Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival and School, will appear at Carnegie Hall on three occasions during the 2013-2014 season.  This is the third consecutive season in which Maestro Spano has been presented by the prestigious venue in more than one medium and marks the eighth time Maestro Spano leads his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium. 

On Friday, October 25, Maestro Spano performs for the first time with theAmerican Composers Orchestra in celebration of the 10th anniversary season of its Orchestra Underground series.   Known for his commitment to emerging composers, and most specifically emerging American composers, Spano conducts the world premiere of the first orchestral work written by rock-guitarist Ian Williams of the band Battles alongside the world premiere of a piece that fuses orchestra and electronics by Irish composer Peter Fahey. Composer Julia Wolfe's Fuel, a multimedia work composed in collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison, as well as Christopher Theofanidis's virtuosic Bassoon Concerto are also featured on the October 25th program.

In addition to his work on the podium this season, Robert Spano joins sopranoJessica Rivera and mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor as pianist for a recital in Zankel Hall on Tuesday, October 29 with New York premieres by David Bruce,Jonathan Leshnoff and Gabriela Lena Frank among works by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Saint-Saëns and others.  In his fourth Carnegie Hall commission, acclaimed composer David Bruce's work "That Time With You," explores a mysterious sense of love and loss while Jonathan Leshnoff's Monica Songsexhibit a lush and richly tonal style. Composer Gabriela Lena Frank draws from her multicultural heritage most ardently in Kitchen Songs.

Displaying his gifts as a composer, ASO Media will release a digital recording on iTunes of Mr. Spano’s solo piano work, under water, and a cycle of five songs written for soprano Jessica Rivera in November 2013. In addition to the recording, Mr. Spano and Ms. Rivera perform the first three songs of the cycle in recital at Pepperdine University October 20.

Robert Spano brings the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium Wednesday, April 30, 2014 for their eighth performance in the hall over the last eleven seasons to perform Britten's towering masterpiece: War Requiem. Joined by soprano Evelina Dobracheva, tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, baritone Stephen Powell and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, this performance is a centerpiece of Carnegie Hall's "Britten 100"- a season-long celebration of the centenary of the prolific English composer's birth.

ABOUT ROBERT SPANO

Serving Atlanta as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 2001, Robert Spano recently completed his second season as Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students, including Aspen’s American Academy of Conducting. One of Mr. Spano’s notable contributions has been the creation of the Atlanta School of Composers, a project that has not only been the catalyst for generating new commissions, but has forged a comprehensive approach to incubating young composers and their work through long-term relationships between orchestra and composer, defining a new generation of American composers. With a discography of critically acclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon and ASO Media recorded over nine years, Spano has won six Grammy™ Awards with the Atlanta Symphony. Musical America’s 2008 Conductor of the Year, Spano is on the faculty of Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University and Oberlin.

In addition to the Carnegie Hall performances, Maestro Spano is guest of the Minnesota Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonia de Galicia, Tampere Philharmonic and joins the Boston Symphony Orchestra for a two-week engagement.  In Atlanta, he has programmed five world premieres as well as six Atlanta premieres and is pleased to join ASO guest conductor Donald Runnicles at the piano for a program of Ravel’s La valse and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.  He also conducts a concert performance of Verdi’s Aida and will be an artistic curator at the Ojai Festival for a second season in June 2014.

Friday, October 25, 2013, 7:30 PM
Zankel Hall 
Orchestra Underground: Adding Fuel to the Fire

American Composers Orchestra
Robert Spano, conductor
Martin Kuuskmann, bassoon
Bill Morrison, filmmaker

FRED LERDAHL Spirals (New York Premiere)
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDAS Bassoon Concerto
JULIA WOLFE Fuel (film by Bill Morrison)
PETER FAHEY A Mirror to Kathleen's Face (World Premiere)

Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 7:30 PM
Zankel Hall

Robert Spano, piano
Jessica Rivera, soprano
Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano

SAINT-SAËNS "El desdichado"
DAVID BRUCE "That Time With You" (New York Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
MOMPOU "Combat del Somni"
GOUNOD "La siesta"
MENDELSSOHN "Volkslied," Op. 63, No. 5
MENDELSSOHN "Ich wollt' meine Lieb'," Op. 63, No. 1
DEBUSSY Chansons de Bilitis
JONATHAN LESHNOFF Monica Songs (New York Premiere, co-commissioned by Carngie Hall)
GABRIELA LENA FRANK Kitchen Songs (New York Premiere)

Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 8:00 PM
Stern Auditorium

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, Music Director and conductor
Evelina Dobracheva, soprano
Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor
Stephen Powell, baritone
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Norman Mackenzie, Director
Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Dianne Berkun, Artistic Director

BENJAMIN BRITTEN War Requiem

PREVIOUS CARNEGIE HALL ENGAGEMENTS

2012-2013:  Golijov La Pasion Segun San Marcos / Messaien Des canyons aux etoiles with Ensemble ACJW Copland, Walton, Bernstein program with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
2011-2012:  Program including premiere of Salonen Nyx with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Bach & Messaien program with Orchestra of St. Luke’s / Pianist with Bass-Baritone Eric Owens in Zankel Hall
2010-2011:  Berlioz Requiem honoring 20th season of Carnegie Hall’s Choral Workshops / Elgar Galogalitic Masswith Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
2009-2010: Angel Lam premiere with Yo Yo Ma & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
2008-2009: Golijov Ainadamar with Orchestra of St. Luke’s  & “Bernstein Fest” with Zankel Band
2007-2008: Christopher Theofanidis premiere with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
2005-2006: Verdi  Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
2003-2004: Vaughan-Williams  A Sea Symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus