Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Media Release
22 July 2008
SCO tour brings popular classics to life
Summer touring season brought to a close across central lowlands
Charismatic SCO Principal Maximiliano Martín takes centre stage with a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto as part of the four-concert Autumn Classics tour across Central Scotland and Fife between 3-6 September 2008.
Following the success of the Orchestra’s tour across the central lowlands last year, the players will perform in Motherwell Concert Hall (Wednesday 3 September), Falkirk FTH (Thursday 4 September), Paisley Town Hall (Friday 5 September) and Dunfermline Carnegie Hall (Saturday 6 September).
The programme will be directed by young Austrian conductor Aleksandar Markovic, who makes his SCO debut with this tour. It opens with Haydn’s rousing Symphony No 96 ‘Miracle’, with its lyrical writing for the wind section, the prominence of which was unusual for its time. Completed in 1791, the ‘Miracle’ nickname came about after a chandelier fell from the ceiling of the concert hall during the performance, narrowly missing the audience. However, it later turned out that this actually occurred during a performance of Haydn’s later symphony, No 102. But the name stuck.
Mozart’s popular concerto is the centre piece of the programme, and soloist Maximiliano Martín features on an SCO/Linn Records recording of the work on the highly acclaimed Mozart Wind Concertos CD, released in 2006.
The concerts close with Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony, which is explosive from start to finish.
Maximiliano explained: “Performing as a soloist is always a special occasion and even more if it is with the SCO. I have played the Mozart Concerto many times but this concerto is always a challenge, it is so popular that basically it has to be perfect.”
SCO Concerts Director Judith Colman added: "There was a great reception for our first tour of Central Scotland last year and we’re very much looking forward to bringing the SCO to the region again in September. The full Orchestra will perform in Motherwell, Falkirk, Paisley and Dunfermline, with a popular programme bringing together some of the greatest Classical composers and featuring Mozart’s wonderful clarinet concerto with soloist Maximiliano Martín.”
-ENDS-
For further information, photographs or review tickets, please contact Sheena Macrae on 0131 478 8340, or Catherine Gauld on 0131 478 8338, or email sheena.macrae@sco.org.uk or catherine.gauld@sco.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Autumn Classics tour is supported by The Moffat Charitable Trust and The Scottish Government
MOTHERWELL Concert Hall
Wednesday 3 September 2008, 7.30pm
FALKIRK FTH
Thursday 4 September 2008, 7.30pm
PAISLEY Town Hall
Friday 5 September 2008, 7.30pm
DUNFERMLINE Carnegie Hall
Saturday 6 September 2008, 7.30pm
AUTUMN ClaSSICS Tour 2008
HAYDN Symphony No 96 ‘Miracle’
MOZART Clarinet Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No 8
Aleksandar Markovic conductor
Maximiliano Martín clarinet
Tickets
Tickets are priced at £12.50, £10 senior citizens, £5 children and students
MOTHERWELL Concert Hall 01698 403120
Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street
Motherwell ML1 1AB
www.northlan.gov.uk
FALKIRK FTH 01324 506850
The Steeple Box Office
High Street
Falkirk FK1 1NW
www.falkirk.gov.uk
PAISLEY Town Hall 0141 887 1010
Central Booking Office
Paisley Arts Centre
New Street
Paisley PA1 1EZ
www.renfrewshire.gov.uk
DUNFERMLINE Carnegie Hall 01383 602302
Carnegie Hall Box Office
East Port
Dunfermline KY12 7JA
Aleksandar Markovic - conductor
Thirty-two-year-old conductor Aleksandar Markovic has been Chief Conductor at the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck since 2005/06. In the current season he is also Music Director of the new productions Cavalleria Rrusticana/Pagliacci, Swan Lake and Romeo et Juliette as well as the revival of Der fliegende Holländer, having celebrated a huge success conducting it’s new production in June 2007. He will also conduct concerts with the Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck; the programme includes Beethoven, Schubert, Prokofiev and Berlioz.
In his first season in Innsbruck he conducted a triumphal new production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, a revival of Nozze di Figaro and a new production of Salome, directed by Brigitte Fassbaender, Verdi’s La Traviata and Bellini’s Norma: In September 2004 he was named Music Director of the Stanislaw Moniuszko Philharmonie after winning first prize at the Grzegorz Fitelberg Conductor’s Competition in Katowice (Poland).
In May 2008 Aleksandar Markovic opened the Wiener Festwochen with the Wiener Symphoniker, where he debuted in 2006. In June 2008 he made his conducting debut with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Other signficant debuts in 2008/09 include the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Nuernberg Philharmonic and the Brno Philharmonic. With the Slovak Philharmonic and Bruckner’s Symphony No 8 he will open the season at the Stefaniensaal Graz in September 2008.
Markovic conducted the Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin, Rheinische Philharmonie, Wiener Kammerorchester, Wiener Concertverein, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Symphonieorchester St. Gallen, Belgrade Radio Orchestra and Belgrade Philharmonic, Budapest Concert Orchestra, Prague Symphony, Janacek Philharmonic, Slovenian Philharmonic, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and at the National Theatre Prague.
Apart from the classical symphonic repertoire Markovic is a proponent of contemporary music and conducted the world premiere of Feuerlicht, Nachtschatten by Dirk D’Ase at the Wiener Musikverein, symphonies by Karl Amadeus Hartmann and Karl Schiske as well as pieces by Lutoslawski, Ligeti, Pintscher and Tüür.
