John Axelrod will turn Sevilla into the epicentre of European activities for the Bernstein at 100 worldwide events, the conductor told Pizzicato. « Sevilla is the only orchestra in Spain to do this, and I believe we have more programs than any other orchestra in Europe. »
Recognized worldwide as a Bernsteinian, John Axelrod has been closely associated with the Samuel Pisar version of Bernstein’s Symphony no. 3 (Kaddish), which he premiered to critical acclaim at the Ravinia Festival in 2003 with the Chicago Symphony, recorded with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival in 2006, and has conducted since in London, Paris, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, Edinburgh, etc.

 

 

John Axelrod also premiered the now famous Robert Carsen production of Candide at the Theatre du Châtelet in 2006, which won the Prix d’Or, in Teatro alla Scala in 2007 and most recently at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

John Axelrod’s recording of Bernstein’s Serenade, with violinist Rachel Kolly d’Alba, was released on Warner Classics in 2012.

As an author, John Axelrod’s book, On Conducting Bernstein’s Symphonies, was published by Naxos in 2015, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Bernstein’s death.

Since 2001, John Axelrod has conducted all the symphonies by Bernstein, his concerti, orchestral compositions and theatrical works at major festivals and with various orchestras.
Sevilla’s orchestra says in a press release: « Therefore, the Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla is uniquely positioned to benefit from this experience of its current Artistic and Musical Director during the 2018 Bernstein Centennial and become a focal point on the global map of centennial celebrations. »

An enthusiastic Axelrod says: « We aslso plan a Facebook social media live streaming of the concerts. This will enhance the global promotion of our Bernstein at 100 Centennial activities, over 12 programs covering his repertoire throughout 2018, including chamber music. »

John Axelrod’s most ambitious project is a unique touring presentation of the iconic theatrical masterpiece West Side Story in a Flamenco version: « The music of Bernstein remains the same with all the great sounds and songs. The Jets in English, the Sharks in Spanish has been proven after a 2009 Broadway run to be a multi-cultural success. What is new is the Sevillana spin: Flamenco! »

Sevilla is the birthplace of Flamenco and the setting of over 150 operas. And to make the West Side Story connection, it is also from where Christopher Columbus sailed to discover the New World via, Puerto Rico. While West Side Story has mambos and cha-chas in the mix, the addition of flamenco ensemble with dancers and singers at opportune moments in the score and staging, balanced with the expected swing dancing of the period, creates a unique atmosphere and an unforgettable experience.

Axelrod: « A Flamenco West Side Story is the ideal production to celebrate the Centennial, to outreach to Hispanic and other immigrant demographics in the community, and to provide a novel approach to rediscover one of the greatest musical theatre works of all time. A Flamenco West Side Story also highlights the stories of immigrant families and their struggle to integrate into communities. As Al-Andaluz itself was an immigrant episode in the history of Spain, and the characters of the Puerto Rican Sharks are immigrants in 50’s New York (as were the Jets from previous generations), the Flamenco West Side Story is an important testament to how musical performance can have a positive impact on how current events and the European refugee experience are understood and embraced. »

CICLO BERNSTEIN A LOS 100

TEATRO DE LA MAESTRANZA, 20:30 HORAS

BERNSTEIN 1
FILOSOFÍA DE LENNY
Jueves 18 / Viernes 19 – Enero 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Violín: Daniel Hope
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Serenata « Después del Simposio de Platón »
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Las Ruinas de Atenas, Obertura, Op. 113
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN: Sinfonía nº 22,en Mi bemol mayor « El Filósofo »

BERNSTEIN 2
MEDITACIONES MUSICALES
Jueves 25 / Viernes 26 – Enero 2018
Director: Jean Luc Tingaud
Violonchelo: Leonard Elschenbroich
ARVO PÄRT: Canto en memoria de Benjamin Britten
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Mass, Three Meditations
BÉLA BARTÓK: Concierto para Orquesta

BERNSTEIN 3
TITANES. BERNSTEIN SOBRE MAHLER SOBRE BERNSTEIN
Jueves 8 / Viernes 9 – Marzo 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Mezzosoprano: Rinat Shaham
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Sinfonía nº 1 « Jeremias »
GUSTAV MAHLER: Sinfonía nº 1, en Re mayor « Titan »

BERNSTEIN 4
DANZAS SINFÓNICAS
Jueves 15 / Viernes 16 – Marzo 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Violonchelo: Xavier Phillips
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: West Side Story, Danzas sifónicas
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Concierto para violonchelo nº 2, en Sol
mayor, Op. 126
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Danzas sinfónicas, Op. 45

BERNSTEIN 5
GUERRA Y PAZ
Jueves 7 / Viernes 8 – Junio 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Flauta: Andreas Blau
SAMUEL BARBER: Adagio para cuerda
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Halil
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Sinfonía nº 7, en Do mayor, Op. 60
« Leningrado »

