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NEWS RELEASES

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  Aimard returns as Artistic Director of Aldeburgh Festival in June

  Published: May 23, 2013

  Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival since 2009, Pierre-Laurent Aimard – the Grammy Award-winning French pianist – returns to lead the beloved UK institution in its 66^th year, which is also the centenary year of founder Benjamin Britten. The festival’s programming ranges from Bach and Byrd to Stravinsky and Shostakovich and to premieres by Elliott Carter, Jonathan Harvey, Judith Weir, Poul Ruders, Wolfgang Rihm and Magnus Lindberg, among others. Aimard himself will perform a century’s worth of works from Britten to Boulez, and will co-present a tribute to Elliott Carter with composer-conductor Oliver Knussen. Of course, the festival will also feature many signature works by Britten, including a concert performance of his iconic opera Peter Grimes and a host of chamber, instrumental and vocal pieces. Praising Aimard’s directorship of the festival, the Financial Times said: “Quaintness is part of Aldeburgh’s charm, but it gives a misleading impression of the festival, which is as sophisticated and up-to-the-minute as the town is endearingly behind the times. That distinction has become black-and-white since Pierre-Laurent Aimard arrived as Artistic Director two years ago. … Aimard, a French pianist with a gift for creative programming, has virtually turned the festival on its head. Suddenly, Aldeburgh feels less parochial, less precious – and very international.”

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  Michael Hersch’s new DVD/CD – “The Sudden Pianist” – due for release May 28

  Published: May 22, 2013

  May 28 sees the release of The Sudden Pianist, a special DVD/CD set from Michael Hersch that celebrates his twin achievements as a composer for piano and as the foremost exponent of his own piano works. The DVD will pair The Sudden Pianist – a new documentary about him by filmmaker Richard Anderson – with Michael Hersch: Live at Merkin Hall, the composer/pianist’s live concert rendition of his own Suite from the Vanishing Pavilions. This same live performance may also be heard on the accompanying audio CD, which, like the DVD, will be issued by Innova Recordings.

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  Alessio Bax wins 2013 Martin E. Segal Award

  Published: May 20, 2013

  Fast-rising pianist Alessio Bax was recognized on May 20 with a 2013 Martin E. Segal Award, which carries a cash prize of $7,500. Since 1987, Lincoln Center has conferred these prestigious awards annually on two emerging young artists or ensembles in recognition of their exceptional accomplishments. The second 2013 award went to actress/singer Shalita Grant. Previous winners include pianist Jonathan Biss, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, the Brentano and Borromeo String Quartets, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, director Thomas Kail, dancer Daniel Ulbricht, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, and conductor Xian Zhang. The announcement follows on the heels of another of the Italian pianist’s accolades, for it was only in March that Bax – whose honors include an Avery Fisher Career Grant and first prizes in the Leeds and Hamamatsu international piano competitions – won the 2013 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award.

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  Deborah Voigt’s First Visit to Mainland China Caps Spring Season

  Published: May 16, 2013

  Deborah Voigt makes her debut in mainland China this month, when she rediscovers her inner Broadway baby in concerts with Beijing’s China Philharmonic (May 25) and the Shanghai Symphony (May 31) led by Tony Award-winner Ted Sperling. Late spring also finds the soprano gracing an orchestral gala with the Puerto Rico Symphony on June 8, and giving recitals in Jackson, MS (May 17) and Northridge, CA (May 19). These engagements follow a recent pair of “Ring” cycles at the Metropolitan Opera, where she reprised her hit portrayal of Brünnhilde, “a role she has made her own” (New York Times).

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