The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and Music Director Christoph Eschenbach have announced the continuation of Mr. Eschenbach's relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra beyond the conclusion of his tenure as music director at the close of the 2007-08 season.
Mr. Eschenbach will return to Philadelphia to conduct the Orchestra in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. In 2009-10 Mr. Eschenbach will spend multiple weeks with the Orchestra conducting projects under discussion. His performances in March 2008 are to be rescheduled for the 2009-10 season.
"I am thrilled to continue my collaboration with the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra," stated Mr. Eschenbach. "It is such a pleasure to make music with these gifted and dedicated individuals and I look forward to our ongoing relationship as we take on new artistic challenges in the upcoming seasons."
"We are delighted that Maestro Eschenbach has chosen to continue his relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra," said Philadelphia Orchestra Association President and CEO James Undercofler. "He is one of the world's great artists and we will continue to be enriched by his creativity and talent."
One of today's leading international conductors, Christoph Eschenbach continues his creative artistic partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra in his fifth season as music director of the venerable ensemble. Held in highest esteem by the world's foremost orchestras and opera houses for his commanding presence, versatility, and consummate musicianship, Mr. Eschenbach is also much sought after as a guest conductor. His creative insight and dynamic energy as a conductor, a collaborator, and an ardent champion of young musicians, have led to his being acclaimed as "one of the best musicians of our day."
The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2007-08 season celebrates such monumental works as Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") – part of the Orchestra's multi-season first-ever Mahler cycle – and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Christoph Eschenbach leads the Opening Night Gala Concert, featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter playing Brahms's Violin Concerto, on September 29. During the season's first two weeks, he leads seven performances of The Rite of Spring, paired at different times with works by Tchaikovsky, Wolfgang Rihm (a U.S. premiere), and Carl Reinecke. Another highlight of the season is a Leonard Bernstein Festival celebrating the 90th anniversary of the composer's birth. Mr. Eschenbach leads Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Jeremiah (Symphony No. 1), along with two world premieres by Philadelphia composer Jennifer Higdon, who carries on Bernstein's legacy as a great American composer. Other recent works Mr. Eschenbach conducts include an organ concerto written and performed by French composer and organist Thierry Escaich and the U.S. premiere of a work by French composer Marc-André Dalbavie, a co-commission of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Bamburg Symphony. Mr. Eschenbach also leads Brahms's Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Bruckner's Symphony No. 6, and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, among other works. He concludes the season with performances of Schubert's Symphony in B minor ("Unfinished") and Symphony in C major ("Great") in Philadelphia, and with a tour of Asia, marking the 35th anniversary of The Philadelphia Orchestra's first visit to China.
Mr. Eschenbach leads The Philadelphia Orchestra in two concerts at Carnegie Hall during the 2007-08 season: Bernstein's Jeremiah and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 ("Winter Daydreams") (January 2008) and Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" (May 2008). In January 2008, he is featured as pianist in a chamber music concert with members of the Orchestra and conducts the Academy of Music 151st Anniversary Concert.
The 2007-08 season concludes Christoph Eschenbach's tenure as music director. He continues his relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. In January 2009 he conducts the Orchestra in two subscription weeks followed by a three-week European tour. He will
appear with the Orchestra for multiple weeks in 2009-10 conducting projects under discussion.
In addition to his work with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Eschenbach leads the Orchestre de Paris, where he has served as music director since September 2000. The ensemble celebrates its 40th anniversary during the 2007-08 season, and highlights of Mr. Eschenbach's season there include two Opening Night concerts featuring pianist Lang Lang, a special anniversary concert, performances of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand," and a program of music by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho featuring soprano Karita Mattila. As a guest conductor Mr. Eschenbach has recently led the Chicago Symphony, the Hamburg NDR Symphony, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra (including a tour of Brazil and a performance at the Salzburg Festival), the Bamberg Symphony, and the Attersee Institute Orchestra, among others.
A prolific recording artist for more than 50 years, Christoph Eschenbach has made numerous recordings, as conductor, pianist, or both. His artistry has been featured in compact discs on the Ariola, BMG, CBS/Sony, Claves, Decca, Deutsche Gramophone, EMI, Koch International Classics, Ondine,
Pickwick International, RCA Red Seal, Telarc, Teldec, and Virgin Classics labels. His recordings include works from J.S. Bach to music of our time, and he has been an ardent champion of 20th-century music on disc. In May 2005, Mr. Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra announced a three-year recording partnership with Ondine Records, the Orchestra's first recording contract in nearly 10 years.
Mr. Eschenbach was instrumental in bringing the agreement to fruition. Taken from live concerts, the first recording under the agreement (of works by Bartók, Martin , and Klein) was released in November 2005, the second (of works by Tchaikovsky) in April 2006, the third (of Mahler's Sixth Symphony) in October 2006, the fourth (of organ works by Saint-Saëns, Poulenc, and Barber) in February 2007, and the fifth (featuring Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony) in May 2007. New CD releases are planned during the 2007-08 season. Several of the available recordings have received both outstanding critical acclaim as well as numerous international awards.
Mr. Eschenbach's discography also includes numerous recordings with the Orchestre de Paris – on the Ondine and Deutsche Gramophone labels – as well as recordings with the London Symphony (Sony/BMG), the Vienna Philharmonic (Decca), the Hamburg NDR Symphony (BMG/Sony & Warner), and the Houston Symphony (Koch).
Before turning to conducting, Mr. Eschenbach had already earned a distinguished international reputation as a concert pianist. He began winning major competitions at the age of 11, and by 1965 he was established as the foremost pianist to emerge from post-war Germany, making his United States concert debut in 1969 with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. In testimony to his prowess at the piano, Philips chose Eschenbach as one of 100 pianists to be featured in their Great Pianists of the 20th Century series.
Christoph Eschenbach learned the art of conducting under, among others, George Szell, who personally took him as his protégé, and with whom he worked for over three years. In addition, Herbert von Karajan was his mentor for nearly 25 years, and Mr. Eschenbach credits him as having had a tremendous influence on his development as a conductor. Mr. Eschenbach made his conducting debut in Hamburg in 1972, followed by his United States conducting debut with the San Francisco Symphony in 1975, and his opera conducting debut with a 1978 production of Verdi's La traviata.
After debuting with The Philadelphia Orchestra as a pianist in 1973, Mr. Eschenbach made his Orchestra conducting debut in 1989. He was named principal guest conductor of the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich in 1981, serving as chief conductor from 1982 to 1986. Additional posts include music director of the Houston Symphony (1988-1999); chief conductor of the Hamburg NDR Symphony (1998-2004); music director of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (1999-2002); and music director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony (1994-2003). -- www.philorch.org
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