Harriman-Jewell Series: Bringing the best of the performing arts to Kansas City

Harriman-Jewell Series Presents Russian National Orchestra Led by Patrick Summers

WHAT: RUSSIAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA led by Patrick Summers

WHEN: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, at 8 p.m.

PRESENTED BY: HARRIMAN-JEWELL SERIES

WHERE: FOLLY THEATER, downtown Kansas City, Mo. (12th and Central Sts.)

TICKETS: remaining seats are $40, $55, $70—order online at hjseries.org or call 816-415-5025 for assistance.

PROGRAM: Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla, Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36.

HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES: Click the images below to download high-resolution versions.

Click for a high resolution image | Click for a high resolution image | photo credit: RNO

leadmarker The revered Russian National Orchestra will play at 8 p.m. Friday, February 26, at the Folly Theater (12th and Central Sts.) in downtown Kansas City. The orchestra's concert presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series will include Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla, Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36.

The Russian National Orchestra (RNO) has been in demand throughout the music world ever since its Moscow premiere in 1990. Of the orchestra's 1996 debut at the BBC Proms in London, the Evening Standard wrote, "They played with such captivating beauty that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure." More recently, they were described as "a living symbol of the best in Russian art" (Miami Herald) and "as close to perfect as one could hope for" (Trinity Mirror).

Gramophone magazine called the Orchestra's first CD (1991) "an awe-inspiring experience; should human beings be able to play like this?" and listed the RNO's Tchaikovsky Pathétique recording as the best ever. Since then, the orchestra has made more than 60 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and PentaTone Classics, distinguishing the RNO as the only Russian ensemble with long-standing relationships with these prestigious labels, as well as additional discs with many other record companies. Conductors represented in the RNO discography include Founder and Music Director Mikhail Pletnev, Principal Guest Conductor Vladimir Jurowski, Kent Nagano, Alexander Vedernikov, and Paavo Berglund.

The RNO's recording of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Beintus' Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano and narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton, and Mikhail Gorbachev, received a 2004 Grammy Award, making the RNO the first Russian orchestra to win the recording industry's highest honor. A Spanish language version narrated by Antonio Banderas was released in 2007, following a Russian version narrated by actors Oleg Tabakov and Sergei Bezrukov, with Mandarin and other editions to follow.

The RNO is unique among the principal Russian ensembles as a private institution funded with the support of individuals, corporations and foundations in Russia and throughout the world. In recognition of both its artistry and path-blazing structure, the Russian Federation recently awarded the RNO its first-ever grant to a non-government orchestra.

Guest Conductor Patrick Summers is Music Director of the Houston Grand Opera, and also appears in major opera houses worldwide. Summers is best known for his formidable grasp of extensive and diverse repertoire, ranging from period performances of the baroque, through bel canto and grand opera of the late romantic period to contemporary American works. Summers conducts eight performances this season with the Russian National Orchestra as part of its United States tour.

[Additional organizational information for Russian National Orchestra is available at www.russianarts.org.]
[Additional biographical information for Patrick Summers is available at www.opus3artists.com.]

Remaining tickets for the Russian National Orchestra concert are priced $40, $55, and $70, and can be ordered online at hjseries.org or by phone at 816-415-5025. The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation sponsors this performance.

Now in its 45th season, the nationally recognized Harriman-Jewell Series brings acclaimed performers from the worlds of music, dance, and theatre to Kansas City’s downtown venues. In addition to the performances, Educational Events offer free master classes and lectures to allow area community members and students to view artists in an informal setting. Financial support for the 2009-2010 season has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

###