Prodigy Stefan Jackiw Joins Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto

Marin Alsop leads BSO in Doctor Atomic and “New World” symphonies

Baltimore, Md. (August 18, 2010)—The young and accomplished violinist Stefan Jackiw returns to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore and Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Jackiw last appeared with the BSO in 2008 when he performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto to rave reviews. Music Director Marin Alsop will also lead the BSO in John Adams’ Doctor Atomic Symphony and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Please see below for complete concert details.

Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto has been called the first truly Romantic violin concerto. Though generally considered conservative, Mendelssohn broke classical barriers by writing a score that alternates emphasis between soloist and orchestra. One of Stefan Jackiw’s past performances of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was hailed by string music magazine The Strad as, “…truly sensational, showing a talent and maturity that belied his years.”

John Adams’ Doctor Atomic Symphony is the symphonic score from his opera of the same name, which premiered in August 2007 at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Set in the summer of 1945, the opera depicts the intense, long nights that led up to the testing of the atomic bomb. The composer of several other modern operas, Adams does not choose his subjects in an effort to be relevant or trendy. Instead, he seeks to bring out the universal and timeless elements in these stories.

Antonin Dvorák traveled to America in the early 1890s and became enraptured with American music and culture. The composer was especially inspired by African-American spirituals and supported the musical endeavors of African Americans. His Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” was influenced by many American classics, such as “Yankee Doodle” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Though the symphony revolves around American culture, Dvorák also infused techniques and sounds from his Czech roots. The BSO recorded this symphony on its first Dvorák album in 2007 and released a second Dvorák album of his Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8 in 2010. This November, the BSO will release its final album of the cycle, which features Dvorák’s Symphony No. 6.

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.

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 Koussevitzky Conducting Prize at Tanglewood where she studied with Leonard Bernstein.

Stefan Jackiw, violin
Violinist Stefan Jackiw is recognized as one of his generation’s most significant artists. Last season he debuted with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cincinnati, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Toronto symphony orchestras, and appeared with the Russian National Orchestra on a west coast tour. In recent seasons, he has appeared with the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. This past summer, he reunited with The Philadelphia Orchestra led by Marin Alsop at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival following sold out tours in Korea and Japan as a member of Ensemble Ditto.

He is also an active recitalist and chamber musician. He has performed in numerous festivals and concert series including the Ravinia Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Celebrity Series of Boston, Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Louvre Recital Series in Paris. He is also a founding member of the Tessera Quartet, an emerging New York-based ensemble formed under the guidance of the Juilliard String Quartet.

In the 2010-2011 season, he performs with the London Philharmonic on tours of Europe and Asia. Other season highlights include recitals in Aspen, San Diego, Santa Fe, Sarasota and Vancouver; residencies with the Seattle Chamber Music Society; and solo appearances with the Nashville and Kansas City Symphonies.

Born in 1985 to physicist parents of Korean and German descent, Stefan Jackiw began playing the violin at the age of 4. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Harvard University, as well as an artist diploma from the New England Conservatory. In 2002, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 8 p.m.—Music Center at Strathmore*
Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 8 p.m.—Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall 
Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 3 p.m.—Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall 

Marin Alsop, conductor
Stefan Jackiw, violin

John Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony ‡
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"

‡ Denotes a BSO premiere

* Music Notes LIVE! is a free pre-concert lecture at the Music Center at Strathmore, hosted by WETA's David Ginder. The program begins at 7 p.m. and is free to ticket holders.

Tickets range from $27 to $88 and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.