Buffalo Philharmonic Reports Strong Financial Results for The Buffalo Philharmonic finished the 2013-14 season with a significant increase in ticket sales and performed to approximately 200,000 people while seeing its endowment fund surpass the $32 million mark. Among the highlights from the annual report, ticket sales during the 2013-2014 season topped the $3.367 million mark, a 6.2 percent increase from the $3.170 million tickets sold the previous fiscal years. More Info Buffalo Philharmonic Announces The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's 2015-16 Season celebrates the 75th anniversary of Kleinhans Music Hall, with major guest artists such as Lang Lang, Chris Botti and Andre Watts, and works showcasing the hall's exquisite acoustics. More Info Virginia Symphony Announces The Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s 2015-16 Season marks JoAnn’s 25th Anniversary as Music Director. Highlights include a Beethoven Festival, and performances by internationally renowned violinist Sarah Chang, pianist Natasha Paremski and cellist Zuill Bailey. More Info Marko Topchii of the Ukraine Wins 2014 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition Marko Topchii of the Ukraine swept the top prizes in the sixth biennial JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Second place went to Ekachai Jearakul of Thailand and third place to Chad Ibison of the United States. Marko Topchii will receive a solo concert at the prestigious series Incontri Musicali, (Musical Encounter) in Milan, Italy in April 2015 along with a $10,000 cash prize, a Carnegie Hall appearance, national and international broadcast exposure, a guitar by Master Luthier J.D Glass, a recording contract with Fleur de Son, and a return engagement with the BPO. He also won the Audience Favorite Award, and the Musicians Award. More Info Buffalo Philharmonic Wins ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, The Buffalo Philharmonic received its second consecutive ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming at the 2014 League of American Orchestras National Conference. In the More Info Buffalo Philharmonic’s Gliere Symphony No. 3 Earns Five Stars from BBC Magazine The BPO’s recording of Reinhold Gliere’s Symphony No 3, which the BPO had performed at Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music Festival, earned a Five Star Review and “Pick of the Month” from BBC Music Magazine, saying “...Falletta and her excellent orchestra give a visceral account of the score projecting its wide range of moods, from mystery and enchantment to violence and tragic intensity,” This disc also received a More Info Buffalo Philharmonic Reports Record Subscription Sales The BPO shattered its subscription sales record, in both dollars and number of subscribers.Subscription sales for the More Info BPO Receives ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was honored with a 2012-2013 ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming at the League of American Orchestras 68th National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The BPO, which performed two world premieres by Eric Ewazen and Geoffrey Gordon, and works by Michael Daugherty, Cristos Papageorgiou and Giya Kancheli this past season, was selected for the Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music award. The BPO won this award previously for its 2010-11 season. “The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has had a deep, longstanding commitment to new music, and it’s a commitment that the musicians and I share,” said music director JoAnn Falletta. “It’s a great joy to showcase modern composers and to help audiences understand that classical music is a living art form that continues to evolve. We’re honored that this commitment has received national recognition.” More Info JoAnn featured in WFMT Radio Network Documentary on American Composer Jerome Moross In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of American composer Jerome Moross, WFMT Radio Network and the estate of Jerome Moross produced a two-hour radio documentary, JEROME MOROSS: The Big Country and Beyond featuring an interview and recordings of his works led by JoAnn Falletta. The broadcast will be available on classical music radio stations throughout the US and internationally beginning August 1 as part of a year-long celebration of the composer. Other highlights of the centennial celebration include a live performance of Moross’ 1st Symphony by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic in April 2014 and the reissue by Albany Records of two Moross recordings by JoAnn - Moross Symphony No. 1 with the London Symphony and Frankie and Johnny with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The WFMT broadcast is produced by British radio documentarian Jon Tolansky, and narrated by Grammy award-winning artist, Michael Feinstein. JoAnn singled out Moross in her recent NPR interview on the Great American Symphony, saying “Moross lavished sterling craftsmanship on his four-movement symphony. Reminiscent of the wide spacing and tonal purity of Copland’s works, Moross brings his own accessible humor to the symphonic form.” In a recent review of the London Symphony reissued disc, Audiofile Audition raves “the recording still sounds excellent, as are the performances. Obviously Falletta believes in Moross.” More Info on the Jerome Moross Centennial More Info on WFMT JoAnn on NPR’s All Things Considered July 3 Throughout the summer, NPR’s All Things Considered will ask a variety of composers, conductors and critics to help think about the state of American symphonic music—Is the music still viable? Who writes symphonies in America these days? And who hears them? What relevance do they have in the American artistic landscape? JoAnn Falletta is scheduled to offer her thoughts about the American symphony Wednesday, July 3 both in an essay she wrote especially for this project and in a discussion she’ll have on All Things Considered with host Robert Siegel. Read the Essay BPO ‘Rocks The House’ and More Rave Reviews for BPO Carnegie Hall Performance at Spring For Music Festival JoAnn and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performed to a record crowd at Carnegie Hall for the Spring for Music Festival on Wednesday May 8, 2013. The all-Russian program included Kancheli’s “Morning Prayers” from Life Without Christmas and Gliere’s monumental Symphony No. 3 in B minor, “Il’ya Muromets”. The concert is available online for on-demand streaming at www.wqxr.org Here are excerpts from some of the concert reviews and other media reaction: Ms. Falletta provided clear shape and trajectory. JoAnn Falletta paired two works that showed contrasting facets of life and art in the Soviet Union: “Morning Prayers,” by the contemporary Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, and the Russian composer Reinhold Glière’s Symphony No. 3 (“Ilya Muromets”).With Glière’s family listening in Moscow via the WQXR web page (at wqxr.org), the Buffalo players performed alertly and eloquently, offering an account to savor. Read the Full Review in The New York Times As they took the stage at ornate, lovely Carnegie Hall, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s musicians were pumped like the Bills before a big game. They were primed to tackle the massive Symphony No. 3 by Reinhold Gliere, a work rarely performed because of its outrageous demands.The musicians’ hard work was worth it, because the effect was magical. Read the Full Review in the May 9, 2013 edition of The Buffalo News Buffalo has an "an extraordinarily well-tuned instrument that routinely makes Buffalo proud...Music Director JoAnn Falletta, surveying the hall packed with Buffalonians, said, “If you have an orchestra more beloved than the BPO, I can’t imagine it.” She deserves much credit for making it so. It was a great moment for the BPO, performing the difficult and rarely heard Symphony No. 3 by Reinhold Gliere. And it was a moment of surpassing pride for Buffalo. Read the Full Editorial in the May 10, 2013 edition of The Buffalo News Conductor JoAnn Falletta, a native of Queens, has turned out to be not only a stalwart of Buffalo but a terrific, energetic leader. Add to that their Concertmaster, Michael Ludwig, a fine soloist in his own right, who, like the BPO, is a recording artist with Naxos, and obviously keeps the orchestra playing well. The BPO is about to record the Glière Symphony for Naxos Records. If they can summon up half the excitement that they produced in last night’s live performance, methinks it can be another triumph for this splendid group. Read the Full Review at ConcertoNet.com JoAnn Appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony The Phoenix Symphony’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Maestro JoAnn Falletta as The Phoenix Symphony’s Principal Guest Conductor for the 2013/14 season. “We are fortunate to have someone of Maestro Falletta’s stature and standing in the orchestral community join us as our Principal Guest Conductor,” said C.A. Howlett, Chairman of The Phoenix Symphony Board of Directors. “Our partnership with Maestro Falletta speaks volumes about the ability of The Phoenix Symphony to engage the world’s foremost musical talents for the benefits of Arizona audiences,” said President and CEO Jim Ward. Falletta will conduct four programs during The Phoenix Symphony’s 2013/14 Classics Series, Coffee Classics Series and Scottsdale Series as well as Lang Lang’s special one-night-only performance at Symphony Hall. JoAnn to Receive Virginia Women in History Award The Library of Virginia has announced it will honor JoAnn Falletta, along with seven other awardees—past and present—with the Virginia Women in History Award. The honor recognizes outstanding Virginia women who have made important contributions to Virginia, the nation, and the world. A ceremony and reception will be held at the Virginia Library in Richmond at 6pm on Thursday, March 28, 2013. More Info JoAnn Falletta talks to Gail Wein about her new Duke Ellington CD Listen as JoAnn Falletta talks with Gail Wein for this Naxos podcast about her recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic of Duke Ellington’s music for orchestra. The recording brings together Ellington’s Harlem, Three Black Kings, The River, and Black Brown and Beige and includes as an encore the Ellington band’s iconic theme song, Take the A Train. JoAnn calls Duke Ellington one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and a composer who single–handedly elevated jazz to a level of artistry comparable to all the other art forms, saying “The music is very beautiful; it’s very symphonic, very orchestral.” Listen Tim Handley, Producer of Many Falletta Naxos Recordings, Nominated for 2013 Producer of the Year Grammy Award Body of Work Cited for Nomination Includes Four Recordings with Falletta December 13, 2012: JoAnn Falletta congratulates producer Tim Handley on his nomination for the 2013 Producer of the Year Grammy Award. The body of work for which he is being nominated includes four recordings on the Naxos label with Maestro Falletta leading four different orchestras. Says Falletta, “I have always been very proud to work with Tim Handley, whose musicianship, intelligence and extraordinary recording skills have always produced CDs of superb quality. I am thrilled