Carnegie Hall

On Friday, May 6 at 7:30PM, acclaimed composer Osvaldo Golijov’s poignant and emotional new work Falling Out of Time receives its New York premiere in Zankel Hall.

Based on the eponymous book by Israeli author David Grossman, Falling Out of Time is a gripping piece of music that explores parents’ sorrow as they mourn the loss of a child. Golijov’s eclectic music draws on Delta blues and Central Asian ballads to tell a tale of grief and a journey to acceptance.

Commissioned by and including members of the wide-ranging Silkroad Ensemble, this evocative 80-minute song cycle—featuring celebrated Israeli vocalist Yoni Rechter, Venezuelan singer Biella da Costa, and Amsterdam-based soprano Nora Fischer—draws on Grossman’s powerful text and weaves a tapestry of sound that intertwines three diverse traditions—Chinese, European, and Middle Eastern music.

About The Artists
Osvaldo Golijov was born in La Plata, Argentina, and later lived in Jerusalem before immigrating to the United States. Growing up in an Eastern European Jewish household with a piano teacher mother and physician father, he was raised surrounded by classical chamber music, Jewish liturgical and klezmer music, and the new tango of Astor Piazzolla. As a composer, his blending of genres and seamless integration of voices speaks volumes about his approach and style, resulting in a musical language that is uniquely his own.

Since the early 1990s, Golijov has enjoyed collaborations with some of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet and the St. Lawrence String Quartet, in addition to relationships with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, and Robert Spano. In 2000, the premiere of Golijov's La Pasión según San Marcos (St. Mark Passion) took the music world by storm. The Boston Globe called it "the first indisputably great composition of the 21st century.” Golijov has also received acclaim for other groundbreaking works such as his opera Ainadamar and the clarinet quintet The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, as well as music he has written for the films of Francis Ford Coppola.

In fall 2021, one of Golijov’s latest work, Um Dia Bom, for string quartet Brooklyn Rider, received its world premiere in Boston. In February 2022, the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Telegraph Quartet presented the world premiere of his string octet, Ever Yours, in San Francisco. In addition to the Falling Out of Time, recent works include Hebraische Milonga for cello and piano, premiered at the Spoleto Festival in 2021 by cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan. Upcoming projects include a violin concerto for Johnny Gandelsman and The Knights, and the film soundtracks for J. A Bayona’s La Sociedad de la Nieve and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The Silkroad Ensemble, and vocalists Wu Tong, Nora Fischer, and Biella da Costa premiered Falling Out of Time in 2019 and released a recording of the work in 2020.

Works by Osvaldo Golijov have had a strong presence in Carnegie Hall’s programming for more than 25 years. Since 1996, his music has been performed on 35 concert programs, including major works such as Ainadamar, Ayre, La Pasión según San Marcos, and Last Round. He served as the Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall during the 2012–2013 season. That same season, he was one of four artistic advisors for the Hall’s citywide Voices from Latin America festival.

Golijov is Loyola Professor of Music at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where he has taught since 1991.

Composer, pianist, singer, and arranger Yoni Rechter is considered among Israel’s most important musicians, with a career spanning more than 40 years. His impact and influence on Israeli music is immeasurable. Many of his compositions are considered Israeli musical classics, and his Atur Mitzchech (Your Brow is Adorned) has been repeatedly voted the most popular Israeli song of all time. His two best-known collaborations are the legendary Kavaret group–also known as “Poogy”—and Hakeves Ha-16 (The 16th Lamb). A sought-after musical director, producer, and arranger, Yoni has worked on numerous musicals, films, dance performances, and recordings.

Biella da Costa is one of Venezuela’s most acclaimed and versatile vocalists. She has been awarded the Premio Nacional del Artista twice and has shared the stage with international artists such as Eric Clapton and Ray Charles, among many others. She has appeared in prestigious jazz festivals and venues throughout Europe, North America, Russia, and Australia, including Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. Since 2000, Biella has been performing Osvaldo Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos, Ayre, and Oceana.

Amsterdam-based singer and vocal performer Nora Fischer is renowned for her adventurous approach to live performance and her creative and genre-defying collaborations. She is most comfortable right at the sweet spot where different music genres and performing arts join forces and forget that they once had strict boundaries. Her “affinity with experimental classical styles and sharp dramatic instincts” (The New York Times) have led to close collaborations with composers, ensembles, and theatre/dance/mime directors such as Louis Andriessen, Simon McBurney, and The Silkroad Ensemble, and to solo performances at both prestigious and experimental venues around the world.

Program Information

Friday, May 6, 2022 at 7:30 PM 
Zankel Hall
OSVALDO GOLIJOV: FALLING OUT OF TIME

Dan Brantigan, Trumpet
Shawn Conley, Bass
Nicholas Cords, Viola
Biella da Costa, Vocals
Nora Fischer, Vocals
Jeremy Flower, Electronics and Guitar
Johnny Gandelsman, Violin
Karen Ouzounian, Cello
Yoni Rechter, Vocals
Shane Shanahan, Percussion
Mazz Swift, Violin
Wu Man, Pipa

OSVALDO GOLIJOV Falling Out of Time (NY Premiere) 

 

Photo at top of release of Osvaldo Golijov by David O’Connor. 

Ticket Information

Tickets, priced $38 and $45, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For more information on discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.

Please note: To support a safe reopening for in-person events and in accordance with the advice of medical and public health experts, everyone entering Carnegie Hall will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, everyone on Carnegie Hall’s premises will be required to wear a properly fitting mask over the nose and mouth except when eating or drinking in designated areas.