The Philharmonic Society of Orange County

THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 2010-2011 CONCERT SEASON

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Partnership with Carnegie Hall continues for second consecutive year with JapanOC: a new festival exploring Japan’s arts and culture sponsored by South Coast Plaza

The return of the Vienna Philharmonic performing Mahler’s 6th Symphony

The Los Angeles Philharmonic returns for its annual visit to Orange County with recently appointed music director Gustavo Dudamel

The Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra performing Beethoven and Brahms

Steve Reich’s 75th birthday commission concert by the Kronos Quartet

Tenor Ian Bostridge performs with Les Violons du Roy
United States debut of the Smetana Trio

Special birthday celebration of composer Franz Josef Liszt featuring a recital by pianist Louis Lortie and a lecture by musicologist Dr. Alan Walker

IRVINE, CA – The Philharmonic Society today announced its 2010-2011 concert season. Now in its 57th season, the Society continues to present signature classical music presentations, orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists from around the world.

Building on the success of Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture in fall 2009, the Philharmonic Society will continue its partnership with Carnegie Hall for JapanOC, an ambitious festival that will invite audiences to explore the incredible diversity of Japanese arts and culture with a wide range of performances and events. The festival, made possible through the generous support of South Coast Plaza, will take place at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and other Southern California institutions, from October 2010 through April 2011. JapanOC will feature select artists appearing in the East Coast edition of the festival JapanNYC presented by Carnegie Hall in New York City during December 2010 and spring 2011.

Among the highlights of the Society’s 2010-11 season will be performances by major artists and ensembles including: the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra led by conductor Fabio Luisi; the return of the Vienna Philharmonic led by conductor Semyon Bychkov; a two-concert “Liszt Birthday Celebration” with pianist Louis Lortie; the Los Angeles Philharmonic with music director Gustavo Dudamel; a new commissioned work by Philip Glass with the Venice Baroque Orchestra; the Orange County visit of the Smetana Trio as part of their United States debut tour; Les Violons du Roy return for a Baroque Festival featuring tenor Ian Bostridge.

The Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series will continue for its fourth season and the Donna L. Kendall Classical Series for its second season.

From East to West: JapanOCSponsored by South Coast Plaza

With programming kicking off in late 2010, the bicoastal JapanOC festival coincides with the 150th anniversary of the first overseas trade mission from Japan to the United States and the ratification of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1860, saluting this milestone and special friendship between two great nations.

“JapanOC will introduce Southern California to the extraordinarily diverse and rich culture of Japan, showcasing Japanese performing arts from the traditional to the contemporary -- from classical music of the Imperial Japanese Court, to performances of modern Japanese Butoh dance,” stated Dean Corey, President and Artistic Director, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. “We are deeply grateful to Henry and Elizabeth Segerstrom and South Coast Plaza, the international retail destination developed by the Segerstrom Family, for their integral support of JapanOC and through whose contribution of land and funding made Segerstrom Center for the Arts possible.”

“By partnering with Carnegie Hall for the second consecutive year, Segerstrom Center for the Arts continues its commitment to bringing extraordinary programming to Southern California," stated Henry Segerstrom, Managing Partner of South Coast Plaza, presenting sponsor. "I am delighted that this vibrant celebration of Japanese culture presented by Carnegie Hall and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County will be able to enrich and enliven the experience of audiences on both coasts."

“Carnegie Hall truly values its partnership with the Philharmonic Society and Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and we were delighted to see how Southern California audiences embraced our first joint festival last season,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. “Building on our relationship, it’s been a great pleasure to work together this year to collaborate on this celebration of Japan.”

