October 2012The Inaugural Season

YANNICK

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From the President

J.D. S

cott

Dear Friends:

It is with great pleasure, excitement, and anticipation that I welcome you to Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s inaugural season as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. This is a historic moment, not only for the Orchestra but for Philadelphia itself. Yannick’s wealth of experience, unique and special bond with the Orchestra, and electrifying and infectious presence on the podium are palpable to anyone who has seen him in concert. Many of you have already witnessed the magic that occurs when Yannick is leading our Fabulous Philadelphians. For those of you who have not yet had that opportunity, just wait!

Exactly 100 years ago, Leopold Stokowski arrived as conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, ushering in a golden age of artistic excellence and innovation. Yannick has chosen to honor this convergence of history, paying tribute to Stokowski’s legacy throughout the season. As a prelude, he led the Orchestra in four special Stokowski concerts at the Academy of Music in June, which generated tremendous excitement and positive energy. Together with those new to the Orchestra, longtime devotees and patrons who were nostalgic to hear the Orchestra perform in its former home experienced something truly special. Yannick shares many qualities with Stokowski, including an unbridled and youthful enthusiasm, the desire to achieve unrivaled artistic preeminence, and the goal to expand our audience, both in the concert hall and in the community, and their understanding of our music. I know we are on the cusp of another golden age.

As we did with the June Stokowski Celebration, the Orchestra will continue to expand the boundaries of the concert format, coming up with new and inventive ways to present its world-class music to excite current supporters and attract new audiences. We must fill Verizon Hall in celebration of Yannick and in support of the Orchestra. But we cannot do it alone. You, our loyal friends, are our best ambassadors. You have stories to tell and passion to share with those who do not yet know the power of the Orchestra. Express your pride and share your excitement by telling all of your friends about the tremendously joyful experiences they could have by joining you at a concert.

We would be most grateful.

I am so happy you have joined me to welcome Yannick as he leads our great Orchestra in what promises to be many memorable years of beautiful and inspired music-making. I hope to see you here often, and I look forward to a wonderful journey together.

Yours in Music,

Allison VulgamorePresident and CEO

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Music DirectorYannick Nézet-Séguin became the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra with the start of the 2012-13 season. Named music director designate in June 2010, he made his Orchestra debut in December 2008. Over the past decade, Yannick has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most exciting talents of his generation. Since 2008 he has been music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic, and since 2000 artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. He has appeared with such revered ensembles as the Vienna and Berlin philharmonics; the Boston Symphony; the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; the Dresden Staatskapelle; the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; and the major Canadian orchestras. His talents extend beyond symphonic music into opera and choral music, leading acclaimed performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, London’s Royal Opera House, and the Salzburg Festival.

Highlights of Yannick’s inaugural season include his Carnegie Hall debut with the Verdi Requiem, two world and one U.S. premiere, and performances of The Rite of Spring in collaboration with New York-based Ridge Theater, complete with dancers, video projection, and theatrical lighting.

In July 2012 Yannick and Deutsche Grammophon announced a major long-term collaboration. His discography with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for BIS Records and EMI/Virgin includes an Edison Award-winning album of Ravel’s orchestral works. He has also recorded several award-winning albums with the Orchestre Métropolitain for ATMA Classique. In addition, his first recording with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, is available for download.

A native of Montreal, Yannick studied at that city’s Conservatory of Music and continued studies with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College. In 2012 Yannick was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. His other honors include Canada’s National Arts Centre Award; a Royal Philharmonic Society Award; the Prix Denise-Pelletier, the highest distinction for the arts in Quebec; and an honorary doctorate by the University of Quebec in Montreal.

To read Yannick’s full bio, please visit www.philorch.org/conductor.