that four of our recordings are included in the body of work for which he has been nominated for a GRAMMY as best producer.” The 2013 honors will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on February 10. Mr. Handley’s Naxos collaborations with JoAnn Falletta that are cited for the nomination are Ken Fuchs: Atlantic Riband, American Rhapsody, Divinium Mysterium (JoAnn Falletta, Paul Silverthorne, Michael Ludwig & London Symphony Orchestra); Gershwin: Piano Concerto In F; Rhapsody No. 2, I Got Rhythm Variations (Orion Weiss, JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra); Hailstork: An American Port Of Call (JoAnn Falletta, Virginia Symphony Chorus & Virginia Symphony Orchestra); and Holst: Cotswolds Symphony, Walt Whitman Overture (JoAnn Falletta & Ulster Orchestra). According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented to album producers “whose recordings, released for the first time during the eligibility year, represent consistently outstanding creativity in the production of classical recordings.” Mr. Handley, who won Producer of the Year in 2006, was nominated in 2011 for recordings that included music of Dohnanyi and Richard Strauss by the Buffalo Philharmonic and JoAnn Falletta. Their upcoming collaborations include a disc of music of Duke Ellington by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic scheduled to be released on the Naxos label in February 2013. More Info About the Grammy Awards Mannes College and BPO Partner to Give Student Conductors Real World Experience Mannes College The New School for Music and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra have announced a unique and innovative partnership to give up-and-coming conductors professional experience with a leading American orchestra. Student Conductors-in-Residence from Mannes College will serve as cover conductors for the Philharmonic, and will have the opportunity to participate in artistic decisions and orchestra management. For the BPO and Mannes this partnership is an important evolution in the curriculum for training conductors. “We feel strongly here at the BPO about our role to help advance the careers of young musicians and our partnership with Mannes represents a major breakthrough,” said BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta, who received her undergraduate degree from Mannes. “The young conductors of Mannes will have an outstanding opportunity to work directly with our conductors, staff and musicians to gain the type of real world experience that will definitely make a difference in their careers.” More Info JoAnn’s “Musician’s Diary” featured in August Gramophone JoAnn is featured in Gramophone’s August edition of “Musician’s Diary”, where she describes her joy in recording the little known works of Gustav Holst with the Ulster Orchestra for Naxos, and in exploring the charms and history of her new UK home in Ulster. Read the Article Turkish Guitarist Wins 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition
Petrit Ceku, of Croatia, came in second, and Ekachai Jearakul, of Thailand, was third. Kaya’s prize is $10,000, a valuable Spanish guitar, a return performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic and engagements with the Round Top Music Festival in Texas and the Virginia Symphony. Ceku took the $3,500 second prize, and Jearakul took the $1,000 third prize. Ceku won musicians and audience awards as the top guitarist in separate voting. Says JoAnn Falletta, “All three finalists were fabulous. The quality of this year’s competition was top notch and I think the best ever. I am looking forward to Celil’s performances with Buffalo, Virginia and Round Top.” The next JoAnn Falletta Guitar Competition will be held in 2014, at which prizes for the winner will include a performance at Carnegie Hall. More Info 2012 JoAnn Falletta Guitar Concerto Competition Draws International Attention to Buffalo Eight international guitarists, including performers from Budapest, Istanbul, Serbia and Toronto, will be competing June 6th and 7th in the 5th annual JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition in Buffalo. The competition is presented by WNED and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The semifinalists’ performances will be aired on WNED-TV at 7:30pm. The final top three will perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans with Falletta conducting on June 9th. Listen as WBFO & AM-970’S Eileen Buckley speaks with Falletta about why this competition attracts guitarists globally.  Listen
More InfoJoAnn Falletta Guitar Competition JoAnn Falletta leads VSO and Over 500 performers in Rare Performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony  The Virginia Symphony performs Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Photo: David Polston. On May 26 and 27, 2012, JoAnn Falletta led a cast of over 500 musicians in two performances of the rarely performed and awe-inspiring epic 8th Symphony of Gustav Mahler to standing ovations at William and Mary Hall and Chrysler Hall in Virginia. Dubbed the “Symphony of a Thousand”, the work is rarely performed because of the vast musical resources required; Mahler himself considered it his crowning achievement, describing his vision as the sound of “the whole universe beginning to ring and resound...” The Virginia Symphony, augmented for the occasion to 120 musicians, performed with eight vocal soloists and 365 choristers including the Virginia Symphony Chorus, the Christopher Newport University Chamber Choir, the College of William and Mary Chorus, Old Dominion University Concert Choir, Richmond Symphony Chorus, Virginia Children’s Chorus and the Virginia Wesleyan Chorus. The performance was critically hailed as “incredibly moving and musically magnificent”, calling Falletta’s control over the massed musicians and vocalists “masterful and total”, and the performance “a natural for this year’s Virginia Arts Festival which routinely brings to Hampton Roads world-class artistic events that most of us would otherwise never see.” Hear why JoAnn believes this work is so remarkable.  Watch VideoJoAnn to Receive Honorary Degree from Hilbert College JoAnn will deliver the 2012 commencement address at Hilbert College’s 51st annual commencement ceremony being held at 1pm May 12 in the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg, NY. She is honored to be recognized at Hilbert’s commencement with an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Falletta has previously received honorary degrees from several national and international colleges and universities, including the Manhattan School of Music and D’Youville College (2009), Virginia Wesleyan (2008), The New School in New York City and the College of William and Mary (2007), Niagara University (2001), Canisius College and Christopher Newport University (2000), Old Dominion University (1994), and Marian College (1988). More Info JoAnn Receives Leis from Hawaii Symphony Musicians to Celebrate Inaugural Season
In a recent news release issued by the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Oswald Stander, the orchestra’s Board Chair said: “It is our belief that having a symphony orchestra organization in Hawaii is critical to the state’s artistic and economic vitality.” He continued, “We are all thrilled to be making the dream of a new orchestra a reality.” More Info JoAnn Records Music of Moeran with the Ulster Orchestra for Naxos On February 5 and 6, 2012, the Ulster Orchestra, under the direction of Principal Conductor JoAnn Falletta, recorded a CD of works by one of the greatest English composers of the 20th century, Ernest John Moeran, in Ulster Hall in Belfast. The CD brings together four lesser known pieces that are all inspired by the beauty of the scenery of Norfolk and County Kerry. The heart of this new Naxos CD is Moeran’s stunning and poignant Cello Concerto, gorgeously played by young cellist Guy Johnston. The CD also presents little known gems including Moeran’s tribute to the music of sixteenth-century composer Thomas Whythorne, the lilting Whythorne’s Shadow, his Serenade, and the first recording of the original version of Moeran’s lovely tone poem, Lonely Waters. This is the second of three CD the Ulster Orchestra will record this season under the Orchestra’s new multi-year recording agreement with Naxos. The first CD, which was recorded at the orchestra’s historic Ulster Hall on October 11 and 12, will include five important Holst works, including his beautiful Cotswolds Symphony, the Japanese Suite, the Walt Whitman Overture and the first uncut recordings of A Winter Idyll and Indra. A disc of the music of Irish composer, Ina Boyle, a student of Vaughan-Williams, will be recorded this spring. More Info JoAnn and the BPO Inspire a Classical Spin on Sports Loyola basketball coach, Jimmy Patsos, gave his team a winning edge, according to the Baltimore Sun, after being inspired by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic. The Baltimore Sun quotes Coach Patsos as saying: “Last night, I went to the Buffalo symphony, where they have a great conductor, Joann Falletta, and that is what we talked about before the game," coach Jimmy Patsos said after the win. "I told them that it is the whole orchestra that matters, not just one instrument.” More Info 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition Applications for the 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition are being accepted through April 1. For the first time in its history, the semi-finals will be broadcast from the WNED studios in downtown Buffalo on More Info Washington Post picks Pärt CD as Best of 2011 Anne Midgette, classical music critic for the Washington Post, named JoAnn’s Part CD of piano music, with soloist Ralph van Raat and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic on the Naxos label, as one of her top 5 classical discs of 2011. Anne Midgette’s Best Classical Music of 2011 JoAnn Guest Hosts on Sirius XM Thanksgiving Week Listen in to Symphony Hall on Sirius-XM Satellite Radio Channel 76 on Thursday night, November 24 at 8pm (EST) and Saturday afternoon, November 26 at 1pm (EST) to hear JoAnn taking the mike as DJ. JoAnn previously hosted the show on Sirrius this past July, and enjoys the opportunity to play some of her favorite works and connect with the world-wide audiences that are fans of Symphony Hall. Ulster Orchestra Enters into New Naxos Recording Relationship JoAnn Falletta and the Ulster Orchestra entered into an exciting new multi-year recording relationship with Naxos. The first disc, recorded in October at the orchestra’s historic Ulster Hall, includes five lesser known, but important Holst works, including his beautiful Cotswolds Symphony, the Japanese Suite, the Walt Whitman Overture and the first uncut recordings of A Winter Idyll and Indra. More Info JoAnn Falletta Takes the LSO into Studio to Record Music by Kenneth Fuchs for Naxos American Classics JoAnn Falletta returned to the historic Abbey Road Studios this past August with the London Symphony Orchestra and Grammy Award winning producer Tim Handley to record her third disc of works by Kenneth Fuchs for Naxos American Classics. Two of the five works feature instrumental soloists, Paul Silverthorne performing viola concerto, Divinum Mysterium, and Michael Ludwig performing American Rhapsody, a romance