The West Coast Festival begins with an extraordinary performance of modern Japanese dance by the exciting Butoh troupe Sankai Juku. Performing in white-body makeup and accompanied by music and sound effects, Sankai Juku dancers will use slow hyper-controlled motion to display playful imagery. (Saturday, October 30, 2010, 8pm, Irvine Barclay Theatre)

Violinist Midori returns to Orange County for a recital which includes performances of Watkins: Coruscation and Reflection, Penderecki: Sonata No. 2, MacMillan: After the Tryst, Adams: Road Movies, and Lindberg: Sonatas. (Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 8pm, Samueli Theater, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

Classical music of the Imperial Japanese Court, a tradition stretching back 1,000 years, will be performed by a renowned ensemble of gagaku musicians in a program entitled Glories of the Japanese Traditional Music Heritage: Japanese Sacred Court Music and Ancient Soundscapes Reborn, which will include the definitive gagaku piece Etenraku. (Saturday, March 19, 2011, 8pm, Samueli Theater, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

JapanOC highlights will also include tributes to celebrated composer Tōru Takemitsu and legendary Japanese-American artist/designer Isamu Noguchi. The world-renowned Noguchi Garden titled California Scenario, unique to Costa Mesa, was commissioned by Henry T. Segerstrom in 1980. JapanOC’s tribute to Isamu Noguchi will include multiple celebrations of California Scenario in collaboration with The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, New York.

In addition to performances presented by the Philharmonic Society, JapanOC will feature collaborations with a variety of prestigious Southern California cultural institutions, including a wide range of music, theater, dance, film, visual art, and education activities.

The full JapanOC schedule will be announced in May 2010.

ORCHESTRA CONCERTS

Concerts featuring world-class orchestras, conductors and soloists, all held at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Society’s Opening Night celebration of the 2010-11 season features the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra led by conductor Fabio Luisi. The program includes Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, with guest pianist Rudolf Buchbinder; Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73; and an overture to be determined. (Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 8pm)

On a world premiere tour entitled “The Seasons Project,” the Venice Baroque Orchestra performs Vivaldi: Le Quattro Staggioni (The Four Seasons) and a new piece composed by Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 2 (The American Four Seasons) with orchestra leader and Grammy-nominated violin soloist Robert McDuffie, for whom the piece was written. (Thursday, November 4, 2010, 8pm)

Twenty years after his last Orange County appearance, conductor Semyon Bychkov returns with the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A minor “Tragic.” (Thursday, March 3, 2011, 8pm)

The Los Angeles Philharmonic returns for its annual visit to Orange County, for the first time with music director Gustavo Dudamel. The repertoire includes Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major and additional works to be announced. (Saturday, March 5, 2011, 8pm)

On its first transcontinental tour of the United States, the Philharmonic of Poland makes its Orange County debut with conductor Boguslaw Dawidow. Program to be announced. (Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 8pm)

The Orquesta Nacional de España returns to Orange County for the first time since 2001. Led by conductor Josep Pons, making his first California appearance, the orchestra will perform de Falla: Interlude and Dance from La vida breve; Joan Albert Amaragós: Concerto for Two Pianos with piano soloists Katia and Marielle Labèque; Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2; and Ravel: Bolero. (Friday, April 15, 2011, 8pm)

Les Violons du Roy return for a Baroque Festival featuring tenor Ian Bostridge, who has not been back in Orange County since his performance in the Eclectic Orange Festival in 2000. Led by conductor Bernard Labadie, the program will include arias from Baroque-era operas and orchestral music of Handel and Gemimiani. (Friday, April 29, 2011, 8pm)

RECITALS and CHAMBER CONCERTS

Hear exceptional ensembles as they showcase their talents in the Irvine Barclay Theatre’s intimate setting and at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Grammy Award-winning chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica, founded in 1997 by leader and violin soloist Gidon Kremer, returns to Orange County performing Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131, and works by Pärt, Serksnyte, Nyman, Pelecis and Auerbach. (Monday, November 1, 2010, 8pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

The Grammy-nominated St. Petersburg String Quartet from Russia begins the Society’s 2010-11 chamber concerts performing Brahms: Piano Quartet in G minor, Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7, and Dvořák: Piano Quintet. The quartet blazed a trail through international chamber music competitions, winning first prize at the All-Soviet Union String Quartet Competition and a silver medal and special prize at the Tokyo International Competition of Chamber Ensembles. (Monday, November 22, 2010, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

Concluding the “Liszt Birthday Celebration” is a two-concert performance by French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie, winner of the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, performing all three suites of Liszt’s: Années de Pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage). (date, time and venue to be announced).

