Peter Serkin (photo Kathy Chapman)
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) — Pianist Peter Serkin joins The Orchestra Now, under the direction of Leon Botstein, in an all-Beethoven program in the Daniel Arts Center at Simon’s Rock College on Friday, April 1, at 7:30pm. The Bard College Chamber Singers and the Bard Festival Chorale will join The Orchestra Now for the Choral Fantasy. The orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – one of the most famous works in all of classical music. There will be a pre-concert discussion with maestro Botstein at 6:30pm.
The event is free and open to the public; pre-registration required.
Founded in 2015 by Bard College, The Orchestra Now is a unique training orchestra and master’s degree program—preparing a new generation of musicians to break down barriers between modern audiences and noteworthy orchestral music of the past and present. Botstein, the music director, said, “The musicians of The Orchestra Now represent some of the finest musicians from around the world. I’m very pleased to return to the Daniel Arts Center with Peter Serkin.”
Dr. Botstein, described as “peerlessly adventurous” by the New York Times, brings a renowned career as a conductor, music director, and educator to his role in The Orchestra Now. The president of Bard College for forty years, Dr. Botstein has been the music director of the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992, and co-artistic director of Bard SummerScape and the Bard Music Festival since 1990. Dr. Botstein also served as the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2011. Botstein, a prolific author and music historian, has an active career as a guest conductor with orchestras around the globe. He has received many honors for his contributions to the music industry.
Peter Serkin’s musical heritage extends back several generations – his grandfather was the violinist and composer Adolf Busch and his father is pianist Rudolf Serkin. A dedicated chamber musician, Mr. Serkin, revered by The Daily Telegraph as “one of America’s finest pianists”, performs with the world’s most notable symphony orchestras. He has collaborated with Alexander Schneider, Pamela Frank, Yo-Yo Ma, the Budapest, Guarneri, Orion, and Shanghai String Quartets. As a founding member, he also performed with the Tashi Quartet.
Leon Botstein conducts The Orchestra Now (photo Jito Lee)
Mr. Serkin’s orchestral appearances for the 2014-2015 season includes concerti by Mozart, Bartók, and Beethoven with the San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, and Sydney Symphonies, and the Florida Orchestra. In April, he gave the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize– and MacArthur Fellowship-winning composer Charles Wuorinen’s new piano concerto with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He gave solo recitals in New York, Sydney, Brisbane, and at Yale University, New Haven. Additionally, he played with the Orion String Quartet at the Ravinia, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and at Toronto Summer Music Festivals.
Mr. Serkin currently teaches at Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music.
ABOUT BARD FESTIVAL CHORALE
The Bard Festival Chorale was formed in 2003 as the resident choir of the Bard Music Festival. It consists of the finest ensemble singers from New York City and surrounding areas. Many of its members have distinguished careers as soloists and as performers in a variety of choral groups; all possess a shared enthusiasm for the exploration of new and unfamiliar music.