Jessica Griffin

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The Philadelphia Orchestra2012-2013 SeasonYannick Nézet-SéguinMusic DirectorWalter and Leonore Annenberg

Chair

Wolfgang SawallischConductor LaureateCharles Dutoit Conductor LaureateCristian MacelaruAssistant Conductor

First ViolinsDavid Kim, ConcertmasterDr. Benjamin Rush ChairJuliette Kang, First Associate ConcertmasterJoseph and Marie Field ChairMarc Rovetti, Acting Associate ConcertmasterHerbert Light Larry A. Grika ChairBarbara GovatosWilson H. and Barbara B. Taylor ChairJonathan BeilerHirono OkaRichard AmorosoRobert and Lynne Pollack ChairYayoi NumazawaJason De PueLisa-Beth LambertJennifer HaasMiyo CurnowElina KalendarevaDaniel HanNoah Geller*

Second ViolinsKimberly Fisher, PrincipalPeter A. Benoliel ChairPaul Roby, Associate PrincipalSandra and David Marshall ChairDara Morales, Assistant PrincipalAnne M. Buxton ChairPhilip KatesMitchell and Hilarie Morgan Family Foundation ChairBooker RoweDavyd BoothPaul ArnoldLorraine and David Popowich ChairYumi Ninomiya ScottDmitri Levin

Boris BalterWilliam PolkAmy Oshiro-Morales

ViolasChoong-Jin Chang, PrincipalRuth and A. Morris Williams ChairKirsten Johnson, Associate PrincipalKerri Ryan, Assistant PrincipalJudy Geist Renard EdwardsAnna Marie Ahn PetersenPiasecki Family ChairDavid NicastroBurchard TangChe-Hung Chen Rachel KuMarvin MoonJonathan Chu

CellosHai-Ye Ni, PrincipalAlbert and Mildred Switky ChairYumi Kendall, Acting Associate PrincipalWendy and Derek Pew Foundation ChairJohn Koen, Acting Assistant PrincipalRichard HarlowGloria de PasqualeOrton P. and Noël S. Jackson ChairKathryn Picht ReadWinifred and Samuel Mayes ChairRobert CafaroVolunteer Committees ChairOhad Bar-DavidCatherine R. and Anthony A. Clifton ChairDerek BarnesMollie and Frank Slattery ChairAlex Veltman

BassesHarold Robinson, PrincipalCarole and Emilio Gravagno ChairMichael Shahan, Associate PrincipalJoseph Conyers, Assistant PrincipalJohn HoodHenry G. ScottDavid Fay

Duane RosengardRobert Kesselman

Some members of the string sections voluntarily rotate seating on a periodic basis.

FlutesJeffrey Khaner, PrincipalPaul and Barbara Henkels ChairDavid Cramer, Associate PrincipalRachelle and Ronald Kaiserman ChairLoren N. LindKazuo Tokito, Piccolo

OboesRichard Woodhams, PrincipalSamuel S. Fels ChairPeter Smith, Associate PrincipalJonathan BlumenfeldEdwin Tuttle ChairElizabeth Starr Masoudnia, English HornJoanne T. Greenspun Chair

ClarinetsRicardo Morales, PrincipalLeslie Miller and Richard Worley ChairSamuel Caviezel, Associate PrincipalSarah and Frank Coulson ChairRaoul QuerzePeter M. Joseph and Susan Rittenhouse Joseph ChairPaul R. Demers, Bass Clarinet

BassoonsDaniel Matsukawa, PrincipalRichard M. Klein ChairMark Gigliotti, Co-PrincipalAngela AndersonHolly Blake, Contrabassoon

HornsJennifer Montone, PrincipalGray Charitable Trust ChairJeffrey Lang, Associate PrincipalJeffry KirschenDaniel WilliamsDenise TryonShelley Showers

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TrumpetsDavid Bilger, PrincipalMarguerite and Gerry Lenfest ChairJeffrey Curnow, Associate PrincipalGary and Ruthanne Schlarbaum ChairRobert W. Earley TrombonesNitzan Haroz*, PrincipalNeubauer Family Foundation ChairMatthew Vaughn, Associate PrincipalEric CarlsonBlair Bollinger, Bass TromboneDrs. Bong and Mi Wha Lee Chair

TubaCarol Jantsch, PrincipalLyn and George M. Ross Chair

TimpaniDon S. Liuzzi, PrincipalDwight V. Dowley ChairAngela Zator Nelson, Associate PrincipalPatrick and Evelyn Gage Chair

PercussionChristopher Deviney, PrincipalMrs. Francis W. De Serio ChairAnthony Orlando, Associate PrincipalAnn R. and Harold A. Sorgenti ChairAngela Zator Nelson

Piano and CelestaKiyoko Takeuti

HarpsElizabeth Hainen, PrincipalPatricia and John Imbesi ChairMargarita Csonka Montanaro, Co-Principal

LibrariansRobert M. Grossman, PrincipalSteven K. Glanzmann

Stage PersonnelEdward Barnes, ManagerJames J. Sweeney, Jr.James P. Barnes

*On leave

Where were you born? Carbondale, IL. My parents were grad students at the time at Southern Illinois University.