Comprised of three sisters, The Albers Trio makes its southern California debut with pianist Haochen Zhang – one of the youngest participants and the first Chinese to be awarded the prestigious Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The highlight of the program includes a performance of Brahms: Piano Quartet in A major, Op. 26. Additional works to be announced. (Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the 2008 Echo Award-winning Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic – an all-male strings and winds octet, visits Orange County to perform Beethoven: Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20. One highlight is a performance of the signature piece which launched their career – Schubert: Octet in F major, D. 803. (Friday, March 4, 2011, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

During its United States debut, The Smetana Trio performs Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11; Brahms: Trio in C minor, Op. 101; and Smetana: Trio in G minor, Op. 15. Regarded as one of the foremost Czech ensembles, the Smetana Trio is the first Czech ensemble to win the BBC Music Magazine Award. (Monday, March 21, 2011, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

Musicians from Marlboro, the touring extension of the renowned Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, graces the Barclay stage with a performance of Janáček: String Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata,” Mozart: String Quartet in E-flat major, K. 614, and Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20. (Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

The Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet returns to celebrate the 75th birthday of Grammy Award-winning composer Steve Reich with a new work jointly commissioned by the Philharmonic Society and Carnegie Hall. Details to be announced. (Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 8pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

Founded in 1994 by quartet member and violinist Christian Tetzlaff, the Tetzlaff Quartet> makes its Orange County appearance as part of their southern California debut. The repertoire includes Haydn: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3; Mendelssohn: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13; and Schoenberg: Quartet No. 1. (Sunday, April 17, 2011, 3pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre)

“WHAT MAKES MUSIC BEAUTIFUL?”LECTURES

The Society begins the sixth season of the What Makes Music Beautiful? lecture series with guest speaker and pianist Leon Fleisher. Fleisher last performed in Orange County with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2006. (Monday, October 18, 2010, 7pm, Irvine Barclay Theatre)

The special “Liszt Birthday Celebration” begins with the second installment of the What Makes Music Beautiful? lecture series with guest lecturer, Dr. Alan Walker, musicologist and celebrated biographer of Franz Liszt. Dr. Walker will be discussing the piano music of Franz Liszt. (Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 7pm, Irvine Barclay Theatre)

The What Makes Music Beautiful? lecture series concludes with resident lecturer Society President and Artistic Director Dean Corey. Mr. Corey’s lecture topic is “Beethoven: Son of Elysium.” (April 2011, exact date, time, and venue to be announced)

All “What Makes Music Beautiful?” lectures are paired with wine tasting.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The exotic rhythms and brilliant colors of traditional Filipino dance and dress will thrill Orange County audiences as the Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company returns after their sold-out performance during the Society’s opening season at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in 2006. As the first Filipino group to perform on Broadway, Bayanihan also has the distinction of being the first non-American dance company to take the stage at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the first Philippine cultural group to perform in Russia, the People’s Republic of China and South America. (Sunday, October 3, 2010, 3pm, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

The Society’s beloved holiday tradition returns – Fiesta Navidad with Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano. The mariachi tradition of Nati Cano and Mariachi Los Camperos is one of the finest in the world. Fiesta Navidad takes you on a musical journey through the various regions of Mexico while exploring holiday customs through music, song, and dance. (Saturday, November 27, 2010, 7:30pm, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, , Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

All dates, times, programs, artists and prices are subject to change. For more information and to receive a brochure of the Philharmonic Society’s 2010-2011 season, please call (949) 553-2422. Subscriptions go on sale February 15, 2010. Single tickets are scheduled to go on sale in June 2010.

Daedalus String Quartet to Perform Brahms String Sextet in Orange County Debut

IRVINE, CA—The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is pleased to present the Orange County debut of the Daedalus String Quartet on Monday, March 15, 2010, 8pm, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre with a performance of Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589; Tower: Night Fields (1994); and Brahms: String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36.

Founded in 2000, the Daedalus String Quartet consists of sibling violinists Kyu-Young Kim and Min-Young Kim, violist Jessica Thompson, and cellist Raman Ramakrishnan. The quartet has performed at many of the world’s leading musical venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Cité de la Musique in Paris.

