NORWAY’SRISØR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
BRINGS FOUR CONCERTS TO CARNEGIE HALL FROM DECEMBER 1 – 4
IN FIRST U.S. RESIDENCY
Artistic Directors Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and Violist Lars Anders Tomter
Celebrate Festival’s 20th Anniversary With Performances In Collaboration With
Øyvind Bjorå, Measha Brueggergosman, Maria Angelika Carlsen, Martin Fröst,
Marc-André Hamelin, Henning Kraggerud, Torleif Thedéen,
and the Risør Festival Strings
The Risør Chamber Music Festival, a renowned summermusic festival based in the small scenic fishing village of Risør, Norway, willbring four performances to Carnegie Hall on four consecutive evenings from December1 – 4 as part of its first U.S. residency. Led by artistic directors, pianist LeifOve Andsnes and violist Lars Anders Tomter, the festival celebratesits 20th anniversary this season with residencies in Brussels, London, and NewYork. Carnegie Hall performances in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage and ZankelHall will include a wide variety of programming including works by Mozart,Brahms, Stravinsky, Honegger, Mahler, and Wagner, along with composers such asAaron Copland, Danish composer Bent Sørensen, and Norwegian composer RolfWallin.
As previously announced, Mr. Andsnes’s tenure as co-artistic director of theRisør Festival will come to a conclusion with this fall tour. “It's hard todescribe how important the festival has been in my life. I came here when I was20, and Lars Anders asked me to play in the first two festivals, followingwhich he invited me to join him as Artistic Director. I have met so many peoplethrough this festival—so many musicians that I have continued havingrelationships with, recording and touring with, and I’ve met many friends hereand learned so much music.”
For more information on the Risør Chamber Music Festival, including video,interviews, and blog posts, click on carnegiehall.org/risor.
On Wednesday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m., the Risør Chamber Music Festival kicksoff its four day residency with a concert in Zankel Hall. The program beginswith Bartôk’s Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano featuringviolinist Øyvind Bjorå, clarinetist Martin Fröst, and pianistLeif Ove Andsnes. The Risør Festival Strings will perform ArthurHonegger’s Symphony No. 2, “Symphonie pour cordes,” Mr. Fröst and Mr. Andsneswill play Alban Berg’s Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, and Mr. Andsnes willteam up with pianist Marc-André Hamelin for a rarely performed two pianoversion of Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps.
The festival continues in Zankel Hall on the following evening, Thursday,December 2 at 7:30 p.m., with two US premieres: Rolf Wallin’s Under CitySkin featuring violist Lars Anders Tomter with the Risør Festival Strings,under the direction of Per Kristian Skalstad; and Bent Sørensen’s Schattenlinie,performed by cellist Torlief Thedéen, Mr. Tomter and Mr. Andsnes. Alsoon the program: Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor featuring Mr.Andsnes and Mr. Thedéen, and Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in AMajor with Mr. Fröst, Mr. Andsnes, Mr. Tomter, Mr. Thedéen, and violinist HenningKraggerud who is set to succeed Leif Ove Andsnes as Artistic Director ofthe Risør Chamber Music Festival in 2011.
The Risør Chamber Music Festival moves to Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Friday,December 3 at 8:00 p.m. for a program of Richard Strauss’s Sextet from Capricciofeaturing Mr. Kraggerud, Mr. Tomter and Mr. Thedéen; Mozart’s Piano ConcertoNo. 14 with Mr. Andsnes and the Risør Festival Strings; and Mahler’s Liedereines fahrenden Gesellen (arranged by Schoenberg) featuring soprano MeashaBrueggergosman. The program continues with Copland’s Clarinet Concertofeaturing Mr. Fröst and Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings.
On Saturday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m., the Risør Chamber Music Festivalconcludes its Carnegie Hall residency in Zankel Hall with a large and variedprogram featuring Grieg’s Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano with Mr. Kraggerudand Mr. Hamelin. Soprano Measha Brueggergosman returns with Mr. Andsnes onworks by Liszt, Duparc, Brahms, and Wagner; as well as with a full chamberensemble in Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle. The program ends withBrahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor.
About the Artists
The Risør Festival of Chamber Music was established in 1991 to stimulatethe musical and cultural life in Risør, Norway and the surrounding region. LeifOve Andsnes and Lars Anders Tomter, as the festival’s artistic directors, haveled the festival making it widely recognized in Norway and abroad for thequality and variety of their programs. Thanks to their networks andinternational careers, they have brought top international artists to Risørthroughout the history of the festival. The repertoires cover a broad range ofmusic from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The festival also focuses onpresenting Norwegian and contemporary music and its directors always play aleading musical role in the festival.
The musicians stay in the tiny fishing village of Risør throughout the festivalweek. This creates a special atmosphere, not only among the musicians, but alsobetween the musicians and their audiences. It also enables works for differenttypes of ensembles to be heard at the same concert. The Risør Festival Strings,which is the festival's own orchestra, has existed for as long as the festivalitself. The highly talented young people who initially formed the orchestrahave developed into a group of musicians who hold many high-profile positionsin Norwegian orchestras and ensembles.