for violin. The disc also includes Fuch’s Concerto Grosso for String Quartet and String Orchestra, Atlantic Riband, and Discover the Wild. JoAnn’s first disc of music by Kenneth Fuchs received two Grammy Award nominations. More Info League President Jesse Rosen Commends BPO Leadership In his blog, League of American Orchestras President, Jesse Rosen, recently highlighted the BPO as an orchestra that is not just surviving but thriving in these tough times. Watch VideoJoAnn Falletta Guest DJs on Sirius-XM JoAnn will be a guest DJ on Sirius-XM Symphony Hall Friday, July 8 at 9pm and Saturday, July 9 at 4pm. Tune in to hear JoAnn playing some of her own recordings and tell some of her favorite stories from the podium. More Info JoAnn Falletta Named Artistic Advisor to the New Hawaii Symphony Drawing on her expertise as a conductor, audience builder and community leader, JoAnn is becoming one of the top conductors being called upon to help orchestras that are in financial crisis. Last year, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians passed a resolution thanking JoAnn for her support of theHonolulu Symphony musicians, when that orchestra declared bankruptcy. Having served on an exploratory committee with other business and arts leaders looking for ways to reinstate an orchestra in Hawaii, JoAnn has agreed to serve as artistic advisor to a new Hawaiian orchestra that plans to start performing this fall. Under the new name Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the former musicians of the Honolulu Symphony intend to play the first concert of a new season in October. More Info BPO wins ASCAP Award The Buffalo Philharmonic received a More Info JoAnn Falletta Named Norfolk’s “Downtowner of the Year” The Downtown Norfolk Council named JoAnn Falletta “Downtowner of the Year” for 2011. The award was made at the organization’s annual luncheon on June 1. “It is particularly fitting that we honor Ms. Falletta this year as she is celebrating her 20th anniversary serving as Conductor of the VSO”, said Donna Phaneuf, Chairman of the Board, Downtown Norfolk Council. “With her commitment to excellence, she has helped solidify downtown Norfolk’s role as the region’s cultural center.” More Info Watch the VideoJoAnn Falletta appointed Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra of Belfast, Ireland has appointed JoAnn Falletta as Principal Conductor, making her the first American and first woman to lead the orchestra. The announcement was made on May 9 as Ms Falletta took to the Ulster Hall stage in Belfast, Northern Ireland to conduct the orchestra at the launch of its new concert program for the More Info JoAnn Signs New VSO Contract JoAnn has renewed her contract as Music Director of the Virginia Symphony for another three years with an option to serve for two more years after that. JoAnn is delighted to continue her leadership of the orchestra, saying Virginia “was my first big orchestra. The musicians, the orchestra and I nurtured each other, and the community nourished us so we flourished, becoming the mature orchestra we are today.“ More Info JoAnn Falletta Receives University of Buffalo’s Highest Award JoAnn Falletta received the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, University of Buffalo’s highest award, during the University’s 165th general commencement on May 15. The Norton medal is presented annually in public recognition of a person who has, in Norton’s words, “performed some great thing which is identified with More Info JoAnn Appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center JoAnn has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center through the 2013 season. As Principal Guest Conductor she will conduct at least two programs each season. “JoAnn Falletta is a major American musician. She is also a superb mentor to our students and a great friend to the Music Center,” said Keith Lockhart, BMC Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. “With JoAnn onboard in a formal capacity, our program will only grow stronger.” Read the Article Virginia Symphony Celebrates 20 Years Under JoAnn’s Leadership On March 19, 2011 the VSO celebrated JoAnn Falletta’s 20th anniversary with the orchestra with a “Roaring 20”s party at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. As David Nicholson of the Daily Press noted: “The theme of the party recalls the era when the More Info from the Daily Press More Info from The Virginian-Pilot BPO signs Falletta for 5 more years, Orchestra Invited to Perform at Carnegie Hall The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra announced that Music Director JoAnn Falletta has agreed to a new contract that will guarantee her leadership through the Abbott Letro also announced that the orchestra will be returning, by invitation, to Carnegie Hall. The performance, scheduled for May 8, 2013, is part of the Spring for Music Festival. More Info Four Recordings by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Receive Grammy Nominations for Classical Producer of the Year JoAnn Falletta congratulates producers Blanton Alspaugh and Tim Handley, both of whom received multiple Producer of the Year, Classical, Grammy Awards for 2011, including two each for their Naxos recordings with Ms. Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Alspaugh received six nominations, including Corigliano: Violin Concerto ‘The Red Violin’ (Michael Ludwig, JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) and Tyberg: Symphony No. 3; Piano Trio (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra). Mr. Handley’s twelve Grammy nominations include Dohnányi: Variations On A Nursery Song (JoAnn Falletta, Eldar Nebolsin & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) and Richard Strauss, Josephs-Legende; Rosenkavalier; Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Orchestral Suites) (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra). Says JoAnn Falletta: “The BPO has truly enjoyed working with producers Blanton Alspagh and Tim Handley. Both men are superb artists who have helped create a legacy for the Buffalo Philharmonic through the CDs they have recorded for us for NAXOS.The musicians and I congratulate both Tim and Blanton on their much-deserved nominations.” The recording partnership between Naxos and JoAnn and the Buffalo Philharmonic has been extremely successful artistically, with nine Grammy nominations in the past 5 years. Last year, Blanton Alspaugh was also nominated for Producer of the Year, Classical for his work on the BPO’s recording of Schubert , Death and the Maiden. In 2009, JoAnn’s recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (Hila Plitmann, soprano, JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) (2008, Naxos 8.559331) received two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition. In 2008, Falletta’s recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic of Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Rossiniana (2007, Naxos 8.557711) received a nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical for work by recording engineer John Newton. In 2006, Thomas Stacy, English Horn soloist on Ms. Falletta’s recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, by Kenneth Fuchs, (2005, Naxos 8.559224) received a Grammy nomination in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 13, 2011 and will be broadcast live on CBS. More Info Virginia Pays Tribute to JoAnn Falletta on 20th Anniversary as VSO Music Director Montague Gammon III and Rob Cross, Executive Director of the Virginia Arts Festival, write a tribute to JoAnn Falletta in Veer Magazine to celebrate her 20th anniversary as Music Director of the Virginia Symphony. Rob Cross writes: “Over the past 20 years JoAnn Falletta has become an icon in our community. To look back and see what our orchestra has accomplished under her leadership is astounding.” Read Article JoAnn Falletta elected to Buffalo Music Hall of Fame JoAnn has been elected to the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. The public is invited to attend the gala celebration in Bufalo’s Tralf Music Hall on October 7. More Info The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Celebrates 75 Years 2010-2011 Season Also Commemorates the 70th Anniversary of Kleinhans Music Hall and
10th Year of Naxos Recordings with Star-Studded Programs, Four New Recordings and Special Collaborations The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates its 75th Anniversary with the 2010-2011 Concert Season. At the season opening gala concert Maestro JoAnn Falletta and the BPO will pay tribute to the great history of the orchestra, performing the same music led by Lajos Shuk, for the opening concert of its very first season, in the Elmwood Music Hall in 1935: Beethoven’s “Egmont” Overture. “I’m proud to celebrate the BPO’s 75th Anniversary and to be a part of the incredible history of this remarkable orchestra,” said Music Director JoAnn Falletta. The season’s opening concert will feature a return engagement of violinist Midori. Other soloists for the season include pianist Lang Lang, who will make his first appearance with the BPO, pianist Christopher O’Riley, cellist Lynn Harrell, soprano Laura Aikin and violinist Michael Ludwig. The Orchestra kicked off the diamond anniversary season with the artistically and financially successful five city “Florida Friends Tour” in March 2010. Four new Naxos releases are planned, including the BPO’s much anticipated first disc in a multi-year recording project of the music of holocaust victim Marcel Tyberg, as well as recordings of works of Josef Suk, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. In special recognition of the 75th anniversary, the orchestra will release a five-disc set of music from the BPO vaults that will showcase the sound of the orchestra with eight of its music directors, including Ms. Falletta, Willaim Steinberg, Josef Krips, Lukas Foss, Michael Tilson Thomas, Julius Rudel, Semyon Bychkov, and Maximiano Valdes. Other special projects to commemorate the anniversary include publishing a 75th Anniversary Book, titled “The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra: Prelude, Theme and Variations”, the production of a commemorative calendar and 75th Anniversary library display featuring the orchestra’s history. More Info JoAnn Falletta In Conversation with John Clare of KPAC, Texas Public Radio JoAnn Falletta sat down and spoke with John Clare of KPAC of Texas Public Radio about education, music, the Grammy Awards, and new music. Filmed on location in Round Top, Texas on June 20th, 2009. Find out more at classicallyhip.blogspot.com JoAnn Falletta featured on CBC Radio’s flagship national arts and culture show Q, with JoAnn Falltta speaks with Jian Ghomeshi of CBC’s national arts and culture show Q about the glass ceiling for women in the world of conducting. JoAnn Falletta Recording Receives Two Grammy Awards February 9, 2009: Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta’s recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (Hila Plitmann, soprano; JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) (2008, Naxos 8.559331) received two Grammy Awards for 2009 in the categories of Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition. Says Falletta: “We are all thrilled with these awards. It is such an honor for me and the