Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Travels the Inca Trail in Multimedia Program, May 30-31

Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya leads BSO in South American program

Baltimore, Md. (April 28, 2008)- Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya will lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on a musical tour along the historic South American highway in The Inca Trail, Friday, May 30 at the Music Center at Strathmore and Saturday, May 31 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Showcasing traditional dance and a multimedia display of photographs by Fabiana van Lente, the program will lead the audience through Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. This Symphony with a Twist^TM program will feature Andean flutist Jessica Warren-Acosta, BSO Principal Cellist Ilya Finkelshteyn and traditional Peruvian dancers. As with all Symphony with a TwistTM concerts, the lobby will open at 6:30 p.m. for live music, tapas and cocktails. See below for complete program details.

From the Andes to Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail is among the oldest and most extensive roads in South America. Covering more than more than 14,000 miles, the Inca Trail was instrumental in connecting the Inca Empire on South America's Pacific coastline. These BSO performances are part of Harth-Bedoya's Caminos del Inka project, a culmination of more than 15 years of work. In an effort to preserve the musical heritage of his homeland, Harth-Bedoya, music director of the Fort Worth Symphony in Texas, has collected rare South American musical scores, published select works and commissioned arrangements of others for the modern-day orchestra, as presented in this program. "What has frustrated me for years, is that very little of the instrumental music in South America has been published," Harth-Bedoya explained. "It's not that this music didn't exist, but like stories, most of it just wasn't written down for years."

The South American works selected for this program were inspired by the landscapes, cultures, social climate and people to encompass the experience of the Inca Trail. The opening selection, Daniel Alomía Robles' El Cóndor Pasa, is a traditional South American song of social protest made popular through a 1970 Simon & Garfunkel arrangement, "El Cóndor (If I Could)." One of today's leading South American composers, Diego Luzriaga, who now lives and teaches in Pennsylvania, created Responsorio in 2000 from a collection of Andean folk melodies and fast percussion in a spirited ritual dance. Gabriela Frank's Illapa is a tone poem about the Inca god of rain, storms and thunder and features Andean flutist Jessica Warren-Acosta. The program will also feature a world premiere, Fiesta! by Jimmy López, a vibrant mix of South American rhythms and colors. The program also features works by Baltasar Martínez y Compañón, Enrique Soro, Alberto Ginastera and Osvaldo Golijov.

A slideshow of South American photographs will be projected on a screen above the orchestra to enhance the visual experience of the performance. Photographs were donated by Fabiana van Lente and various South American governments and tourism bureaus for use in the Caminos del Inka project. "The presentation is global," Harth-Bedoya said. "These concerts can present a whole new world to people who have never been to South America. The visual element enhances the whole experience."

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Currently in his seventh season as music director of the Fort Worth Symphony, Miguel Harth-Bedoya is one of this country's most exciting and sought-after conductors. Under his leadership, both the artistic level of the Fort Worth Symphony and its contribution to the cultural life of the community has grown enormously. The orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in January 2008.

Born in Peru, Mr. Harth-Bedoya has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Utah, Milwaukee and Toronto symphonies as well as several prestigious orchestras in Europe. His festival appearances include Adelaide, Aspen, Avanti (Helsinki), BBC Proms, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl (for which he received an Emmy), Interlochen, Oregon Bach, Ravinia and Tanglewood.

As a result of his exceptional tenure as Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mr. Harth-Bedoya returns every year to conduct a subscription week with that orchestra. Winner of the 2002 Seaver/NEA Conductors Award, he has also served as music director of the Auckland Philharmonia, Eugene Symphony and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lima.

Jessica Warren-Acosta, Andean flute
Jessica Warren-Acosta is an avid soloist, chamber musician and orchestral flutist. She has performed on three continents and appeared as a soloist at numerous international festivals. She has toured Latin America as an artistic ambassador to the United States Embassy soloing with orchestras and giving recitals to rave reviews.

Ms. Warren-Acosta spends her summers as the principal flute of the Central City Opera in Colorado. She previously held the position of principal flute of the Omaha Symphony and was a member of the New World Symphony. Her 2007-2008 season includes performances with the Chicago, Atlanta and Fort Worth symphony orchestras.

In addition to her classical training, she has a great interest in the music of South America and has made numerous trips to Perú and Ecuador to familiarize herself with the Andean instruments, performance techniques, and the compositions of the region.

She has been named a winner in the Artists International Competition, the International Music Competition "Citta di Padova," the New York Flute Club Young Artists Competition, the Purchase Symphony Concerto Competition, the Meadows Symphony Concerto Competition, the Overland Park Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Kansas City Flute Association Young Artists Competition.

Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello
Praised by The Washington Post as a "complete master of his instrument," cellist Ilya Finkelshteyn has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. In 2002, he became principal cellist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yuri Temirkanov. Prior to that, Mr. Finkelshteyn was a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for five seasons under the late Hans Vonk.

Prizewinner of the Concertino Praga, Russian Cello Competition, the WAMSO International Competition, the Aspen Concerto Competition and the Chautauqua Concerto Competition, Mr. Finkelshteyn has appeared as a soloist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Civic Orchestra, the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra. As a winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition, he was a soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra on its tours to France and Bermuda.

Mr. Finkelshteyn started his education at the Special Music School at the St. Petersburg Conservatory under the tutelage of Sergei Chernyadiev. After immigrating to the United States, he studied one year at the University of Minnesota School of Music with Tanya Remenikova and six years at The Juilliard School with Harvey Shapiro, where he was coached by Felix Galimir, Samuel Sanders and members of the Juilliard String Quartet.

Fabiana van Lente, photographer
Born in Lima, Peru, Fabiana van Lente moved to the United States in 1989 to study at Texas Christian University. During her studies at TCU, she discovered her love of photography and decided to change her degree to fine arts with an emphasis in photography. Her extensive portfolio includes portraits, places and products. Along with establishing her own photography business, she has worked for Bob Lukeman Photography and Pier 1 Imports as an advertising photographer.

Peru continues to be one of her favorite places in the world to shoot travel photography because of its rich culture and tradition. Her dream is to one day produce a photo book of Peru to share with the world the treasures that exist in that country.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Symphony with a Twist: The Inca Trail
Friday, May 30, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.-The Music Center at Strathmore*
Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.-Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall*

*Lobby opens at 6:30 p.m. for live music, tapas and cocktails.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Jessica Warren-Acosta, Andean flute †
Ilya Finkelshteyn, cello
Fabiana van Lente, photographer
Peruvian dancers 

Daniel Alomía Robles: El Cóndor Pasa
Baltasar Martínez y Compañón: Colección de Música Virreinal
Diego Luzuriaga: Responsorio
Enrique Soro: Danza fantástica
Gabriela Lena Frank: Illapa    
Alberto Ginastera: Two Dances from Estancia
Osvaldo Golijov: Mariel for Cello and Orchestra
Jimmy López: Fiesta!  

† Denotes a BSO artist debut

Media sponsorship for this program is provided by Lite 101.9FM and The Baltimore Sun.

Tickets for this program range from $15 to $84 and are available through the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Ticket Office, 410.783.8000, 877.BSO.1444 or BSOmusic.org.
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