Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 2010 Gala Concert Features Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Sept. 11

Benefit tickets for Gala Celebration still available

Baltimore, Md. (August 2, 2010)—Heralding the start of Baltimore's social season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will hold its annual Gala Celebration and Concert on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The Gala Concert features Music Director Marin Alsop leading the BSO and world-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg in Piazzolla's The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Continuing the tradition of showcasing local artists at the Gala Concert, soprano Jennifer Edwards will sing Villa-Lobos' "Aria" from Bachiana brasileira No. 5, and guitarists Petrit Ceku, Marco San Nicolas, Jeremy Lyons and Gonzalo Arias Contreras will play Rodrigo's Allegretto from Concierto Andaluz. Washington, D.C.-based flamenco dancers Anna Menendez and Edwin Aparicio will perform to excerpts from Bizet's Carmen. The program concludes with Salerno-Sonnenberg, the flamenco dancers and the guitarists joining forces in de Falla's Spanish Dance No. 1 from La Vida Breve. In addition to kicking off the 2010-2011 season, the Gala Concert's music and artists celebrate the upcoming National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins September 15. Tickets for the Gala Concert are available for $50 and $75; benefit tickets for the Gala Celebration start at $500. Please see below for complete details.

The Gala Celebration treats patrons to an evening of entertainment and fine dining provided by Classic Catering. Pre- and post-concert gala festivities will take place in a grand event tent located just outside of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. This year's gala chairpersons are PNC Bank's Regional President of Greater Baltimore, Lou Cestello, and his wife Millie. The BSO's Gala Celebration is the organization's largest and most important fundraising event each season, raising funds to support the Orchestra's educational outreach programs in Baltimore and throughout Maryland.

Marin Alsop, conductor
Hailed as one of the world's leading conductors for her artistic vision and commitment to accessibility in classical music, Marin Alsop made history with her appointment as the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. With her inaugural concerts in September 2007, she became the first woman to head a major American orchestra. She also holds the title of conductor emeritus at the Bournemouth Symphony in the United Kingdom, where she served as the principal conductor from 2002-2008, and is music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California.

In 2005, Ms. Alsop was named a MacArthur Fellow, the first conductor ever to receive this prestigious award. In 2007, she was honored with a European Women of Achievement Award; in 2008, she was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and in 2009, Musical America named her "Conductor of the Year."

A regular guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ms. Alsop appears frequently as a guest conductor with the most distinguished orchestras around the world. In addition to her performance activities, she is also an active recording artist with award-winning cycles of Brahms and Barber orchestral works. She is currently recording the Dvorak symphonies with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Marin Alsop attended Yale University and received her master's degree from The Juilliard School. In 1989, her conducting career was launched when she won the Leopold Stokowski International Conducting Competition in New York.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
One of the leading violinists of our time, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is best known for her exhilarating performances, passionate interpretations, musical depth and unique charisma. After serving for two highly successful seasons as music director of the New Century Chamber Orchestra, she leads this 19-member string orchestra into its third season, which includes a January/February 2011 U.S. tour. Performing works by Wolf, Bartók, Piazzolla and Tchaikovsky, they travel to San Francisco, Cleveland, Granville, Ann Arbor, Evanston, Santa Monica, San Diego and Davis. New Century's 2010-2011 season also includes four subscription series, two of which highlight the 2010-2011 featured composer Mark O'Connor, whose world premiere commission will be performed in May 2011. In Fall 2011, her record label, NSS Music, releases a highly anticipated second recording of Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg and New Century featuring Strauss's Metamorphosen, Barber's Adagio for Strings and Mahler's Adagietto from Symphony No. 5.

A powerful and innovative presence on the recording scene, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg started NSS Music in 2005. This record label continues to grow, with the most recent release, Schubert's Echo, featuring the American String Quartet released in August 2010. In 2009, NSS Music released Together, her first recording collaboration with New Century. Together includes Impressions by Clarice Assad, which was given its world premiere by New Century in 2008; Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires; Gershwin's "Bess You Is My Woman Now" from Porgy and Bess, arranged for string orchestra, both with Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg as soloist; and Bartók's Romanian Dances arranged for string orchestra. Together follows NSS Music's recording Originis Live from Brasil released in April 2009, a recording which honors the Italian heritage of Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Brazilian heritage of her collaborators, guitarists Sérgio and Odair Assad. Additionally, she has more than 20 releases on the EMI and Nonesuch labels.

