SoltiNewsletter_2020

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THE SOLTI FOUNDATION U.S.

NEWSLETTER

20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

SAVE THE DATE!

THE SOLTI FOUNDATION U.S.

SOLTI NIGHT (VIRTUAL BENEFIT)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020, 7:00 PM

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

SOLTIFOUNDATION.US SIGN UP WITH YOUR

EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE INFORMATION

AND UPDATES.

THANK YOU!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Valerie Solti,

Honorary Chair

Penny Van Horn,

Chair

Kay Mabie,

Vice Chair

Nicholas Martin,

Secretary

Gretchen Zook,

Treasurer

R. John Aalbregste

Elizabeth Buccheri

Mary Jane Drews

Mark George

Martha Gilmer

William R. Jentes

David McNeel

Michelle Miller Burns

Zarin Mehta

Stephen Potter

Gabrielle Solti

Peter Wiggins

Duain Wolfe

Owen Youngman

Mitzi Freidheim,

Director Emeritus

Dietrich M. Gross,

Director Emeritus

Thomas B. McNeill,

Director Emeritus

In Memoriam

Richard Gray,

Founding Director

ARTISTIC & AWARDS

COMMITTEE

Elizabeth Buccheri, Chair

Pamela Bullock

Duain Wolfe

ADMINISTRATOR

Fiona Queen

The Solti Foundation U.S.

1555 Sherman Avenue

Suite 310

Evanston, IL 60201

For more information:

www.soltifoundation.us

ph: 847.448.8329

SOLTI NIGHT 2020

MAKE A PROMISE.

Support the next generation of young

American conductors with your virtual

presence at this extraordinary musical

evening on October 21, our only benefit

for the Solti Foundation U.S.

CELEBRATE WITH ME THE 2020 AWARDEES!

-VALERIE SOLTI

Dear Friends,

I hope very much that despite the lack of formal concerts the music still continues in all

our lives but in a different way. I am “Locked Up" in London enjoying my garden instead of

swimming in the sea and walking on the beach at the bottom of our garden in Italy.

I would like to thank all of you who have over the years supported the Solti Foundation U.S.

I created the Foundation in memory of my husband after his death in 1997. Since then, it

has grown from a wonderful wish to the reality of Solti's name being carried on by a strong

and enduring legacy of young American conductors.

None of this would have been possible without the financial support of friends and

institutions, mentorship and collaboration from the CSO and Lyric Opera, guidance from

the Board and the indefatigable leadership of its chair, Penny Van Horn, as well as the

dedicated work of the Artistic and Awards Committee, in particular Bettie Buccheri. The

devotion and generosity of so many has meant so much.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! For everything you have done to carry on the

inspiration of Georg Solti. He loved the CSO and he loved Chicago, his adopted home

town.

THE SIR GEORG SOLTI CONDUCTING AWARD

Aram Demirjian is the 2020 recipient of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from The Solti Foundation U.S. Widely acclaimed

for his transformative work as the music director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (KSO) and frequent appearances with The

Philadelphia Orchestra, he is sought after for his "graceful, energetic direction" (Sarasota Herald Tribune), bold programming, and

distinctive communication skills with audience members and musicians alike.

As the eighth Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Aram has brought the orchestra to new artistic heights.

Under his leadership, the orchestra has seen sustained increases in ticket revenue, in addition to national recognition for

its achievements, including being selected in 2020 as one of four orchestras to be featured at SHIFT: A Festival of American

Orchestras, presented by the Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts. His visionary programming emphasizes cross-

disciplinary collaboration, and has included projects with renowned partners such as the Big Ears Festival, Violins of Hope, and

PROJECT Trio, plus regional partnerships with Appalachian Ballet Company, contemporary music ensemble Nief-Norf, and West

African drum ensemble Indigenous Vibes.

Aram is devoted to presenting programs and initiatives that both excite and expand the listening palette of the KSO audience,

championing new music by connecting it with time-honored classics and interactive experiences. His recent program featuring

Jessie Montgomery’s Banner and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with students from Tennessee School of the Deaf performing the

“Ode to Joy” in American Sign Language. Aram also instituted KSO: UnStaged, a series of experiential, multi-sensory events in

non-traditional settings in Knoxville, co-curated by community partners including craft breweries, yoga studios and museums.

