Bernard Labadie’s Inaugural Season as Orchestra of St. Luke’s Principal Conductor Kicks Off With Opening Carnegie Hall Series Concert on October 25

Program Features Haydn’s “Nelson Mass” and Mozart’s Requiem with Soprano Lauren Snouffer,
Mezzo-Soprano Susan Graham, Tenor Lothar Odinius, Bass-Baritone Philippe Sly,
and La Chapelle de Québec

Orchestra of St. Luke’s Carnegie Hall 32^nd-annual series concerts commences this season on October 25 in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, marking the official start of Bernard Labadie’s tenure as Principal Conductor of the Orchestra. Bernard Labadie and OSL have chosen Haydn as the theme for his inaugural season, showcasing the Ensemble’s strong affinity for this composer. Curated with an eye to interesting musical juxtapositions, the series will offer a variety of perspectives on Haydn’s music and influence.

The opening concert on October 25 features La Chapelle de Québec, the choir founded and directed by Maestro Labadie, in its first appearance with OSL. The program pairs Haydn’s Mass in D Minor, Hob. XXII: 11, “Nelson Mass,” in Haydn’s original orchestration with Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626, in the version completed by Robert Levin. Acclaimed soloists include American soprano Lauren Snouffer and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, German tenor Lothar Odinius, and Canadian bass-baritone Philippe Sly.

Orchestra of St. Luke’s dedicates this performance to the loving memory of its dear friend and colleague, Charles Hamlen, who served as the Orchestra’s Artistic Advisor. His joy in music and musicians created a wellspring of inspiration for all who knew him.

The second concert of the series, also conducted by Labadie, takes place on February 28. It features Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor, “Farewell” in all its theatricality, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 with soloist Paul Lewis in his concerto debut in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, and a Mozart concert aria taken from a revised scena and rondo from Idomeneo sung by rising soprano Ying Fang.

On April 18, OSL Conductor Laureate Pablo Heras-Casado takes the podium for a program highlighted by Ravel’s exuberant Piano Concerto in G Major performed by Hélène Grimaud. The program also pairs Haydn’s Symphony No. 103 in E-flat Major, “Drumroll” with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 which the composer himself designated “Classical” and for which he cites Haydn as his inspiration.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 8PM
HAYDN’S “NELSON MASS” AND MOZART’S REQUIEM
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage 

Orchestra of St. Luke's
Bernard Labadie, Conductor
La Chapelle de Québec
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Lothar Odinius, tenor
Philippe Sly, bass-baritone

HAYDN             Mass in D Minor, Hob. XXII: 11, “Nelson Mass,”
MOZART           Requiem, K. 626, in the version completed by Robert Levin.

TICKETS: Priced from $15. to $98. Call 212.247.7800 or visit CarnegieHall.org

For Orchestra of St. Luke’s full 2017-2018 Season, visit OSLmusic.org.

About Orchestra of St. Luke’s and St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble
Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) began in 1974 as a group of virtuoso musicians performing chamber music concerts at Greenwich Village’s Church of St. Luke in the Fields.  Now in its 44^th season, the Orchestra performs diverse musical genres at New York’s major concert venues and has collaborated with artists ranging from Renée Fleming and Joshua Bell to Bono and Metallica. In fall 2018, celebrated expert in 18th- century music Bernard Labadie began his tenure as the Orchestra’s fifth Principal Conductor. OSL’s signature programming includes a subscription series presented by Carnegie Hall, now in its 32^nd season; an annual multi–week collaboration with Paul Taylor American Modern Dance at Lincoln Center; an annual summer residency at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts; and a chamber music festival featuring appearances at The Morgan Library & Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center. The Orchestra has participated in 118 recordings, four of which have won Grammy Awards, has commissioned more than 50 new works, and has given more than 175 world, U.S., and New York City premieres. Nearly half of OSL’s performances each year are presented free of charge through its education and community programs, reaching over 10,000 New York City public school students. Additionally, OSL provides free instrumental coaching and presents student performances through its Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s and its Mentorship Program for Pre-Professional Musicians. OSL built and operates The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City’s only rehearsal, recording, education, and performance space expressly dedicated to classical music. The Center serves more than 500 ensembles and more than 30,000 musicians each year. For more information, visit OSLmusic.org 

In 2019, Orchestra of St. Luke’s launches two major initiatives: the inaugural OSL Bach Festival in New York City and the opening of the DeGaetano Composition Institute. The three-week Bach Festival at Carnegie Hall, Manhattan School of Music’s Neidorff-Karpati Hall, and at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music will feature 15 performances, including orchestral concerts conducted by Bernard Labadie, keyboard recitals, and Paul Taylor Dance Company performing its complete set of works choreographed to Bach scores.

For more information, visit OSLmusic.org.

About Bernard Labadie, Principal Conductor
Widely recognized as one of the world’s leading conductors of Baroque, Classical, and Early-Romantic repertoire, Bernard Labadie made his debut with the OSL as Principal Conductor Designate at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival on July 2, 2017 leading an all-Mozart program. Now, as OSL’s 5th Principal Conductor, he joins the distinguished roster of Pablo Heras-Casado (2011-2017), Roger Norrington (1990-1994), Charles Mackerras (1998-2001), and Donald Runnicles (2001-2007). Bernard Labadie received an Honorary Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music in May 2018.

Maestro Labadie’s 2018–19 season will include guest conducting engagements with Kansas City Symphony, Handel and Haydn Society, Canadian Opera Company, Philharmonie du Luxemburg, New World Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. French-Canadian Labadie founded the celebrated chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy in 1984 and built it to international renown. He stepped down in 2014 from his 30–year tenure as Music Director to pursue wider interests. Labadie is a regular guest conductor with all the major North American orchestras and has appeared locally with the New York Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera, and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. His notable European engagements include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and frequent assignments with period-instrument orchestras including Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The English Concert, and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. An eminent opera conductor, Maestro Labadie has served as Artistic Director of Opéra de Québec and Opéra de Montréal. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2009–2010 season with Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Bernard Labadie’s extensive discography comprises many critically acclaimed recordings on the Dorian, ATMA, and Virgin Classics labels, including a collaborative recording of Mozart’s Requiem with Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, both of which received Canada’s Juno Award.

About La Chapelle de Québec
Created in 1985 by founding conductor and music director Bernard Labadie, La Chapelle de Québec is one of North America’s premiere voice ensembles. The group is made up exclusively of professional singers who are handpicked from all over Canada. This unique chamber choir specializes in the choral/orchestral repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. The choir performs regularly with its other half, chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy, and as a guest choir with some of the finest orchestras in North America. Its interpretations of the oratorios, requiems, masses, and cantatas of Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Haydn, as well as Fauré and Duruflé, are frequently hailed in the Canadian and international press.

La Chapelle de Québec is heard regularly at Palais Montcalm in Quebec City and Maison symphonique in Montreal, as well as at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall with Les Violons du Roy and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and in Ottawa with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The choir’s concerts are often broadcast by the CBC and Radio-Canada in Canada and by National Public Radio in the United States.

Media Contacts
Pascal Nadon Communications
Pascal Nadon
pascal@pascalnadon.com(646) 234-7088

Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Stephen Litner, Director of External Affairs
slitner@OSLmusic.org(212) 594-6100 x103