Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam US Tour February 2010

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, December 16, 2009 – The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the “world’s greatest orchestra” (Gramophone, December 2008) will be conducted by its multiple international award-winning Chief Conductor Mariss Jansons. World famous Dutch violinist Janine Jansen is the featured soloist at The Kennedy Center and first Carnegie Hall concert on February 16. Mezzo-soprano Jill Grove performs solo at Carnegie Hall on February 17 along with the New York Choral Artists and the American Boychoir.

Programs –

Monday February 15, 2010, The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. at 8 p.m. and Tuesday February 16, 2010, Carnegie Hall, New York at 8 p.m.

Plays - S. Rachmaninoff – Symphony no. 2 in E minor, opus 27; J. Sibelius – Violin Concerto in D minor, opus 47

Chief conductor - Mariss Jansons; Soloist - Janine Jansen

Wednesday February 17, 2010, Carnegie Hall, New York at 8 p.m.

Plays - G. Mahler – Symphony no. 3 in D minor

Chief conductor - Mariss Jansons; Soloist - Jill Grove, mezzo soprano; Choir - New York Choral Artists; Choir - American Boychoir

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam –

In December 2008 the leading British music magazine Gramophone ranked the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as the “World’s Greatest Orchestra,” chosen by a panel of prominent music critics from all over the world. With the Bavarian Radio Symphony ranked number 6 in the polls of Gramophone, its chief conductor Mariss Jansons holds two positions of famous orchestra’s in the top-10.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra continues to be a company of 120 virtuosos whose playing has been described as featuring “burnished strings, intensely characterful winds and brass and razor-sharp percussion.” The Royal Concertgebouw’s vast repertoire is reflected in its large discography of over 1,200 recordings of which many of them were awarded internationally. The orchestra now records on its own RCO Live label (US distribution HM USA).

Since its establishment in 1888, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam has had only six chief conductors: Willem Kes (1888 – 1895), Willem Mengelberg (1895 – 1945), Eduard van Beinum (1945 – 1959), Bernard Haitink (1959 – 1988), Riccardo Chailly (1988 – 2004) and the Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons (from 2004). Several have also had special artistic relationships with major American orchestras: Willem Mengelberg was the New York Philharmonic’s music director from 1922 to 1930, and Eduard van Beinum was music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra from 1956 until his sudden death in 1959. Bernard Haitink was appointed principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2006 and is conductor emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam currently has seven American employees: six orchestra members and the director of artistic administration, Dr. Joel Ethan Fried. The orchestra is closely connected to the Dutch Royal family via its patroness Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands. Its ‘Royal’ title was conferred upon it in 1988 by Queen Beatrix.

Please visit our websites at: www.concertgebouworkest.nl; www.rcolive.com

RCO photographs, biographies, logos, etc. are downloadable at: www.concertgebouworkest.nl/press (click English)

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For further information:

Press Contact (USA): Tim Fisher, Fisher Company, tf@fishercompany.net, 845 526-0182

Press Contact (NL): Roel Mostert, Baxter Public Relations, roel@baxterpr.nl, 0031 (0) 6 5070504