Leif Ove Andsnes was born in Karmoy, Norway in 1970. He entered Norway'sBergen Music Conservatory in 1986, studying with Czech Professor Jiri Hlinka.By the age of 22, Mr. Andsnes had made his Berliner Philharmoniker debut; thatsame year, he performed to critical acclaim at the BBC Promenade concerts. Mr.Andsnes made his American recital debut in New York and Washington, D.C., in1989, and his orchestral debut the following year with The Cleveland Orchestra.He has since performed frequently with the world's major orchestras. Mr.Andsnes is a staunch champion of chamber music and serves as Co-ArtisticDirector, with Lars Anders Tomter, of the Risør Chamber Music Festival inNorway. He has also participated in leading European and American summerfestivals, including Aspen, Saratoga, Ravinia, Tanglewood, and New York'sMostly Mozart Festival.
An exclusive EMI Classics recording artist, Mr. Andsnes has recorded more than30 discs spanning repertoire from Bach to the present day. He has beennominated for seven Grammy Awards and has received many international prizes,including four Gramophone Awards. Last season, in addition to PicturesReframed, he released Shadows of Silence, featuring a work of thesame name by the Danish composer Bent Sørensen and French composer Marc-AndréDalbavie’s Piano Concerto. (Andsnes gave the world premieres of both works, atNew York’s Carnegie Hall and London’s Proms respectively.) Leif Ove Andsnes leda very successful Perspectives series during the 2004-2005 Carnegie Hallseason and on April 7, 2011 at 8:00 p.m., he returns to SternAuditorium/Perelman Stage for a solo recital.
Lars Anders Tomter is one of today’s most outstanding violists. Hestudied violin and viola with Leif Jørgensen at the Oslo Music Conservatory andthe Norwegian Academy of Music, and made his début on both instruments at theage of seventeen. After continuing his studies with Max Rostal and Sándor Vegh,he was awarded a special prize for his interpretation of Bartók’s ViolaConcerto at the International Viola Competition in Budapest in 1984, and wonthe Maurice Vieux International Competition in Lille in 1986. Since then hisappearances as a viola soloist have been greeted with the highest public andcritical acclaim throughout the world.
Mr. Tomter has performed with major orchestras throughout Europe, collaboratingwith the most distinguished conductors. He is a regular guest at festivals,including Schleswig-Holstein, Lockenhaus, Kissingen Summer, BBC Proms,Mondseetage, Styriarte, as well as a number of Scandinavian festivals. Hisrecordings include Walton’s Viola Concerto for Naxos. In addition, he isco-artistic director of the Risør Chamber Music Festival. Lars Anders Tomter isa professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He plays a Gasparo da Salò violadating from 1590.
Program Information
Wednesday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
RISØR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Marc-André Hamelin, Piano
Øyvind Bjorå, Violin
Martin Fröst, Clarinet
Risør Festival Strings
BÉLA BARTÓK Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano
ARTHUR HONEGGER Symphony No. 2, "Symphonie pour cordes"
ALBAN BERG Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 5
IGOR STRAVINSKY Le sacre du printemps (version for two pianos)
Tickets: $54, $60
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Thursday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
RISØR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Martin Fröst, Clarinet
Henning Kraggerud, Violin
Maria Angelika Carlsen, Violin
Lars Anders Tomter, Viola
Torleif Thedéen, Cello
Risør Festival Strings
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor
ROLF WALLIN Under City Skin (US Premiere)
BENT SØRENSEN Schattenlinie (US Premiere)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, K. 581
Tickets: $54, $60
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Friday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
RISØR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Measha Brueggergosman, Soprano
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Marc-André Hamelin, Piano
Martin Fröst, Clarinet
Henning Kraggerud, Violin
Lars Anders Tomter, Viola
Torleif Thedéen, Cello
Risør Festival Strings
RICHARD STRAUSS Sextet from Capriccio, Op. 85
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat Major, K. 449
GUSTAV MAHLER / ARNOLD SCHOENBERG Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
AARON COPLAND Clarinet Concerto
BÉLA BARTÓK Divertimento for Strings
Tickets: $31, $37, $47, $63, $85, $94
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Saturday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
RISØR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Measha Brueggergosman, Soprano
Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Marc-André Hamelin, Piano
Henning Kraggerud, Violin
Lars Anders Tomter, Viola
Torleif Thedéen, Cello
EDVARD GRIEG Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in F Major, Op. 8
FRANZ LISZT "Oh! Quand je dors"
HENRI DUPARC "Au pays où se fait la guerre"
JOHANNES BRAHMS "Ständchen," Op. 106, No. 1
RICHARD WAGNER "Im Treibhaus" from Wesendonck Lieder, Op. 91
ERNEST CHAUSSON Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37
JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25
Tickets: $54, $60
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