Colin Currie to Perform with the Phoenix Symphony in January

Energetic Soloist Paired with Music of Italy: Respighi’s Masterpieces Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome

PHOENIX – Acclaimed percussionist Colin Currie returns to The Phoenix Symphony January 8-9, performing Jennifer Higdon’s innovative Percussion Concerto on an exciting program that includes “Respighi: The Pines of Rome.” The Pines of Rome and The Fountains of Rome are Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s most beloved and revered works, and depict the composer’s impressions of the Italian capital. Thursday’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and Friday evening’s concert begins at 8 p.m. Friday morning’s Coffee concert begins at 11 a.m. and consists of one hour of music selected from the evening’s program. These concerts are sponsored by the Wilhoit Family Foundation.

Colin Currie first came to international attention at the age of fifteen, when he won the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra Music Scholarship. Since then, he was the first percussionist to be awarded BBC Young Musician of the Year and was a recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award. He performs Spotlight Composer Jennifer Higdon’s intense Percussion Concerto, a work notable for both its sonic energy and its visual display due to the physical, aerobic demands on the soloist. Gabrieli’s Canzona noni toni a 12 rounds out the evening’s program.

Tickets for “Respighi: The Pines of Rome” range from $22 to $72 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or by visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org. Other highlights of The Phoenix Symphony’s 2008-09 Season include “Stravinsky: The Firebird” (February 19-21), “Mahler: Symphony No. 4″ (April 9 and 11) and “Joshua Bell in Concert” (May 23).

About Colin Currie: Percussionist Colin Currie has established a unique reputation for his charismatic and virtuosic performances of works by today’s leading composers, and has appeared with many of the world’s most important orchestras – the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra among them. Regularly commissioning and recording new works, he has made an inspirational and innovative contribution to percussion repertoire. Last season, Mr. Currie performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Marin Alsop in the European premiere of the Higdon Concerto and other premieres included the US premiere of Steven Mackey’s Time Release at Carnegie Hall with the Baltimore Symphony and Ms. Alsop. Mr. Currie was selected as a BBC New Generation Artist from 2003-2005.

About Music Director Michael Christie: Michael Christie begins his fourth season as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony with the 2008-09 season. He also serves as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival and of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has appeared with orchestras across the United States, Europe, and Canada, as well as with the Finnish National Opera, Queensland Opera, and Zürich Opera. In 1995, Mr. Christie was awarded a special prize at the First International Sibelius Conductor’s Competition. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony. Michael Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, Eiji Oue, and Peter Jaffe.

About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond. 

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman CA Howlett.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.

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