The theme of Germany’s Beethovenfest Bonn this year will be “Art has a mind of its own,” focusing on the artist in a global context, and will feature as its three orchestras in residence the Philharmonia Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and London Symphony Orchestra. The festival takes place from September 7 to October 7. Esa-Pekka Salonen makes his Beethovenfest debut leading the Philharmonia Orchestra in a complete Beethoven symphony cycle, interspersing the Beethoven works with contemporary compositions from each of the five continents. Michael Tilson Thomas—music director of the San Francisco Symphony—will also makes his festival debut leading the London Symphony Orchestra. Youth orchestras performing for the first time in the festival are the Turkish National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Cem Mansur, and the Youth Orchestra of Caracas, led by Dietrich Paredes and Andrés Rivas. Among visiting orchestras are the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester; the WDR Sinfonieorchester of Cologne; the Munich Chamber Orchestra; and La Chambre Philharmonique. The festival will also include a one-night John Cage celebration with students from Bonn schools performing Cage’s Musicircus and a staging of a choreographed concert 4 Elements—4 Seasons by the Ensemble für Alte Musik Berlin, with choreographer Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaolo.
Posted May 4, 2012
