Alondra de la Parra
July 22-25: Dynamic Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra leads SF Symphony; debut Sony CD out Aug 3
July 22, 2010
CONDUCTOR ALONDRA DE LA PARRA
Returns to lead the San Francisco Symphony in four diverse concerts
Precedes August 3 release of De la Parra’s debut recording, Mi Alma Mexicana, on Sony Classical
Thur., July 22 at 8pm – my classic New World
Fri., July 23 at 8pm – my classic Russian Composers
Sat., July 24 at 8pm – Summer & the Symphony Grand Finale
Davies Symphony Hall | 201 Van Ness Avenue
Sun., July 25 at 2pm – Free Concert Celebrating Mexico’s Bicentennial
Dolores Park | 18th Street and Dolores Street
Tickets: $15-$90 at 415.864.6000 or www.sfsymphony.org
“De la Parra elicited a vibrantly nuanced performance whose bristling conclusion had the audience … on their feet.” – The New York Times
Video of Alondra de la Parra: www.alondradelaparra.com/media/index.php
For interview requests or review copies of Ms. De la Parra’s debut recording, Mi Alma Mexicana (Sony), contact Christina Jensen PR at 646.536.7864 or christina@christinajensenpr.com.
New York, NY— Dynamic Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra returns to lead the San Francisco Symphony in four diverse concerts on July 22, 23, and 24 at Davies Symphony Hall (201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco) and on July 25 in Dolores Park (18th Street and Dolores Street). The 29-year-old De la Parra, who holds the distinction of being the first woman from Mexico to conduct in New York City, last appeared in the Bay Area in a well-received debut conducting the San Francisco Symphony in November 2009; in July 2009 she led the orchestra she founded in 2004 at age 23, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (POA), in concerts at the Festival del Sole in Napa Valley.
On Thursday, July 22 at 8pm, “my classic New World” will include music by Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland, culminating in a performance of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“New World”), which was inspired by American folk music. The featured soloists will be baritone Lucas Meachem and pianist Charlie Albright. On Friday, July 23 at 8pm, “my classic Russian Composers” features pianist Joyce Yang in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Ravel). On Saturday, July 24 at 8pm, “Summer & the Symphony’s Grand Finale” will include actor Chris Noth (Sex and the City, The Good Wife) narrating Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, as well as performances of John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Ives’ The Unanswered Question, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Sara Davis Buechner, and members of the UC Berkeley Marching Band in a performance of the hit Broadway tune, Seventy-Six Trombones.
On Sunday, July 24 at 2pm, the Symphony celebrates Mexico’s 2010 Bicentennial with a free, outdoor concert at Dolores Park. De la Parra leads a program of music by Mexican composers which includes Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2; Carlos Chávez’s Symphony No. 2 (“Sinfonia India”), Juventino Rosas’s Sobre las Olas; and José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango. The concert will conclude with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“New World”). This free performance offers lawn seating, perfect for a summer afternoon picnic. For complete concert programs and details, see the end of this press release.
De la Parra has gained widespread attention for her spellbinding and vibrant performances, making her one of the most compelling conductors of her generation. She has been heralded by opera star Plácido Domingo as “an extraordinary conductor,” and most recently was featured in Crain’s New York Business as one of their “40 under 40 New York’s Rising Stars,” and singled out in The Daily Beast as one of the “Young Rockstars of the Conducting World.”
De la Parra’s concerts in San Francisco precede the August 3 release of her debut recording on Sony Classical, entitled Mi Alma Mexicana (“My Mexican Soul”), with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (POA). Mi Alma Mexicana is a 2-CD set celebrating Mexico’s 2010 Bicentennial with 200 years of orchestral music by Mexican composers. The album features the world premiere recordings of Enrico Chapela’s Ínguesu and Eugenio Toussaint’s Concerto for Improvised Piano with Alex Brown as piano soloist. Mi Alma Mexicana also includes Gustavo Campa’s Melodía for Violin and Orchestra with violinist Daniel Andai, and Manuel M. Ponce’s Concierto del Sur for Guitar and Orchestra with guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, as well as music by Ricardo Castro, Carlos Chávez, Candelario Huízar, Federico Ibarra, Mario Lavista, Arturo Márquez, José Pablo Moncayo, Silvestre Revueltas, and Juventino Rosas. Mi Alma Mexicana was engineered by Grammy Award-winning producer Adam Abeshouse, with De la Parra as executive producer.
Mi Alma Mexicana is the result of two years of extensive research by Alondra de la Parra, who serves as the orchestra’s artistic director. “I wanted to make an album that really represents Mexico’s music,” she said. “This project showcases the diverse styles and eras of Mexican music, ranging from Ibarra’s very contemporary sounding Sinfonía No. 2, to Castro’s nearly Wagnerian Intermezzo de Atzimba, to Ponce’s Spanish-influenced Concierto del Sur. Mexican orchestral music deserves a place in the core repertoire of every orchestra, and this album shows the wide range of musical styles and extraordinary artistry from my home country.”
