The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Presents Leshnoff / Mendelssohn March 3 & 4 Featuring Internationally Acclaimed Cellist Nina Kotova

    PHILADELPHIA, PA, February 22, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cellist Nina Kotova joins Music Director Dirk Brosse and the Chamber Orchestra for the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff's Cello Concerto. New Jersey native George Antheil's tuneful Serenade for String Orchestra and young Mendelssohn's spirited Symphony No. 1 crown The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia's Leshnoff / Mendelssohn program on Sunday, March 3 and Monday, March 4, 2013.

A founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Chamber Orchestra's March 3 2:30 p.m. and March 4 7:30 p.m. concerts will be performed in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater.

Tickets for Chamber Orchestra performances are $24 to $81. The Sunday matinee performance will be followed by "Classical Conversations," a brief question-and-answer session with Maestro Brosse, composer Mr. Leshnoff and featured soloist Ms. Kotova.

George Antheil / Serenade for String Orchestra
Known as an enfant terrible because of his wildly eccentric musical compositions, George Antheil's Serenade for String Orchestra is quite the opposite of his previous pieces. Fresh, tuneful and highly entertaining, Serenade was composed in 1948 and dedicated to the famous patron of musicians, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.

Jonathan Leshnoff / Cello Concerto (World Premiere)
Jonathan Leshnoff's new work, Cello Concerto, demands of the soloist great virtuosic technique and the capacity to cover a vast emotional spectrum. This can be attributed to the composer's belief in the cello's likeness to the human voice with its amazing range - "from its deep sonorous bass tones to its plaintive projecting high register," Leshnoff remarked. The three-movement work has an overall sense of brooding and urgency, filled with passion, propulsive energy, introspection, and hope.

Felix Mendelssohn / Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11
Felix Mendelssohn composed his Symphony No. 1 in C minor when he was only 15 years old. But unlike his Scottish and Italian Symphonies, the piece never became a staple in classical repertoire. His First Symphony spoke the musical language predetermined by Mozart, but contains a strong accent of Mendelssohn's own individuality, combining technical facility and great expressive power.

Cellist Nina Kotova has been hailed "passionate and inspiring," by Newsweek magazine, and "a musician of high seriousness and real talent," by Time magazine. She has performed in prestigious concert halls with major symphony orchestras across the globe. As a composer and champion of contemporary music, she has written numerous works for cello and has commissioned leading composers to write concertos for her. In addition to performing and composing, Ms. Kotova co-founded The Tuscan Sun Festival in Italy and Festival Del Sole in Napa Valley. She has also been the subject of numerous features in popular magazines, such as Vogue, Time, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal.

Friday Conversations at the Philadelphia Art Alliance will take place on March 1 at 6:30 PM with Music Director Dirk Brosse and cellist Nina Kotova. Guests will have the opportunity to chat and mingle with them over complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres. Entry is $5, or free to Chamber Orchestra subscribers and Art Alliance members. Friday Conversations is also broadcast live on www.brandywineradio.com. The Philadelphia Art Alliance is located at 251 South 18th Street, Philadelphia. For information, call 215.545.4302 or visit www.philartalliance.org.

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The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Leshnoff / Mendelssohn

Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 2:30 PM
Monday, March 4, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts' Perelman Theater

Dirk Brosse, conductor
Nina Kotova, cello

Program:
Antheil / Serenade for String Orchestra
Leshnoff / Cello Concerto (World Premiere)
Mendelssohn / Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11

Tickets:
$24 - $81
215.893.1709 or www.chamberorchestra.org

Contact: Dara N. Boyd, Director of Marketing and Interactive Media
215.545.5451 x31 / [email protected]

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