Aram’s recent guest conducting highlights include engagements with the Philadelphia, Sarasota, and Breckenridge Music

Festival orchestras, the New York, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New England Conservatory, Omaha, Portland, San

Antonio, and Tucson symphonies, and the Louisiana and Orlando philharmonics. Internationally, he has conducted the Orquesta

Sinfónico de Minería, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and Orchéstre Métropolitain de Montréal. In future seasons, Aram is

scheduled to make appearances with the KSO, in addition to making debuts with the North Carolina, San Diego, and Santa Rosa

symphonies.

Throughout Aram’s career, he has worked with internationally renowned conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Stéphane

Denève, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Manfred Honeck, Louis Langrée, Fabio Luisi, Kurt Masur, and Antonio Pappano.

In addition to being honored with the 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, Aram also received the 2017 and 2019 Solti

Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards; a 2018 Solti Foundation U.S. Elizabeth Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of

Chicago (for Massenet's Cendrillon, assisting Sir Andrew Davis); and the 2011 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize from the Aspen

Music Festival, where he was a three-time Conducting Fellow in the Aspen Conducting Academy. From 2012 to 2016, he served

as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony.

American born and of Armenian descent, Aram holds a joint Bachelor of Arts in Music and Government from Harvard University,

and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from New England Conservatory.

The largest grant currently given to American conductors in the formative years of their careers, the prestigious award is given

annually to a single promising American conductor 38 years of age or younger. Past recipients include Yaniv Dinur, Roderick

Cox, Christopher Allen, Karina Canellakis, Vladimir Kulenovic, Cristian Macelaru, James Feddeck, Case Scaglione, Eric Nielsen, and

Anthony Barrese.

Aram Demirjian

receives the Foundation’s

$30,000 Top Prize in 2020

CAREER ASSISTANCE AWARDS

This year's recipients hold posts throughout the United States, in Canada,

and in Switzerland, and are frequent guest conductors on

both the national and international stages.

The members of the Board and the Artistic and Awards Committee wanted to do something extraordinary to commemorate the

20th Anniversary of the Solti Foundation U.S. It is therefore, with great pleasure, that we announce a special edition of the Solti

Foundation Career Assistance Awards. In keeping with Sir Georg’s magnanimous spirit and generosity, the Solti Foundation U.S.

happily awards 19 Career Assistance Awards, the largest number ever given by the Foundation in a single year. These 19 awards,

when added to the Solti Fellow announced earlier this year, total 20 awards to match our 20 years!

Receiving a 2020 Career Assistance Award (in alphabetical order) are conductors:

Tiffany Chang, Holly Choe, Maurice Cohn, Conner Gray Covington, Andrew Crust, Kevin Fitzgerald, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, Keitaro

Harada, Jonathon Heyward, Joshua Hong, Jacob Joyce, Roger Kalia, Matthew Kasper, Lee Mills, Stephen Mulligan, Gemma New,

Michael Repper, Stefano Sarzani, and Kensho Watanabe.

OPERA RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Since 2014, The Elizabeth Buccheri Opera Residency Program has collaborated with

distinguished U.S. opera houses, providing one-on-one mentoring and coaching

to qualified candidates selected by the Artistic and Awards Committee.

"During my decades-long tenure as Music Director and Principal Conductor of Lyric

Opera of Chicago, I have particularly enjoyed my annual collaboration with The Solti

Foundation U.S. Our shared efforts have provided vital experience and opportunity

for a select group of young conductors to develop their skills at the highest possible

level. The ability to offer this mentorship while at LOC has been very rewarding

to me, both personally and professionally. I send heartfelt congratulations to the

