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Press Releases
American Classical Orchestra Opening Night Concert
NEW YORK, NY-
On Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 8:00PM at Alice Tully Hall, the American Classical Orchestra with conductor Thomas Crawford presents its opening night concert of its 31st season with a program that includes a 50-piece period instrument orchestra and features young Chinese fortepianist Jiayan Sun. An all Beethoven program will include Symphony No. 7, the Leonore Overture No. 3 and Beethoven’s Piano concerto No. 5 “Emperor” with Jiayan Sun. Mr. Sun will perform on a piano made in 1812 by Johann Fritz of Vienna.
Mr. Sun, studying in the doctoral program at Juilliard with a major in piano performance, is an artist interested in historically informed performance. His fortepiano teachers have included Audrey Axinn and Malcolm Bilson.
The Piano concerto No. 5 ‘Emperor’ is Beethoven’s most dramatic and advanced composition for his own instrument, the fortepiano. With its premiere in 1811, this concerto is best known for its famous melodies and wide mood swings. The ethereal slow movement probes the depths of human emotions, while the robust rondo finale has unrivalled rhythmic vitality. Hearing this masterpiece within Beethoven’s sound world, with a historic piano and early 19th century musical instruments, is a rare opportunity.
Symphony No. 7 with its slow movement and hypnotic spun melodies brings both musicians and audience to the edge of their seats through the relentless drive and repetition. Few works accomplish the tenderness and the frenzy of the 7th Symphony.
Also performed is the Leonore Overture No. 3, a perennial favorite with its heroic themes and blazing trumpet fanfares. A performance with period instruments promises a thrilling journey through the complex textures of the scoring.
The concert will be preceded by a Pre-Concert Lecture at 7:00PM by Maestro Thomas Crawford.
QUOTE BY MUSIC DIRECTOR THOMAS CRAWFORD
‘The ACO opens its fourth decade with three Beethoven masterpieces that have won the hearts of millions. From the downbeat of the overture to the perpetuum mobile of the heart-pounding finale of the 7th Symphony, this music is the best of the classical tradition.’ Tom Crawford
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
THOMAS CRAWFORD, Conductor
Thomas C. Crawford, Music Director and Founder of the American Classical Orchestra, is active in numerous musical disciplines as conductor, composer, and organist. As a conductor, Mr. Crawford is a champion of both historically accurate performance styles of the Baroque and Classical repertoire and of new American music. Mr. Crawford has attracted many outstanding artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, André Watts, Dawn Upshaw, Richard Goode, Victor Borge, Monica Huggett and Vladimir Feltsman. He is responsible for the American Classical Orchestra's numerous international recordings with such great artists as Malcolm Bilson and Keith Jarrett. He is also a composer in many idioms and has been especially prolific in vocal music. Mr. Crawford has been recognized for his teaching of children and adults through school programs and lectures.
JIAYAN SUN, Pianist
Jiayan Sun, praised for his “technically flawless, poetically inspired and immensely assured playing” (Toronto Star), performs extensively in the North America, Europe, and China. He has performed frequently with The Cleveland Orchestra, The Hallé, Chinese National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Aspen Concert Orchestra, among others. He has collaborated with prominent conductors such as Michail Jurowski, Sir Mark Elder, Stefan Sanderling, Leon Fleisher, Xincao Li, David Hayes, Kerry Stratton, and Jinyi Jiang. He has concertized at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Severance Hall in Cleveland, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Leeds Town Hall, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall in Toronto, Beijing Concert Hall and Beijing University Concert Hall, Taipei National Concert Hall, and many others. His performances have been broadcasted on BBC, RTÉ, China Central Television, and classical music radio stations in North America. He has won many major prizes in international piano competitions, including the third prize in Leeds International Piano Competition, the fourth prize and audience prize in Cleveland International Piano Competition, the second prize in Dublin International Piano Competition, the first prize in the inaugural CCC Toronto International Piano Competition, the first prize in National Concerto Competition for Instrumentalists in Beijing, among others. He was recently named a CME Young Artist and a winner of Birte Moller Young Artists Award by the Center for Musical Excellence, NYC. He was also named a “Sylff Fellow” by The Tokyo Foundation. He was awarded the Thirteenth Chengxian Fu Memorial Scholarship by the Central Conservatory in Beijing. In the summers, he has performed and participated in Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, PianoTexas, Pianofest on Long Island, etc. Born in Yantai, Shandong Province, China in 1990, he studied with Prof. Jin Zhang in The Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing from 2002 to 2006. He moved to the United States in 2006 and studied at The Juilliard School Pre-college Division with Ms. Victoria Mushkatkol. He graduated from Juilliard Pre-college with the achievement award in 2008. He received the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music from The Juilliard School in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He continues his studies at Juilliard as a C. V. Starr Doctoral Fellow under the tutelage of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky and Stephen Hough. He performs frequently at The Juilliard School as a pianist, harpsichordist, fortepianist, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. He has participated in the annual ChamberFest and Focus! Festival at Juilliard. He has participated and performed in the master classes by Alfred Brendel, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Paul Badura Skoda, Robert Levin, among others. His avid interests in early music and early keyboard instruments led him to study harpsichord with Lionel Party and fortepiano with Malcolm Bilson and Audrey Axinn. Equally interested in the art of composition, he studies with composer Philip Lasser. His works have been performed in concerts at Juilliard.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA
The American Classical Orchestra is an orchestra dedicated to performing music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. As a period instrument ensemble, ACO’s mission is to present the music as the composers might have heard it in their time using instruments and techniques from when the music was written. The American Classical Orchestra strives to present historically-informed performances that add to the cultural landscape of NYC. Founded by Music Director Thomas Crawford in 1984 as The Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy in Fairfield Connecticut, the American Classical Orchestra has been based in New York City since 2005. Since moving to New York City, ACO has established itself as the leading period instrument ensemble in the City. The American Classical Orchestra’s annual concert series, held largely at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, has garnered critical acclaim. In 2001, the American Classical Orchestra was invited to perform at the Metropolitan Museum during an exhibition entitled Art and the Empire City: New York, 1825– 1861. The ACO presented two works premiered in New York during that time period. Additional highlights of ACO’s 30 years include appearing as part of the Lincoln Center Great Performers Series, a sold-out 25th Anniversary performance of the Beethoven 9th Symphony at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and a staged a performance of Handel’s opera Alceste as part of the American Classical Orchestra’s survey of Handel’s work during Handelfest in 2014.
