The Library of Congress Presents Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Pianist Jan Lisiecki, June 1

New York, NY

On Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 8pm, the Library of Congress closes its 2018-2019 season with a concert by the Grammy-winning, conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Coolidge Auditorium.

23-year old Canadian piano sensation Jan Lisiecki joins Orpheus for Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, a work Orpheus and Lisiecki recorded for an all-Mendelssohn album released on Deutsche Grammophon in February 2019. The evening also features Mendelssohn’s Symphony no. 4 in A major “Italian”, op. 90 and Valerie Coleman’s Phenomenal Women, which was inspired by a Maya Angelou poem and honors a trio of powerful women: Angelou, Serena Williams, and Michelle Obama.

The event is part of the Concerts from the Library of Congress series, offering free concerts at the Nation’s Library since 1925 (www.loc.gov/concerts).

Program Information

Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 8pm (Pre-Concert Talk with Valerie Coleman at 6:30 pm in Whittall Pavilion)
Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress | Thomas Jefferson Building

10 First Street SE | Washington, DC 20540
RSVP Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/orpheus-chamber-orchestra-concert-tickets-48802094378

Tickets: Free and Open to the Public. RSVP recommended. Reserved seats not claimed by five minutes before the scheduled start of the event will be distributed to RUSH patrons. For more information about RUSH visit www.loc.gov/concerts/tickets.html. For patrons unable to obtain a reservation, we still encourage attendance—while there is no guarantee of seating due to the intimate size of some spaces, patrons are almost always able to be accommodated. Children must be at least 7 years old for admittance to concert events. Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.

Program:

V. COLEMAN: Phenomenal Women, Version for Chamber Orchestra

MENDELSSOHN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in g minor, Op. 25

Jan Lisiecki, piano

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony no. 4 in A Major “Italian,” Op. 90

About Jan Lisiecki

At 23, pianist Jan Lisiecki is already recognized as one of the greatest pianists of our time. Acclaimed for his extraordinary interpretive maturity, distinctive sound and poetic sensibility, he is “a pianist who makes every note count” (The New York Times). Lisiecki’s insightful interpretations, refined technique, and natural affinity for art give him a musical voice that belies his age.

In 2017, Jan received the ECHO Klassik, Germany’s most significant classical music award, as well as the JUNO Award, the most prestigious recognition in the Canadian music industry, honouring his fourth recording for Deutsche Grammophon, featuring Chopin’s rarely-performed works for piano and orchestra with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and Krzysztof Urbański. His latest album for the label, released in February 2019, features both Mendelssohn concertos with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as well as selected solo works.

Lisiecki performs with the world’s most prestigious orchestras on major stages and has worked closely with prominent conductors including Sir Antonio Pappano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniel Harding and Claudio Abbado.
Recent highlights include recital tours of Europe and Asia and subscription debuts with the Boston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, and Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, among others. Jan Lisiecki celebrated great success with his highly acclaimed recital program ‘Night Music’ which he will continue to perform in the 2018/19 season.

In 2018/19 he will return to Carnegie Hall for a performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Lisiecki will tour with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra through Europe as well as with the Czech Philharmonic in Germany. Other collaborations include NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and concerts in Salzburg with Mozarteum Orchestra.

His recent cycle of Beethoven concertos at Konzerthaus Berlin with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was received enthusiastically by both the audience and media.

In 2013 he became the youngest ever recipient of Gramophone’s Young Artist award, and also received the Leonard Bernstein Award at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Jan Lisiecki is an exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon. In 2012, Jan Lisiecki was named UNICEF Ambassador to Canada.

About Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Orpheus believes in empowering the unique voice of all people to make a valuable contribution. Working together as a collective of leaders, members explore each other’s musical ideas using their signature collaborative method, the Orpheus Process®, and give flight to vibrant, unconventional interpretations. Orpheus performances unfold dynamically, moment-by-moment, creating an energy shared by musicians and audiences alike.

Now in its 46th year, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble was founded by a group of like-minded young musicians determined to combine the intimacy and warmth of a chamber ensemble with the richness of an orchestra and has performed without the use of a conductor since its inception. Musicians rotate leadership roles for all rehearsals and performances as well as organizational capacities such as programming and governance.

Orpheus has recorded over 70 albums on all major classical labels, including a February 2019 release on Deutsche Grammophon of Mendelssohn concertos with pianist Jan Lisiecki. The group has commissioned and premiered 49 new works for chamber orchestra. Orpheus presents an annual performance series in New York City featuring collaborations with world-class guest soloists. A touring ensemble, Orpheus has performed in major international venues across 167 cities in 46 countries across four continents and has appeared regularly in Japan for 30 years.

Orpheus is committed to sharing its collaborative Process® with communities worldwide through engagement programs that promote equity and access to classical music for all ages and demographics. These include underwritten concert tickets and in-class visits from musicians for K-12 NYC students, development programs for emerging professionals in the arts, and Orpheus Reflections, a music and wellness program for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia and their caregivers.

For more information about Orpheus please visit www.OrpheusNYC.org or call 212.896.1700.

Public Relations

Katy Salomon[link email address: katy@morahanartsandmedia.com], Morahan Arts & Media