Foundation on this, their twentieth anniversary, and wish them continued success

in this, an important mission for our profession." -Sir Andrew Davis

ROGER KALIA 2019

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mentor: Sir Andrew Davis

Rossini: Barber of Seville

SAMEER PATEL 2019

North Carolina Opera

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Puccini: Tosca

STEFANO SARZANI 2019

Michigan Opera Theatre

Mentor: Mo. Stephen Lord

Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel

ARAM DEMIRJIAN 2018-19

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mentor: Sir Andrew Davis

Massenet: Cendrillon

DANIEL BLACK 2018

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Mozart: The Magic Flute

JOSEPH YOUNG 2018

Opera Theatre St. Louis

Mentor: Mo. Stephen Lord

Blitzstein: Regina

STEFANO SARZANI 2017-18

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mentor: Sir Andrew Davis

Puccini: Turandot

DANIEL BLACK 2017

Opera Theatre St. Louis

Mentor: Mo. Stephen Lord

Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito

GENE CHANG 2017

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Mozart: Don Giovanni

ANKUSH BAHL/GENE CHANG 2017

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Rossini: The Barber of Seville

CONNER GRAY COVINGTON 2016

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

F. Lehar: The Merry Widow

SEAN NEWHOUSE 2016

Opera Theatre St. Louis

Mentor: Mo. Stephen Lord

Verdi: Macbeth

VLADIMIR KULENOVIC 2015

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mentor: Sir Andrew Davis

J Lopez: Bel Canto

SEAN NEWHOUSE 2015

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Donizetti: The Elixir of Love

VLADIMIR KULENOVIC 2014

Florentine Opera (Milwaukee)

Mentor: Mo. Joseph Rescigno

Wagner: The Flying Dutchman

CASE SCAGLIONE 2013-14

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Mentor: Sir Andrew Davis

R. Strauss: Elektra

CAREER ASSISTANCE AWARDEES (in alphabetical order, left to right):

TIFFANY CHANG,Visiting Assistant Professor of Conducting, artist

faculty, Oberlin Conservatory and Assistant Professor, Berklee

College of Music;

HOLLY CHOE, Music Director, Orchesterverein Wiedikon, Music

Director, University of St. Gallen Alumni Symphony Orchestra;

MAURICE COHN, Music Director, New Horizons Orchestra and

Assistant Conductor, Eastman School Symphony Orchestra;

CONNER GRAY COVINGTON, Associate Conductor, Utah

Symphony and Principal Conductor, Deer Valley Music Festival;

ANDREW CRUST, Associate Conductor, Vancouver Symphony

Orchestra;

KEVIN FITZGERALD, Assistant Conductor, Alabama Symphony

Orchestra;

LINA GONZALEZ-GRANADOS, Solti Conducting Apprentice,

Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal

of Excellence;

KEITARO HARADA, Music & Artistic Director, Savannah

Philharmonic;

JONATHON HEYWARD, Chief Conductor Designate,

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie;

JOSHUA HONG, Music Director, Campanile Orchestra;

JACOB JOYCE, Associate Conductor, Indianapolis Symphony;

ROGER KALIA, Music Director, Evansville Philharmonic, Symphony

NH, Orchestra Santa Monica, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra,

the Lake George Music Festival and Associate Conductor, Pacific

Symphony;

MATTHEW KASPER, Resident Conductor, The Phoenix Symphony

and Artistic Director, Phoenix Youth Symphony;

LEE MILLS, Associate Conductor, Seattle Symphony;

STEPHEN MULLIGAN, Associate Conductor, Atlanta Symphony

Orchestra and Music Director, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra;

GEMMA NEW, Music Director, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra,

Resident Conductor, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Music

Director, St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Principal Guest

Conductor, Dallas Symphony Orchestra;

MICHAEL REPPER, Music Director, New York Youth Symphony and

Northern Neck Orchestra of Virginia;

STEFANO SARZANI, international guest conductor;

KENSHO WATANABE, international guest conductor.

Karina Canellakis, 2016 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has appointed Karina Canellakis as

its principal guest conductor from September 2020.

Roderick Cox, 2018 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Roderick Cox will conduct Il

Barbiere di Siviglia during the 2020-21 season. In a statement, the conductor

said, “I am thrilled to announce my debut with The Metropolitan Opera in

March 2021. I adore this opera, and I am honored and humbled to be able to

perform it with two amazing casts next spring at the MET and San Francisco

Opera. I just hope we are all able to return to the stage very soon and that our

dear MET Orchestra Musicians may also return to work in January.”

