Gerard Schwarz.

William Wolfram.

SkyBest Mainstage Event:

The Eastern Festival Orchestra

Gerard Schwarz, conductor
André Watts, piano
William Wolfram, piano

Programming Note: A sprained left wrist will sideline André Watts from making his scheduled appearance with the Eastern Festival Orchestra on Sunday, July 20, 2008. In his place, acclaimed pianist William Wolfram will perform the highly anticipated Grieg Piano Concerto in a minor, in a program that also includes Mahler's triumphant Symphony No. 1 in D Major.

"There [is] no mistaking the virtuosity of André Watts. ...His technique has the sleek, polished facility of someone born to the instrument." - The New York Times

"Schwarz's commitment and meticulous preparation were evident in every line of the music... Schwarz and his orchestra were most commandingly in the vein, and his interpretation, at once sensitive and athletic, served the music's strength and integrity without ever degenerating into sentimentalism or mere bluster." - Seen and Heard International

Gerard Schwarz is internationally recognized for his engaging performances, innovative programming and renowned recording history. Maestro Schwarz is Music Director of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, and is in his 23rd year as Music Director for the Seattle Symphony. He has also served as Music Director of New York's Mostly Mozart Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony. Schwarz was the first American to be named Conductor of the Year by Musical America. He has received 11 Grammy nominations, six ASCAP awards, and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation awards. In 2007, he received an Emmy for his performance with Seattle Symphony of Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony and won critical acclaim for his remarkable collaboration with Dale Chihuly to present Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle.

On July 20, Maestro Schwarz will conduct the symphony in Grieg's Lyric Suite and Piano Concerto in a minor and Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major.

Praised for his "unleashed rapture and edge-of-the-seat energy," American pianist William Wolfram has garnered the respect of musicians and the acclaim of critics across the country as a versatile recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician.

Mr. Wolfram's recent and past season appearances include concerts with the San Francisco Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival Orchestra and the symphonies of Milwaukee, Utah, Florida, Virginia, Kansas City, Honolulu and Toledo.

Overseas, Mr. Wolfram has appeared with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Budapest Philharmonic, the Capetown and Johannesburg Symphonies of South Africa, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa, in Mexico and the National Symphony of Peru.

A devoted supporter of contemporary music, Mr. Wolfram has close ties with composers such as Aaron Jay Kernis, Kenneth Frazelle, Marc Andre Dalbavie, Kenji Bunch and Paul Chihara. His world premiére performance of the Chihara re-orchestration of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Milwaukee Symphony under the baton of Andreas Delfs was met with great critical attention and acclaim.

Mr. Wolfram's upcoming appearances include concerts with the Baltimore Symphony and Marin Alsop (Corigliano Piano Concerto), the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center with Leon Botstein, the Phoenix Symphony with Michael Christie and the Rochester Philharmonic with Jerzy Semkow among others.

One of the world's most celebrated and beloved pianists returns to An Appalachian Summer Festival to perform the Grieg Piano Concerto in a minor. André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic. Only two weeks later, Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for the ailing Glenn Gould in performances of Liszt's E-flat Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, thus launching his career in storybook fashion. More than 45 years later, André Watts performs each year with the world's great orchestras and conductors. His sold-out recitals and appearances at the most prestigious international festivals bring him to every corner of the globe.

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