Buffalo Philharmonic to have the opportunity to collaborate with John Corigliano and Hila Plitmann. John’s music is incredibly innovative and moving and the performances on this recording by Hila and the Buffalo Philharmonic are stunning.” JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic are in the midst of working on a multi-CD project with John Corigliano for Naxos, with the next release to include Phantasmagoria and the Red Violin Concerto with the BPO’s concertmaster, Michael Ludwig. Falletta’s recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic of Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Rossiniana (2007, Naxos 8.557711) was also nominated this year for Best Engineered Album, Classical for work by recording engineer John Newton. She received her first Grammy nomination in 2006 in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra for her recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, by Kenneth Fuchs (2005, Naxos 8.559224). Next month, Naxos will release two world premier recordings by Falletta and the BPO, including Daron Hagen’s opera Shining Brow, based on the early years of Frank Lloyd Wright and a disc of two ‘new’ works by Franz Schubert, featuring the completion of Schubert’s beloved “Unfinished Symphony” and a newly orchestrated transcription of Death and the Maiden. Maestro Falletta has introduced over 400 works by American composers, including more than 80 world premieres. Hailing her as a “leading force for the music of our time”, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Falletta with her 10th ASCAP award in 2008. This fall, she was appointed as a member of the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to serving as Music Director of both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, she is frequently invited to guest conduct many of the world’s great symphony orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony. More Info JoAnn Falletta Appointed to the JoAnn Falletta has been appointed to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. The United States Senate confirmed President George W. Bush’s nomination of JoAnn Falletta to serve on the NCA on October 3, 2008 for a term extending through September 3, 2012. The National Council on the Arts advises the NEA Chairman on programs and policies. Council members review and make recommendations to the Chairman on grant applications, funding program guidelines, and national initiatives. Members are chosen for their widely recognized knowledge of the arts, their expertise or profound interest in the arts, and their established record of distinguished service or achievement in the arts. “I am very excited to have been appointed to serve on the NCA, and look forward to having the opportunity to promote the importance of the arts in America”, says JoAnn. More Info BPO ‘Rocks The House’ in Carnegie Hall Performance As they took the stage at ornate, lovely Carnegie Hall, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s musicians were pumped like the Bills before a big game. They were primed to tackle the massive Symphony No. 3 by Reinhold Gliere, a work rarely performed because of its outrageous demands. The musicians’ hard work was worth it, because the effect was magical. Read the Full Review in the Buffalo News, May 9, 2013 Edition JoAnn On WCBS Opening Bell Report Week of May 6th In anticipation of the Buffalo Philharmonic’s Carnegie Hall performance for the Spring for Music Festival on Wednesday, May 8, JoAnn will appear on WCBS Opening Bell Report throughout the week of May 6. The WCBS segments will air within the Opening Bell Report beginning Monday May 6 and air throughout the week at approx. 9:51am ET. Each segment can be retrieved from cbsnewyork.com/openingbell after it has been broadcast. JoAnn Falletta talks about Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and audience reaction in Nova Scotia JoAnn Falletta talks with Caitlin Hanson in Halifax, Nova Scotia about performing Andy Stein’s orchestration of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, the importance of creating and programming new music, and how she hopes audience members will feel after attending a concert. Watch The Full InterviewJoAnn’s Recordings of Hagen Shining Brow, Strauss Orchestral Works, and Schubert Death and the Maiden in Top 10 Lists for 2009 Three recordings by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic, Daren Hagen’s Shining Brow, Strauss Orchestral Works and Schubert Death and the Maiden have received top 10 nods in the national media for 2009. Chicago Tribune Music Critic John Von Rhein picked the Hagen disc as one of his top 10 for the year, commenting: “Muldoon’s poetic text merges with the grateful vocal and choral lines of Hagen’s eclectic score to produce a compelling piece of music theater. It comes off most effectively in this concert recording.” Naxos lists the Strauss disc in its Top Staff Picks for 2009, with National Sales Manager Sean Hickey saying “JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic are in fine form in this glorious recording of Strauss works. This may be their best recording yet.” He also listed the Hagen disc as a notable disc for 2009. The Schubert recording, produced by Blanton Alspaugh, who is nominated for a 2010 Grammy for his body of works including this disc, is listed in the top 10 of the year by NPR station WOSU in Columbus, praising Falletta, the BPO and Naxos for “consistently releas[ing] under-recorded works or interesting interpretations of well-known music.” More Info And Also Virginia Symphony to honor JoAnn’s 20th Anniversary in 2010-2011 The Virginia Symphony’s The orchestra also will perform the world premiere of a work by composer Lowell Liebermann and play classical favorites by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Prokofiev. “I can hardly believe it’s been 20 years,” says Falletta. “I feel almost as if I have ‘grown up musically’ with this incredible orchestra, and I am deeply grateful to them and to our wonderful community.” ’During our time together, we have shared some astonishing landmarks such as our very successful Carnegie Hall debut, our thrilling concert with the VSO Chorus at the Kennedy Center and our performances with Yo-Yo Ma and Sir James Galway.” The season will open September More Info International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians thank JoAnn for her Support of the Honolulu Symphony Musicians At its annual conference in Houston this August, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) adopted a resolution thanking JoAnn for her efforts on behalf of the Honolulu Symphony, where she served as Artistic Advisor, and in December 2009, donated her services leading the orchestra in a benefit performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony following the Honolulu Symphony Society’s bankruptcy filing. Says JoAnn: “I have enormous respect and deep affection for the extraordinary musicians of the Honolulu Symphony and the work of ICSOM and am honored by this resolution. I was very happy to be able to help the musicians in that difficult time and will continue to do all I can to support them.” The ICSOM Resolution reads: Whereas, JoAnn Falletta is a great friend to ICSOM and its member orchestras; and Whereas, As Music Director of both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, JoAnn Falletta is a recognized leader in the conducting field; and Whereas, When the Honolulu Symphony musicians needed the services of a noted conductor, JoAnn Falletta agreed to lead the orchestra in their benefit performance of Beethoven Symphony #9 in December 2009; and Whereas, This performance came just after the Honolulu Symphony Society filed for bankruptcy protection, jeopardizing the future of one of America’s oldest and most resilient orchestras; and Whereas, JoAnn Falletta donated her services in the interest of assisting the musicians of the Honolulu Symphony; therefore, be it Resolved, That the delegates to the 2010 ICSOM Conference thank JoAnn Falletta for her leadership, dedication and generosity in assisting the Honolulu Symphony musicians in their special and emotional evening during which they said thank you to their community for their support over the years. Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent at the 2010 ICSOM conference. JoAnn Falletta Recording Nominated for Producer of the Year, Classical Grammy JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony, congratulates Blanton Alspaugh who is nominated as 2010 Producer of the Year, Classical for his body of work that includes Ms. Falletta’s recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Schubert: Death and the Maiden ( 2008, Naxos 8.572051). Death and the Maiden is the fourth Naxos recording by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic that has been nominated for a Grammy. In 2009, her recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (Hila Plitmann, soprano, JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) (2008, Naxos 8.559331) received two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition. In 2008, Falletta’s recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic of Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Rossiniana (2007, Naxos 8.557711) received a nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical for work by recording engineer John Newton. In 2006, Thomas Stacy, English Horn soloist on Ms. Falletta’s recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, by Kenneth Fuchs, (2005, Naxos 8.559224) received a Grammy nomination in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. Says JoAnn, who has been hailed by the ASCAP foundation as a “leading force for the music of our time” and was recently appointed to serve on the National Council of the Arts, “It is such an honor for me and the Buffalo Philharmonic to have the opportunity to collaborate with Blanton Alspaugh and all the wonderful producers and engineers at Naxos.” The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31 and will be broadcast live on CBS. JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition at Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall Artyom Dervoed, a 28-year-old guitarist from Russia, was awarded first prize in the 2010 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Second place was awarded to Nemanja Ostojic, 26, of Serbia, with the third place prize going to Thomas Viloteau, 26, of France. Ten top international guitarists representing six nations have been chosen to participate in the third biennial JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, held June More Info JoAnn Falletta Talks About How She Selects Music for Recordings and More in This May 2010 Interview with Daniel Gilliam of WUOL, Louisville Public Media Classical 90.5 | JoAnn Falletta By R. Johnson JoAnn Falletta is a Grammy-award winning conductor, and serves as the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic. During her tenure with Buffalo she has recorded the music of Richard Strauss, Franz Schubert, Daron Hagen, John Corigliano ... ListenJoAnn Falletta Receives Leadership Award from the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies for Tyberg Project On October 15, 2009, JoAnn Falletta was honored by the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies for her leadership