When did you join the Orchestra? 1999.

What piece of music could you play over and over again? A couple of works by Richard Strauss come to mind: Four Last Songs, the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier.

What is your most treasured possession? I try not to get too caught up in material things. That being said, I do love my Dominique Peccatte violin bow. Peccatte was one of the great bow makers of all time. Every time I play it I think to myself, “Like buttah …”

What’s in your instrument case? I go minimalist. No photos of the kids, no love notes from the wife—just a cake of rosin, an extra bow and strings, and a couple of Sharpies for signing autographs.

What’s your favorite Philadelphia restaurant? There is a Korean tofu restaurant in North Philly called Jong Ka Jib that is awesome. My family loves that place—as do most Koreans who live in Philadelphia!

If you could ask any composer one question who would it be and what would you ask? I would ask Mozart if he felt moved to tears when he composed certain pieces as I am when I experience them.

To read the full set of questions and to see a photo of the inside of David’s violin case, please visit www.philorch.org/davidkim.

Musicians Behind the ScenesDavid Kim Concertmaster

Ryan D

onnell

8 The Philadelphia Orchestra 2012-2013 Season

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Welcoming Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Cue the fanfare—the moment is here at last! As Yannick Nézet-Séguin begins his tenure as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, it marks yet another auspicious moment in the Orchestra’s rich history. Ever since the French-Canadian conductor was named music director designate in 2010, the drum roll of anticipation has been building.

Not surprisingly for Yannick, the 37-year-old maestro sees his progression in purely musical terms. “We’re at the end of the crescendo leading to the fortissimo of the music director arriving on stage,” he says, with

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Jessica Griffin

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Eighth Music Director

By Damian Fowler

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12 Welcoming Yannick Nézet-Séguin

his characteristic humor. “Everything I’ve done so far has led me to this moment of new beginnings with The Philadelphia Orchestra.”

And to be sure, he has already achieved a tremendous amount in his musical life. Like many a great maestro, the musical terrain he traverses is vast, varied, and international. In addition to his Philadelphia appointment, he continues as music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic where, in 2008, he succeeded Russian maestro Valery Gergiev and boosted that ensemble’s reputation in Europe, where an orchestra’s status is jealously guarded. And since 2000, when he assumed the mantle of artistic director and principal conductor, he thrust the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal (his hometown) into the spotlight, with acclaimed live performances and a series of award-winning recordings of Bruckner, Mahler, and Weill. Working in such different contexts, says Yannick, has allowed him to tailor the unique needs of each orchestra within the context of making music at “the highest possible level.”

Yannick acknowledges the applause from the audience following his December 2009 Metropolitan Opera debut, where he conducted Bizet’s Carmen with mezzo-soprano Elīna Garančia and tenor Roberto Alagna.

Ken H

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14 Welcoming Yannick Nézet-Séguin

In demand as a guest conductor, Yannick is a frequent collaborator with many of the greatest European orchestras, including the Berlin and Vienna philharmonics; the Dresden Staatskapelle; Munich’s Bavarian Radio Symphony; the Zurich Tonhalle; and the London Philharmonic, where he is principal guest conductor. A recent LPO performance of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony brought him critical acclaim for his “thrilling authority.” At the same time, his extraordinary reputation as a conductor of opera keeps him in demand at the most prestigious opera houses around the world—including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and the Salzburg Festival, and, this year he made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden.

It’s a stellar resumé, made even more impressive because Yannick has scaled such lofty heights at a relatively young age. And yet, as he becomes music director in Philadelphia, he’ll join the ranks of the Orchestra’s other great leaders who became music director in their 30s—Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, and Riccardo Muti. It’s a good precedent, a point where energy meets experience. “It is indescribably inspiring to me to walk in the footsteps of these legendary artists who have come before me,” Yannick says.

