ABOUT THE ARTISTS |
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Jeannette Sorrell
GRAMMY ® -winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell is recognized internationally as one of today ’ s most compelling interpreters of Baroque and Classical repertoire . She is the subject of Oscar-winning director Allan Miller ’ s documentary , Playing With Fire : Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting , commercially released in 2023 .
Bridging the period-instrument and symphonic worlds from a young age , she studied conducting under Leonard Bernstein , Roger Norrington and Robert Spano at the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals ; and studied harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam . She won First Prize in the Spivey International Harpsichord Competition , competing against over 70 harpsichordists from four continents .
As a guest conductor , Sorrell made her New York Philharmonic debut in 2021 to rave reviews , and quickly returned in 2023 . She has repeatedly conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony , St Paul Chamber Orchestra , Seattle Symphony , Utah Symphony , Florida Orchestra , Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco , and New World Symphony , and has also led the Philadelphia Orchestra , Royal Scottish National Orchestra , Royal Liverpool Philharmonic , the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center , Houston Symphony , Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra , Opera St . Louis with the St . Louis Symphony , the National Arts Centre Orchestra ( Ottawa ), Calgary Philharmonic ( Canada ), Royal Northern Sinfonia ( U . K .), and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León ( Spain ), among others .
In 2024 , she makes debuts with the Baltimore Symphony , Indianapolis Symphony , and the Orchestra of St . Luke ’ s at Carnegie Hall .
As founder and conductor of Apollo ' s Fire , she has led the renowned ensemble at London ’ s BBC Proms , Carnegie Hall , and many international venues . Sorrell and Apollo ’ s Fire have released 30 commercial CDs , including 11 best sellers on the Billboard classical chart and a 2019 GRAMMY ® winner . Her CD recordings of the Bach St . John Passion and Vivaldi ’ s Four Seasons have been chosen as best in the field
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by the Sunday Times of London ( 2020 and 2021 ). Her Monteverdi Vespers recording was chosen by BBC Music Magazine as one of “ 30 Must-Have Recordings for Our Lifetime ” ( 2022 ).
With over 14 million views of her YouTube videos , Sorrell has attracted national attention and awards for creative programming . She received an honorary doctorate from Case Western Reserve University and an award from the American Musicological Society .
Katherine Needleman
Katherine Needleman joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as principal oboist in 2003 , the same year she won first prize at the International Double Reed Society ’ s Gillet- Fox Competition . She has appeared with the BSO as soloist in works of Bach , Beethoven , Lukas Foss , Martinů , Mozart , Puts , Rouse , Strauss , Vaughan Williams , and Vivaldi . Mx . Needleman has also been soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra , Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra , Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra , Albany Symphony , Symphony in C , Symphony of Westchester , Richmond Symphony , Baltimore Chamber Orchestra , and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia . She has performed as guest principal oboist with the New York Philharmonic , the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra , and the symphony orchestras of Boston , Atlanta , Chicago , San Diego , and New Zealand .
Mx . Needleman has premiered numerous works by composers such as Che Buford , Viet Cuong , Ben Hausmann , Dani Howard , Chiayu Hsu , David Ludwig , Alyssa Morris , Alejandra Odgers , Luis Prado , Kevin Puts , and Laura Elise Schwendinger . She conducted and soloed in the American premiere of Brenno Blauth ’ s Concertino . She recorded Christopher Rouse ’ s Oboe Concerto with the Albany Symphony and David Alan Miller ( release TBA ), and gave the West Coast Premiere of the work with Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Festival . Her recording of Kevin Puts ’ second oboe concerto , Moonlight , with the Baltimore Symphony and Marin Alsop was released by Naxos in February 2023 . Mx . Needleman gave the American premiere
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Jeannette Sorrell
Katherine Needleman
and second through fourth performances ever of Ruth Gipps ’ Oboe Concerto with the Richmond Symphony and Valentina Peleggi 80 years after its London premiere .
A lifelong improviser and arranger , Mx . Needleman returned to composing during the COVID-19 lockdown . Her works have been published by Presser , and she has received commissions from the International Double Reed Society and Schubert Club . Mx . Needleman ’ s other lockdown activities included 11 livestreamed weekly recitals of oboe solo literature from her living room , including multiple world premieres to an audience of 80,000 and growing .
Mx . Needleman has recorded with Mico Nonet , an improvisational ambient chamber music ensemble involving colleagues from the Berlin Philharmonic , The Philadelphia Orchestra , Richmond Symphony and 1970 ’ s
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Roger Mastroianni |
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MAY-JUN 2024 / OVERTURE 17 |