BRUCH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO . 1 WITH JONATHAN CARNEY
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Thomas Wilkins Jonathan Carney
Thomas Wilkins
Thomas Wilkins is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra , the Boston Symphony ’ s Artistic Advisor , Education and Community Engagement , Principal Guest Conductor of the Virginia Symphony , and holds Indiana University ’ s Henry A . Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting . He completed his long and successful tenure as Music Director of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra at the close of the 2020 – 21 season .
During his conducting career , he has led orchestras throughout the United States , including the New York Philharmonic , the Chicago Symphony , the Philadelphia Orchestra , the Cleveland Orchestra , the Los Angeles Philharmonic , the Cincinnati Symphony and the National Symphony to name a few .
Devoted to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music , Thomas Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages . He is hailed as a master at communicating and connecting with audiences .
Thomas Wilkins has received many awards , including the League of American Orchestras ’ Gold Baton Award , as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award for Music from the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards . Boston ’ s Longy School of Music awarded him the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society , and he was the beneficiary of an honorary Doctorate of the Arts from the Boston Conservatory .
Jonathan Carney
CONCERTMASTER , RUTH BLAUSTEIN ROSENBERG CHAIR
BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney is in his 22nd season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra , after 12 seasons in the same position with London ’ s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra . After enjoying critically acclaimed international tours as both concertmaster and soloist with numerous ensembles , Mr . Carney was invited by Vladimir Ashkenazy to become concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991 . He was also appointed concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1994 and the Basque National Orchestra in 1996 . Recent solo performances have included concertos by Bruch , Korngold , Khatchaturian , Sibelius , Nielsen , the Brahms Double Concerto and Vaughan Williams ’ The Lark Ascending , which was featured as a live BBC broadcast from London ’ s Barbican Hall . He has made a number of recordings , including concertos by Mozart , Vivaldi and Nielsen , sonatas by Brahms , Beethoven and Franck , and a disc of virtuoso works of by Sarasate and Kreisler with his mother Gloria Carney as pianist . New releases include Beethoven ’ s Archduke and Ghost trios , the cello quintet of Schubert and a Dvorak disc with the Terzetto and four Romantic pieces for violin .
Mr . Carney performs on a 1687 Stradivarius , the Mercur-Avery . Mr . Carney ’ s Stradivarius sponsors are Neil and Sayra Meyerhoff , whose generous gifts underwrite the annual insurance premiums associated with this fine instrument .
MAY-JUN 2024 / OVERTURE 27