BERNSTEIN 6
LA EDAD DE LA ANSIEDAD
Jueves 21 / Viernes 22 – Junio 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Piano: Markus Schirmer
CHARLES IVES: La pregunta sin respuesta, S.50
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Sinfonía nº 2 « La edad de la ansiedad »
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Sinfonía nº 5, en Re menor, Op. 47

BERNSTEIN 7
UN AMERICANO EN SEVILLA
Jueves 28 / Viernes 29 – Junio 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Clarinete: Sebastian Mainz
JOAN TOWER: Fanfarria para la mujer poco común
AARON COPLAND: Fanfarria para el hombre común
AARON COPLAND: Concierto para clarinete
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Preludio, Fuga y Riffs
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Un americano en Paris

BERNSTEIN 8
NUEVA YORK, NUEVA YORK
Jueves 5 / Viernes 6 – Julio 2018
Director: John Axelrod
Piano: Juan Pérez Floristán
NUEVA YORK, NUEVA YORK
EDW. KENNEDI « DUKE » ELLINGTON: Harlem
GEORGE GERSHWIN: I Got Rhythm, Variartions
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Un día en Nueva York, Tres episodios del
baile
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue (original jazz band version)

PROGRAMAS FUERA DE ABONO

Jueves 4 / Viernes 5 – Enero 2018
UN NUEVO AÑO CON BESOS
20:30 y 12:00 h
Teatro de la Maestranza
Director: John Axelrod
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Candide, Obertura / Aria-Glitter
and be gay
JOHAN STRAUSS: Küss Valzer
JOHAN STRAUSS: Schatz Valzer
JOHAN STRAUSS: Man lebt nur einmal!
JOHAN STRAUSS: Ballg`schichten
JOHAN STRAUSS: Frühlingsstimmen
DUKE ELLINGTON: Harlem Nutcracker (arr. J. Tyzik)
BERNSTEIN CHAMBER MUSIC
in Sala Turina

Domingo 19– Noviembre 2017
ROYAL BRASS QUINTET
Trompetas: Denis Konir y
Nuria Leyva Muñoz
Trompa: Javier Rizo Román
Trombón: Francisco Blay
Martínez
Bombardino:
José Vicente Ortega Sierra
CONCIERTO III – THE JOY OF BRASS
GEORG F. HAENDEL: Aleluya Chorus “Mesías”
LOUIS “MOONDOG” HARDING: Logrundr XVIII
WOLGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Aria de la Reina de la Noche (La
Flauta Mágica)
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess (Obertura “Catfish Row”/
Summertime/ I Got Plenty o`Nuttin”/ Bess you is my woman now/ It
ain`t necessarily so)
BERT A. WILLIAMS: That`s a plenty
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: West side story (Maria/ America/ Somewhere)
PAUL CHAUVIN (Arr.): Big band montage (Woodchopper`s Ball/
Cherry pink and Apple blossom white/Begin the beguine/ Opus one/
Dream)

Domingo 29 – Abril 2018
QUINTETO DE VIENTO ÁBREGO
Flauta: Toni Hervás Borrull
Oboe: Héctor Herrero Canet
Clarinete: José Luis Fernández
Sánchez
Fagot: Ramiro García Martín
Trompa: Ángel Lasheras Torres
CONCIERTO VIII – CRUZANDO AMÉRICA
LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Candide Overture, para quinteto de viento
(arr. Don Stewart)
ELLIOT CARTER: Woodwind quintet, para quinteto de viento
SAMUEL BARBER: Summer music, para quinteto de viento, Op.31
JULIO MEDAGLIA: Belle Epoque en Sud-América, para quinteto de
viento

TEMPORADA 2018-2019

MUSIC AND THE WRITTEN WORD
Octubre 2018
Bernstein 100 Abono
Y DIOS ES UNO: BERNSTEIN Y MONOTHEISMO
John Axelrod, Director
Dates to be Determined: Fechas que se fijen
(Original Bernstein/Sam Pisar Text Versions)
With Judith Pisar, Leah Pisar Narrators
Aaron Jay Kernis: Musica Celestis (attacca into)
Mohammed Fairouz: Symphony 3, Poems and Prayers
Mezzo Soprano, Baritone, Mixed Chorus, Children’s Choir
pause
Barber: Agnus Dei, Coro de la A.A del Teatro de la Maestranza
(attacca into)
Bernstein: Symphony 3, Kaddish
Mixed Chorus/Children’s chorus, Laura Claycomb, Soprano solo
Coro de la A.A del Teatro de la Maestranza, Children’s Choir

SEVILLA FLAMENCO BIENNALE SEPTIEMBRE/OCTUBRE 2018

A FLAMENCO WEST SIDE STORY
WEST SIDE STORY: Concertante with Flamenco
With the Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla, JA
Flamenco Version with Spanish (Sharks)/English (Jets) version (Broadway
2009), with Jerome Robbins Choreography, plus additional Flamenco
intermezzi
Flamenco Ensemble: Dancers, Costumes, Singers, Players:
National Ballet of Andalusia
Coro of the Teatro de la Maestranza