De Niese and Bronfman in Prague Philharmonia's new season
The celebrated American soprano Danielle de Niese and the pianist Yefim Bronfman will be guest stars of the Prague Philharmonia's new concert season 2009-2010. Other outstanding musicians such as the oboist Albrecht Mayer, violinist Volkhard Steude, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, flautist Magali Mosnier, conductors Jiří Bělohlávek, Emmanuel Villaume and Damian Iorio will also perform with the orchestra. The chief conductor Jakub Hrůša will conduct several of the season's concerts.
Danielle de Niese's "sweet, gleaming soprano", "phenomenal musicality" and "sharply comic, yet utterly moving" acting, combined with youth and physical presence, have brought her to the edge of a spectacular career. At only 29 years of age, the Australian-born American singer regularly graces many of the world's most prestigious opera and concert stages, and has released her first solo album as part of her exclusive contract with Decca Records, Handel Arias. With the Prague Philharmonia she will perform a selection of Mozart's arias at a concert on 6 January 2010.
The Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman is widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuosos performing today. His commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won him consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide, whether for his solo recitals, his prestigious orchestral engagements, or his rapidly growing catalogue of recordings. He will return to the Prague Philharmonia after nearly a decade to perform Brahm's Piano Concerto No. 1.
The Prague Philharmonia has also invited the conductor Emmanuel Villaume following a successful collaboration during the recording of Anna Netrebko's latest album Souvenirs. Mr Villaume will lead the orchestra in Ottorino Respighi’s suite The Birds, Mendelssohn's 'Italian' Symphony and other composition at a concert on 19 October. For the first time the orchestra will collaborate with the young British Italian maestro Damian Iorio who regularly guest conducts orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony, Trondheim Symphony and Iceland Symphony Orchestras. Jiří Bělohlávek, the orchestra's founder and it's Music Director Laureate, will conduct Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 and in Dvořák’s moving Cello Conncerto No. 2 in B minor he will be joined by the renowned French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.
The Prague Philharmonia’s new season will be officially opened on 7 October by a performance of Joseph Haydn's oratorio The Creation with the British soloists Mary Nelson, Mark Le Brocq and Simon Kirkbride under the batton of Jakub Hrůša.
To download the programme brochure for the 2009-2010 season click here.