The conductor completed his studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien under Leopold Hager, who described him as one of the greatest talents ever to study with him. Markovic also attended master classes with Gianluigi Gelmetti and Lothar Zagrosek at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, graduating with honours - Diploma d’onore. Aleksandar Markovic holds a scholarship from the highly renowned Herbert von Karajan Foundation Berlin.
Maximiliano Martín - clarinet
Spanish clarinettist Maximiliano Martín is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting and charismatic musicians of his generation.
Martín was born in La Orotava (Tenerife) and studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica in Tenerife, Barcelona School of Music and later at the Royal College of Music in London where he held the prestigious Wilkins-Mackerras Scholarship, gradutated with distinction and received the Frederick Thurston and Golden Jubilee Prizes. His teachers have included Joan Enric Lluna, Richard Hosford and Robert Hill.
Since being appointed Principal Clarinet of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2002 and winning the Young Artists Platform Competition in the same year, Martín has made debuts at the Wigmore Hall London, Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, St David’s Hall Cardiff, Perth Concert Hall, St George’s Bristol, Brighton and Newbury Festivals and overseas at the Tallin Festival, Palau de la Musica Catalana and Teatro Monumental in Madrid.
As a soloist Martín has performed clarinet concertos with orchestras such as European Union Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and Macedonian Philharmonic under the baton of Brüggen, Manze, Antonini, Swensen, McGegan, Canev and de Ridder. In the field of chamber music he has enjoyed collaborations with London Winds, Hebrides Ensemble, Moonwinds Ensemble, and with artists such as Paul Meyer, Alexander Janiczek, Artur Pizarro, Christian Zacharias and Juho Pohjonen.
Martín has performed in many prestigious concert halls and international festivals with orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and worked with esteemed conductors such as Abbado, Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Mackerras, Marriner, Berglund, Lopez Cobos, Elder, Krivine and Litton. He has been member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
His debut album Fantasia and the recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra were released in 2006 by Linn Records to great critical acclaim. In October 2006 he performed the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with SCO and André de Ridder which was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. Martín recently recorded Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with the Hebrides Ensemble (Linn Records), which was launched in May at the Wigmore Hall in London.
Recently, Martín gave the European premiere of Michael Daugherty’s Clarinet Concerto Brooklyn Bridge and the world premiere of Conversaçiones, a piece written for him by the young Spanish composer Marcos Fernandez.
Martín is also active in education – he currently teaches at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and regularly gives master classes in Spain. He is one of the Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Festival of La Villa de La Orotava held every year in his home town.
Martín is a Buffet Crampon Artist and plays Buffet Tosca Clarinets.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is internationally recognised for its innovative approach to music-making and programme planning. Formed in 1974 with a commitment to serve the Scottish community, it is also one of Scotland’s foremost cultural ambassadors. The Orchestra performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland, and appears regularly at the Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC Proms. Its busy international touring schedule has recently included Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. During 2008, the Orchestra gave a 10-date tour in Germany and visited Vienna, Bregenz, Brussels and London’s Barbican Centre. The Orchestra’s international touring receives support from the Scottish Government.
Estonian conductor Olari Elts took up the position of Principal Guest Conductor this Season. In his second Season with the Orchestra, he will conduct four concert weeks, including the premiere of a new work by Karin Rehnqvist, two of the concerts in the Mendelssohn 200 series– the Orchestra’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth – and the Closing Concert of the 2008/09 Season, Haydn’s The Seasons.
The SCO’s long-standing relationship with Conductor Laureate Sir Charles Mackerras has resulted in many exceptional performances and recordings, particularly at the Edinburgh International Festival where they established an enviable reputation for concert performances of opera. Their recordings together include seven Mozart operas, a Grammy-nominated set of Brahms’ Symphonies, the full cycle of Beethoven Symphonies (with the Philharmonia Orchestra), four CDs of Mozart Piano Concertos with Alfred Brendel, Mozart’s Requiem and a disc of Kodály and Bartók for Linn Records. The Orchestra’s latest recording with Sir Charles – a double-disc featuring Mozart’s last four symphonies – was released on Linn Records in February 2008.
Following nine successful years as Principal Conductor, Joseph Swensen became the Orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus in 2005. Swensen has developed a unique relationship with the SCO as soloist as well as conductor and he and the SCO have released five CDs together through the Orchestra’s partnership with Linn Records. Other conductors who appear regularly with the SCO include Andrew Manze, Frans Brüggen, John Storgårds, Thierry Fischer, Louis Langrée, Andrew Litton and Nicholas McGegan and regular soloist/directors include Christian Zacharias and Piotr Anderszewski.
The Orchestra enjoys close relationships with many leading composers and has commissioned more than a hundred new works, including pieces by Composer Laureate Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Judith Weir, Sally Beamish, Karin Rehnqvist, Edward Harper, James MacMillan, Haflidi Hallgrímsson, Einojuhani Rautavaara and Stuart MacRae.
The Orchestra plays a prominent role in the Edinburgh Festival. In 2005, it was awarded a Bank of Scotland Archangel by The Herald in recognition of its sustained quality contribution to the Festival.
The SCO has led the way in music education with a unique programme of projects. SCO Education provides workshops for children and adults across Scotland and has attracted interest and invitations from overseas.
The Orchestra broadcasts regularly and has a discography now exceeding 140 recordings available by calling 0845 270 1812 or online at theshop.sco.org.uk. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra receives funding from the Scottish Government.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 4 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB
Tel 0131 557 6800, Fax 0131 557 6933, email info@sco.org.uk, web www.sco.org.uk