November 2021 Artist Updates from Primo Artists
James Gaffigan: Fresh off the heels of a U.S. tour where he led successful concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony and Atlanta Symphony, James Gaffigan conducts Ligeti’s “Le Grand Macabre” on November 27 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic where he is Principal Guest Conductor, and Verdi’s “Don Carlos” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin December 5-18. He remains in Berlin for New Year’s concerts with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin.
Cristian Măcelaru: In his second season as Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Cristian Măcelaru and the orchestra have recorded their first album together on Warner Classics featuring the complete symphonies of Saint-Saëns released on November 26 in commemoration of the centenary of the composer’s death. In September, the orchestra played two enthusiastically received performances at the Enescu Festival where Măcelaru has been nominated to be the festival’s new Artistic Director.
Nicola Benedetti: Nicola Benedetti returns to the States for the first time following the pandemic to play Korngold Concerto with the LA Phil and conductor Simone Young on November 26 & 28. Her Decca recording of the Korngold, entitled The Silver Violin, is known for landing at #30 in the UK Pop Charts, making her the first classical artist to hit the charts since Nigel Kennedy. The last time Nicola was in Los Angeles was in January 2020 when she played at the GRAMMYs and won her first-ever GRAMMY for the album Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite.
Randall Goosby: Randall Goosby makes his NYC recital debut on December 9 at the 92nd Street Y on a program of Mozart’s Violin Sonata in B-flat major K. 454, Franck’s Violin Sonata in A Major, and selections from his Decca Classics album “Roots” that debuted at #1 on the Classical Charts, including Florence Price’s Fantasies Nos. 1 & 2 and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Blues Forms”.
Wynton Marsalis: The Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin will give the World Premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Tuba Concerto, a Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission, with soloist Carol Jantsch December 9-12 at the Kimmel Center. The Tuba Concerto will mark Marsalis’ first-ever brass concerto. On January 22 & 23, 2022, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Xian Zhang will give the World Premiere of Marsalis’ “Fanfare”, an NJSO co-commission, marking Marsalis’ first-ever brass fanfare.
Gemma New: Gemma New returns to the Dallas Symphony for her third season as Principal Guest Conductor on a program of Debussy’s “Printemps”, Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony and Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with Nathan Olson November 18-21. Making her first St. Louis appearance following her 4-year tenure as Resident Conductor, Gemma returns to the St. Louis Symphony November 27 & 28 on a subscription program of Elgar’s “Sea Pictures”, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and Jake Heggie’s “The Work At Hand”.
Itzhak Perlman: On December 2, Itzhak Perlman is the featured soloist for the New York Philharmonic’s first gala in 22 months since the pandemic. He performs Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 with Music Director Jaap van Zweden at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, marking his 85th New York Philharmonic appearance. On December 11, he plays the 75th Anniversary Gala of the Nashville Symphony.
