The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Martin Panteleev, Conductor, with Philippe Quint, Violin

Overview

The Cape Town Philharmonic makes its debut tour in the U.S and is performing as part of the 151st Worcester Music Festival. 

Maestro Martin Panteleev is considered to be one of the most exciting rising stars of the new generation of conductors. 

Grammy Award nominee Philippe Quint, a violinist born in Russia and living in the U.S., has been called by critics "a legend in the making"! 

This combination of artists and such an amazing program of music is irresistible and not to be missed.

Tickets:  $46, $43, students $20 - $15 at door

Related Sites

• Violinist Philippe Quint web site

Program

• Walton:                  Johannesburg Festival Overture
• Korngold:                Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op.35
• Rimsky-Korsakov:      Scheherazade, Op.35

About the Artists

Two time Grammy award nominee Violinist Philippe Quint has emerged in recent years as one of the few young soloists to combine a remarkable degree of lyricism, poetry and impeccable virtuosity. His stage persona is evocative of a 19th century Romantic performer.

“With his lanky build and shoulder-length dark hair, he looked like a modern day Paganini - and he played like one, too.” Cincinnatti Enquirer.

He plays on a 1723 "Ex-Kiesewetter" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him from Clement and Karen Arrison through the generous efforts of the Stradivari Society. Highlights of 2010/11 season include debuts with Berlin Komische Oper Orchestra for their New Year's Concerts with Carl St. Clair, Chicago Symphony with David Afham, San Diego Symphony with Bromwell Tovey, a tour of Germany with Nordwestdeutsche Symphoniker and an 18 concert US tour with Cape Town Philharmonic. Mr. Quint is a Founder and Artistic Director of the Mineria Chamber Music Festival in Mexico City and recently formed a Quint Quintet- a group dedicated to exploring music of Astor Piazzolla and Argentine Tango.

Mr. Quint’s extended award winning Naxos discography includes a large variety of rediscovered treasures along with popular works from standard repertoire. His debut album of the William Schuman’s Violin Concerto (2001) and his latest recording of the Korngold’s Violin Concerto (2009) that jumped to top 20 in Billboard’s Classical Chart during its first week of release were each nominated for two Grammy Awards including ''Best Instrumental Soloist with Orchestra'' Category’s. Other critically acclaimed recordings include World Premiere recording of John Corigliano's Red Violin Caprices, Ned Rorem’s Concerto, Miklos Rozsa’s Complete Works for Violin and Piano with William Wolfram, Bernstein’s Serenade and De Beriot Concertos have received multiple Editor Choice selections from Gramophone, Strad, Strings and Daily Telegraph. Upcoming in August 2010 is an exciting unique compilation CD release of works by Paganini arranged by Fritz Kreisler. Mr. Quint has been consistently re-engaged both domestically and internationally; recent performances include Symphony Orchestras of Detroit, Indianapolis, New Jersey, Minnesota, Bournemouth , Houston, Weimar Staatskapelle, Orchestra Cote du Basque, Orchestra de Pamplona, the Royal Liverpool , China National and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra under the batons of renowned conductors such as Kurt Masur, Carl St.Clair, Marin Alsop, Andrew Litton, Jorge Mester, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Klauspeter Seibel, Stefan Sanderling, Marco Parisotto and Daniel Hege. His live performances and interviews have been broadcast on CBS, CNN, ABC, BBC, NBC, Reuters, Bloomberg TV, "Night Talk with Mike Schneider" and "Muse" as well as multiple appearances on NPR, WNYC and WQXR.   "flawless," "dazzling," "extraordinary", and "astonishing" are only a few adjectives awarded him by the press.

In 2004 Mr. Quint was the featured soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in the World Premiere of Lera Auerbach's Concerto No.1, that was written and dedicated to him. An active chamber musician, he has appeared in recitals, performances and festivals at Mostly Mozart, Caramoor , Ravinia, Aspen, Lincoln Center, Chautauqua, Lukas Foss's Hamptons Music Festival, Kravis Center, UC Davis Presents, Rome Chamber Festival and the National Gallery in Washington.

