The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Presents BARBER & BARTOK - Saturday, October 29th, 8 p.m. at Miller Auditorium

    KALAMAZOO, MI, October 18, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents the second concert of its 2016-17 Symphonic Series, Barber and Bartok with guest conductor, Stilian Kirov, and guest violinist, Liza Ferschtman.

Maestro Kirov will host a Prelude talk for patrons at 7pm, giving attendees insights into the music they will hear and experience. The first half of the program will include Maestro Kirov conducting Grieg's Holberg Suite and Ms. Ferschtman, winner of the 2006 Dutch Music Award, will perform Barber's violin concerto. Written in 1939, Barber's concerto is beloved for its expressive lyricism. Maestro Kirov will round out the evening's program with and Bartok's rousing Concerto for Orchestra.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stilian Kirov
A prize winner at Denmark's 2015 Malko Competition, Stilian Kirov begins the 2015/2016 season as the newly-appointed Music Director of two prestigious music organizations: the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra in California, and New Jersey's Symphony in C, one of America's premier orchestras for young professionals (former music directors have included internationally known conductors, such as Alan Gilbert). Having recently completed a highly successful tenure as Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Mr. Kirov has also served as Associate Conductor of the Memphis Symphony and Music Director of their Youth Symphony Program.

Among Mr. Kirov's guest engagements are the Amarillo Symphony, Lansing Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, and the New World Symphony in Miami. He also appears regularly as guest conductor with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. In the 2013/2014 season, Mr. Kirov was engaged as an assistant conductor to Bernard Haitink with the Chicago Symphony.

Worldwide, Stilian Kirov has appeared with the Leopolis Chamber Orchestra/Ukraine, Orchestra of Colors/Athens, Orchestre Colonne/Paris, Sofia Festival Orchestra, State Hermitage Orchestra/St. Petersburg, Thuringen Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Zagreb Philharmonic, among others.

A graduate of The Juilliard School's conducting program, Mr. Kirov was invited to further his studies at the summer festivals in Aspen, Tanglewood, and Chautauqua. Among his numerous awards and prizes, an Emmy for the Memphis Symphony's Soundtrack Project, the Orchestra Preference Award, and Third Prize at the 2010 Mitropoulos Conducting Competition.

Also a gifted pianist, Stilian Kirov was the Gold Medalist of the 2001 Claude Kahn International Piano Competition in Paris.

Liza Ferschtman
Dutch violinist, Liza Ferschtman, is renowned for her passionate performances, superlative musicianship, and imaginative programming.

Following her sensational performance with the Budapest Festival Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in 2013, she made her U.S. orchestral debut this spring with the Dallas Symphony and Jaap van Zweden, playing the Bernstein Serenade, the same work that inspired the New York Times reviewer to write, "... with Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman bringing refined beauty and character to the solo part of the Bernstein ... the concert was nothing short of revelatory." In July, she made her San Francisco Symphony debut, playing her "signature" work, the Beethoven Violin Concerto, with Edwin Outwater.

Among Ms. Ferschtman's recent concert highlights are performances of the complete solo works by Bach at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as playing and conducting the Beethoven Concerto at the Concertgebouw with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Her current season includes performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Belgique/Brussels, and the Weimar Staatskapelle at the Richard Strauss Festival. She will also perform a solo recital tour across The Netherlands.

Liza Ferschtman has performed with many prestigious Philharmonics, Symphonies and Orchestras throughout the world including appearances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

An avid chamber musician and recitalist, Ms. Ferschtman has performed at such venues as Alice Tully Hall/New York, the Library of Congress/Washington, and the Wigmore Hall in London. Since 2007, Ms. Ferschtman has been the Artistic Director of the Delft Chamber Music Festival. During her tenure, the festival has become widely renowned for its adventurous programming and dynamic performances.

Ms. Ferschtman's recording of the Beethoven Concerto and Romances was reviewed with great critical acclaim, as were other recordings with concertos by Dvorak and Rontgen, solo works by Bach and Ysaye, and duo works by Beethoven and Schubert. Her most recent album for Challenge Classics includes works for solo violin by Bach, Biber, Bartok and Berio.

CALENDAR LISTING
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents

Symphonic Series
Barber & Bartok
Stilian Kirov, Conductor
Liza Ferschtman, Violin

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents the second concert of its 2016-17 Symphonic Series, Barber and Bartok with guest conductor, Stilian Kirov, and guest violinist, Liza Ferschtman. Ms. Ferschtman, winner of the 2006 Dutch Music Award, will perform Barber's violin concerto. Maestro Kirov rounds out the program with Grieg's Holberg Suite and Bartok's rousing Concerto for Orchestra.

Saturday, October 29, 2016
Miller Auditorium

Tickets: $60 - $24
Student & Veteran discounts available.
$5 Student Rush tickets, and $10 Harvey's Hideaway seating available at the box office the night of the concert.

For tickets, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com, call the KSO Box Office at (269) 349-7759 or call Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at (269) 387-2300.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

ABOUT THE KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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