Charlotte Symphony Presents "Transfigured Night"

Christof Perick leads the Charlotte Symphony in A Transfigured Night for the Charlotte Symphony's 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Season Classics concerts Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10, 2007 at 8 PM at the Belk Theater of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202).

The concerts play as follows:

1. SCHOENBERG - Verklärte Nacht "Transfigured Night"

2. BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6, "Pastorale"

These single tickets are on sale now for $15 to $69. Student rush tickets are available at the door one hour before the concerts for $7.50

Think of these two composers, Beethoven and Schoenberg, as the original musical rebels. So, for this concert, bring along the teenagers, and discover the "cool" in classical. And fear not, for if what was once thought of as "wrong" can include Beethoven's Pastorale, you will love Schoenberg's musical valentine, his "early period" masterpiece of soaring melody and rapturous harmony, Verklärte Nacht.

UBS is the 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Season sponsor. UBS is also the 2006-07 Classics series sponsor. WDAV 89.9 FM Classical Public Radio is the 2006-07 Classics series radio sponsor. WMYT 12 is the 2006-07 Classics series television sponsor. Lake Norman Infiniti is a 2006-07 Classics series additional sponsor.

About Christof Perick

Christof Perick begins his sixth season as Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in 2006-07. In his first five seasons in Charlotte, he has expanded the Orchestra's literature to include many previously unperformed masterworks and has brought particular attention to the Neighborhood Concerts series. Since 2006, Maestro Perick has served as Music Director of the Nuernberg Philharmonic and State Opera in his home country of Germany. Perick has also served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Dresden Semper Opera, one of Europe's most renowned opera houses since 1992 and as Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra from 1992 to 1995.

He held the position of Music Director of the Niedersächsisches Staatsorchester and Staatsoper in Hanover, Germany until 1996 where he recently returned to lead Wagner's complete Ring Cycle. In Karlsruhe, he was Music Director of the Badische Staatskapelle and Staatsoper for ten seasons from 1977 to 1986. He also led the Staatsoper in Saarbrücken, Germany from 1974 to 1977. In Europe, he has guest conducted many leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and returns regularly to conduct the Orchestre National de France in Paris and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He has conducted often and has been a principal guest conductor of the Vienna and Berlin State Operas, as well as the Hamburg Staatsoper.

He also conducts frequently at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. In recent seasons, he has led Dresden productions of Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau, Salome, and Capriccio; Wagner's Parsifal, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, Der fliegende Holländer, Die Meistersinger, and Tristan und Isolde; and Beethoven's Fidelio. In addition to having served as Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Perick has guest conducted many of the USA's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic; Los Angeles Philharmonic; the orchestras of Boston, San Francisco, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee; and The National Symphony, among others. Summer festivals have included Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival and Chicago's Grant Park Music Festival. In Canada, he has led the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Toronto Symphony, and Calgary Philharmonic. With American opera companies, Perick has led many productions at New York's Metropolitan Opera for ten consecutive seasons including Fidelio, Tannhäuser, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Hänsel und Gretel, and Die Meistersinger.

He has also conducted productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago including Der fliegende Holländer and Parsifal, productions of Der fliegende Holländer at the San Francisco Opera, Così fan tutte and Ariadne auf Naxos at the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, and Fidelio and The Magic Flute at the San Diego Opera. Perick is an advocate and mentor for young musicians and has been very involved with music education and young artist development. He was closely associated with Germany's National Youth Orchestra for many years and conducted the first United States tour of the Bundesjugendorchester.

He has also guest conducted at the Music Academy of the West Festival in California. Perick's recent guest engagements include appearances with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood; the Vancouver, Pacific, and Columbus Symphonies; a pair of subscription concerts with the Stuttgart Philharmonic; productions of Parsifal and Der Freischütz at Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper; and Parsifal at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Perick resides near the Black Forest in Karlsruhe, Germany with his wife Ulrike, a professional actress, and their two dogs. In his time off the podium, he enjoys swimming and literature.

By www.charlottesymphony.org