Nov. 24: BPYO Opens Season with Violinist Stefan Jackiw and Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Mahler

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katy Salomon | Morahan Arts and Media
katy@morahanartsandmedia.com | 863.660.2214

Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Opens 2019-20 Season with 
Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Mahler Featuring Violinist Stefan Jackiw, Nov. 24

“Talent that's off the scale.” – Washington Post

Hear Stefan Jackiw perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto on YouTube

Listen to Benjamin Zander’s in-depth discussion of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1

Boston, MA (October 28, 2019) – The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, led by conductor Benjamin Zander, opens its 2019-20 season on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:00pm at Boston Symphony Hall. The program includes Verdi’s La Forza Del Destino Overture, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto featuring Harvard and New England Conservatory alumnus Stefan Jackiw.

Maestro Zander says, “When Stefan Jackiw was 14, I invited him to perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. After the rehearsal, one of the cellists said to me, ‘I have been in this orchestra for 25 years, and have heard virtually every major violinist. But that was the most beautiful Mendelssohn I have heard.’ That was 20 years ago. Stefan’s career now takes him around the world. But I feel it is time for him to come home to inspire the next generation of musicians in the BPYO. It is only fitting that he performs with us, once again, the Mendelssohn concerto.”

The program concludes with Mahler’s First Symphony, “Titan” written when the composer was only 27 years old. The composer conducted it himself when it premiered in Budapest in 1889. Although, it was not well received by the public, Mahler continued to make revisions to it. 

Maestro Zander began conducting Mahler’s symphonies in the 1970s and has become one of the foremost Mahler conductors of our time. High Fidelity Magazine named the recording of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony by Zander and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra as the best classical recording of 2002; the recording of the Third Symphony was awarded ‘Critic’s Choice’ by the German Record Critics; and Zander’s recordings of Mahler’s Ninth, Mahler’s Second, and Bruckner’s Fifth were nominated for Grammy Awards.

The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s past two albums featuring Mahler’s Symphonies No. 6 and 9 were received to great critical acclaim. MusicWeb International wrote, "This account of Mahler’s Ninth is a formidable achievement and all the more so when one considers that it is given by young musicians and that it is a live performance. It’s not just the technical accomplishment that has impressed me, however; it’s also the orchestra’s engagement with the music and their commitment. The performance is conducted superbly by Benjamin Zander and if his excellent booklet notes don’t convince you that he has thought deeply about the symphony then listening to his interpretation of it will do so. I can only say that each time I’ve listened to this performance I’ve been gripped by it from start to finish." 

Program Information
Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Mahler
Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:00pm
Boston Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue |  Boston, MA
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
Stefan Jackiw, violin

Program:
VERDI – La Forza Del Destino Overture
MENDELSSOHN – Violin Concerto
      Stefan Jackiw, violin
MAHLER – Symphony No. 1

Ticket Information
Tickets are available by visiting www.bostonphil.org or by calling 617-236-0999.

About Stefan Jackiw
Stefan Jackiw is one of America’s foremost violinists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with an impeccable technique. Hailed for playing of "uncommon musical substance" that is “striking for its intelligence and sensitivity” (Boston Globe), Jackiw has appeared as soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others.

Highlights of recent seasons include his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra and Juraj Valcuha, with whom he also re-united for performances in Dallas, Detroit, and Luxembourg; performances of Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto at Carnegie Hall with Mikhail Pletnev, as part of a multi-city tour with the Russian National Orchestra; as well as performances with the St. Louis Symphony under Nicholas McGegan, the Minnesota Orchestra under Ilyich Rivas, the Rotterdam Philharmonic under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Indianapolis Symphony under Krzysztof Urbanski, and the Pittsburgh Symphony under Valc?uha. Other highlights in Europe included his performances with the Netherlands Radio Symphony and Ludovic Morlot at the Concertgebouw. In Asia, Stefan has appeared with the Tokyo Symphony at Suntory Hall under the direction of Krzysztof Urbanski, and the Seoul Philharmonic under Venzago. He has also toured Korea, playing chamber music with Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. In Australia, Stefan toured with the Australian Chamber Orchestra play-directing Mendelssohn. He also gave the world premiere of American composer David Fulmer’s Violin Concerto No 2 “Jubilant Arcs,” written for him and commissioned by the Heidelberg Festival with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie under Matthias Pintscher. Recital highlights have included his performances of the complete Ives violin Sonatas with Jeremy Denk at Tanglewood and Boston’s Jordan Hall, and performance of the complete Brahms violin sonatas, which he has recorded for Sony. He also recently recorded the Beethoven Triple with Inon Barnatan, Alisa Weilerstein, Alan Gilbert and Academy St. Martin in the Fields.

