Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents

Schumann and Shostakovich: A Lifetime’s Quest for Freedom

American conductor David Zinman gives us two masterpieces that plumb the depths of human experience. Schumann’s only Piano Concerto, his self-described “musical poem,” is a compelling expression of freedom, lyricism, and originality under the expert reading of Canadian pianist Louis Lortie. Shostakovich’s last symphony casts an appeased, hope-filled gaze on life’s unfolding phases, concluding one of the most intense symphonic cycles penned in the 20th century.

Artists
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal

David Zinman, conductor

David Zinman is one of the world’s most respected conductors. During his long career he has worked with all of the leading orchestras throughout the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.

He has held music director posts with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra (1964-77), Rotterdam Philharmonic (1979-82), Rochester Philharmonic (1974-85), Baltimore Symphony (1985-88), Aspen Music Festival (1985-2009), Zurich Tonhalle (1985-2014) and Orchestre Francais des Jeunes (2015-16).

He is renowned for his enthusiasm for new music, new ways of performing, and making classical music more accessible to a younger audience. In Zurich he founded the ‘Tonhalle Late’ concert series, in which a shorter-length symphonic concert is followed by a party.

David Zinman’s extensive discography of over 100 recordings has earned him numerous international honours, particularly for his interpretation of Beethoven’s symphonies with the Zurich Tonhalle, including five Grammy Awards, two Grands Prix du Disque, two Edison Prizes, the German Record Critics’ Prize and a Gramophone Award.

The 2019/20 season included appearances with the Hessische Rundfunk Symphonieorchester Frankfurt and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, as well as returning to the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich. Engagements with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and Dresdner Philharmonie and further concerts with the Zurich Tonhalle were postponed due to the pandemic.

Dedicated to furthering the careers of young musicians, in 2000 he created the International Conducting Academy at Aspen, and in 2010 inaugurated the first Annual International Conducting Masterclass at Zurich Tonhalle. He continues to run conducting masterclasses around the world, most recently at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Louis Lortie, piano

For over three decades, French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie has performed world-wide, building a reputation as one of the world’s most versatile pianists.  He extends his interpretative voice across a broad spectrum of repertoire, and his performances and award-winning recordings attest to his remarkable musical range.

In demand on five continents, Lortie has established long-term partnerships with orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France and Dresden Philharmonic in Europe, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony and St Louis Symphony and New Jersey Symphony in the US. In his native Canada he regularly performs with the major orchestras in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary. Further afield, collaborations include the Shanghai Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, and the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil. Regular partnerships with conductors include, among others, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Edward Gardner, Sir Andrew Davis, Jaap Van Zweden, Simone Young, Antoni Wit and Thierry Fischer.

In recital and chamber music, Louis Lortie appears in the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals, including London’s Wigmore Hall, the Philharmonie de Paris, Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, the Beethovenfest Bonn and Liszt Festival Raiding. Recent special projects have included performances of Liszt ‘complete Années de Pèlerinage in one evening and a complete Beethoven sonata cycle filmed at Salle Bourgie in Montreal and broadcast on Medici TV in 2021.

Louis Lortie is co-founder and Artistic Director of the LacMus International Festival on Lake Como and a Master in Residence at The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel of Brussels.

Program
Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54
Shostakovich, Symphony no. 15 in A major, op. 141

At the Maison Symphonique
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 7:30pm
Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 7:30pm
To purchase your Maison Symphonique live performance tickets visit: www.placedesarts.com

Webcast available
Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 7:00pm (EST)
until Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 11:59pm (EST)
To purchase your ticket to the webcast performance visit: www.osm.ca