Leila Josefowicz, St. Louis Symphony & David Robertson
Biography Leila Josefowicz, St. Louis Symphony & David Robertson
Leila Josefowicz
passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programmes and enthusiasm to perform new works. She frequently collaborates with leading composers and works with orchestras and conductors at the highest level around the world. In 2008 she was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, joining prominent scientists, writers and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.
Highlights of Josefowicz’s 2015/16 season include engagements with the London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and Sydney Symphony orchestras, the Orquesta Nacional de España, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, including on tour in Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. In North America Josefowicz performs with The Cleveland and Toronto Symphony orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, St Louis Symphony, and Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra. Josefowicz also appears in recital at New York’s Zankel Hall as well as in Berkeley and Denver.
Violin concertos have been written especially for Leila Josefowicz by composers including John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Colin Matthews and Steven Mackey. Scheherazade.2 (Dramatic Symphony for Violin and Orchestra) by Adams was given its world premiere by Josefowicz in March 2015 with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert. Luca Francesconi’s concerto Duende – The Dark Notes, also written for Josefowicz, was given its world premiere by her in 2014 with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Susanna Mälkki before being performed by Josefowicz, Mälkki and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms in July 2015.
Recent highlights include performances with the Chicago Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and Melbourne Symphony orchestras, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Filarmonica della Scala and the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester.
Josefowicz has released several recordings, notably for Deutsche Grammophon, Philips/Universal and Warner Classics and was featured on Touch Press’ acclaimed iPad app, The Orchestra. Her latest recording, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014.