The American Classical Orchestra has numerous recordings with renowned artists such as Malcolm Bilson and R.J. Kelley. Among the works recorded by the American Classical Orchestra are the complete wind concerti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (featuring ACO’s principal players as soloists), Mozart’s Symphony No. 14, K.144 and Mozart’s three Piano Concerti, K.107, with fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. In 2010, the American Classical Orchestra released a recording of Baroque oboe concerti with oboist Marc Schachman on the Centaur label.
The American Classical Orchestra is dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of classical music through educational programs. Through its in-school programs, family concert series, and community outreach programs the orchestra has inspired hundreds of thousands of young students and musicians. The ACO’s educational mission is to spread historically-informed performance practices to new generations and instill a love for the music of the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic periods. For this work, the American Classical Orchestra was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and Early Music America prize. An unusual feature of ACO concerts is that Music Director Thomas Crawford gives the pre-concert lecture, giving the audience first-hand insights into the performance.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets can be purchased on www.aconyc.org, lincolncenter.org or by calling Center Charge (212-721-6500) or by calling the Alice Tully Hall Box Office (212-671-4050) or in person at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office. $85 Prime I, $60 Prime II, $45 Standard I, $25 Standard II and $15 Student (only at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office with proper student ID).
PROGRAM
Beethoven Piano concerto No. 5 “Emperor”
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3
Jiayan Sun, piano
American Classical Orchestra
WEBSITE
www.aconyc.org
PRESS CONTACT
DAN DUTCHER PUBLIC RELATIONS, Dan Dutcher, 917- 566 -8413, dan@dandutcherpr.com
The Piano concerto No. 5 ‘Emperor’ is Beethoven’s most dramatic and advanced composition for his own instrument, the fortepiano. With its premiere in 1811, this concerto is best known for its famous melodies and wide mood swings. The ethereal slow movement probes the depths of human emotions, while the robust rondo finale has unrivalled rhythmic vitality. Hearing this masterpiece within Beethoven’s sound world, with a historic piano and early 19th century musical instruments, is a rare opportunity.
Symphony No. 7 with its slow movement and hypnotic spun melodies brings both musicians and audience to the edge of their seats through the relentless drive and repetition. Few works accomplish the tenderness and the frenzy of the 7th Symphony.
Also performed is the Leonore Overture No. 3, a perennial favorite with its heroic themes and blazing trumpet fanfares. A performance with period instruments promises a thrilling journey through the complex textures of the scoring.
The concert will be preceded by a Pre-Concert Lecture at 7:00PM by Maestro Thomas Crawford.
QUOTE BY MUSIC DIRECTOR THOMAS CRAWFORD
‘The ACO opens its fourth decade with three Beethoven masterpieces that have won the hearts of millions. From the downbeat of the overture to the perpetuum mobile of the heart-pounding finale of the 7th Symphony, this music is the best of the classical tradition.’ Tom Crawford
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
THOMAS CRAWFORD, Conductor
Thomas C. Crawford, Music Director and Founder of the American Classical Orchestra, is active in numerous musical disciplines as conductor, composer, and organist. As a conductor, Mr. Crawford is a champion of both historically accurate performance styles of the Baroque and Classical repertoire and of new American music. Mr. Crawford has attracted many outstanding artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, André Watts, Dawn Upshaw, Richard Goode, Victor Borge, Monica Huggett and Vladimir Feltsman. He is responsible for the American Classical Orchestra's numerous international recordings with such great artists as Malcolm Bilson and Keith Jarrett. He is also a composer in many idioms and has been especially prolific in vocal music. Mr. Crawford has been recognized for his teaching of children and adults through school programs and lectures.
