‘A living symbol of the best Russian art’ coming to the Beav

Editor’s note: Director’s Chair is a weekly column in which Kris Sabel, who is in charge of cultural programming for the Vail Valley Foundation, gives his expert take on shows not to be missed.

Please forgive me if I include a great many quotes in reference to the upcoming performance by the Russian National Orchestra on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., but they are too good to leave out. Hopefully these comments will help you appreciate how fortunate we are to be a part of this 14-city tour, which includes stops at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, the Orchestra Hall in Chicago and the Lincoln Center in New York City.

The last time we had a major orchestra play the Vilar Center (The Bolshoi Symphony in 2000), you could feel the energy of the music pulse through your body. I expect a similar experience with the Russian National Orchestra. Quite frankly, the Vilar Center is as good as it gets for experiencing classical music, and the opportunity to see this renowned symphony orchestra perform in our intimate venue will be an exquisite event.

Of the orchestra’s 1996 debut at the BBC Proms in London, the Evening Standard wrote, “They played with such captivating beauty that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure.” More recently, the orchestra was described as “a living symbol of the best in Russian art” by the Miami Herald and “as close to perfect as one could hope for” by the Trinity Mirror. Gramophone magazine called the first Russian National Orchestra compact disc in 1991 “an awe-inspiring experience; should human beings be able to play like this?” and listed it as the best recording of Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” in history.

Since then, the orchestra has made more than 50 recordings. Their recording of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” was the winner of a 2004 Grammy Award, making the orchestra the first Russian orchestra ever to win the recording industry’s highest honor.

The Russian National Orchestra is Russia’s first orchestra since 1917 to be free of government control. It is supported entirely by private funding and governed by a distinguished multinational board of trustees. Called classical music’s “feel-good story of the decade” by International Arts Manager, the Russian National Orchestra is an artistic treasure that truly belongs to the entire world. Now in its 12th season, the orchestra is firmly established as one of the world’s finest ensembles.

Tuesday evening’s performance will be conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and will include Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8 (unfinished)” as completed by Anton Safronov, a contemporary Russian composer, and Brahams’ Piano Concerto No. 1, with guest soloist Stephen Hough.

Hough is regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation. “The most perfect piano playing conceivable,” wrote The Guardian. “A virtuoso who begins where others leave off,” raved the Washington Post. He has received numerous awards in his career, including a Genius Fellowship (half a million dollars) from the MacArthur Foundation, the only musician to ever receive this award. He has made over 40 CDs, and is the only soloist to have won Gramophone magazine’s Record of the Year Award twice.

Jurowski is in his second season as principal guest conductor with the RNO. He has been the music director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera since 2001 and took over as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra this year. During recent seasons he made highly successful debuts with such orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra and many others. In May 2007, Jurowski received the 2Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Conductor of the Year. Earlier this year he returned to the Metropolitan Opera to lead a new production of Hansel und Gretel.

Does this concert have your attention yet? It certainly has mine. Please join us for this wonderful evening. I hope to see you at the Vilar Center.