Opening Night Concert features masterworks by Ravel and Sibelius, plus a new work for Hindustani Soprano and Orchestra.

Albany, NY -  On September 24th, the Albany Symphony will kick off David Alan Miller’s 25th Anniversary Season at the Palace Theatre, celebrating the Grammy® award-winning Conductor’s leadership and the orchestra’s world-class musicians.  Miller, recipient of over 25 ASCAP Awards for adventurous and innovative programming, the 2003 Ditson Conductor’s Award, and a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation and a champion of American symphonic music.  Miller’s commitment to giving voice to new works by living American composers will be celebrated on September 24, 2016 at 7:00PM with the Capital Region debut performance of “Aria” for Hindustani Soprano and Orchestra by two-time ASCAP Morton Gould Award winner, Reena Esmail.  The piece is Esmail’s most ambitious work, incorporating a Hindustani classical soloist alongside a western orchestra. Of “Aria,” composer Esmail writes: "I love to create spaces where Indian and Western musicians can make music together, each working from their own tradition and training to engage in a beautiful dialogue between these two incredible musical cultures."

The Opening Night performance will also feature internationally acclaimed pianist Natasha Paremski performing, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, a three movement concerto inspired by partly by the jazz music Ravel encountered during his 1928 American concert tour; and a centennial performance of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, originally composed in 1915 and revised first in 1916. Immediately following the performance, patrons are invited to support the Albany Symphony at the Opening Night Gala.

“I am so honored to have had the privilege of working with the extraordinary musicians of the Albany Symphony for the past quarter-century,” said Maestro Miller. “I wanted this season to be a celebration of our achievements, but even more, a chance for us to look boldly to the future by featuring the great composers of tomorrow, like Reena Esmail.  Also, I want to share some of my absolutely favorite pieces with our passionate Capital Region public, pieces like Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and the glorious Ravel Concerto that simply take my breath away with their countless beauties.”    

Tickets to the concert start at $19, and can be purchased by calling the Albany Symphony Box Office at (518) 694-3300 or online at albanysymphony.com.  Concert & Gala Packages are also available, starting at $200.

About The Albany Symphony:

The Albany Symphony is one of this region’s most revered music and cultural institutions, having won numerous national awards for its adventurous concert programming, recording projects, composer residencies, and innovative educational efforts involving area schools.

The Albany Symphony’s season, which spans ten months from September through June, features timeless masterpieces, brilliant soloists, thrilling new compositions, and holiday and family programming. The trailblazing American Music Festival caps each season with a full week of dynamic new works by some of today’s best composers. As the only professional orchestra based in the Capital Region, the Albany Symphony enriches a broad and diverse community and engages more than 150,000 people each year throughout the area.

For more information, visit albanysymphony.com.

About David Alan Miller

Grammy® Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation. Music Director of the Albany Symphony since 1992, Mr. Miller has proven himself a creative and compelling orchestra builder. Through exploration of unusual repertoire, educational programming, community outreach and recording initiatives, he has reaffirmed the Albany Symphony’s reputation as the nation’s leading champion of American symphonic music and one of its most innovative orchestras.

A native of Los Angeles, David Alan Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School. Prior to his appointment in Albany, Mr. Miller was Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 1982 to 1988, he was Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony, earning considerable acclaim for his work with that ensemble. Mr. Miller lives with his wife and three children in Slingerlands, New York.

About Reena Esmail

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail enjoys working in both the Western and Hindustani (North Indian) classical music idioms.

Esmail holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from The Juilliard School, and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. Her primary teachers have included Susan Botti, Aaron Jay Kernis, Christopher Theofanidis and Martin Bresnick, Christopher Rouse and Samuel Adler. She has won numerous awards, including the Walter Hinrichsen Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (and subsequent publication of a work by C.F. Peters) and two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. She is currently in the post-residential period of her doctoral degree at the Yale School of Music.

Esmail was a recipient of a Fulbright-Nehru grant for the 2011-2012 year and lived in New Delhi, India, where she was affiliated with the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at Delhi University, and studied Hindustani vocal music with Gaurav Mazumdar. She was selected as a 2011 INK Fellow to speak about her work at the INK Conference (in association with TED) in Jaipur, with additional engagements in Chennai, Delhi and Goa.

About Natasha Paremski

"Comparisons with Argerich should not be given lightly, but Paremski is so clearly of the same temperament and technique that it is unavoidable here." — American Record Guide

With her consistently striking and dynamic performances, pianist Natasha Paremski reveals astounding virtuosity and voracious interpretive abilities. She continues to generate excitement from all corners as she wins over audiences with her musical sensibility and flawless technique.

Born in Moscow, Natasha moved to the United-States at the age of 8 and became a US citizen shortly thereafter. She is now based in New York.

Natasha was awarded several very prestigious artist prizes at a very young age, including the Gilmore Young Artists prize in 2006 at the age of 18, the Prix Montblanc in 2007, the Orpheum Stiftung Prize in Switzerland. In September 2010, she was awarded the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year.

About Saili Oak

A finalist on the popular reality TV series Zee Marathi SaReGaMaPa, Saili is a senior disciple of Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, a leading vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She has established her own identity with enriched talent in classical, as well as, semi-classical music.

aili has been learning music since the age of 3 years and has given performances at music festivals all over India and abroad. Some of her memorable performances include the Summer Sounds festival at the Hollywood bowl, Vedic Heritage in New York, Beyond Borders concert at the University of Maine to name a few. Her performances have been appreciated for her meticulous architecture of 'khayal', her systematic and well-crafted raga exploration and laudable command over the 'laya'.Saili has several albums and singles to her credit including the two tracks she recently recorded for Trevor Hall's album 'Kala'.

Having won the All India Classical music competition at the young age of 17, Saili regularly performs at the All India Radio. She was also conferred the Ministry of Culture's Scholarship for Hindustani music. She has graduated in Hindustani music from the Akhil Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. Saili has been awarded the prestigious Pt.Jasraj Yuva award, Pt Vasantrao Deshpande Yuva award, Gaanwardhan Award.

For media inquiries, contact:

Justin Cook

Albany Symphony

Marketing & Patron Services Manager

justinc@AlbanySymphony.com

(518) 465-4755