GRANVILLE -- Denison University's Vail Series continues its 22nd season with a performance by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yuri Simonov and featuring violinist Kyoko Takezawa at 8 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 7) in Swasey Chapel.

A limited number of tickets for the performance may be available to the public for $15 each. For information on ticket availability, call the Vail Hotline at (740) 587-6557.

The concert opens with Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" followed by Tchaikovsky's "Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 35." After intermission the orchestra will perform excerpts from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet."

The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, regarded as one of the world's finest symphonic ensembles, was founded in 1951 by Samuel Samosud, a distinguished conductor of the Bolshoi Opera. Originally part of the All-Union Radio Committee, the orchestra was established primarily for the broadcasting of operatic music and was given its current title in 1953. Under the direction of its founder, the Moscow Philharmonic performed the works of many new Russian composers and also gave concert performances of operas seldom heard by Russian audiences.

The ensemble's repertoire encompasses the complete works of Russian classical composers and of the contemporary Russian School, as well as the music of Mahler, the Second Viennese School, and such American composers as Copland, Bernstein and Gershwin. In addition, the orchestra has made more than 100 recordings and has performed in more than 5,000 concerts.

Born into a family of opera singers in Saratov, Russia, Simonov made an early conducting debut at age 12, leading a school orchestra performance of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. He has since achieved international success both in the opera house and the concert hall. He spent many years as the Chief Conductor at the Bolshoi Opera and made his debut in the west at the Royal Opera House in Covent Gardon in 1982.

Simonov has taken part in many of the world's major music festivals including Prague Spring and Autumn, Athens, Edinburgh, Budapest Spring and Tanglewood. He has also toured Europe with the Leningrad Philharmonic, the European Youth Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. He was named Music Director of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra at the start of the 1998-99 season.

Takezawa is known as one of today's foremost violinists. She has performed as soloist with many of the world's leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore and Toronto, among others. A prolific recording artist, Takezawa recorded a CD of French violin sonatas, which was selected as one of the best recordings of 1993 by Stereo Review.

Takezawa's chamber music performances have also drawn high praise and, as co-director of the Suntory Festival Soloists of Suntory Hall in Tokyo, she has collaborated with Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Joseph Suk and many other distinguished artists.

The next Denison Vail Series concert will be Christopher Parkening on guitar and Jubilant Sykes, baritone, in "Braziliana" at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002. Please note that the 3 p.m. time is a change from the printed Vail Series brochure.

Denison's Vail Series, made possible by a generous gift from the late Foster and Mary McGaw in memory of Jeanne Vail, a 1946 alumna, is part of the Vail Program that provides the University with a range of support for fine arts activities, including art history, cinema, dance, music, studio art and theatre. Each year the program underwrites performances by major artists through the Vail Series and provides for one or more Vail artists-in-residence who work with faculty and students to expand and enrich the cultural opportunities at Denison.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575