Friday, May 9, 2008

Washington Performing Arts Society 2008-09


Gustavo Dudamel, the 27-year-old conducting sensation who becomes music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009, will appear twice in Washington next season, leading the Israel Philharmonic and the orchestra from which he emerged, the Simon Bolivar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

Dudamel's concerts highlight the 2008-09 season of the Washington Performing Arts Society, the leading presenter of major classical touring artists in the mid-Atlantic region.

The WPAS schedule for the Kennedy Center in Washington:

* Oct. 4 – New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel conducting. Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 3, Symphony No. 4.

* Oct. 11 – Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Camerata Salzburg. Bach: Violin concertos Nos. 1-2, Concerto for two violins (second violinist TBA); Tartini: "The Devil's Trill."

* Nov. 15 – Vadim Repin (violin), Nikolai Lugansky (piano). Debussy: Sonata for violin and piano; Stravinsky: Divertimento for violin and piano; Beethoven: Sonata No. 9 for piano and violin ("Kreutzer").

* Nov. 18 – Israel Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel conducting. Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 ("Italian"); Brahms: Symphony No. 4.

* March 1 – Evgeny Kissin (piano). Program TBA.

* March 25 – Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Ramey (bass-baritone), Martin Katz (piano). Works by Copland, Berlioz, Offenbach, Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, others.

* March 28 – London Symphony, Valery Gergiev conducting. Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1 ("Classical") and 6; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (Alexei Volodin, piano).

* April 6 – Simon Bolivar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel conducting. Program TBA.

* May 2 – Louis Lortie (piano). Chopin: Etudes (complete).

* May 4 – Pittsburgh Symphony, Manfred Honeck conducting. Richard Strauss: "Death and Transfiguration;" Haydn: Cello Concerto in C major (Alisa Weilerstein, cello); Beethoven: Symphony No. 7.

* June 3 – Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit conducting. Ravel: Piano Concerto for left hand; Liszt: "Totentanz" (Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano); Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances; Ravel: "La Valse."

The WPAS schedule for the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD:

* Oct. 14 – Andras Schiff (piano). Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 22, 23 ("Appassionata"), 24, 25, 26 ("Les Adieux").

* Oct. 29 – Maurizio Pollini (piano). Program TBA.

* Nov. 2 – Midori (violin), Charles Abramovic (piano). Bach: Sonata in E minor for violin and clavier; Shostakovich: Sonata for violin and piano; Respighi: Sonata in B minor for violin and piano.

* Feb. 26 – London Philharmonic, Vladimir Jurowski conducting. Rachmaninoff: "Isle of the Dead;" Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (Leon Fleisher, piano); Ligeti: "Atmospheres;" Richard Strauss: "Also sprach Zarathustra."

* March 3 – Joshua Bell (violin), Jeremy Denk (piano). Program TBA.

* March 11 – Yo-Yo Ma (cello) and Silk Road Ensemble. Program TBA.

* March 22 – Olga Kern (piano). Program TBA.

* March 29 – Richard Goode (piano). Program TBA.

* April 8 – Krystian Zimerman (piano). Program TBA.

* April 17 – Tokyo String Quartet, Lynn Harrell (cello). Haydn: Quartet in G major, Op. 76, No. 1; Beethoven: Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4; Schubert: String Quintet.

Subscription and ticket information: (202) 785-9727; www.wpas.org