NEWS
Feature: ‘Brett Mitchell Is Listening’
PASADENA — Local News Pasadena has published a feature about Brett Mitchell following his appointment as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony. Mr. Mitchell spoke extensively with veteran journalist Victoria Thomas for this piece, excerpted here in part:
Smells like teen spirit
[Mitchell] describes his new role [as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony] this way: “My job is to serve the music, the musicians, and the community.”
A Seattle native who grew up down the street from Kurt Cobain and now a resident of Denver, Colorado, Mitchell grew up loving grunge as well as John Williams’ iconic “Star Wars” and “Superman” scores. He cites Barry Manilow as a musical guilty pleasure “…because Manilow is a consummate entertainer and showman. He genuinely connects with everyone in the audience. It’s real, and the people know it’s real, and my passion is to do the same with classical music as well as other genres,” Desi Arnaz-Copacabana ruffles optional. He recounts an evening in 2018 in Denver’s spectacular open-air Red Rocks amphitheater where he shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, saying, “He held those 9,000 people rapt. They were as attentive and silent 90 minutes into the program as they were 90 seconds in. Don’t ever underestimate the power of music.”
“The great thing about the Pasadena Symphony is that we’re working with the world’s A-grade, first-call studio musicians who can play everything and anything. They’re professional chameleons, so a specific focus of mine is to showcase the breadth of the team,” says Mitchell.
“This is one of the key differences between pop and classical performance. Pop music is the domain of an individual persona. Billy Joel always sounds like Billy Joel and people love the brand. But classical players need to be at ease in many different costumes. Debussy should not sound like Beethoven.”
On the subject of ego, he makes the distinction between hubris and authority. “Yes, it absolutely takes confidence to take the podium and lead. Without ego, we’d never get off the couch, much less get from the couch to the podium. But if a person’s surety arises from some innate sense of superiority or entitlement or ‘deserving to be here,’ there will be problems. In my case, I feel confident because I know I’ve done the work and that I continue to do it with passion and fervor. I am always gobbling up information, and I learn as much or maybe even more than I teach. Doing the work in this sense begins with respect for the audience, as well as the virtuosity of the musicians, and consists essentially of listening – active listening – seeing how the artists and the audience respond to certain things.”
So Wolfie, Ludvig Van and Antonio V. walk into a bar…
As he moves into position to lead the 2024-2025 season, Mitchell recounts receiving invaluable advice from none other than Ara Guzelimian, current Artistic Director of the Ojai Music Festival and former Dean and Provost of The Julliard School, who previously served as Artistic Advisor and Senior Director for Carnegie Hall.
“On the subject of programming and how to build a compelling program that will bring the folks to the hall, Ara told me to picture three pieces of music as entities sidling up to a bar. Would the three have anything to say to each other? If the pieces are too similar, there isn’t much excitement, although you’d have something very harmonious. If the pieces are radically different, that can be interesting, but it might be difficult to find common ground.” For the approaching season, Mitchell promises a “varied diet” of music, pulling from a broad spectrum and a broadening palette.
In addition to overseeing all artistic aspects of the Pasadena Symphony, Mitchell will collaborate on the orchestra’s highly regarded community and education programs, including the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras, which encompass eleven award-winning ensembles serving students of all musical abilities in grades 5-12.
On the subject of relating to kids, he says, “I grew up listening to the pop music of my parents’ generation, then I listened to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and then I listened to Beethoven. That’s when I began to understand what music actually is. It’s all emotion. In listening to Beethoven, I felt that the artist was someone having a hard time with something. As an artist, he was able to articulate it without words, and hearing that makes the rest of us feel less alone.”
Brett Mitchell will lead the majority of his concerts as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony at the orchestra’s home of the Ambassador Auditorium, often referred to as the “Carnegie Hall of the West.”
Orchestrating a Graceful Future
Andrew Brown accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS. He manages the Pasadena Symphony, the Pasadena POPS, under the direction of Principal Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein, and the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO), serving over 800 students in the San Gabriel Valley.
We spoke with Brown this week, who commented, “After a few years without a music director, we are honored and delighted to welcome Brett as our partner in building out our ensemble. His resume is superb, but beyond that, he’s both creative and pragmatic, and he brings planning, leadership, and organizational intelligence to the role in addition to his impeccable musical credentials.”
