La Jolla Chamber Music Society
CivicTheater, Downtown SD
Sherwood Auditorium, La Jolla
TEL: (858) 459 - 3728
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THE LA JOLLA CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY'S CELEBRITY SERIES CONTINUES WITH SAN DIEGO DEBUT OF THE DRESDEN STAATSKAPELLE FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2001

La Jolla, CA-The La Jolla Chamber Music Society's Celebrity Series continues with the San Diego debut of the Dresden Staatskapelle, with Music Director Giuseppe Sinopoli, on Friday, January 19, 2001 at 8:00 p.m. in Copley Symphony Hall, 750 "B" Street, San Diego, CA. The Dresden Staatskapelle will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93 and Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. Single tickets for this concert are priced from $25 to $105. For tickets or more information, call the Society's box office at 858-459-3728 or visit the Society's website at www.ljcms.org.

DRESDEN STAATSKAPELLE
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Music Director

One of the oldest and most highly regarded orchestras in the world, the Dresden Staatskapelle carries a tradition as proud as that of Dresden itself; one of the great cultural centers of Europe. The orchestra celebrates its 450th anniversary this season with tours in Europe as well as Japan and North and South America.

As both a symphonic orchestra and the orchestra of the Dresden State Opera, the Dresden Staatskapelle is renowned for its interpretations of both the standard and contemporary repertoire. The orchestra's rich history includes world premiere performances of major operas by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as premieres by Paul Hindemith, Ferruccio Busoni, Kurt Weill, Udo Zimmermann and Siegfried Matthus. Its development has been guided by such legendary conductors as Carl Maria von Weber, Richard Wagner, Karl Böhm, Rudolf Kempe, Fritz Reiner, Fritz Busch, Herbert von Karajan, and now Giuseppe Sinopoli, who assumed the post of Music Director at the start of the 1992-93 season. Sir Colin Davis was appointed Honorary Conductor of the orchestra in 1991. The orchestra's partnership with Richard Strauss as their composer and conductor for more than 60 years established the ensemble as a "Strauss" orchestra. The orchestra's reputation has been furthered by its tours throughout Europe, the former Soviet Union, Japan, Korea, and the United States, where it made its debut in 1979 and toured most recently in Spring 1996 with Giuseppe Sinopoli. The orchestra made its South American debut in June 1995 under the direction of Sir Colin Davis. The orchestra's seasons include a full schedule of symphony and chamber music concerts and appearances at the international music festivals of Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Lucerne, Budapest, Osaka, Edinburgh, Granada, Venice and Belgium.

Founded in 1548 as an ensemble of court choristers, the Dresden Staatskapelle originally provided music for such functions as banquets, church services, court festivals, masked balls, weddings and funeral processions. Its first authenticated concert tour occurred in 1575, with a visit to the Reichstag in Regensburg. In the seventeenth century, the orchestra's performances and touring activities under the leadership of Heinrich Schütz, one of the leading composers of his time, brought the ensemble fame throughout Europe. Under Schütz's baton, the orchestra introduced the first German opera, his own Dafne, beginning a long tradition of operatic premieres, that includes more Wagner and Strauss operas than any other ensemble. It was during this century that the city of Dresden was also developing into an increasingly important literary, musical and visual arts center. By the early eighteenth century the Dresden Staatskapelle was clearly the continent's foremost ensemble. Beethoven noted, "It is generally said that the orchestra in Dresden is the best in Europe," while Jean Jacques Rousseau considered the group to be "the most complete and best ordered ensemble" of the day. During the end of that century, the orchestra began presenting public concerts in Dresden, in addition to those at court. Regular subscription concerts were introduced in 1856, alongside charity performances and occasional performances by virtuoso instrumentalists. The 19th Century was also noted for the orchestra's presentation of new operas by Richard Wagner, who was Music Director from 1843-1849, and led the premieres of Rienzi, Der Fliegende Holländer and Tannhäuser. Later, under the baton of Ernst von Schuch, the orchestra enjoyed a close association with Richard Strauss and gave the first performances of nine of his operas: Salome, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Feuersnot, Arabella, Die schweigsame Frau, Intermezzo, Die ägyptische Helena and Daphne.

The Dresden Staatskapelle's development during the 20th Century is perhaps most noteworthy for the impressive list of renowned conductors who have served at its helm, including Fritz Reiner, Fritz Busch, Karl Böhm, Rudolf Kempe, Herbert Blomstedt, Kurt Sanderling and now Giuseppe Sinopoli. As the orchestra of the Dresden State Opera, the Staatskapelle maintains the Dresden tradition of productions by Weber, Wagner and Strauss, while presenting a varied repertoire of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, Puccini, Stravinsky, Schönberg, Berg, Orff, Prokofiev and contemporary composers.

The Dresden Staatskapelle's extensive discography reflects the orchestra's varied repertoire of traditional and contemporary composers, and features performances with leading conductors of the 20th Century, including Herbert von Karajan, Eugen Jochum, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Carlos Kleiber, Sir Colin Davis, James Levine, Bernard Haitink, Seiji Ozawa, Andre Previn, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Neville Marriner, Marek Janowski and Giuseppe Sinopoli. The Dresdner Bank has sponsored major artistic projects under the leadership of Giuseppe Sinopoli since 1994.

