Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2011
CONTACT: Kathleen Fay, Executive Director
617-661-1812 | kathy@bemf.org

MEDIA ALERT:
Sir Roger Norrington returns to the Boston Early Music Festival to conduct the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on March 15, 2011.

ARTIST:	Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (orchestra; United Kingdom) Sir Roger Norrington, conductor Steven Devine, harpsichord Richard Lester, ’cello
WHEN:	Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 8pm Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
PROGRAM:	The Other Amazing Mr. Bach: Symphonies and Concerti of C. P. E. Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788) Symphony in G, Wq 182/1 Harpsichord Concerto in C, Wq 20 Symphony in G, Wq 173 Symphony in E, Wq 182/6 Cello Concerto in A, Wq 172 Symphony in E flat, Wq 179
TICKETS:	Tickets for the Cambridge performance are priced at $19, $38, $49, $66, and $100 each and can be purchased at WWW.BEMF.ORG and 617-661-1812; a $5 discount for students, seniors, and groups is offered by calling 617-661-1812. Subscription discounts of 10% are available with the purchase of three or more programs.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Early Music pioneer Sir Roger Norrington returns to Boston to conduct the world-renowned ensemble, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, in their BEMF début. OAE have been acclaimed across the globe for their inventive and expressive music-making. Norrington, who led the 1989 Festival Centerpiece Opera, Mozart’s Idomeneo, will make his first appearance with the Boston Early Music Festival since 1991. These legends of Early Music will come together for a program spotlighting the orchestral repertoire of Johann Sebastian Bach’s second son, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Composing between the Baroque and Classical eras, C.P.E. Bach was highly revered by Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart alike. Speaking of the other Mr. Bach, Mozart once remarked, “He is the father, we are the children.” His music is at once stylish and inventive, polished and unpredictable. The program will feature four of C.P.E. Bach’s symphonies as well as a Harpsichord Concerto in C and his Cello Concerto in A. This concert is presented in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Early Music America. Learn more at http://earlymusic.org. ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE: Founded in 1986 by a group of inquisitive London musicians, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment has earned a reputation for innovation and musical excellence. Operating without a perminent conductor, the ensemble has enjoyed a flexibility that has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most esteemed conductors and soloists across a wide range of music. An unwavering commitment to musical exploration and experimentation has established the Orchestra as one of the leading ensembles in the world with an active international touring schedule and extensive discography. ABOUT THE ARTISTS: For nearly fifty years Sir Roger Norrington has been at the forefront of the movement for historically informed orchestral playing. Whether with his own London Classical Players in the 1980’s, with his Stuttgart Radio Symphony, or Camerata Salzburg in recent years, or with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment from its foundation, he has sought to put modern players in touch with the historical style of the music they play. Norrington has led the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and LA Philharmonic among countless others. Since 2007, Steven Devine has been the harpsichordist with London Baroque in addition to his position as Co-Principal keyboard player with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. He is also the principal keyboard player for The Gonzaga Band, Apollo and Pan, The Classical Opera Company, I Fagiolini, and performs regularly with many other groups across Europe. He has recorded more than thirty discs with other artists and ensembles and has made three solo recordings. His next major recording, Bach's Goldberg Variations for Chandos Records, will be released in 2011. Cellist Richard Lester has earned distinction as a concerto and recital soloist and as an accomplished chamber musician. He is a member of the award winning Florestan Trio, The London Haydn Quartet, and is principal cello with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. As a concerto soloist he has performed under conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Roger Norrington, Paavo Berglund and Myung Whun Chung. Richard Lester was a founding member of the celebrated ensemble Domus, with whom he toured worldwide and recorded most of the repertoire for Piano Quartet. In 1995 he formed the Florestan Trio, which received a Gramophone Award in 1999 and the Royal Philharmonic Society award for chamber ensemble in 2000. RESOURCES: Download artist photos http://www.bemf.org/pages/press/images.htm Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment home page: http://www.oae.co.uk Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/OrchestraEnlighten ABOUT THE BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL: Recognized as the preeminent early music presenting organization in North America, the Boston Early Music Festival has been credited with securing Boston’s reputation as “America’s early music capital” (The Boston Globe). Founded in 1981, the Boston Early Music Festival offers diverse programs and activities, including three Grammy-nominated opera recordings, an annual concert series that brings early music’s brightest stars to the Boston and New York concert stages, and a biennial week-long Festival and Exhibition recognized as the “world’s leading festival of early music” (The Times, London). The fully staged operatic centerpiece of the 16th Festival and Exhibition in 2011 will be the North American premiere of Agostino Steffani’s Niobe, Queen of Thebes led by BEMF Artistic Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, and Stage Director in Residence and Set Designer Gilbert Blin. The international cast will include soprano Amanda Forsythe in the title role and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky as Anfione. The 2010–2011 Boston Early Music Festival concert season is presented with support from the Dante Alighieri Society, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, ConstellationCenter, WGBH Radio Boston, Harpsichord Clearing House, Zuckermann Harpsichords International, The Gregory E. Bulger Foundation, and U. S. Trust/Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Dates, times, venues, artists, and programs are subject to change. Dates, times, venues, artists, and programs are subject to change. For more information, images, press tickets, or to schedule an interview, please contact Kathleen Fay at 617-661-1812 or email kathy@bemf.org ###