The release of Mi Alma Mexicana follows the success of live performances by De la Parra and POA of music from the album in New York and Los Angeles. In New York, the orchestra’s first performance of Mi Alma Mexicana at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall sold out, and a second concert – which also filled to capacity – was added to fill the demand. In Los Angeles, the orchestra filled Walt Disney Concert Hall when it joined forces with Argentine-Uruguyan powerhouse music collective Bajofondo for an explosive evening presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In September 2010, POA will embark on a multi-city tour of Mexico to celebrate the album and the country’s Bicentennial.
ABOUT ALONDRA DE LA PARRA: Born in New York City in 1980, De la Parra moved to Mexico with her parents at age two. She began playing the piano at age seven and the cello at 13, and it was that year that she decided she wanted to be a conductor. At 15, she went to boarding school in England to study music and achieved her A-levels there. After returning to Mexico, she studied composition at Centro De Investigación y Estudios Musicales (Center of Music Studies, CIEM) in Mexico City before moving to New York City at age 20, and attending the Manhattan School of Music where she studied piano with Jeffrey Cohen and conducting with Kenneth Kiesler.
Frequently in demand as a guest conductor, in addition to the San Francisco Symphony, Alondra de la Parra has led the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Columbus, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Miami’s New World Symphony, Canada’s Edmonton Symphony, Germany’s Kammerakademie Potsdam and Moritzburg Festival Orchestra, Denmark’s Tivoli Symphony, the Russian National Orchestra, Brazil’s Sao Paulo Symphony, the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Mexico, Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, Venezuela’s Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes, Uruguay’s Montevideo Philharmonic, the Singapore Sun Festival Orchestra where she collaborated with actor Geoffrey Rush, and the Washington National Opera in a gala concert with Plácido Domingo. In addition, since 2005 she has been Music Director of the Music Festival of the Americas in Stowe, Vermont.
As Symphony magazine put it, “De la Parra doesn’t seem to put much stock in the ‘glass ceiling.’” She holds the distinction of being the first woman from Mexico to conduct in New York City. For the past two years, she has received the League of American Orchestras Women Conductors’ Grant, and she holds the title of Cultural Ambassador for Mexican Tourism. Over just the past five years, she has been featured in Crain’s New York Business as one of their “40 under 40 New York’s Rising Stars,” singled out in The Daily Beast as one of the “Young Rockstars of the Conducting World,” graced the cover of Caras magazine, been the subject of a major feature in The New York Times, recognized by Poder magazine as one of their “Top 20 under 40,” and named as one of six “Young Artists on the Rise” in Symphony magazine.
Alondra de la Parra makes her home in New York City with her husband, and holds a B.A. in piano performance and an M.M. in conducting from the Manhattan School of Music. Alondra de la Parra is represented worldwide by Tanja Dorn at IMG Artists. For more information, visit www.alondradelaparra.com.
CONCERT DETAILS
San Francisco Symphony
Alondra de la Parra, conductor
July 22-25, 2010
Thursday, July 22 at 8pm
Davies Symphony Hall (201 Van Ness Avenue)
“my classic New World”
Lucas Meachem, baritone
Charlie Albright, piano
Ellington (arr. Maurice Peress) – New World A-Comin'
Copland – Selections from Old American Songs
Grofé – Selections from Grand Canyon Suite
Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 (“New World”)
Friday, July 23 at 8pm
Davies Symphony Hall (201 Van Ness Avenue)
“my classic Russian Composers”
Joyce Yang, piano
Glinka – Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila
Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 3
Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel) – Pictures at an Exhibition
Saturday, July 24 at 8pm
Davies Symphony Hall (201 Van Ness Avenue)
“Summer & the Symphony's Grand Finale”
Chris Noth, narrator
Sara Davis Buechner, piano
Members of the UC Berkeley Marching Band
John Adams – Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Copland – Three Latin-American Sketches
Ives – The Unanswered Question
Copland – Lincoln Portrait
Ives – Variations on “America”
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue (original jazz band version)
Gershwin – Strike Up the Band
Willson – Seventy-Six Trombones
Sunday, July 25 at 2pm
Dolores Park (18th Street and Dolores Street)
“San Francisco Symphony Celebrates Mexico's Bicentennial” – a FREE concert
Márquez – Danzón No. 2
Chávez – Symphony No. 2 (“Sinfonia India”)
Rosas – Sobre las Olas
Moncayo – Huapango
Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 (“New World”)
Tickets: $15-$90 at 415.864.6000 or www.sfsymphony.org