GIUSEPPE SINOPOLI
Music Director

Giuseppe Sinopoli, Music Director of the Dresden Staatskapelle since 1992, has received great acclaim from audiences and critics since he began his conducting career in the mid-1970's. Born on November 2, 1946 in Venice, Maestro Sinopoli began his musical studies at the age of twelve. Following high school, he studied medicine and music simultaneously. It was only after he had completed his Doctorate of Medicine that he dedicated himself solely to music. In 1972 Maestro Sinopoli became Professor for Contemporary and Electronic Music at the Venice Conservatory, and at the same time studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna.

During the 1970's Maestro Sinopoli made a name for himself primarily through his composing. He has received commissions to compose works for festivals in France, the Netherlands and Germany (Donaueschingen). His opera Lou Salome had its world premiere at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich, in 1981. Prior to his current position with the Dresden Staatskapelle, Maestro Sinopoli was Chief Conductor of the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome from 1983 to 1987. In 1984 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, and was their Music Director from 1987 until 1994.

Highlights of Giuseppe Sinopoli's career include productions of Verdi's Aida in 1976 and Puccini's Tosca in 1977 in Venice, as well as his debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1980 conducting Verdi's Macbeth, at the Hamburg State Opera with Aida and Luisa Miller in 1981, and at the Vienna State Opera with Verdi's Attila. In 1983, Maestro Sinopoli was introduced to London audiences with Puccini's Manon Lescaut at Covent Garden, and in 1985, made his debuts at the Metropolitan Opera with Tosca and at Bayreuth with Wagner's Tannhäuser.

Giuseppe Sinopoli has gained international recognition through his tours to Japan, where he conducted Manon Lescaut in 1986 with the Vienna State Opera; Puccini's Madama Butterfly in 1987 and Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1988; performances of Tannhäuser and other works by Wagner with the entire Bayreuth Festival company - for the first time ever outside Bayreuth - in 1989; as well as a complete Mahler cycle in 1990 with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

In 1992, Maestro Sinopoli led a tour to Japan with the Vienna Philharmonic in celebration of the orchestra's 150th anniversary, and an extensive tour with the Dresden Staatskapelle in Spring 1995. He has also toured throughout the United States, appearing in all major cities with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Dresden Staatskapelle.

Giuseppe Sinopoli recorded exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon from 1983 until 1994. He now shares his recording activities between DG and Teldec. His discography includes recordings with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the New York Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and the Philharmonia Orchestra London. His first recording for Deutsche Grammophon, works by Bruno Maderna, was awarded the "Grand Prix International du Disque" and the "Premio della Critica Discografica Italiana" in 1981. Other award-winning disks include Puccini's Manon Lescaut (Grand Prix du Disque, Premio Puccini, International Record Critics Award, in 1985), Verdi's La Forza del Destino (Grammophone Award in 1987) and Strauss' Salome (Grand Prix du Disque in 1992).

In 1994, Maestro Sinopoli completed a cycle of all Mahler Symphonies with the Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as a Schumann cycle and other German symphonic repertoire with the Dresden Staatskapelle. He is involved again with the Dresden Staatskapelle in recording a Bruckner cycle for DG, and a series of works from the composers of the Second Viennese School (Berg, Schönberg, Webern) for Teldec. His most recent releases feature Schönberg's Pelleas und Melisande and Verklärte Nacht with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and works by Strauss, Wagner and Schumann together with the Dresden Staatskapelle.

His next opera recordings, after Strauss' Salome, Puccini's Tosca and Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, all for DG, will include Strauss' Elektra, Die Frau ohne Schatten and Arabella, as well as Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's La Bohème.

In 1994, Giuseppe Sinopoli was awarded Italy's highest award, the "Gran Croce al Merito," for his contribution to the arts and music.

The Celebrity Series

The Celebrity Series is known as the most prestigious concert series in San Diego. Single tickets are on sale now and are priced from $15 to $105. As in past years, all concerts are expected to sell out. Those requesting information, brochures or tickets can call the La Jolla Chamber Music Society Society's box office at (858) 459-3728 or visit the Society's website at www.ljcms.org.

The Celebrity Series continues with: the Russian National Orchestra with conductor Vladimir Spivakov and pianist Mikhail Pletnev, Thursday, February 1, 2001; and pianist Radu Lupu, Tuesday, February 13, 2001. All concerts will take place at 8:00 p.m. in Copley Symphony Hall, 750 "B" Street, San Diego.

The La Jolla Chamber Music Society

As the most comprehensive classical music presenter in San Diego, the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, now in its 32nd season, presents the finest emerging and established musicians, chamber ensembles, and symphony orchestras. The Society's series include the acclaimed Celebrity, Revelle, Piano, and Discovery Series-which incorporates an educational outreach program designed to enrich the musical lives of 10,000 San Diego students each season-and SummerFest La Jolla, an internationally acclaimed chamber music festival. The Society presents concerts at Sherwood Auditorium, the Civic Theatre, Copley Symphony Hall, the Neurosciences Institute and on campuses throughout San Diego. The Society also sponsors the Community Music Center program in Southeast San Diego, which gives at-risk children, grades 4-6, the opportunity to study and perform classical music. For tickets to all Series, information, or to receive a free brochure, call 858-459-3728 or visit the Society's website at www.ljcms.org.

Source: La Jolla Chamber Music Society

The La Jolla Chmaber Music Society's 2000-2001 season schedule is in FanFaire's MusicPlanner
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