Conductor Carlo Maria Giulini with Yannick in 1997.

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Audiences already feel the strong connection Yannick has made with the musicians of the Orchestra. He understands he’s working with an ensemble that has the “highest artistic level, a strong personality, and a rich history,” and his concerts over the last two seasons have given him a taste of the vast power and potential of The Philadelphia Orchestra that he can’t wait to unleash. “At the beginning, I would ask myself, ‘What is this famous Philadelphia Sound?’ And then, as the musicians responded to me, the magic would happen. Sometimes I would have the experience I was unlocking, or transporting us into history, and I could feel the audience almost respond: ‘Ah yes, we recognize that sound!’”

Yannick is keenly aware of the legacy he has inherited and the responsibility it entails, and he is energized about working with musicians whose unique sound has been carefully cultivated over the course of decades. “I’m not breaking with tradition or starting from a blank page,” he says. “This Orchestra already has a singular unity of purpose and an exceptional passion. I will now have the joy of bringing my own signature to our collective music-making.”

As far as his own musical genealogy, Yannick insists it’s the vocal aspect that has shaped his history and his life. Growing up in Montreal he started out playing the piano but decided, as a precocious 10 year old, that he wanted to be a conductor, a realization that he still considers a mystery. He studied at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Montreal and then, in his teens, specialized in choral conducting at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Later the great Italian conductor Carlo Maria Giulini took the 22 year old under his wing. In addition to studying technique and repertoire from the 80-year-old master, Yannick learned from him that “making music is an act of respect and love.”

Applying his grounding in operatic and choral conducting—long lyrical lines and breathing with the music—to the symphony, Yannick insists that the two forms are mutually dependent. In his first season,

“Everything

I’ve done

so far has

led me to

this moment

with the

Orchestra.” —Yannick Nézet-Séguin

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Yannick with tenor Rolando Villazón during his August 2008 debut at the Salzburg Festival leading Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. Villazón joins Yannick and the Philadelphia Orchestra for Verdi’s Requiem.

he has placed great emphasis on demonstrating his lyrical heart, and in particular the first two weeks will showcase his great aptitude in both the operatic and the symphonic genres. Opening Night features Renée Fleming, who Yannick considers “the lyric soprano of our time.” Following that gala inaugural concert, Yannick has chosen to begin the subscription season with a work that is personally meaningful to him, Verdi’s Requiem, which he calls an “operatic work” that is at once theatrical and sincere. “The Requiem is all about breathing, about touching souls,” he says, calling it “a great spiritual experience.”

This brilliant opening lays the groundwork for Yannick’s tenure in Philadelphia. He is eager to expand the repertoire for this orchestra that is already versatile in many styles, shifting between great romantic works, intimate period-informed performances, and contemporary pieces. Programs will be informative journeys that have a sense of occasion through collaborations with outside artistic partners, and seasons will be curated with large-scale themes that connect across weeks, months, or even seasons. “I hope,” says Yannick, “we will create an atmosphere in the concert hall that is fun, dynamic, and brings audiences to the edge of their seats.”

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Moments before heading to the stage of the Philharmonie to make his Berlin Philharmonic debut in October 2010, Yannick studies the score one more time.

Damian Fowler is the managing editor of Playbill Classic Arts and writes frequently about classical music for a variety of major publications, including Vanity Fair, the Guardian, and Listen Music Magazine.

Growing up, Yannick would listen to his parents’ vinyl recordings of Herbert von Karajan and wave his arms around like a rookie maestro. “At that time I was dreaming of being in front of the Berlin Philharmonic or one of the Big Five American orchestras,” he says with a chuckle.

As he takes up his new role as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick is excited to take up this next phase of his career. “I feel so lucky. I am certain that this relationship is right for this Orchestra at this moment. All that I have dreamt is coming true.”

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Beyond the BatonWhat is your earliest musical memory? My earliest musical memory is of transgressing the family rule that children were not allowed to touch the stereo. I was always a good boy but I just couldn’t resist the lure of that machine and I was always putting on records so I could listen to music. I think I was around two or three.

If you could ask one composer one question, who would it be and what would you ask them? Definitely Bach. And I would ask him: How was it pos-sible for a single human brain and soul to compose all you composed while having so many children?