Yaniv Dunir, 2019 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

This past January Maestro Dinur was invited to cover a program with the

New York Philharmonic and guest conductor Gustavo Dudamel for a period

of 10 days. He also recently made his debuts with the Fort Worth Symphony

and the Detroit Symphony, while continuing his work with the Milwaukee

and New Bedford Symphonies.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Christian Macelaru, 2014 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

Cristian Macelaru is to succeed Emmanuel Krivine as music director of the

Orchestre National de France, effective in September of 2021. The associate,

then resident conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra until 2017, Macelaru

was named music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

in 2017; the current season marks his first as music director of the WDR

Symphony Orchestra Cologne, and his first full-time post.

Solti Foundation U.S. Fellows continue to make

headlines thanks to your support!

Erik Nielsen, 2009 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

Maestro Niesen made his conducting debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper

(Bavarian State Opera) in Munich on February 10, 2019, with a new production

of Ernst Krenek’s Karl V. He is scheduled to return April 30, 2021 through May

13, 2021 to conduct Strauss' Ariadne Auf Naxos.

James Feddeck, 2013 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow

James Feddeck is scheduled to open the 76th Season of Il Pommerigi Musicali

in Milan, Italy, conducting Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and "Emperor"

concerto with soloist Marc-André Hamelin. Maestro Feddeck will return for

several additional concerts during the orchestra's 2020-21 season.

Roger Kalia, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020 Career Assistance Awardee

Newly named Music Director of Indiana’s 87-year-old Evansville Philharmonic,

Roger Kalia will begin his tenure in fall 2020. Kalia currently also serves as

Music Director of New Hampshire’s 97-year-old orchestra, Symphony NH

(Symphony New Hampshire), of California’s Orchestra Santa Monica and

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as Music Director and co-founder

of the celebrated Lake George Music Festival in upstate New York.

Conductor's Perspective

Roderick Cox is the host of "Conductor's Perspective" on Facebook.

This new virtual series features live conversation among four African

American conductors across generational lines, sharing their unique

stories navigating the elusive profession of orchestral conducting, and

perspectives on classical music as a unifying art form for the future.

Keitaro Harada, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020 Career Assistance Awardee

Maestro Harada is the host of #SavPhilMusicMonday, a virtual interview

show. Using Zoom software, he interviews a Philharmonic musician

every week. Harada is keeping busy with making online content for

the Philharmonic as well as a private project, a daily livestream music

interview show called "Music Today.”

THE BEAT GOES ON

In this uncertain time defined by COVID-19, Solti Foundation U.S. awardees

are finding new and creative ways to engage and inspire.

Kensho Watanabe, 2019, 2020 Career Assistance Awardee

Kensho Watanabe will make his Metropolitan Opera debut on May 2, 2021,

conducting American composer Jake Heggie’s 21st-century masterpiece,

Dead Man Walking. This landmark premiere features mezzo-soprano Joyce

DiDonato starring as Helen Prejean. The outstanding cast also features

baritone Etienne Dupuis, soprano Latonia Moore, and legendary mezzo-

soprano Susan Graham.

Jonathon Heyward, 2020 Career Assistance Awardee

Jonathon Heyward is set to become Chief Conductor of the

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (NWD). His appointment, which starts

officially on January 1, 2021, represents a major landmark in a flourishing

career. He will be twenty-eight when he commences his tenure, the same

age as Andris Nelsons when he began his three-year period in charge of the

orchestra in 2006.

Gemma New, 2017, 2019, 2020 Career Assistance Awardee

Gemma New will conduct Beethoven's 9th Symphony on August 22, 2020

with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand. Originally from

Christchurch, she will also lead the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on

a four concert tour August 9 through September 5, 2020. Performances

will take place in Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, and Aukland.

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THANK YOU TO OUR 2019 SPONSORS AND DONORS

Their generous support will fund all of the grant opportunities offered in 2020.

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