and dedication to the Marcel Tyberg Musical Legacy Project. Falletta, who has established a reputation for conducting artistically important, but seldom-heard works, is embarking on a multi-year recording project of the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Austrian composer and Holocaust victim. The first release in this series will be Tyberg’s Symphony Falletta to Lead Seminar for Women Conductors at League of American Orchestras’ JoAnn will be a guest faculty member at the League of American Orchestras’ 2009 National Conference to be held in Chicago from June 9 to 12, where she will lead the Seminar for Women Conductors on June 10. The seminar will examine issues particular to women in the areas of artistic expression and artistic leadership. JoAnn is a contributor to the pre-conference blog, which can be followed at blog.americanorchestras.org More Info Kennedy Center Spring Gala: A Celebration of Women in The Arts - JoAnn Falletta will conduct the National Symphony Orchestra at the 2009 Kennedy Center Spring Gala, May 3 in the Concert Hall. The Kennedy Center presents A Celebration of Women in the Arts, an event that will feature an unprecedented number of female performers that have all shaped the collective landscape of the arts. The evening includes appearances and performances by members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Lisa Brescia, Sarah Chang, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Jenn Colella, Judith Jamison, Caroline Kennedy, Patti LaBelle, Annie Liebovitz, Audra McDonald, Reba McEntire, Amy Poehler, Dianne Reeves, LeAnn Rimes, Chita Rivera, Kathleen Turner and others. JoAnn Falletta and The Buffalo Philharmonic on National Public Radio’s From the Top, 
Tune in to National Public Radio April 13 - 27, 2009 to hear JoAnn Falletta
and The Buffalo Philharmonic team up with NPR’s hit show From the Top
hosted by Christopher O’Riley to showcase some of America’s brightest
young musicians. Featured artists include 16 year old Chaconne
Klaverenga playing Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Guitars and Orchestra with
JoAnn Falletta, 18 year old violist Matthew Vera performing Mozart with
concertmaster Michael Ludwig and William Hagen, a 16 year old violinist
performing Mendelssohn. Also on the program is Buffalo’s St. Paul’s
Episcopal Cathedral Choir, host O’Riley performing Ravel’s Piano
Concerto and From the Top producer Tom Vignieri’s orchestral
composition, An American Hym.This is the Buffalo Philharmonic’s second appearance on From the Top, and is one of only two major US orchestras ever to be featured on the show. Says JoAnn Falletta, “We are thrilled to be a part of this wonderful program. In these troubled economic times, it’s important to recognize the great young talent that we have and the vital role that music and the arts play in honoring our past, celebrating our present and dreaming our future. The very best of who we are is inherent in performances like these”. To find the day and time of this BPO broadcast of From the Top, check your local listings for the weeks of April 13 to 27 or visit: www.fromthetop.org/Programs/RadioStations.cfm Mayor Brown Honors JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for Winning Two BPO Receives Key to the City and Executive Chambers Proclamation BUFFALO—Mayor Byron W. Brown today presented members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra with a key to the city and an Executive Chambers proclamation in honor of their recent Grammy Award wins.
The Philharmonic’s recording of Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan, composed by John Corigliano’s won Grammys in the categories of Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition. The BPO’s 2007 release of Respighi: Church Windows was also nominated for Best Engineered Album, Classical. “We are honored that Mayor Brown would recognize the BPO in this special way. Our recordings are one important way we serve as ambassadors for Buffalo and Western New York,” said JoAnn Falletta, Music Director for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. “We are exporting our culture to the rest of the country and world and the fact we have been awarded the industry’s highest honor is also a tribute to this wonderful community that supports us year in and year out.” The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1935. Since 1940, the Orchestra’s permanent home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic site with an international reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. Honorary Degrees from Manhattan School of Music and JoAnn received an Honorary Degree of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music at its 2009 commencement ceremony held on Friday, May 15 at The Riverside Church in New York City. At a ceremony on February 4, 2009, JoAnn was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music Degree and was the key note speaker at Buffalo’s D’Youville College. Falletta has previously received honorary degrees from several national and international colleges and universities, including Virginia Wesleyan (2008), The New School in New York City (2007), The College of William and Mary in Virginia (2007), Marian College (1988), Old Dominion University (1994), Canisius College (2000), Christopher Newport University (2000), and Niagara University (2001). Says Falletta: “I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from Manhattan School of Music and D’Youville College, and am especially grateful for their support of the arts and for the exceptional work these institutions are doing with their students and in their communities.” More Info: Manhattan School of Music D’Youville College JoAnn Hosts Nationally Televised PBS Special on Bernstein JoAnn Falletta is the host of the nationally televised PBS special The Berlin Celebration Concert, commemorating Leonard Bernstein’s historic performance marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. Performed on Christmas Day 1989 in the former East Berlin, the concert unites an international cast of celebrated musicians and vocalists for a moving performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The Berlin Celebration Concert will be broadcast from August through December 2008 on PBS stations nationwide. Copies of the program produced by American Public Television will be available as membership gifts as part of PBS’s annual pledge campaign. The program will be aired from August through December 2008. (Check your local listings to find the day and time of a broadcast.) Says Falletta, “One of the greatest privileges during my seven years of study at Juilliard was the opportunity to work with the incomparable Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein was a legend even during his lifetime. He was a profound influence on me. I still remember his surprisingly untraditional teaching methods and his gift at making an entrance. I’m very proud to be a part of this program, which is a great tribute to Leonard Bernstein, and to the privilege of freedom that the fall of the Berlin Wall represented.” More Info WNED-FM Broadcasting “The JoAnn Falletta Story” WNED-FM, the National Public Broadcasting affiliate in Buffalo, New York, is airing “The JoAnn Falletta Story”, a two-hour music and biography radio special recognizing and celebrating JoAnn’s 10th Anniversary as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The special premiered September 24 and will be rebroadcast Friday, Sept. 26 at 10 am and Sunday, September 28 at 6 pm. “There are a lot of musical icons, but JoAnn Falletta clearly is ours,” said Gabe DiMaio, Classical 94.5/WNED Program Director. “This is a personal story about JoAnn Falletta’s journey that goes behind the podium.” The special follows JoAnn’s musical journey from her childhood in Queens, when she was first introduced to classical music through the guitar, to today, and includes interviews woven around pieces of music that have significance in her life. For more information and to listen to the broadcast, visit: More Info Falletta Featured in Fanfare Magazine In May, 2008, on the heals of a prolific recording period for Falletta, Jerry Dubins of Fanfare Magazine sat down with JoAnn to recap her thoughts on a wide variety of topics, from the importance of recording and performing the works of neglected composers and advocating for new works to the evolving status of women in leadership, whether on the podium or in politics, as well as how she juggles her busy schedule and the importance of classical guitar in her life. The article also includes reviews of 5 of her most recent discs, including Brahms, Bruch, Respighi, Schoenfield and Borrowed Treasures. More Info JoAnn discusses Dohnányi and the joys of discovering rarely performed gems on WRTI In May 2008, JoAnn visited the studios of WRTI in Philadelphia to talk to radio host Jill Pasternak. Listen to Jill’s interview with JoAnn, and the radio broadcast premiere of Ernst von Dohnányi’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in C minor with Michael Ludwig, violin soloist and former associate concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Maestra Falletta conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Falletta discusses many of the facets that make this concerto for violin and orchestra unique—including the fact that it does not use a violin section at all. Instead, it highlights the viola section and the rest of the full orchestra. Hear the first recording by a major symphony orchestra of this rarely heard concerto by Dohnányi. More Info JoAnn Falletta and the BPO Perform and Record the Lost Works of Marcel Tyberg JoAnn Falletta, who has established a reputation for conducting artistically important but seldom-heard works, is embarking on a multi-year project of performing and recording the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Italian composer and Holocaust victim. Falletta and the BPO presented the American premiere of Tyberg’s Symphony Following the composer’s death at Auschwitz, his original scores were transferred to the care of Dr. Enrico Mihich, who currently practices in Buffalo at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. In 2005, Dr. Mihich related the Tyberg story to Maestro Falletta, who reviewed the manuscripts and initiated BPO support to bring the music to life. The project is further supported by the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, sponsoring live performances and CD recordings of Tyberg’s music. More Info President briefly conducts orchestra at Jamestown By WARREN FISKE, The Virginian-Pilot © May 14, 2007