What piece of music could you conduct over and over again? There are some works I really feel that I have a need to conduct—I always want to program them. The Verdi Requiem is one, and also pretty much all the Mahler and Bruckner symphonies. When I finish a performance I feel much emotion, both exhilarated but also somewhat drained. So I couldn’t jump right into another performance. However, by the next day, I am ready to conduct the same piece again and again!

What’s the one thing you always have to do before going onstage? I don’t have a special ritual, however I wear my grandfather’s ring on my finger, always. And before going onstage I have a moment where I touch the ring and think of him. He passed away before seeing me conduct, so this is a small way of sharing.

Do you have any hobbies? Jogging has become a favorite hobby. It is not only a way of staying fit but also gives me a chance to get to know the cities where I conduct. And already I have discovered the wonderful Schuylkill Trail along the river here in Philadelphia!

What’s your favorite Philadelphia restaurant? There are quite a few that I like, but I will say that I feel very welcome already at both Estia and Girasole. The food and the atmosphere at both are superb. However, I look forward to the chance to explore more of Philadel-phia’s great restaurants!

Chris Lee

A Q&A with Yannick Nézet-Séguin

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At 3:00 PM on Friday, October 11, 1912, a 30-year-old Leopold Stokowski stepped onto the podium in the Academy of Music and gave the downbeat that signaled the start of the day’s afternoon concert. Thus marked the beginning of his 29-season tenure as conductor and music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra—a long and fruitful relationship that saw Stokowski lead the Philadelphians in 100 world and U.S. premieres, on their first major tour, in the creation of their Children’s and Youth Concert series, in developing a tradition of producing exceptional sound recordings, and in a seemingly innumerable number of other firsts and historic feats. In June Yannick and the Orchestra initiated a celebration of Stokowski’s legacy in a four-concert series in the Academy of Music, and with good reason: The 2012-13 season marks the 100th anniversary of Stokowski’s inaugural season as conductor of the Orchestra. Of course, this season is also Yannick’s first as music director, and he has seen to it that many of the subscription programs recreate, draw direct influence from, and pay tribute to Stokowski’s legendary approach to music-making. We encourage you to visit our Stokowski blog at www.philorch.org/blog/stokowski-celebration throughout the season to read fun facts about him as we embark on a new and groundbreaking season and continue to draw inspiration from our storied past.

A Stokowski Centenary

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Noted in Passing The Philadelphia Orchestra mourns the passing of the following former Orchestra members: Co-Concertmaster William de Pasquale, Associate Principal Viola James Fawcett, Associate Principal Trombone Tyrone Breuninger, and violinist Irving Ludwig. You can read notices about Mr. Breuninger and Mr. Ludwig in next month’s Playbill.

William de Pasquale died on April 8. He joined the Orchestra in 1963, became associate concertmaster in 1966, second concertmaster in 1995, and co-concertmaster in 1999, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. A Philadelphia native and graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Veda Reynolds, Mr. de Pasquale was a member of the United States Navy Band while serving in the military. In 1958 he received a Fulbright Scholarship and traveled to Salzburg for a year. In 1960 he became concertmaster of the New Orleans Philharmonic. He was a member of the faculty at Temple University and first violinist of the de Pasquale String Quartet—an ensemble that included brothers Joseph, Robert, and Francis, who were also members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. de Pasquale received the Orchestra’s C. Hartman Kuhn Award in 1995, given annually to “a musician who has shown both musical ability and enterprise of such character as to enhance the musical standards and reputation of The Philadelphia Orchestra.”

James Fawcett passed away on February 24. A member of the Orchestra from 1962 to his retirement in 1994, he was appointed assistant principal viola in 1967 and then associate principal viola in 1988. Mr. Fawcett first played the violin and switched to the viola upon entering the Curtis Institute of Music. He subsequently studied with Joseph de Pasquale at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he graduated with honors, and then returned to Curtis to study with Max Aronoff. In the 1950s, while in the military, he was a member of the Seventh Army Symphony and the Seventh Band. After his service he played for four seasons with the Pittsburgh Symphony under William Steinberg before joining The Philadelphia Orchestra. Following his retirement he relocated to Florida and continued to perform with the Sarasota Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Symphony, and the Venice Symphony.

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