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PROGRAM NOTES

STRAUSS ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Christoph König
Isata Kanneh-Mason
Celebrated for his clarity , precision , and elegant approach , Christoph König is in high demand as a guest conductor all over the world . König has been Principal Conductor & Music Director of the Solistes Européens Luxembourg since 2010 and was most recently appointed Chief Conductor Designate of the Spanish Radio Symphony Orchestra . Since his debut in the U . S . in 2010 , he has conducted the Pittsburgh , Indianapolis , New Jersey , and Houston symphony orchestras , as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic .
From 2009 to 2014 , he was Principal Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música . From 2003 to 2006 he served as Principal Conductor of Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of La Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria .
König ’ s album Beethoven : The Symphonies is the highlight of his collaboration with the label Rubicon .
König was born in Dresden where he sang in the famous Kreuzchor . He studied conducting , piano , and singing at the Musikhochschule Dresden and furthered his studies in masterclasses with Sergiu Celibidache and Sir Colin Davis .
Isata Kanneh-Mason is the recipient of the 2021 Leonard Bernstein Award , a 2020 Opus Klassik award for Best Young Artist , and — as a member of the Kanneh-Mason family — the 2021 Best Classical Artist at the Global Awards .
Her debut album on Decca Classics , Romance — the Piano Music of Clara Schumann , drew popular and critical acclaim , entering the U . K . classical charts at No . 1 when it was released in July 2019 and leading Gramophone magazine to extol the recording as “ one of the most charming and engaging debuts .” This was followed in July 2021 by Summertime , a journey through the varied piano repertoire of 20thcentury America .
Since studying at London ’ s Royal Academy of Music , Kanneh-Mason has embarked on a successful concert career with concerto appearances , solo recitals , and chamber concerts throughout the world . Highlights of the season include the Royal Philharmonic at the Edinburgh Festival , the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival , and a solo recital tour of North America . Kanneh-Mason also regularly performs with her siblings , including duo recitals with her brother , Sheku Kanneh-Mason .
Christoph König
Isata Kanneh-Mason
Experience the
Performance Again A livestream of this performance is available for a limited time . A BSO Sessions episode , featuring an interview with Christoph König , will be released on November 29 and will remain available through the 2021-22 season .
Robin Clewley
FROM THE PODIUM
by Christoph König
This will be my fourth time appearing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra , and I always love coming back . I ’ ve been very happy in this city , and not only because of the orchestral musicians welcoming me in an openminded way . I grew up in the Kapellmeister tradition , in the German sense , and it ’ s a different approach to conducting . The first priority is that you have to play and execute the music well — this is a very good basis for many things ! I think it is important not to get carried away as a musician . Don ’ t put too much sugar on top of the sugar that ’ s already there . You could call this anti-Romantic , but the Romanticism is really inside the music .
I think classical music is a very sophisticated way of communicating with people . People in the orchestra play together , and this communication springs to the public . There is also the interaction between the conductor and the orchestra , as well as the interaction with the public . Haydn ’ s music is fantastic for this kind of communication because there are little things happening all the time , and it is so interesting and surprising . The music changes constantly .
I am always searching for good music that is neglected , and I have been looking forward to conducting Clara Schumann ’ s Piano Concerto for 20 years . It is highly entertaining , and more showy than Robert Schumann ’ s Piano Concerto .
The first time I heard Richard Strauss ’ Also sprach Zarathustra , I was 15 or so and listening on the Hi-Fi at home . When you turn the volume up and feel that low C , it is just overwhelming ! As a first-time listener I could not catch all the details , but I don ’ t think it ’ s necessary . With good music , it ’ s the same as good art or a good meal . If you go to a restaurant and have a fantastic dish , and if you enjoy it without knowing what ’ s inside , very well . If you enjoy it and you understand a bit about cooking , super . If you enjoy it , and with time you understand more and more how sophisticatedly it has been done , this is just pure pleasure . You can enjoy the dish on so many different levels , and it ’ s the same with Strauss ’ music . It “ tastes very good ” to the ear , but it ’ s not just shallow .
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