Watch the VideoJAMESTOWN - He’s the president, he can do what he wants. On Sunday, George Bush wanted to conduct a Midway through a rousing rendition of ”The Stars and Stripes Forever,” Bush took the baton from JoAnn Falletta, musical director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. While the Anniversary Park crowd of several thousand roared, the president led the musicians for two minutes without a hitch. Bush pointed to all sections of the orchestra, which included young musicians from around the country. He implored crescendos. His grin burst with pleasure. ”It was a complete surprise,” Falletta said later. ”I think it was a surprise to him, too. ”I wish you could have seen the expressions of everyone in the symphony, especially some of the young people. ”As soon as the music ended, they were all on their cell phones telling their parents they had been conducted by the president of the United States.” Falletta said the commander in chief had a good ear. ”He was very musical,” she said. ”He was cueing the brass; he was cueing the percussion. He kept the tempo going.” The president’s spontaneous moments follow another recent episode in which he stole the spotlight from artists. In late April, when African dancers and drum players entertained on the White House lawn in an event tied to Malaria Awareness Day, Bush joined the dancers and even played the drums. On Sunday, the president offered himself as maestro after delivering a ”From these humble beginnings, the pillars of a free society began to take hold,” Bush said. ”Private property rights encouraged ownership and free enterprise. The rule of law helped secure the rights of individuals. The creation of America’s first representative assembly ensured the consent of the people and gave Virginians a voice in their government.” Although Bush made a only fleeting mention of Iraq, he linked the hardships the settlers encountered establishing democracy in America to the difficulties the United States has faced spreading democracy to other nations. ”As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown to honor the beginnings of our democracy, it is a chance to renew our commitment to help others around the world realize the great blessings of liberty,” he said. ”America is proud to promote the expansion of democracy, and we must continue to stand with all those struggling to claim their freedom. ”The advance of freedom is the great story of our time, and new chapters are being written every day, from Georgia and Ukraine, to Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon, to Afghanistan and Iraq. ”From our own history, we know the path to democracy is long, and it’s hard. There are many challenges, and there are setbacks along the way. Yet we can have confidence in the outcome because we’ve seen freedom’s power to transform societies before.” The president was accompanied by first lady Laura Bush, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, now chancellor of the College of William and Mary. Bush began his speech with a light-hearted homage to Mother’s Day. ”This state is known as the Mother of Presidents, which reminds me: I need to call my mother today,” he said. ”And if you haven’t called your mother,” he told the crowd, ”you better start dialing here after this ceremony.” After the speech, Bush shook hands with a variety of politicians and Jamestown commemoration organizers who commanded stage seats behind the presidential podium. Then he walked over to the symphony, composed of young and old musicians from every state and anchored by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. ”He didn’t say anything,” Falletta said. ”He gave me a wink and made a little gesture like he wanted the baton. It was an unbelievable experience.” Amid yet another crescendo, Bush handed back the baton, kissed Falletta on the head and was gone. JoAnn Falletta Recordings Nominated for Three Grammys December 8, 2008: Two Naxos recordings by acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta have received a total of three Grammy Nominations for the 2009 Grammy Awards. Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (Hila Plitmann, soprano, JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra) (2008, Naxos 8.559331) is nominated for Best Classical Vocal Performance and for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. Falletta’s recording with the Buffalo Philharmonic of Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Rossiniana (2007, Naxos 8.557711) received a nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical for work by recording engineer John Newton. Ms. Falletta received her first Grammy nomination in 2006 in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra for her recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, by Kenneth Fuchs, performed by Thomas Stacy and the London Symphony Orchestra. Eventide is included in Kenneth Fuchs: An American Place, issued on the Naxos American Classics label (2005, Naxos 8.559224). Says JoAnn, who has been hailed by the ASCAP foundation as a leading force for the music of our time and was recently appointed to serve on the National Council of the Arts, It is such an honor for me and the Buffalo Philharmonic to have the opportunity to collaborate with artists like John Corigliano and Hila Plitmann and to work with John Newton and all the wonderful producers and engineers at Naxos. Everyday I am thankful to lead the incredible musicians of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and I feel that everyone involved in both of these recordings should be very proud. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 8, 2009 and will be broadcast live on CBS. JoAnn currently serves as Music Director of both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, and guest conducts many of the world’s great symphony orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony. For more information on the Grammy Awards, visit www.grammy.com Corigliano’s Tambourine Man receives world première recording with Buffalo Philharmonic March 19, 2007 On March 5 and 6, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra recorded two works of American composer John Corigliano, Three Hallucinations and Mr. Tambourine Man. JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and conductor of the recording, says: “John Corigliano had braved the winter in Buffalo to rehearse, perform and record his works, and having him with us was an extraordinary experience. He was very much involved with the music-making, fine-tuning, polishing, and praising. Three Hallucinations is a kind of psychedelic journey through dreams and nightmares, engendering a palette of orchestral timbres that is absolutely unique. In Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven poems of Bob Dylan John documented the experience of the 1960s in the United States in music that is at once terrifying and comforting, powerful and lyrical. The sincerity of his reaction to Dylan’s words is deeply moving. We feel honored to have recorded the world première CD of Mr. Tambourine Man for Naxos, together with John’s unforgettable Three Hallucinations. Hila Plitman was the soprano and Tim Handley was once again our superb engineer.” The recording sessions took place at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, USA. More Info Falletta Receives 10th ASCAP Award May 22, 2008 in NYC JoAnn Falletta will be an honoree at the 9th Annual ASCAP Concert Music Awards in New York City on May 22, 2008. Citing her “career-long advocacy for American composers”, and calling her a “leading force for the music of our time”, the ASCAP award is being given in recognition of her work as a “conductor, communicator, recording artist, audience builder, champion of American composers and distinguished musical citizen”. Awards will also be presented to Pulitzer-prize winning composers John Corigliano and David Lang, and composer, arranger and Chanticleer Music Director, Joseph Jennings, and to recipients of the 2008 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. This will mark Ms. Falletta’s 10th ASCAP award. In 2007, Maestro Falletta led The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to receive its first ASCAP award, when it was honored for Programming of Contemporary Music from ASCAP and the League of American Orchestras ( formerly, ASOL) at the ASOL National Conference in Pittsburgh. More Info Falletta Mentors Women Conductors for the League of American Orchestras During 2008, JoAnn Falletta hosts a Women Music Directors’ Mentoring Circle for the League of American Orchestras. This series of focused, mentor-led discussions build on the legacy of the Women’s Philharmonic, which was led by Maestro Falletta, to provide training and opportunities for women musicians, composers, and conductors. “I am looking forward to hosting the Women Music Directors’ Mentoring Circle”, said conductor JoAnn Falletta. “Together we will be able to address the issues facing women conductors who hold the position of Music Director with professional orchestras. By sharing our experiences and aspirations we will ensure the extraordinary talent that is available to America’s orchestras is nurtured and more widely recognized.” Participants must hold the position of music director with a professional orchestra. For more information: americanorchestras.org/learning_and_leadership/women_conductors.html More Info JoAnn Falletta Receives Honorary Degree from Virginia Weselyan College At its commencement ceremonies on May 17, 2008, Virginia Wesleyan College awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree to JoAnn Falletta in recognition of her “achievements and service to improve mankind” as conductor of the Virginia Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Falletta has previously received honorary degrees from several national and international colleges and universities, including The New School in New York City (2007), The College of William and Mary in Virginia (2007), Marian College (1988), Old Dominion University (1994), Canisius College (2000), Christopher Newport University (2000), and Niagara University (2001). Says Falletta: “I have deep respect for Virginia Wesleyan College and for each of the fine colleges and universities from which I have received honorary degrees in the past, and am very grateful for their support of the arts and for their recognition of my work through these degrees.” More Info JoAnn Falletta’s Premiere Recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra features Michael Ludwig Performing the Violin Concertos of Dohnányi JoAnn Falletta’s most recent release on the Naxos label, the Violin Concertos of Erno Dohnányi, featuring the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and soloist Michael Ludwig, has been hailed as “bristl[ing] with brilliance”. Says Falletta: “I am astonished that these Romantic gems are so little known and played. Both Dohnányi Violin Concertos contain all the ingredients of a blockbuster concerto—passion, drama, soaring melodies, virtuosic writing for the soloist, passage after passage of breathtaking beauty, lush orchestration, propulsion and drive. Having such an extraordinary advocate as violinist Michael Ludwig, these concertos may find their way onto concert stages all over the world. Michael plays them with the intensity, technique and glorious tone of the masters of the golden age of the violin, and makes a truly compelling case for the Dohnányi concertos.” This disc marks JoAnn Falletta’s eighth contribution to the highly acclaimed Naxos label, and her second this year to the Naxos Classical label. More Info Four New Discs Featuring JoAnn Falletta in Works By Respighi, Brahms, Bruch and Schoenfield Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta, who is currently the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, is in the midst of a prolific recording period. This season, she conducts the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony and the Prague Philharmonia in four new recordings of orchestral works by Resphighi, Brahms, Bruch and Schoenfield. Upcoming Naxos releases by Ms. Falletta include a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Kenneth Fuchs with the London Symphony, her first recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra featuring the violin concertos of Dohnanyi, and two world premiere recordings with the Buffalo Philharmonic including John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man and “new” works by Schubert, featuring the completion of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. JoAnn Falletta leading the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in rarely-heard works by 20th-century Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, including Vetrate di chiesa, P 150 (Church Windows), Impressioni brasiliane (Brazilian Impressions), and Rossiniana. Falletta, who has recorded works of Aaron Copland, Kenneth Fuchs, Charles Griffes, John Corigliano and Frederick Converse for Naxos as part of a continuing program of recordings of American music, is now bringing her talents to bear upon this, the first in a series of 20th century Italian music from Naxos, to include both new recordings and Marco Polo reissues. Andrew Russo joins the Prague Philharmonia under JoAnn Falletta for this Black Box release of Schoenfield’s piano concerto Four Parables. Described in Audiophile Audition as “a sort of Gershwin Concerto in F for the new millennium..