Syracuse Symphony Orchestra

SYRACUSE, NY – Jon Nakamatsu and Andrew Russo perform with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in The Classical Piano. The Post-Standard Classics Series concert is on Friday and Saturday, March 12-13 in the Mulroy Civic Center at 8:00 p.m. Music Director Daniel Hege will lead the orchestra in what promises to be an exceptional display of world-class musicianship.

Sensis Corporation generously sponsors The Classical Piano. The Post-Standard is the SSO’s Classics Series sponsor. RBC Wealth Management sponsors the SSO’s season in its entirety and WCNY Classical FM is the media sponsor for the SSO.

Tickets begin at $15 and are available through the box office by calling (315) 424-8200 or (800) 724-3810, or visiting www.syracusesymphony.org.

Pre-concert discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. featuring Music Director Daniel Hege and guests Jon Nakamatsu and Andrew Russo. Photographs and interviews are available upon request.

The SSO is collecting non-perishable food items at this concert as well as every concert in the Civic Center in March as part of Orchestras Feeding America. This drive is in partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York, the League of American Orchestras and Feeding America. Bins will be placed in the Civic Center lobby for food donations.

The concert repertoire features Haydn’s Symphony No. 22, The Philosopher, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite and Mozart’s Concerto No. 10 for Two Pianos. Mr. Nakamatsu will perform on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Mozart’s Concerto No. 10 for Two Pianos. Mr. Russo will perform with Mr. Nakamatsu on Mozart’s Concerto No. 10 for Two Pianos.

Jon Nakamatsu is the 10th Van Cliburn Gold Medal winner. One of the most acclaimed and sought-after pianists of his generations he is a versatile performer of solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire. He is a frequent guest artist to the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and has performed with orchestras all over the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, Boston Pops, Rochester Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Japan’s Tokyo and Hiroshima Symphony Orchestras, Memphis Symphony, Seattle Symphony and many others.

Mr. Nakamatsu has been recognized and critically acclaimed for his performances. He was named Debut Artist of the Year in 1998 by NPR’s “Performance Today” and won Miami’s Fifth United States Chopin competition. Mr. Nakamatsu’s recording career is expanding with his latest release; his second orchestral album with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue, conducted by Jeff Tyzik. He will be releasing an album with clarinetist, Jon Manasse, of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas.

Andrew Russo is both a Syracuse local and a Grammy-nominated pianist of international recognition. Mr. Russo is an avant-garde, classically trained pianist who champions contemporary classical music. He was artistic director and performer at the 2002 George Crumb Celebration Festival, which was met with critical acclaim and audience enthusiasm.

His recordings of John Corigliano’s piano works received a Grammy nomination and his recording of Reich’s Piano Phase was named a Benchmark Performance by BBC Magazine. He is currently artist-in-residence at LeMoyne College, where he brings in guest artists for community performances. Mr. Russo reaches those with varying socio-economic backgrounds through masterclasses, clinics and performances as well as though his innovative concert series at Le Moyne College's W. Carroll Coyne Performing Arts Center.

About the SSO

During its 39-week season, the 80-member Syracuse Symphony Orchestra performs for more than 237,000 audience members through 213 full-orchestra and ensemble concerts in 17 counties throughout New York State. Founded in 1961, the Syracuse Symphony, led by a conducting staff of international caliber, has performed five concerts at Carnegie Hall, most recently on April 5, 2003, and was presented with the NYS Governor's Arts Award in 1999. For more information, visit us at www.syracusesymphony.org.