(New York, New York, October 5, 2011)
- Carnegie Hall opened its 2011-2012 season with a sold out
gala benefit concert featuring the
Mariinsky
Orchestra conducted by Music Director
Valery
Gergiev in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage.
The all-Russian program included Shostakovich's
Festive Overture,
Rimsky-Korsakov's
Scheherazade,
and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme featuring
guest soloist, cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The concert
continues Carnegie Hall's 120th anniversary year
celebration, launching an October focus on Tchaikovsky the
great Russian composer who made his American debut
conducting Carnegie Hall's very first opening night in
1891?with events at Carnegie Hall and throughout New York
City through partnerships with several other cultural
organizations. The gala, which was attended by more than
600 guests, raised nearly $2.8 million in support of
Carnegie Hall's artistic and education programming.
The Opening Night Gala event was co-chaired by Mercedes and
Sid Bass, Yoko Nagae Ceschina, Frederick Iseman, Marie-Josée
and Henry Kravis, Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer /
Tishman Speyer, Joan and Sanford I. Weill, and Ann Ziff.
Honorary chairmen included The Honorable John R. Beyrle,
Ambassador of the United States to the Russian Federation,
and His Excellency Sergey I. Kislyak, Ambassador of the
Russian Federation to the United States. For the eighth
consecutive season, PwC is the Opening Night Gala sponsor.
The gala included a pre-concert reception in Carnegie Hall's
Rohatyn Room and a gala dinner at The Waldorf=Astoria's
Grand Ballroom following the concert.
Following their Opening Night performance, the Mariinsky
Orchestra and Maestro Gergiev return for four additional
concerts, October 6, 2011, which include a cycle of
Tchaikovsky's six symphonies and the composer's Piano
Concerto No. 1 with guest soloist
Daniil Trifonov, Grand Prize Winner of this
summer's XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition. These
concerts anchor Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg,? the extended
anniversary focus on the composer, which, in addition to
music, explores his influence on the culture and artists of
St. Petersburg, Russia, with additional events throughout
the city. Partners for
Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg include The
Harriman Institute at Columbia University, Musica Sacra at
the The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City
Ballet, New York Public Library, The School of American
Ballet at Lincoln Center, and Sotheby's auction house.
Carnegie Hall also recently released its 120th Anniversary
Mobile App, inviting users to visit New York City in the
1890s the time in which Carnegie Hall was born with a
Tchaikovsky in NYC walking tour and exclusive audio and
video by the Maarinsky Orchestra and Maestro Gergiev. It's
available now for iPhone at the Apple App Store, and will
soon be available for all Android-enabled devices.
For more information on Carnegie Hall?s 2011?2012 season,
please visit
www.carnegiehall.org .
Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg
is sponsored by PwC.
Bank of
America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.