The award-winning members of the Daedalus Quartet hold degrees from the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute, Cleveland Institute, and Harvard University. The quartet has also partnered with leading classical music and education institutions across the United States. The quartet is associated with Carnegie Hall through the European Concert Hall Organization (ECHO) Rising Stars program. The Lincoln Center appointed the quartet as the Chamber Music Society Two quartet for 2005-2007. Winner of Lincoln Center’s 2007 Martin E. Segal Award, the quartet has been Quartet-in-Residence at Columbia University since 2005 and at the University of Pennsylvania since 2006. The Daedalus String Quartet is currently finishing a three-year residency in Suffolk County, Long Island, which was funded by their winning of Chamber Music America’s Guarneri String Quartet Award.

The Daedalus String Quartet’s 2009-10 season includes a tour across the United States with one outside appearance at the Storioni Music Festival in Eindhoven, Holland. Highlights include the world premiere of Lawrence Dillon’s String Quartet No. 4.

The Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612. Ticket prices are $40, $35, $30 and are available at the Philharmonic Society box office at (949) 553-2422, online at www.PhilharmonicSociety.org, and at the Irvine Barclay box office at (949) 854-4646.

MOSCOW STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA PERFORMS MUSIC OF CHERISHED RUSSIAN COMPOSERS TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOFF, AND RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

“The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra offered some of the best music heard all evening. The players were all consummate technicians who made the most difficult pieces seem easy.”– The Asheville Citizen Times

IRVINE, CA—The Philharmonic Society presents the Moscow State Radio Orchestra on Wednesday, March 10, 2009, 8pm, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. It last performed in Orange County at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in 2004, performing one concert of “All Rachmaninoff” and another of “All Tchaikovsky.” This performance’s repertoire will feature great Romantic pieces composed by an assortment of cherished Russian composers. Led by conductor Robert Cole, the evening’s program includes Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy; Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, with pianist Alexander Sinchuk; Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, with cellist Julian Schwarz; and Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35. There will be a pre-concert lecture by Dr. Burton Karson at 7pm. This performance is part of the Donna L. Kendall Classical Series.

Founded in 1978, the function of the Moscow State Radio Orchestra was to broadcast to and share with all of Russia the rich collection of symphonic repertoire of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, which it did on a weekly basis. Two years later, the orchestra began a major subscription series in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall and Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and it continues to do so with subscription concerts such as “Young Stars of Russia.” These concerts are broadcast on multiple radio stations. The orchestra has performed at the Kremlin Palace with the Moscow Classical Ballet in performance of The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, Cinderella, and Firebird. The Moscow State Radio Orchestra follows the European music tradition and does not have a permanent chief conductor. Instead, the orchestra’s music director invites maestros from Russia and abroad in order to facilitate the continuing development and mastery of the musicians. The Moscow State Radio Orchestra’s 2009-2010 season includes a coast-to-coast tour of the United States.

Conductor Robert Cole graduated from the University of Southern California School of Music. He studied conducting with Richard Lert in California, with Leonard Bernstein and Leon Barzin at the Tanglewood Music Center, and with Hans Swarowsky in Europe. Previously the Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director and Executive Director of the Ballet Society of Los Angeles, Mr. Cole has recently appeared as conductor with the Mark Morris Dance Group in Berkeley, California, as well as at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. He has also conducted concerts for the Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival in Lake Tahoe, California. Since 1986, Mr. Cole has served as Director of Cal Performances at the University of California at Berkeley, and he also holds the position of General Director of the Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, an international festival of early music which he founded in 1990. Prior to his appointment in Berkeley, Mr. Cole was director of several performing arts centers in New York. In 1995, Mr. Cole was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France. In January 2004, Robert Cole was invited and consequently became the principal guest conductor of the Perm State Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theater in Perm City of Russia.

Russian pianist Alexander Sinchuk, winner of the Fourth Rachmaninoff Piano Competition in Moscow, began piano lessons at the age of seven in the Children’s Art School under Elena Kulikova. In 2000, Mr. Sinchuk began studying the piano with Izolda Zemskova, Honored Artist of Russia and Professor of the Far East Academy of Arts in Russia. Under Professor Zemskova’s tutelage, Mr. Sinchuk trained for his first significant piano competition and in March of 2002 entered and won First Prize in the International Competition for Pianists in Vladivostok, Russia. As a student at the Central Music School at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory of Music, Mr. Sinchuk entered and won several competitions, including First Place Prize at the Fifth International competition named after legendary pianist Maria Yudina in St. Petersburg, Russia; First Prize (Grand-Prix) at the international competition “The Art of the 21st Century” in Kiev, Ukraine; First Prize at the Second All-Russia Open Competition for Young Musicians in Hanty-Mansijsk; and First Prize (Grand Prix) at the 6th International Piano Competition named after K.N. Igumnov. Since his graduation from the Central Music School in 2006, Mr. Sinchuk has performed in numerous countries, including Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, England, and the United States.

