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PROGRAM NOTES

RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO . 3

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Kirill Karabits
Stefan Jackiw
Kirill Karabits has been Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for 13 years and their relationship has been celebrated worldwide . Together they have made many critically acclaimed recordings , performed regularly at the BBC Proms , and appeared together at London ’ s Barbican Centre .
Named Conductor of the Year at the 2013 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards , Karabits has worked with many of the leading ensembles of Europe , Asia , and North America , including the Cleveland , Philadelphia , San Francisco , and Chicago symphony orchestras ; Munich Philharmonic ; Orchestre National de France ; Philharmonia Orchestra ; Wiener Symphoniker ; Rotterdam Philharmonic ; Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra ; and the BBC Symphony Orchestra .
Karabits enjoys a special relationship with the Russian National Orchestra with whom he performed at the Edinburgh Festival in the 2018 – 19 season , as well as extensive European and North American tours with Mikhail Pletnev including a performance at Lincoln Center .
Music Director of the Deutsches Nationaltheatre Weimar from 2016 – 19 , Karabits conducted acclaimed productions of Wagner ’ s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Tannhäuser as well as Mozart ’ s DaPonte Cycle ( Le nozze di Figaro , Don Giovanni , and Così fan tutte ).
Stefan Jackiw is one of America ’ s foremost violinists , captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with an impeccable technique . Hailed for playing of “ uncommon musical substance ” that is “ striking for its intelligence and sensitivity ” by The Boston Globe , Jackiw has appeared as soloist with the Boston , Chicago , Cleveland , New York , Philadelphia , and San Francisco symphony orchestras .
In the 2021 – 22 season , he will premiere a new violin concerto by Conrad Tao with the Atlanta and Baltimore symphony orchestras and return to the Indianapolis and Oregon symphonies .
Jackiw tours frequently with his musical partners , pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell , as part of the Junction Trio . He also recently recorded Beethoven ’ s Triple Concerto with Inon Barnatan , Alisa Weilerstein , Alan Gilbert , and Academy St . Martin in the Fields .
Recent highlights include his debut at The Cleveland Orchestra ’ s Blossom Music Festival and performances at Carnegie Hall with Mikhail Pletnev as part of a tour with the Russian National Orchestra .
Born to physicist parents of Korean and German descent , Jackiw began playing the violin at the age of four . Jackiw plays a violin made in 1750 in Milan by G . B . Guadagnini , on generous loan from a private collection .
Kirill Karabits
Stefan Jackiw
Experience the Performance Again A livestream of this program is available for a limited time . A BSO Sessions Episode , featuring an interview with Kirill Karabits , will be released on June 1 and will be available through the 2021 – 22 season .
FROM THE PODIUM
by Kirill Karabits
I ’ ve heard a lot about the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from Marin Alsop , whom I succeeded as Music Director at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra . When I conducted there for the first time , I felt her presence , and I still do in my 13 th season . I hear that Baltimore is playing really well , and I ’ m looking forward to feeling that energy of an orchestra that is at its best . That ’ s exciting !
I wanted to make sure that the pieces on this program gave me enough material to have good contact with the orchestra and explore them , and to be able to show myself as a conductor . The Stravinsky is full of contradictions and harmonies that demonstrate the turbulent state of mind he was experiencing during World War II , and it will allow me to work on precision and the technical side . The Rachmaninoff is lyrical and nostalgic , and the colors are very much rooted in Russian culture and music . It will give me a chance to explore the emotional side of the music with them .
I had a great time touring in America several years ago with Stefan Jackiw and the Russian National Orchestra , and I ’ m looking for a good chance to bring him into Ukraine . His grandfather , I think , was originally from the western part of the country , and his name is Ukrainian . And Conrad Tao is a musician working on the edge , exploring different mixtures of styles . The BSO and I have wanted to work together for years , and I ’ m delighted to finally get to know the orchestra with this program .
MAR-APR 2022 / OVERTURE 33