Jacek Kaspszyk, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor
February 10, 2012 AT 8 P.M.
Since his triumph in 1970 as the first American to win the prestigious Chopin International Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, he was awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Prize in 1994. Although long regarded as one of the world’s leading Chopin exponents, Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire which ranges over the entire piano literature, including some 80 concertos. Among the highlights of his 2010-2011 season are a Carnegie Hall concert with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, followed by return visits to the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, National Symphony. A prolific recording artist, Ohlsson won a Grammy Award in 2008 for “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)” for his Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3 (Bridge Records). At the Knight Concert Hall, OHLSSON will play Chopin’s brilliant, virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2.
The Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 1954 and from the beginning has drawn on the rich musical traditions of its home city which has played host to such great artists as Wagner, Brahms, and Mahler. The orchestral soloists are graduates of the most prestigious European music academies and its players represent several generations, forming a truly unique ensemble of passionate aficionados of music. In addition to its more than 100 concerts annually, the orchestra also performs high- profile engagements in renowned concert halls throughout the world, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as a concert in New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in memory of Pope John Paul II. Major soloists appearing with the philharmonic have included Martha Argerich, Midori, and Krystian Zimerman. The orchestra’s Artistic Director since 2006, Maestro Jacek Kaspszyk is former Artistic and General Director of the Polish National Opera and a leading guest conductor with the London Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, among others.
Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details and schedules.