Eighteen-year-old cellist Julian Schwarz is a Seattle native born into a musical family. He began his piano lessons at the age of five and his cello lessons at six. He made his orchestral debut at the age of 11 playing the Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 1 with the Seattle Symphony with his father, Music Director Gerard Schwarz, on the podium. Since then he has appeared as soloist with many of the Seattle-area orchestras, including the Bellevue Philharmonic, Philharmonia Northwest, as well as the Port Angeles, Eastern and Sammamish symphonies. In both 2007 and 2008, Mr. Schwarz won the highly regarded Northwest Sinfonietta Youth Concerto Competition. The resulting performances as soloist with Music Director Christophe Chagnard led to his appointment as assistant conductor under Chagnard with Seattle’s Lake Union Civic Orchestra, with which he has conducted Borodin’s Second Symphony and Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Seattle’s Town Hall. In summer 2009, he was the “Featured Young Artist” at both the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the Cape Cod Music Festival. He has been invited to attend and perform at the prestigious Verbier Festival in Switzerland. As a recitalist, he has appeared at High Point University, the Tacoma Art Museum, the University of Washington, and Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Mr. Schwarz started attending the Colburn School in the fall of 2009. Recent and upcoming appearances include performances with the Greensboro (NC) Symphony, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, San Diego’s Tifereth Israel Orchestra, and return engagements with the Seattle Symphony and Port Angeles Symphony.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, is located at 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Ticket prices are $85, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $30, $250 (box seats) and are available at the Philharmonic Society box office at (949) 553-2422, online at www.PhilharmonicSociety.org, and at the Center box office at (714) 556-2787.

Bagpipes and Broadswords in a Pre-St. Patty’s Performance by the Band of the Irish Guards

IRVINE, CA—The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is pleased to present the Band of the Irish Guards and the Pipes, Drums, and Highland Dancers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland on Saturday, March 6, 2010, 8pm, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Only eleven days before St. Patrick’s Day, this will be the Band of the Irish Guards’ debut performance in the United States.

The Irish Guards were founded in 1900 on the expressed wish of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and the Regimental Band was formed around the same time. In 1905, the Band embarked on its first tour of Canada was awarded a large, ornate Silver Cup by the people of Toronto. The Band honors the fine tradition of providing musical support to troops on active service and often travels to active service areas to boost morale. What began as a 35-musician band increased significantly to 65 musicians during World War II. In addition to boosting morale, the musicians are trained to support Army medical services in the event of mobilization. Currently, in this time of peace, the Band consists of 49 musicians and is responsible for performing at state ceremonies such as the Mounting of The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, Investitures, State Visits, Royal Weddings, Guards of Honour, Royal Garden Parties and, of course, The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour).

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders came into being in 1881 with the union of two distinguished Scottish regiments formed during the reign of George III: the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders (1794) and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders (1799). Both regiments were formed in times of war as regiments of foot soldiers. Serving crown and country, they fought with great distinction. However, they later faced disbandment, but after a parliamentary petition with the backing of over a million signatures, they became part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in March 2006, forming the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and are due to receive new colors in 2010.

The Irish Guards have toured Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Japan. In Japan, they had the honor of being the first band ever to play in the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and the 2 Crown Princesses. In recent years, the Royal Regiment of Scotland has served in Iraq, Bosnia, Belize, Kenya, as well as the Helmand Province in Afghanistan. It has been over 10 years since they last toured North America. They are due to return to the Helmand Province sometime this year.