[that] keeps an irrepressible spirit connected with both the Roaring 20s and today’s Generation X.” JoAnn Falletta leads the Virginia Symphony Orchestra with soloist Michael Ludwig in Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra and Massenet’s Meditation from Thais, on the Hamptons Road Classics label. Hailed by Strad Magazine for his “effortless, envy-provoking Pianist Norman Krieger “takes a full-bodied approach to this marvelous, romantic Brahms concerto—captured in a live recording in Virginia, Falletta’s other home—and tops it off with a warm studio recording of the Capriccio Op. 116 in D Minor, the Intermezzo Op. 116 in A minor and the Fourth Ballade. This is a lovely, passionate, straightforward recording.” Buffalo News More Info JoAnn Falletta leads the London Symphony Orchestra in Second Naxos Recording of New Works by Kenneth Fuchs Recording follows up on 2006 Grammy-Nominated Naxos CD, An American Place (Fuchs, Naxos American Classics) Few artists are as important to the fabric of their communities as JoAnn Falletta. Acclaimed by The New York Times as “one of the finest conductors of her generation”, she serves as the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Falletta is an ardent champion of music of our time, having introduced over 400 works by American composers, including nearly 100 world premieres. For the Naxos American Classics Series, she has recorded works by Aaron Copland, Kenneth Fuchs, Charles Griffes, John Corigliano, Romeo Cascarino and Frederick Converse. This marks JoAnn Falletta’s sixth contribution to the highly acclaimed series and her second disc dedicated to the works of Kenneth Fuchs. “I find Ken’s music extremely colorful, communicative and lyrical” says Falletta. “I have been very impressed at how much the musicians of both the London Symphony and the Virginia Symphony enjoyed playing his work, and how warmly the audiences have responded.” The recordings represent the culmination of over 20 years of friendship that began when Fuchs and Falletta were colleagues at The Juilliard School in New York City. Maestro Falletta’s 2007/08 season with the Buffalo Philharmonic is a prolific recording period, with the Orchestra recording four CDs and releasing two new discs on the Naxos label, including a world premiere recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man, based on the poems of Bob Dylan, and the international release of a disc of the works of Ottorino Respighi. The Respighi, which was hailed for its “brilliant performances” and as “one of the BPO’s finest hours since its wonderful previous Griffes disc on Naxos,” is the first in a series of 20th century Italian music from Naxos. Falletta, who has established a reputation for conducting artistically important, but seldom-heard works is embarking on a multi-year recording project of the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Italian composer and Holocaust victim. The first release in this series will be Tyberg’s Symphony No. 3. Other works to be recorded this season include discs of the music of Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss, both for Naxos. More Info JoAnn Falletta to Make British Conducting Debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic October 27th and 28th Two New CD Releases by Falletta, and a Recording Session with the London Symphony Also Scheduled for the Fall Acclaimed American conductor JoAnn Falletta will make her British debut conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on October 27 and 28, 2006 at 7:30pm. Both concerts will feature trumpet soloist Alison Balsom, who will perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto on Friday at King George’s Hall in Blackburn, and the world premiere of Joby Talbot’s Trumpet Concerto in the Saturday concert at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. The concerts will also include John Adams’ exhilarating work A Short Ride in a Fast Machine and will end with Berlioz’s dazzling Symphonie Fantastique. The Saturday concert is part of the Listen Up Festival of Orchestras 2006, presented by BBC Radio 3, the Association of British Orchestras, and Making Music, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Tickets are available for the October 28 concert at www.liverpoolphil.com and at www.kinggeorgeshall.com for the concert on the 27th. JoAnn Falletta is known worldwide as one of the finest conductors of her generation, and is hailed as “one of the brightest stars of symphonic music”. Currently the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, and Artistic Advisor to the Honolulu Symphony, she has been invited to conduct many of the world’s great symphony orchestras. In addition to her debut with the RLPO, this season Falletta is making her first appearance with the Orchestre National De Lyon, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Lisbon, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal in Germany, the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Shanghai Philharmonic, with debuts in 2007 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National De Lyon, the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and the National Orchestra of Belgium. This summer, she made acclaimed debuts with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and the Jerusalem Symphony. Highlights of her recent North American guest conducting appearances include the orchestras of Philadelphia, Montreal, San Francisco, Toronto, Detroit and St. Louis, and the National Symphony. Maestro Falletta is a prolific recording artist. Her growing discography, which will soon include over 40 titles, consists of recordings with the London Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony, the English Chamber Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony, the Czech National Symphony and the Women’s Philharmonic. This October will see the international release of two new recordings on the Naxos label, including a BPO CD of Prairie Music devoted to the music of Aaron Copland, and a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Romeo Cascarino with the Philadelphia Philharmonic. Her upcoming releases for this season also include a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Kenneth Fuchs with the London Symphony to be released on the Naxos label, following up on her 2005 recording of Fuchs’ music with the LSO, for which Falletta received her first Grammy nomination. Her 2004 recording of Griffes Orchestral Music, on the Naxos label with the Buffalo Philharmonic, was selected as an Editor’s Choice Recording by Gramophone. More info Aaron Copland CD with the BPO Naxos announced the international release of a new Aaron Copland collection CD by the Buffalo Philharmonic, under the direction of JoAnn Falletta. The disc is devoted to works inspired by the spacious landscape of the American prairie, including The Red Pony Suite, Rodeo, Prairie Journal, and Letter from Home. The disc honors the Buffalo historic landmark Darwin D. Martin House, one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s premier prairie houses. “From the brash ‘Circus Music’ to the gentle ‘Granfather’s Story’ (both from The Red Pony), the disc presents a dream of America as expressed by Copland and by the prairie-style architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It can make us think deeply, as both theses artists wanted us to, about our place in the world”, says the Buffalo News, which called the disc “sparkl[ling] with life and wit”. More info Exclusive Tour of Spain and Portugal with JoAnn Falletta, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and AAA of Western New York are collaborating on an exclusive tour of Spain and Portugal with JoAnn Falletta, culminating with JoAnn Falletta conducting the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra on February 29 and March 1, 2008. Michael Ludwig, Clement and Karen Arrison Concertmaster Chair of the BPO will be the featured soloist. For more information about how you can be a member of this tour, please call AAA Tour Consultant Karen Weiss at 716-873-0111 x223. Brochure Buffalo Philharmonic Announces “This season, the Buffalo Philharmonic is embarking on a journey that explores the spirit of Romanticism with all its multifaceted splendor”, says Music Director JoAnn Falletta. The season, which will feature works of Romantic masters including Shostakovich, Rossini, Schumann and Schubert, culminating in a two week Beethoven festival, will also be a prolific recording period for the Orchestra. The Orchestra will record four CDs and release two new discs on the Naxos label, including a world premiere recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man, based on the poems of Bob Dylan, and the international release of a disc of the works of Ottorino Respighi. The BPO is embarking on a multi-year recording project of the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Italian composer and Holocaust victim. The first release in this series will be Tyberg’s Symphony No. 3. Other works to be recorded this season include discs of the music of Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss, both on the Naxos label, and a Classical Christmas release on the Orchestra’s Beau Fleuve label. Continuing to raise the BPO’s national and international prominence, Ms. Falletta will once again lead the orchestra in a number of concerts to be broadcast nationally on NPR’s Performance Today, From the Top and SymphonyCast, and international broadcasts through the European Broadcasting Union. Click here for more information, including Falletta’s thoughts on Buffalo, and news about BPO’s recording projects and CDs to be released and recorded this year. Virginia Symphony Orchestra Announces 
Music Director JoAnn Falletta and The Virginia Symphony Orchestra
announced highlights of the VSO’s 2007-2008 season. Continuing their
commitment to reach new audiences, the VSO will inaugurate a series of
concerts in two new venues this season: the Sandler Center in Virginia