Jennifer Edwards, soprano
Soprano Jennifer Edwards was a District winner of the Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions in 2009. Recent performances include Echo with Seattle Opera in Ariadne auf Naxos, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Peabody Opera, Despina in Così fan tutte with Chesapeake Chamber Opera and scenes from Bellini's Norma with Maryland Concert Opera. As a recitalist, she presented four art song recitals as part of the 2010 Art Song Discovery Series. She is a student at the Peabody Institute where she is a recipient of the Lydia Richard Gillespie Endowed Scholarship and in the studio of internationally acclaimed soprano, Phyllis Bryn-Julson. While at Peabody, she performed as soprano soloist in Mozart's Mass in C Minor, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass and Mahler's Fourth Symphony as well as Violetta in La traviata and The Woman in The Yellow Wallpaper. Other operatic credits include Lauretta in Gianni Schicci, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Monica in The Medium. She has been recipient of prizes in numerous competitions including the 2009 Russell C. Wonderlic Voice Competition, the 2008 Rhode Island Bel Canto Competition and the 2008 Sylvia Green Competition.

Edwin Aparicio, flamenco dancer
Edwin Aparicio is one of the most sought-after flamenco performers, teachers and choreographers. Trained by the world-renowned flamenco artists Tomás de Madrid and La Tati, Mr. Aparicio made his debut at the legendary Casa Patas in Madrid in 2001. He has performed as a soloist throughout the U.S. and has shared the stage with such internationally celebrated artists as La Truco, Elena Andújar, Carmela Greco, Pastora Galván and José Luis Rodríguez. He is the artistic director and choreographer of Al Andalús, Camino / al flamenco and Encuentros; the co-director and choreographer of Bailes Inéditos, Íntimo with Carmela Greco and Entresueño (New York City debut as a company director). In 2007, he produced and presented Flamenco: Sol y Luna in Portland, Ore., Edwin Aparicio: Selected Works in Washington, D.C. and performed in Las Vegas as part of the production Spanish Nights on the Lake that featured the top echelon of the U.S.-based flamenco artists. He is also the resident coordinator and a featured performer of GALA Hispanic Theatre's annual Fuego Flamenco Festival. In 2008, he joined the faculty of the Washington School of Ballet. Most recently, he was one of the featured performers in the first annual Velocity DC Dance Festival.

Anna Menendez, flamenco dancer
Anna Menendez is a Washington, D.C.-based flamenco dancer. She has appeared in Edwin Aparicio's productions of Bailes Ineditos, Encuentros, Camino al Flamenco, Entresuenos, Dos Mundos and Intimo with Carmela Greco. She has performed in more than 50 children's concerts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as well as its Symphony with a Twist series from 2004-2005. In October 2008, she co-founded Suite Hispania, and most recently performed in its production of Amores Quebrados: the Songs of Federico Garcia Lorca at the Repertorio Espanol in New York City and at the Teatrul Bulandra in Bucharest, Romania. She is a 2003 recipient of the Artistic Fellowship Award from the D.C. Council for the Arts and Humanities for excellence in flamenco dance. She has taught at the American Dance Institute in Rockville, Md. since 2001, and continues to work with her apprentice company Pastora. She is a graduate from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

Gonzalo Arias Contreras, guitar
Gonzalo Arias Contreras was born in 1989 in Los Andes, Chile. He started working towards his bachelor's degree in classical guitar at the age of 14 at the University of Chile in Santiago studying under Romilio Orellana. He has received many prestigious awards and top prizes in national and international competitions including the Parkening Young Guitarists Competition, Split Guitar Festival and Competition, Jose Tomas Guitar Competition, Youth Liliana Perez Corey competition, Concerto Competition, Concurso Juvenil Momento Musical Op. 2009, Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Guitar Solo Competition and Fondo de la Música 2010. He has played with the Pepperdine Symphonic Orchestra, in the Ventura Music Festival in California and at the Allberville Conservatory in France. He has participated in master classes with renowned guitarists Elliot Fisk, Zoran Dukic, Carlo Marchione and Hubert Kappel. In 2007 and 2008, he won a scholarship to study at Pepperdine University in California under Christopher Parkening. He is currently continuing his education at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, studying under Manuel Barrueco.

