Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony, Finding Rothko & Picture Studies Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern

• Adam Schoenberg (1980): Finding Rothko:
• 1 Orange 03:30
• 2 Yellow 03:05
• 3 Red 04:07
• 4 Wine 04:09
• American Symphony:
• 5 I. Fanfare 02:56
• 6 II. White on Blue 05:50
• 7 III. Rondo 03:06
• 8 IV. Prayer 04:58
• 9 V. Stars, Stripes, and Celebration 05:56
• Picture Studies:
• 10 I. Intro 00:47
• 11 II. Three Pierrots 01:47
• 12 III. Repetition 04:40
• 13 IV. Olive Orchard 05:15
• 14 V. Kandinsky 03:45
• 15 VI. Calder's World 03:54
• 16 VII. Miró 01:24
• 17 VII. Interlude 00:41
• 18 IX. Cliffs of Moher 00:48
• 19 X. Pigeons in Flight 04:21
• Total Runtime 01:04:59

Info for Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony, Finding Rothko & Picture Studies

Says Schoenberg: “I have dreamt of having an orchestral disc of my music since first becoming a composer. This is an extraordinary gift, and I am thrilled to be sharing my music with all of you. The three pieces that you will soon experience embody my growth from student to professional composer. They each explore different styles, but my artistic voice remains consistent throughout.” Recently named one of the Top 10 most performed living classical composers by orchestras in the United States, Adam Schoenberg’s (b. November 15, 1980) music is “invigorating” (Los Angeles Times), and full of “mystery and sensuality” (The New York Times). This most recent season included performances and premieres at the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Hollywood Bowl.

We are proud to present these new works, two of them commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony: American Symphony and Picture Studies. The collaboration between Schoenberg and Michael Stern is extraordinary. Schoenberg states: “He is the first conductor to champion my music. He understands it, embraces it, and gives it an emotional dimension that would otherwise not exist. I also must thank the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony. This is an orchestra that plays with tremendous vigor, spirit, and emotion.” The performances were brilliantly captured by GRAMMY® award winners Keith O. Johnson (engineer), David Frost (producer) and GRAMMY® nominee Sean R. Martin (engineer).

Kansas City Symphony
Michael Stern, conductor

Michael Stern
is in his 10th season with the Kansas City Symphony, hailed for its remarkable artistic ascent, original programming, organizational development and stability, and the extraordinary growth of its varied audiences since his tenure began. Over the last three seasons, Stern and the orchestra have ushered in a new era and have performed to critical acclaim and sold-out audiences in their new home Helzberg Hall at the $400 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

To date, Mr. Stern and the Kansas City Symphony have successfully partnered with award-winning audiophile label Reference Recordings to produce four albums: Shakespeare’s Tempest; Britten’s Orchestra, which won a 2011 Grammy award in the “Surround Sound Album” category and producer David Frost won “Producer of the Year, Classical;” an Elgar/Vaughan Williams project; and most recently Miraculous Metamorphoses, featuring the music of Hindemith, Prokofiev and Bartók. Reference Recordings has slated a Saint-Saëns album for later release. In June 2014, Mr. Stern and the Symphony will record Adam Schoenberg’s Finding Rothko; Picture Studies, an expressive interpretation of masterpieces at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; and American Symphony, premiered by the Symphony in 2011. Mr. Stern led the commissioning of all three pieces. The Symphony and Mr. Stern also have recorded for the Naxos label. In July 2012, the Symphony’s concerts with internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato were broadcast nationally on nearly 400 PBS station for the PBS Summer Arts Series.

Mr. Stern is also the founding artistic director and principal conductor of IRIS Orchestra in Germantown, Tennessee. This unique group, now in its second decade, has been widely praised for its virtuosity and programming, and has produced a string of recordings and acclaimed commissioned new works by American composers. Other positions include a tenure as the chief conductor of Germany’s Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra (the first American chief conductor in the orchestra’s history) and as Permanent Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Lyon in France, a position which he held for five years, and a stint as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Lille, France. Michael Stern has led orchestras throughout Europe and Asia, including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Helsinki Philharmonic, Budapest Radio Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, National Symphony of Taiwan, Tokyo’s NHK Symphony and the Vienna Radio Symphony, among many others.

In North America, Mr. Stern has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. He has also appeared regularly at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Stern received his music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where his major teacher was the noted conductor and scholar Max Rudolf. Mr. Stern co-edited the third edition of Rudolf’s famous textbook, The Grammar of Conducting, and also edited a new volume of Rudolf’s collected writings and correspondence. He is a 1981 graduate of Harvard University, where he earned a degree in American history.

The Kansas City Symphony (KCS)
was founded by R. Crosby Kemper, Jr., in 1982, just months after the dissolution of the Kansas City Philharmonic. Under Kemper's leadership, the founding trustees of the Symphony created a sound structure for the Board and established the initial endowment. Today, the KCS is a major force in the cultural life of Kansas City and the region.

Now under the dynamic leadership of acclaimed Music Director Michael Stern, the Kansas City Symphony has experienced impressive artistic growth through its history and under the batons of Russell Patterson (1982-1986), William McGlaughlin (1986-1997), and Anne Manson (1998-2003). Aram Demirjian, Assistant Conductor, conducts the Family and Pops Series. Charles Bruffy is the Director of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus.

The Kansas City Symphony serves a metropolitan population of 1.8 million people. The orchestra's 80 full-time musicians are area residents and vital contributors to the artistic life of Kansas City. During its 42-week season, the Symphony performs a wide variety of subscription, educational, touring and outreach concerts. In addition, the KCS performs with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Ballet.

The Kansas City Symphony is governed by a Board of Directors under the leadership of Board President Shirley Bush Helzberg and is administered by a full-time professional staff. In addition, the KCS benefits from the dedicated efforts of its volunteer associations. The Symphony's six auxiliaries, with total membership of more than 700, raise over $1 million annually, making it one of the most successful orchestra volunteer forces in the nation.

The Symphony’s concerts with internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato were featured on the national PBS Summer Arts Series in July 2012. The Symphony has released four recordings on the Reference Recording label — Shakespeare’s Tempest, the Grammy®-winning Britten’s Orchestra, an Elgar/Vaughan Williams project and most recently a 20th century project highlighting composers Hindemith, Prokofiev and Bartók. An additional Saint-Saëns album is slated for later release. The Symphony and Michael Stern also have recorded for the Naxos label.

The orchestra has taped two nationally broadcast PBS television specials and performed on National Public Radio, including the prestigious SymphonyCast series. Highlights of classical performances are broadcast Thursdays at 9 p.m. on KCUR-FM 89.3, Kansas City's National Public Radio affiliate.

Booklet for Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony, Finding Rothko & Picture Studies