Mr. Quint studied at Moscow's Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov, and made his orchestral debut at the age of 9, performing Wieniawski's Concerto No. 2. After emigrating to the United States, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Juilliard and was graduated in 1998. His distinguished pedagogues included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, and Felix Galimir. He has also studied and participated in masterclasses with Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, and Arnold Steinhardt. Having won a myriad of awards since his days as a student, Quint has amassed top prizes at the Juilliard Competition ('98), Spain's Pablo de Sarasate International Violin Competition ('97), where he also received the Special Audience Prize, and the Salon de Virtuosi Award ('97). He has been a Career Grant recipient of Bagby Foundation since 2002.

The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, South Africa’s “orchestra for all seasons”, is a financially and culturally sustainable, multi-functional orchestra delivering a world-class musical experience to all communities of the Western Cape. The CPO is one of only three full-time professional symphony orchestras in South Africa and continues a long and proud history of symphonic music since Cape Town’s first symphony orchestra was formed in 1914.  The orchestra will be making its debut tour of the U.S. in 2011.

Apart from traditional symphony concerts presented in the historic City Hall with its excellent acoustics for orchestral music, the CPO also performs at the Artscape Theatre Centre with Cape Town Opera and Cape Town City Ballet for their opera and ballet seasons. Further engagements include performing with prestigious visiting ballet companies such as the St Petersburg Ballet, charity galas, lighter “symphonic pops” music for special occasions and collaboration with community musicians and choirs. These performances all add up to a staggering 160 performances a year. Some performances are given at other venues in Cape Town and the Western Cape such as the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch, the Baxter Theatre and the Bellville Velodrome. Other venues include popular tourist destinations such as the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Vergelegen wine estate and leading hotels. However, the orchestra does not only play in the Cape’s premier venues, but also visits smaller venues in previously disadvantaged communities.

The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra is arguably the most versatile and active orchestra on the continent of Africa and contributes handsomely in making Cape Town part of a global culture. In this spirit the CPO presented the first Cape Town International Music Festival in November and December 2006. This festival has become an annual event, attracting first rate musicians from all over the world as well as providing opportunities to South Africa’s foremost artists.

The CPO embraces education through its training orchestras, the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO), the Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (CPYWE), a cadet programme for aspiring professional musicians and various far-reaching educational and development programmes. The CPYO and CPYWE were launched in 2004 and consist mostly of young musicians from the townships and previously disadvantaged communities. Music is a powerful tool in closing the gap between our disparate cultures, which is why the CPO is a tireless promoter of cultural accessibility and interactivity

Considered one of the most exciting rising stars of a new generation of European conductors, Martin Panteleev was born in 1976 into a family of musicians. He began his violin studies at age four and soon entered the Bulgarian State Academy of Music. At age eighteen, he was awarded top prizes in the Brahms Chamber Music Competition and was awarded the Bela Bartok Prize in Sofia.

In 1997 and 1998 he graduated following master classes in violin with Prof. Zakhar Bron in Hamburg and in conducting with Prof. Vassil Kazantjiev in Sofia. In 1999 Panteleev became Associate Conductor of the Philharmonia of the Nations, leading them in concerts in Germany, China and Russia. An accomplished composer as well, the world premiere of his First Symphony was performed by the Philharmonia of the Nations under Justus Frantz, with further performances in Frankfurt, Berlin and at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. For this work Mr. Panteleev received a nomination for the Davidoff Prize. Mr. Panteleev's Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra received its first performance in 2001 in China with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and soloist Li Biao. In 2003, Mr. Panteleev recorded his First and Third Symphonies with the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra and was named a member of the Bulgarian Union of Composers.

In 2005 Martin Panteleev was given a special award by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture for his musical activities, and was named Chief Conductor of the renowned Sofia Festival Orchestra which was founded by the legendary Emil Tchakarov. Mr. Panteleev is a regular guest of the Sofia Philharmonic, Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra, Philharmonia of the Nations, St. Petersburg Russian Philharmonic, and other leading European orchestras, as well as now conducting the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra on their debut tour to the U.S.