Beach and the Center for Cultural Arts in Suffolk, in addition to the
VSO’s existing series at Chrysler Hall, Ferguson Center for the Arts,
Regent University and St. Bede in Williamsburg. In anticipation of the
season, Maestro Falletta notes, “The Virginia Symphony will present its
most romantic season to date in 2007-2008 with a vibrant tapestry of
works by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Brahms, Beethoven and other
composers who explore the full gamut of the emotional and dramatic
possibilities for orchestra.” Guest artists for the season include
Joshua Bell, Sir James Galway, Christopher O’Riley, Nicola Benedetti and
the Eroica Trio, among others. For the first time in her tenure, Maestro
Falletta will appear as guest soloist with the Orchestra, performing
Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D Major. The season will see the release
of two new recordings by the VSO; the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with
Norman Krieger and a disc featuring violin soloist Michael Ludwig
performing Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and Massenet’s Meditation.More info Norfolk to announce five more Legends of Music today By MALCOLM VENABLE, The Virginian-Pilot © March 20, 2007
The musicians—Clarence Clemons, General Norman Johnson, Pat Curtis, JoAnn Falletta and the late Phelps Brothers—will be honored with medallions embedded in the sidewalk in the 300 block of Granby Street. The induction ceremony will be April 18, with a free concert afterward at the Roper Performing Arts Center at Tidewater Community College. Honorees this year span a few different genres of music. Clemons’ oeuvre includes pop, rock, blues and soul; he’s perhaps best known as the charismatic, larger-than-life saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Clemons was born in Norfolk. Pianist and Norfolk native Pat Curtis taught Bruce Hornsby how to play. The General Norman Johnson, born in Norfolk’s Huntersville, gained fame as the leader of the group The Showmen. He’s considered a beach music icon; he’s the bard behind “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” and the song “Patches”, which became a hit for Clarence Carter. JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Music critics regard her as one of the finest conductors in the country, if not the world, and city officials said she is being inducted because of her effect on the appreciation of classical music in Hampton Roads and Virginia. Falletta is also a recording artist; her discography includes more than 40 titles. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. “I can scarcely believe it,” Falletta said Friday. “I’m kind of amazed. It’s a great honor. This is a city I have loved since the day that I moved here 16 years ago, so to have a little permanent piece like that is a thrill for me.” She said she’ll likely celebrate the entire week of the induction ceremony and said she’ll play some “interesting” and fun classical guitar selections at the April 18 concert. The Phelps Brothers—Norman, Willie and Earl—started singing in South Norfolk as teens. They eventually landed in Hollywood, appearing in a series of films for Paramount Pictures as singing cowboys in the late 1930s. Norman Phelps wrote the song “Back in the Saddle Again”, and although he did not receive royalties from the song, it became one of Gene Autry’s biggest hits. These musicians follow notables including Hornsby, Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey, who have had plaques installed on Granby Street since the Walk of Fame was created by the City Council in 2002 to honor musicians with local ties. After the induction ceremony, scheduled to begin at 3pm, Clemons, Johnson, Falletta and Curtis will perform at the free concert, which starts at 7pm Norman Phelps’ daughter Bonnie and her husband, Ed, will represent the Phelps Brothers. BPO and Music Director JoAnn Falletta Honored by Their Peers for Adventurous Programming The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director JoAnn Falletta received a prestigious award for adventurous programming at the American Symphony Orchestra League’s (ASOL) National Conference in Pittsburgh on June 11. The BPO received the Second Place Award for Programming of Contemporary Music, offered by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the ASOL. It was the first time the BPO has been the recipient of this prestigious award. JoAnn Falletta Nominated for Grammy JoAnn Falletta has received a Grammy Nomination in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. The nomination, which she shares with English Horn soloist, Thomas Stacy, is for their recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, Harp, Percussion, and String Orchestra, by Kenneth Fuchs, performed by Thomas Stacy and the London Symphony Orchestra. Eventide is included in Kenneth Fuchs: An American Place, issued on the Naxos American Classics label (2005, Naxos 8.559224). Says JoAnn, “It is such an honor for me to have the opportunity to collaborate with an artist like Tom Stacy on the extraordinary music of Ken Fuchs. The entire recording process with the incredible musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra and producer Michael Fine was a wonderful experience, and I feel that everyone involved in this recording should be very proud.” Michael Fine, who produced the Fuchs disc and JoAnn’s other recently released Naxos recording with the LSO, Ranjbaran: Persian Triology, was also nominated for the Classical Producer of the Year Grammy for his work on the Fuchs and Persian Trilogy CDs.
JoAnn’s interview on the Jack Price Radio Show JoAnn joins Jack Price to discuss her beginnings with the San Francisco Women’s Philharmonic, Denver Chamber Orchestra before moving on to the Long Beach Symphony, Virginia Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic, and her experience as Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast Northern Ireland. Listen to the InterviewJoAnn Talks About the Discovery of Marcel Tyberg’s Scores Listen as JoAnn talks about the remarkable efforts of Dr. Mihich to preserve Marcel Tyberg’s scores following Tyberg’s death in the Holocaust and her view on the beauty and importance of his music. KUSC Talks with JoAnn About Her Recent Recordings Listen as Jim Svedja, host and producer of the syndicated radio series The Record Shelf, which is carried by public radio stations across the nation, interviews JoAnn for KUSC Classical Radio in California discussing JoAnn’s recent recordings. 
JoAnn Falletta on Cover of Time for KidsJoAnn is the cover story in the March 2013 edition of Time for Kids. The weekly classroom news magazine is distributed in print and electronically to students in grades 2 - 8 across the country and the world. In the story, which ran during Women’s History Month, JoAnn inspires students to reach for a career in the arts by talking about her own journey to the podium. Read More MPR talks with JoAnn about Gershwin Julie Amacher of Minnesota Public Radio talks with JoAnn about her new Gershwin disc featuring the Buffalo Philharmonic and pianist Orion Weiss performing Rhapsody No. 2, which JoAnn calls “lyrical, evocative, jazzy, filled with pizzazz, very difficult, and one of the great pieces in our American repertoire”. Noting that JoAnn is “one of America’s busiest conductors”, Julie also talks with JoAnn about her busy schedule in Buffalo, Virginia and Ulster. Listen to the InterviewCBS Sunday Morning Interview of JoAnn Still Rings True Today A recently released YouTube video of Eugenia Zukerman interviewing JoAnn on CBS Sunday Morning from the 1990’s is fascinating, not only in seeing JoAnn as an emerging talent, but also in hearing her views on the world of music. Watch to learn more about JoAnn’s early role in advocating the power of the arts, and making the public more aware of the crucial role of women in classical music as conductors, composers and orchestral musicians. Buffalo News Inteview with JoAnn Falletta In a wide-ranging interview with Emily DeRoo in the Buffalo News in April, 2012, JoAnn Falletta reflects on her career in Buffalo, her role as a musical ambassador, overseas and her philosophy and vision for classical music. Read the Interview Virginia’s AltDaily interviews JoAnn in December 2011 JoAnn shares some of her most personal feelings about being a conductor in this December 2011 interview with AltDaily. Watch the InterviewGramophone interviews JoAnn on her new role with the Ulster Orchestra Gramophone: November 2011 Podcast Gramophone editor-in-chief James Jolly hosts November’s podcast and interviews JoAnn Falletta who has recently taken over the helm of the Ulster Orchestra. Listen to the InterviewBuffalo Success Story: JoAnn Falletta - WGRZ JoAnn talks to Rich Kellman about the succcess of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under her leadership. Watch the InterviewJoAnn talks with John Clare at Round Top in July 2011 JoAnn talks with John Clare at Round Top in July 2011 about the Rouse Flute Concerto, Don Juan, the Elgar Variations and the music of Daron Hagen, her upcoming guest conducting, and her philosophy on the importance of maintaining artistic excellence and reaching out to the community as orchestras meet the challenges facing them today. Watch the InterviewWHRO TV Interviews JoAnn and Does a Perspective on “20 Years of Magic with the Virginia Symphony” Cathy Lewis, host of WHRO TV’s What Matters program talks with JoAnn about her 20 years leading the Virginia Symphony, including thoughts from the VSO musicians, board members and others who have performed and worked with JoAnn. Vivien Schweitzer Interviews JoAnn for Gramophone March, 2011 Gramophone Digital Edition Gramophone Magazine features an interview with JoAnn Falletta in their March 2011 issue. Vivien Schweitzer talks with JoAnn about the Buffalo Philharmonic’s 75th anniversary events, building on the legacies of her predecessors, meeting the challenges of maintaining artistic excellence during economically challenging times, and her goals and vision for the future of the Buffalo Philharmonic. Read the Interview Woman At Work - JoAnn Falletta Talks With February 23, 2011 Jeremy Siepmann’s conversation with JoAnn Falletta is featured on the Naxos site. JoAnn and Jeremy talk about her experiences as one of the first major female conductors, and the importance of promoting and mentoring women on the podium, as composers and as musicians. They also talk about JoAnn’s upcoming Naxos releases with the Buffalo Philharmonic, including Josef Suk’s Fairy Tale and the music of Duke Ellington. Read the Interview WBFO’s Joyce Kryszak Talks With Music Director JoAnn Falletta About The Buffalo Philharmonic’s 75th Anniversary WBFO’s Joyce Kryszak talks with music director JoAnn Falletta about the Buffalo Philharmonic’s 75th anniversary, including the special CD collection—and reminiscing about the BPO. Read and Listen JoAnn speaks with Chris Felcyn of Detroit’s WRCJ-FM about the making of The Red Violin JoAnn Falletta speaks with Chris Felcyn of Detroit’s WRCJ-FM about the making of The Red Violin recording for Naxos, the BPO’s 75th anniversary, and how the people of Buffalo and Detroit are similar in embracing their orchestras during good times and bad.
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