Juilliard presents conductor James Conlon leading the ensemble AXIOM on Sunday, April 13 at 3 PM and Wednesday, April 16 at 8 PM at John Jay College, part of James Conlon's Juilliard residency, "Recovered Voices"

Works by Franz Schreker, Igor Stravinsky, Pavel Haas, Hans Krasa, Bohuslav Martinu, George Antheil, and Francis Poulenc illustrate "Generative and Degenerate" Music

James Conlon leads the ensemble AXIOM in two concerts of Generative and Degenerate Music on Sunday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 16 featuring works by composers Franz Schreker, Igor Stravinsky, Pavel Haas, Hans Krása, Bohuslav Martinu, George Antheil, and Francis Poulenc in two concerts at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (located at 899 Tenth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets). 

On Sunday, April 13 at 3 PM, Mr. Conlon conducts AXIOM in music from 1915-1920: Franz Schreker’s Kammersymphonie (1916) and Igor Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat (1918) with Juilliard actors Amari Cheatom (Soldier), Ben Rappaport (Narrator), and Finn Wittrock (Devil), and choreographer/dancer Andrea Miller.
       
On Wednesday, April 16 at 8 PM, AXIOM, led by Mr. Conlon, performs music from 1925-1935: Hans Krása’s Kammermusik (1935); Bohuslav Martinu’s La revue de cuisine (1927); Francis Poulenc’s Aubade: Concerto Choreographique (1931) choreographed by Austin McCormick with Juilliard dancer Laura Careless; Pavel Haas’ Vyvolená Op. 8 (1927) with tenor Matthew Garrett; and George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony (1925). 
       
FREE tickets are available for both concerts beginning March 31 at the Juilliard Box Office. To get to the Box Office, walk west on 65th Street towards Amsterdam Avenue and take the elevator/escalator to the plaza level. For further information, call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu.

 In 1937, the Nazis formalized their policy against what they called Entartete Kunst, degenerate art, and in 1938, they turned on Entartete Musik – marking the start of their effective campaign to wipe out those musicians and other artists so accused. The banning of new music blotted out many creations from the previous three decades as well. Meanwhile elsewhere, especially in Paris between the world wars, music and art thrived, the composers generating new rhythms, harmonies, new ideas, and a legacy reaching to our times. In German-occupied Europe, tradition was uprooted and innovation suppressed. The coined phrase ‘generative’ denotes music that was written in an open society and was able to generate further development.                                                    

In addition, on Friday, April 11, 8:30 PM at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, James Conlon leads Ensemble ACJW in music from 1920-1925: Edgard Varèse’s Octandre (1923); Ernst Krenek’s O Lacrymosa, Op. 48 and “Als ich damals am strand des meeres stand” from Jonny spielt auf; Erwin Schulhoff’s Die Wolkenpumpe, Op. 40 (1922); Darius Milhaud’s La Création du monde (ballet), Op. 81 (1923); Edgard Varese’s Intégrales (1925); and Paul Hindemith’s Kammermusik No. 1, Op. 24 (1922). Tickets at $15 are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office or through CarnegieCharge (212) 247-7800 or www.carnegiehall.org.

ABOUT JAMES CONLON
       One of today’s preeminent conductors, James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire, and developed enduring relationships with many of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras and opera houses. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, Mr. Conlon has appeared as guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European orchestra and has been a frequent guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for over thirty years. Mr. Conlon is Music Director of Los Angeles Opera, Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has been Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival since 1979. Mr. Conlon served as Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989-2002); and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991).  
      
This season at Los Angeles Opera, Mr. Conlon leads productions of Beethoven’s Fidelio, Janácek’s Jenufa, Verdi’s Otello, and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. He also conducts Alexander Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg and Viktor Ullmann’s Der zerbrochene Krug, the first operas of the Recovered Voices series, a multi-year project during which Mr. Conlon brings the music of composers suppressed by the Nazi regime to the L.A. Opera stage. He has begun a two-year “artist in residence” at Juilliard, during which he is working with the School’s young artists in a cross-genre educational project consisting of performances, symposia, master classes, and coaching. Mr. Conlon also guest conducts the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic in the U.S., and in Europe, the Orchestra National de France, L'Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, National Philharmonic of Russia, Munich Philharmonic and the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale in Florence.
      
In an effort to raise public consciousness to the significance of works of composers whose lives and compositions were suppressed by the Nazi regime, Mr. Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music in North America and Europe. At both the Ravinia Festival and L.A. Opera he continues to program works of these composers, and his residency at Juilliard focuses in part on the study and performance of these works. 
       