With pipes and broadswords, the Band of the Irish Guards and the Royal Regiment of Scotland exhibit regimental order, strength, and discipline. The program entitled ‘HANDS ACROSS THE SEA’ features music from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales and has a lively repertoire of pieces such as Céad Mile Fáilte (A Hundred Thousand Welcomes), God Save the Queen, The Bonnie Lass O’ Fyvie, Skye Boat Song, Greensleeves, St. Patrick’s Day, Scotland the Brave, Ode to Joy, Auld Lang Syne, and more. In accordance with their mission to rally support for troops on active duty, the program is not exclusive to traditional pieces; it includes an entire section paying tribute to the American Armed Forces.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, is located at 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Ticket prices are $85, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $30, $250 (box seats) and are available at the Philharmonic Society box office at (949) 553-2422, online at www.PhilharmonicSociety.org, and at the Center box office at (714) 556-2787.

IRVINE, CA—The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is presents the first-ever collaborative performance between American lyric soprano Kathleen Battle and Russian classical pianist Olga Kern on Tuesday, February 16, 8pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This collaboration promises to be an unforgettable evening. Program includes: SCHUBERT: Die Sternennächte, D.670 (Op.165 No.2), Die Sterne, D. 939 (Op. 96, No. 1), Du bist die Ruh, D. 776, Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 (Op. 2), SCHUBERT/LISZT: Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen, D. 343; LISZT: Mignons Lied (Kennst du das Land?); S. 275, Enfant, si j’etais Roi, S. 283; Blume und Duft, S. 324; O quand je dors, S. 282; RACHMANINOFF: Ne poj, krasaviča!, Op. 4, No. 4; Siren, Op. 21, No. 5; O, dolgo budu ja, v molchan'ji nochi tajnoj, Op. 4, No. 3; Zdes' khorosho, Op. 21, No. 7; Son, Op. 8 (Shest' romansov) No. 5; Vesennije vody, Op. 14, No. 11 and Traditional Spirituals: I'm Gonna Tell God All My Trials, This Little Light of Mine, and Ev’rytime I Feel The Spirit.

Since the Society’s last presentation of Kathleen Battle in 1991, Battle has expanded her repertoire to include African American spirituals, which will conclude the performance. There will be a pre-concert lecture by Robin Buck at 7pm. This performance is part of the Donna L. Kendall Classical Series.

As a little girl growing up in Ohio, Kathleen Battle sang in church and at school, and she imagined a future as a music teacher. However, her voice provided her with different prospects and opened the doors to the leading opera houses and major concert halls around the globe, performing alongside top musicians and orchestras. Miss Battle’s repertoire ranges from the Baroque era to contemporary works, and her sound is often compared to “the ethereal beauty of winter moonlight” (The Washington Post), “a paradoxical meeting of earth and sky” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “cream from a miraculous, bottomless pitcher” (The New York Times). She has released complete opera, concert, choral and solo albums on all major labels. Her artistic exploration is apparent in her first crossover album, So Many Stars (Sony Classical), which is comprised of lullabies, spirituals, and folksongs. Kathleen Battle earned both her Bachelor and Master degrees from the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. She has been awarded seven honorary doctoral degrees—from her Alma Mater, the University of Cincinnati; Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey; Ohio University; Xavier University in Cincinnati; Amherst College; Seton Hall University; Wilberforce University; and the Manhattanville College. In honor of her outstanding artistic achievements, Miss Battle was inducted into the “NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame,” and in 2002 into the “Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.” She is the first recipient of the “Ray Charles Award,” which was awarded to her by Wilberforce University.

Olga Kern was born into a family of musicians with direct ties to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. The Russian native began studying piano at the age of five and since then has achieved awards in eleven international competitions. Kern has toured throughout her home country Russia as well as abroad in Europe, the United States, Japan, South Africa, and South Korea. She was the winner of the first Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at the age of seventeen. In 1996, the President of Russia awarded her an honorary scholarship to Russia’s International Academy of the Arts. Kern’s formal training began under the tutelage of Evgeny Timakin at the Moscow Central School, and her studies continued under the teachings of Professor Sergei Dorensky at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. She also studied with Boris Petrushansky at the acclaimed Accademia Pianistica Incontri col Maestro in Imola, Italy. At the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001, Olga Kern won the Gold Medal for her performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3; she was the first woman to achieve this distinction in more than 30 years. Kern records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, is located at 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Ticket prices are $85, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $30, $250 (box seats) and are available at the Philharmonic Society box office at (949) 553-2422, online at www.PhilharmonicSociety.org, and at the Center box office at (714) 556-2787.