and Conductor
Laura Claycomb, Soprano
Katarina Karnéus, Mezzo-Soprano
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Conductor

GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection"

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information
Tickets, priced at $36, $42, $53, $71, $96, and $106, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.

In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts.

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Image from top of release: Photo by Chris Lee