Mr. Conlon has recorded for EMI, SONY Classical, ERATO, CAPRICCIO, TELARC and DECCA, and has won awards for his recordings of the works of Alexander Zemlinsky. PBS recently aired a series of six shows hosted by Mr. Conlon entitled Encore, part of an ongoing series of documentaries on his work with the finalists of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. 
       
Mr. Conlon is one of five first recipients of the Opera News Award given in 2005 in recognition for distinguished achievement in opera. He received the Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts in bringing the composer’s music to international attention, and in recognition for his efforts in championing the works of composers silenced by the Third Reich, Mr. Conlon received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2007. Mr. Conlon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree by The Juilliard School in 2004. He was named an Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 1996, and in 2004 was promoted to Commander. In 2002, James Conlon received France’s highest distinction from the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac—the Légion d’Honneur.

ABOUT THE AXIOM ENSEMBLE
The newest addition to Juilliard’s roster of performing ensembles is AXIOM, which was formed by student initiative in 2005. This new chamber ensemble, lead by Music Director Jeffrey Milarsky, is dedicated to performing the masterworks of the twentieth-century repertoire. AXIOM is comprised of a flexible roster of current Juilliard students and recent graduates. In December 2006, James Conlon conducted the ensemble’s debut performance in Avery Fisher Hall featuring the music of Schoenberg and Debussy. AXIOM has been a featured instrumental ensemble for the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital, performing Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs with soprano Sarah Wolfson in 2005 and the world premiere of Josef Bardanashvili’s Three Scenes with soprano Raquela Sheeran in 2006. 

In 2007, AXIOM was selected to collaborate with the Juilliard Dance Division as part of their “Spring Dances at Juilliard” performances in March, 2007. These concerts featured choreographer Jirí Kylián’s Soldier’s Mass  (set to Bohuslav Martinu’s work by the same title) and choreographer Susan Marshall’s Name by Name (set to David Lang’s this was written by hand) and collaborated with the Juilliard Music Technology Center for the annual “Beyond the Machine” concert series in Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theater. As part of these presentations of electronic and interactive music, AXIOM performed Ed Bilous’ Lucid Dreams, which was composed for and premiered by the American Composers Orchestra in Zankel Hall, and the world premiere of John King’s Trilogic Unity. AXIOM was the featured ensemble for Miller Theatre’s celebration of Elliott Carter’s 99th birthday in December, 2007, performing the New York stage premiere of his opera, What Next? AXIOM will conclude its 2007-08 performance season with “Beyond the Machine 8.0” The Groove Collective on May 3, 2008 at Miller Theatre; Jeffrey Milarsky will conduct the music of
Jacob ter Veldhuis and Scott Johnson.

FOR LISTINGS:

Generative and Degenerate Music – Three Chamber Concerts – April 11, 13, and 16, 2008

Friday, April 11, 8:30 PM
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets
Ensemble ACJW (Fellows of The Academy – A Program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and The Weill Music Institute)
James Conlon, Conductor
Works by Erwin Schulhoff, Ernst Krenek, Edgard Varèse, Paul Hindemith, and Darius Milhaud
Tickets are $15, available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office or through CarnegieCharge (212) 247-7800 or www.carnegiehall.org.

Sunday, April 13, 3 PM
Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets
AXIOM Ensemble
James Conlon, Conductor
Music from 1915-1920
Franz Schreker - Kammersymphonie (1916)
Igor Stravinsky L’histoire du Soldat (1918) with Juilliard actors Amari Cheatom (Soldier), Ben Rappaport (Narrator), and Finn Wittrock (Devil), choreographer/dancer Andrea Miller

Wednesday, April 16, 8 PM
Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
AXIOM Ensemble
James Conlon, Conductor
Music from 1925-1935
Hans Krása - Kammermusik (1935)
Bohuslav Martinu La revue de cuisine (1927)
Francis Poulenc Aubade: Concerto Choreographique (1931), choreographed by Austin McCormick with Juilliard dancer Laura Careless
Pavel Haas Vyvolená, Op. 8 (1927) with tenor Matthew Garrett
George Antheil A Jazz Symphony (1925)
FREE tickets for the concerts on April 13 and 16 are available beginning March 31 at the Juilliard Box Office, located at 60 Lincoln Center Plaza. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 11 AM – 6 PM. To get to the Box Office, walk west on 65th Street and take the escalator/elevator to the plaza level.

For more information, please call the Juilliard Box Office at (212) 769-7406 or visit the Web site www.juilliard.edu.