Petrit Ceku, guitar
Petrit Çeku was born in 1985 in Prizren, Kosovo, where he received instruction from Luan Sapunxhiu. In 2002, he moved to Zagreb, Croatia, where he continued his music education under the instruction of Xhevdet Sahatxhija and later entered Darko Petrinjak's class at the Music Academy in Zagreb, from where he graduated in 2008. He currently studies with the legendary guitarist, Manuel Barrueco, at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He has won top prizes in numerous competitions including the silver medal in The Parkening Competition in Malibu, and second prize in the 2006 Printemps de la guitare in Charleroi, Belgium. He established himself as one of the leading guitarists of the young generation after winning the 2007 Pittaluga Competition in Alessandria, Italy. In 2008, he released his first solo CD on Naxos and was awarded the annual prize of The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra as "The Best Young Musician of the Year."

Jeremy Lyons, guitar
Jeremy Lyons began studying the classical guitar at a young age with his father Glenn Lyons, who is a classical guitar professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He also studied the cello with his father's colleague Ovidiu Marinescu, professor of cello and orchestral conductor. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in music and guitar performance from the Florida State University (FSU) where he studied with Bruce Holzman. He was a member of the FSU Viols, the FSU Chinese Ensemble and regularly accompanied the FSU Early Music Ensembles under the direction of Dr. Jeffery Kite-Powell. Most recently, he appeared as a guest artist for the Harford Community College Sunday Afternoon Recital Series, performed a solo recital at the 2010 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Festival and won first prize in the 2009 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Student Competition in the collegiate division. He is currently completing his master's degree in music, guitar performance and pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University where he studies with Manuel Barrueco. He is a current member of the Peabody Consort of Viols and is a guitar instructor at A.R.T.I-S.T. music education center in Perry Hall, Md.

Marco San Nicolas, guitar
Marco Antonio San Nicolas was born in Murcia, Spain, where he completed his musical studies at the Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory of Music with honors, in addition to his private lessons with the Spanish master, Jose Tomas. He has performed in master classes with such masters as David Russell and Leo Brouwer. He has earned top prizes at major national and international competitions including first prizes in the Isaac Albeniz National Competition, Ruperto Chapi Competition (string division), Francisco Tarrega International Guitar Competition, Cantabria International Guitar Competition and Cordoba International Guitar Festival Competition. He has performed in concert throughout Spain and Europe and his recitals have been broadcast on Spanish radio and television. At the Cordoba International Guitar Festival, he shared top billing with artists such as B. B. King, Pat Metheny and George Benson. He attends the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in the graduate performance diploma program with Manuel Barrueco.

GALA CELEBRATION
Saturday, September 11, 2010—Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (JMSH)

The Celebration Gala is a black-tie event.

6:30 p.m.—Gala Celebration, with dining and entertainment—Gala Tent
7:30 p.m.—Doors open for Gala Concert—JMSH
8:30 p.m.—Gala Concert featuring violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg— JMSH
9:45 p.m.—Post-concert party and desserts—Gala Tent

Tickets for the Gala Celebration are available individually or in sponsor groups of 10, and start at $500 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets for the Gala Celebration, contact the BSO Development Department at 410.783.8054.

GALA CONCERT
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. - JMSH

The Gala Concert is black-tie optional.

Marin Alsop, conductor
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
Jennifer Edwards, soprano
Edwin Aparicio, flamenco dancer
Anna Menendez, flamenco dancer
Gonzalo Arias Contreras, guitar
Petrit Ceku, guitar
Jeremy Lyons, guitar
Marco San Nicolas, guitar

Ginastera: "Malambo" from Estancia 
Bizet: Excerpts from Suite No. 1 and Suite No. 2 from Carmen
Villa-Lobos: "Aria" from Bachiana brasileira No. 5
Rodrigo: "Allegretto" from Concierto Andaluz 
Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
de Falla: "Spanish Dance No. 1" from La Vida Breve

7:30 p.m.—Doors open for Gala Concert, refreshments available for purchase—JMSH
8:30 p.m.—Gala Concert—JMSH

Tickets for the Gala Concert are $50 and $75 and are available at the BSO Ticket Office, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.