Conductor James DePreist leads the Juilliard Orchestra in works by Christopher Theofanidis, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich on Thursday, October 4 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater

       The Juilliard Orchestra opens its regular season on Thursday, October 4 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater with conductor James DePreist leading the orchestra in a program featuring Chris

James DePreist (Photo by Peter Schaaf)

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topher Theofanidis’ Rainbow Body (2000); Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (soloist to be announced September 22); and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor.  The Orchestra performs in a special event with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy on Sunday, September 23 at 2 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater when Mr. Ashkenazy leads a rare open rehearsal and performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto. No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 with pianist Hong Xu.  During Juilliard’s renovation, the entrance to The Peter Jay Sharp Theater is located at 144 West 66th Street.
      
       Mr. Theofanidis’ Rainbow Body is based on one of Hildegard von Bingen’s chants Ave Maria, O auctrix vite (“Hail Mary, source of life”). Mr. Theofanidis says of the work: “The title, Rainbow Body, comes from an idea in Tibetan Buddhism which says that when an enlightened being dies, his or her body doesn't decay, but instead is absorbed back into the universe as energy and light. For me, this had a resonance with the fact that I built the piece on a fragment of music of the Medieval mystic, Hildegard of Bingen, and her music was being ‘absorbed’ back into my musical universe, as it were.” 
       
       Tickets are FREE and are available on September 20 at the Juilliard Box Office, located at 60 Lincoln Center Plaza. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 11 AM – 6 PM.  The Juilliard Box Office is accessible by elevator, escalator, or stairs located on W. 65th Street near Amsterdam Avenue. For further information, call the Juilliard Box Office at (212) 769-7406 or visit www.juilliard.edu.
      
       James DePreist is director of Conducting and Orchestral Studies at Juilliard. Named permanent conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in 2005, Mr. DePreist has served as music director of L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Sweden’s Malmo Symphony, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, and the Oregon Symphony; he has toured and recorded extensively during his tenure with each orchestra. As a guest conductor Mr. DePreist has appeared with every major orchestra in North America, as well as leading orchestras throughout Europe, Australia, Israel, and Asia.  He appears regularly at the Aspen Music Festival, with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, and with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Music Center. 
       
       Mr. DePreist’s more than 50 recordings reflect a broad range of repertoire including a celebrated Shostakovich series with the Helsinski Philharmonic. He also has released 15 recordings with the Oregon Symphony. His latest CD features Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 with the London Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos label. Mr. DePreist has been awarded 13 honorary doctorates and is the author of two published books of poetry. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music; is a recipient of the Insignia of Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland and the Medal of the City of Québec; and is an Officer of the Order of Cultural Merit of Monaco. In 2005, Mr. DePreist was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.
      
       The next appearance of the Juilliard Orchestra will be on Thursday, October 11 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater with conductor Anne Manson who leads the orchestra in a program of works by Zhou Long, Mozart, Jennifer Higdon, and Bartók.  FREE tickets are required and will be available beginning September 27 at the Juilliard Box Office.

       Juilliard presents more than 700 dance, drama, and music events annually. During ongoing renovations, a full calendar of events is scheduled. For a complete listing of events, as well as construction updates, go to www.juilliard.edu.

       The Juilliard School established this country’s standard for education in the performing arts, beginning with music in 1905.  In 1951, its Dance Division was established, with combined training in contemporary and ballet technique. Juilliard became part of Lincoln Center in 1968, and added a four-year Drama program. In 2001, Juilliard broke new ground with the addition of its first Jazz Program. More than 800 young artists, from 49 states (including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia) and 46 foreign countries, attend Juilliard; among its celebrated alumni in all fields are Pina Bausch, Martha Clarke, Van Cliburn, James Conlon, Miles Davis, Renée Fleming, Philip Glass, Kevin Kline, James Levine, David Lindsay-Abaire, Laura Linney, Lar Lubovitch, Patti LuPone, Yo-Yo Ma, Henry Mancini, Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Mosher, Itzhak Perlman, Leontyne Price, Sara Ramirez, Steve Reich, Richard Rodgers, Neil Sedaka, Leonard Slatkin, Kevin Spacey, Paul Taylor, Robin Williams, Meredith Willson, and many others. For more information, visit Juilliard’s Web site at www.juilliard.edu.