Jackiw has performed in numerous important festivals and concert series, including the Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Philharmonie de Paris, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Celebrity Series of Boston, and the Washington Performing Arts Society. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such artists as Jeremy Denk, Steven Isserlis, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gil Shaham, and forms a trio with Jay Campbell and Conrad Tao. At the opening night of Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in New York, Jackiw was the only young artist invited to perform, playing alongside such artists as Emanuel Ax, Renée Fleming, Evgeny Kissin, and James Levine. 

Born to physicist parents of Korean and German descent, Stefan Jackiw began playing the violin at the age of four. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, as well as an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory, and is the recipient of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. He lives in New York City.

About the Boston Youth Orchestra
The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was formed in 2012 under the auspices of the Boston Philharmonic. Conducted by Benjamin Zander, the BPYO’s motto is “Shaping Future Leaders through Music.” The 120 enthusiastic and talented young musicians of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra range in age from 12 to 21. The wide range of ages affords younger members of the orchestra the chance to collaborate with older students who have already begun their professional careers. In turn, collegiate members of the group are offered the opportunity to nurture and coach the future generations. 

BPYO offers a unique opportunity for young instrumentalists who want to study great orchestral repertoire in a musically dynamic and intellectually challenging community. BPYO members are asked not only to master their parts and to gain a deep understanding of the musical score (including through regular sectional rehearsals led by top professionals from the Boston musical community), but also to engage in dialogue with Mr. Zander, through weekly “white sheets,” where they are invited to share their thoughts on all aspects of the music and the rehearsal process. These conversations often lead to stimulating discussions on personal leadership and often initiate ongoing individual conversations with Mr. Zander through email, phone calls, and conversations at rehearsal, creating a unique mentoring relationship between Mr. Zander and each musician. 

In the inaugural 2012-13 season, the BPYO performed two concerts to sold out audiences in Boston’s Symphony Hall and undertook a wildly successful five-city tour of the Netherlands, culminating in a performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony in Amsterdam’s acclaimed Concertgebouw. Six months later, in December 2013, BPYO performed at Carnegie Hall, receiving high praise in The New York Times for their “brilliantly played, fervently felt account.” In 2015, the group undertook an 18-day European tour with concerts in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland, including performances in the Prague Rudolfinum, the Philharmonie of Berlin, and the KKL of Luzern. In 2016, BPYO performed six concerts in Spain. In 2017, the orchestra traveled to South America with performances and outreach activities in Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina. In 2018, the orchestra performed 8 concerts in Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and the Netherlands, including performances in the Prague Rudolfinum, Budapest National Concert Hall, Vienna Musikverein, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Each international engagement has been met with top critical approval and formed life-long bonds between the orchestra and the musical cultures of the various host countries. 

BPYO has released three highly acclaimed commercial recordings: Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 2013; and Mahler Symphonies No. 6 and No. 9, both recorded live at Boston Symphony Hall in 2017 and 2018 respectively. 

The many musical and personal growth opportunities offered by the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra cultivate exceptionally skilled musicians who become respected and acclaimed leaders in music and in their communities.

About Benjamin Zander
For the past 50 years, Benjamin Zander has occupied a unique place as a master teacher, deeply insightful and probing interpreter, and as a profound source of inspiration for audiences, students, professional musicians, corporate leaders, politicians and more. He has persistently engaged most well-informed musical and public intellectuals in a quest for insight and understanding into the western musical canon and the underlying religious social and political issues that inspired its creation.

Zander founded the Boston Philharmonic in 1978 and has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras around the world. His performances have inspired thousands of musicians, renewed their sense of idealism and shed fresh, insightful and sometimes provocative light on the interpretation of the central symphonic repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries. Critics and the public have been united in their praise of Zander’s interpretations of the central repertory.

For 25 years, Zander has enjoyed a unique relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra, recording a series of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies. High Fidelity named the recording of Mahler’s 6th as ‘the best classical recording,’ of 2002; the 3rd was awarded ‘Critic’s Choice’ by the German Record Critics’; The Mahler 9th, Mahler 2nd and Bruckner 5th recordings were nominated for Grammy Awards.

In 2012, Zander founded the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO), which draws young musicians from the entire northeastern US to its weekly rehearsals and high-profile performances in Boston. This tuition-free orchestra tours regularly, and has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Berlin Philharmonic among others. In the summer of 2017 the BPYO will tour South America and, in 2018, Europe.

From 1965-2012, Zander was on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where he taught Musical Interpretation, and conducted the Youth Philharmonic and Conservatory orchestras. He was the founding Artistic Director of the NEC’s joint program with The Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. Zander led the NEC Youth Philharmonic on fifteen international tours and made several documentaries for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Zander enjoys an international career as a leadership speaker, with several keynote speeches at the World Economic Forum in Davos and at TED. The best-selling book, The Art of Possibility, co-authored with leading psychotherapist Rosamund Zander, has been translated into eighteen languages. 

*Image at top of release by Sophie Zhai

# # #