JIAYAN SUN, Pianist
Jiayan Sun, praised for his “technically flawless, poetically inspired and immensely assured playing” (Toronto Star), performs extensively in the North America, Europe, and China. He has performed frequently with The Cleveland Orchestra, The Hallé, Chinese National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Aspen Concert Orchestra, among others. He has collaborated with prominent conductors such as Michail Jurowski, Sir Mark Elder, Stefan Sanderling, Leon Fleisher, Xincao Li, David Hayes, Kerry Stratton, and Jinyi Jiang. He has concertized at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Severance Hall in Cleveland, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Leeds Town Hall, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall in Toronto, Beijing Concert Hall and Beijing University Concert Hall, Taipei National Concert Hall, and many others. His performances have been broadcasted on BBC, RTÉ, China Central Television, and classical music radio stations in North America. He has won many major prizes in international piano competitions, including the third prize in Leeds International Piano Competition, the fourth prize and audience prize in Cleveland International Piano Competition, the second prize in Dublin International Piano Competition, the first prize in the inaugural CCC Toronto International Piano Competition, the first prize in National Concerto Competition for Instrumentalists in Beijing, among others. He was recently named a CME Young Artist and a winner of Birte Moller Young Artists Award by the Center for Musical Excellence, NYC. He was also named a “Sylff Fellow” by The Tokyo Foundation. He was awarded the Thirteenth Chengxian Fu Memorial Scholarship by the Central Conservatory in Beijing. In the summers, he has performed and participated in Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, PianoTexas, Pianofest on Long Island, etc. Born in Yantai, Shandong Province, China in 1990, he studied with Prof. Jin Zhang in The Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing from 2002 to 2006. He moved to the United States in 2006 and studied at The Juilliard School Pre-college Division with Ms. Victoria Mushkatkol. He graduated from Juilliard Pre-college with the achievement award in 2008. He received the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music from The Juilliard School in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He continues his studies at Juilliard as a C. V. Starr Doctoral Fellow under the tutelage of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky and Stephen Hough. He performs frequently at The Juilliard School as a pianist, harpsichordist, fortepianist, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. He has participated in the annual ChamberFest and Focus! Festival at Juilliard. He has participated and performed in the master classes by Alfred Brendel, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Paul Badura Skoda, Robert Levin, among others. His avid interests in early music and early keyboard instruments led him to study harpsichord with Lionel Party and fortepiano with Malcolm Bilson and Audrey Axinn. Equally interested in the art of composition, he studies with composer Philip Lasser. His works have been performed in concerts at Juilliard.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA
The American Classical Orchestra is an orchestra dedicated to performing music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. As a period instrument ensemble, ACO’s mission is to present the music as the composers might have heard it in their time using instruments and techniques from when the music was written. The American Classical Orchestra strives to present historically-informed performances that add to the cultural landscape of NYC. Founded by Music Director Thomas Crawford in 1984 as The Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy in Fairfield Connecticut, the American Classical Orchestra has been based in New York City since 2005. Since moving to New York City, ACO has established itself as the leading period instrument ensemble in the City. The American Classical Orchestra’s annual concert series, held largely at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, has garnered critical acclaim. In 2001, the American Classical Orchestra was invited to perform at the Metropolitan Museum during an exhibition entitled Art and the Empire City: New York, 1825– 1861. The ACO presented two works premiered in New York during that time period. Additional highlights of ACO’s 30 years include appearing as part of the Lincoln Center Great Performers Series, a sold-out 25th Anniversary performance of the Beethoven 9th Symphony at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and a staged a performance of Handel’s opera Alceste as part of the American Classical Orchestra’s survey of Handel’s work during Handelfest in 2014.
The American Classical Orchestra has numerous recordings with renowned artists such as Malcolm Bilson and R.J. Kelley. Among the works recorded by the American Classical Orchestra are the complete wind concerti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (featuring ACO’s principal players as soloists), Mozart’s Symphony No. 14, K.144 and Mozart’s three Piano Concerti, K.107, with fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. In 2010, the American Classical Orchestra released a recording of Baroque oboe concerti with oboist Marc Schachman on the Centaur label.
The American Classical Orchestra is dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of classical music through educational programs. Through its in-school programs, family concert series, and community outreach programs the orchestra has inspired hundreds of thousands of young students and musicians. The ACO’s educational mission is to spread historically-informed performance practices to new generations and instill a love for the music of the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic periods. For this work, the American Classical Orchestra was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and Early Music America prize. An unusual feature of ACO concerts is that Music Director Thomas Crawford gives the pre-concert lecture, giving the audience first-hand insights into the performance.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets can be purchased on www.aconyc.org, lincolncenter.org or by calling Center Charge (212-721-6500) or by calling the Alice Tully Hall Box Office (212-671-4050) or in person at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office. $85 Prime I, $60 Prime II, $45 Standard I, $25 Standard II and $15 Student (only at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office with proper student ID).
PROGRAM
Beethoven Piano concerto No. 5 “Emperor”
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3
Jiayan Sun, piano
American Classical Orchestra
WEBSITE
www.aconyc.org
PRESS CONTACT
DAN DUTCHER PUBLIC RELATIONS, Dan Dutcher, 917- 566 -8413, dan@dandutcherpr.com
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