INTERNATIONAL SERIES
at the Granada Theatre
The International Series at the Granada Theatre showcases four of the top American and UK orchestras: Los Angeles Philharmonic with the legendary conductor Zubin Mehta (India) and Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of the charismatic Nathalie Stutzmann (France) in its first CAMA performance in over 25 years; alongside long-time British favorites, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the dynamic Vasily Petrenko (Russia) and Academy of St Martin in the Fields with violinist Joshua Bell (United States). The virtuoso orchestral soloists will be three of the most acclaimed young international pianists: Seong-Jin Cho (South Korea), Isata Kanneh-Mason (Britain), and Haochen Zhang (China).
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105th Concert Season
ZUBIN MEHTA
Photo by Winfried-Hösl
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023, 7:30PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Seong-Jin Cho piano
One of the world’s leading conductors, Zubin Mehta, has been an influential and beloved artistic leader for the Los Angeles Philharmonic over the past seven decades. He was honored with the title of Conductor Emeritus during its 2018/19 Centennial season. He first conducted the orchestra in Los Angeles in January 1961 at the age of 25 before serving as their Music Director from 1962 to 1978—a 16-year period during which he actually conducted the LA Phil for CAMA in Santa Barbara an astounding total of 50 concerts. His tremendous sense of social responsibility has taken his music around the world, and he is a vivid symbol of today’s cross-cultural world, living proof of the power of music to bridge different cultures and to break social and political barriers.
Joining the Maestro for this historic concert will be young piano virtuoso Seong-Jin Cho performing the Schumann Piano Concerto. A native of Seoul, South Korea, he garnered world attention in October 2015 when he won First Prize at the renowned Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. Our CAMA audience may remember his stunning performance of the Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic back in November 2016.
Note: Seong-Jin Cho will also be performing a recital for UCSB Arts & Lectures at Campbell Hall on December 1, 2023.
PROGRAM:
SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op.54
MAHLER: Symphony No.1 in D Major, “Titan” (with “Blumine” movement)
VASILY PETRENKO
ISATA KANNEH-MASON
© Robin Clewley
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024, 7:30PM
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Isata Kanneh-Mason piano
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is recognized as one of the UK’s most in-demand orchestras, an accolade that would have pleased Sir Thomas Beecham, who founded the Orchestra in 1946. With the dynamic Vasily Petrenko now in place as Music Director and the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales, the RPO’s mission is to foster deeper engagement with communities across the globe to ensure that live orchestral music is accessible to as inclusive and diverse an audience as possible. British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason makes her CAMA orchestral debut performing the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3. She was the recipient of both the coveted Leonard Bernstein Award and an Opus Klassik award for best young artist, and in 2022/2023 stepped into her role as Artist in Residence with the RPO. In November 2021, along with her cellist brother Sheku Kanneh-Mason, she released her first duo recording entitled Muse, beautifully demonstrating the siblings’ musicality and refined skill borne from years of playing and performing together.
PROGRAM:
DEBUSSY: Danse (1890) (orch. Maurice Ravel)
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No.3 in C Major, Op.26
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No.2 in E Minor, Op.27
NATHALIE STUTZMANN
© Margo Reed
FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024, 7:30PM
Philadelphia Orchestra
Haochen Zhang piano
Founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world, one of the so-called “Big Five” American ensembles, with many partisans calling it the “Rolls Royce” of orchestras. The orchestra believes deeply in the power to connect people by creating powerful musical experiences for audiences across the country and around the world. The roster of Music Directors is unparalleled: Leopold Stokowski (1912–1936), Eugene Ormandy (1936–1980), Riccardo Muti (1980–1992), and today Yannick Nézet-Séguin. For their first CAMA concert appearance in over 25 years, Principal Guest Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann will be leading the orchestra. Considered one of the outstanding classical musical personalities of our time, she was recently named the new Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Sir Simon Rattle got it right when he said, “She is the real thing with so much love, intensity, and sheer technique. We need more conductors like her.” Haochen Zhang won the 13th Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2009 and since has captivated audiences worldwide with his musical sensitivity
and spectacular virtuosity.
PROGRAM:
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat Major, Op.73
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No.9 in E Minor, “From the New World,” Op.95, B.178
ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS
© Benjamin Ealovega
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024, 7:30PM
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras, renowned for fresh, brilliant interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music. Named Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 2011, Joshua Bell is the only person to hold this post since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958 and gave its first performance in its namesake church in November 1959. With over 500 releases in a much-vaunted discography and a comprehensive international touring program, the name and sound of the Academy are known and loved by classical audiences throughout the world. Today, the Academy led by Joshua Bell retains the collegiate spirit and flexibility of the original conductorless ensemble, which has become an Academy hallmark. Under Bell’s direction, the Academy continues to push the boundaries of play-directed performance to new heights, presenting symphonic repertoire and chamber music on a grand scale at prestigious venues around the globe. Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin, with a François Tourte 18th-century bow.
PROGRAM:
MENDOZA: A New Commission To-Be-Announced (World-Premiere Tour!)
BRAHMS: Symphony No.2 in D Major, Op.73
SCHUMANN: Symphony No.2 in C Major, Op.61