Brown says that Mitchell’s arrival brings with it a new sense of opportunity, as well as challenge. “We’ve relied for so long on the subscription model, but all of that was disrupted by the pandemic. There’s no denying the fact that thanks to digital technology, we can all enjoy incredible music while sitting at home in our pajamas, and of course, people got comfortable doing that for a few years of COVID-19. But now we’re inviting people to come back out into the world for an immersive musical experience, even if it’s only a couple of times a year. In the presence of live performance before a live audience, there’s a momentum, those goosebumps that you really can’t replicate any other way.”
To read the complete feature, ‘Brett Mitchell Is Listening,’ please click here.
Brett Mitchell Appointed Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony
Pasadena Symphony Appoints Brett Mitchell Music Director
Highly Acclaimed Conductor Assumes Post on April 1, 2024
PASADENA, CA (March 22, 2024) – Pasadena Symphony Board President Kimberly Winick today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Brett Mitchell Music Director. Mitchell begins his five-year tenure with Pasadena Symphony on April 1, 2024. His first performance as Music Director will be the orchestra’s season-opening concert on October 26, 2024 (2024/25 season details to be announced).
Winick states, “Brett Mitchell emerged from our competitive music director search as our all-around favorite, and I am delighted to welcome him as our new artistic leader. His energy and talent will engage, sustain, and help to broaden our musical community.”
Pasadena Symphony CEO Andrew Brown adds, “We are excited Brett Mitchell is joining the orchestra at this significant time in the orchestra’s history, with our centennial just four years away. Brett is a tremendous talent. With his deeply creative programming, broad vision, collaborative spirit, and innate ability to keep classical music fresh and inspire musicians and audiences alike, he is the right person to lead the orchestra into its second century.”
Mitchell says, “I'm deeply honored and absolutely thrilled to be joining the Pasadena Symphony as its next Music Director. From the first moment we made music together in March 2022, it was very clear that there was a special connection between the musicians and me, and that same chemistry has since extended beyond the stage to our friends in the audience and throughout our community. I couldn't be more excited for the musical journey that lies ahead for our entire community as we embark together on this next chapter of the Pasadena Symphony's story.”
Orchestra’s Sixth Music Director in Nearly a Century
Mitchell is the sixth conductor to serve as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony since the orchestra was founded in 1928. He succeeds distinguished Music Directors Reginald Bland (1928- 1936); Dr. Richard Lert (1936-1968); Daniel Lewis (1971-1982); Jorge Mester (1984-2010); and David Lockington (2013-2022). Pasadena Symphony, which has garnered considerable critical and public acclaim throughout its history, is a “virtuoso orchestra” lauded for “zesty, swaggering performances” (Los Angeles Times) and celebrated for its “superb tonal clarity and rich instrumental brilliance” (Pasadena Star News).
In addition to overseeing all artistic aspects of the Pasadena Symphony, Mitchell will collaborate on the orchestra’s highly regarded community and education programs, including the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras, which encompass eleven award-winning ensembles serving students of all musical abilities in grades 5-12.
Mitchell, who has been on Pasadena Symphony’s radar for several years, was previously named an Artistic Partner for the orchestra’s 2021-22 season. Based on the strength of that initial appearance, he was invited to return as an Artistic Partner during the orchestra's 2023-24 season, leading its well-received opening concerts last fall.
Coming Full Circle
Mitchell – who was born in 1979, raised in Seattle, Washington, and now resides in Denver, Colorado with his family, where they plan to remain – vividly recalls the music from the Star Wars and Superman films having a tremendous impact on him as a child. “The first time I heard an orchestra was in a movie theater on a film soundtrack,” he explains, inspiring him to earn a degree in music composition from Western Washington University. “I wanted to be a film composer but ended up writing orchestral works that, in a twist of fate, I started conducting, which I discovered was my true passion.” That led to him earning both Master’s and Doctorate degrees in conducting from the University of Texas at Austin.
He continues, “In many ways, joining the Pasadena Symphony as Music Director is really coming full circle for me. So many of our musicians are these iconic studio players whose work I’ve known and loved for decades. To now be able to work with them and experience their artistry in person is a thrill beyond words.”
Additional Coverage
Colorado Boulevard (3/22): Brett Mitchell Is New Pasadena Symphony Music Director
Slippedisc (3/24): Pasadena Picks an American Music Director
Pizzicato (3/24): Pasadena Symphony appoints Brett Mitchell as Music Director
OperaWire (3/25): Pasadena Symphony Names Sixth Music Director in its History
Hey SoCal (3/25): Pasadena Symphony announces Brett Mitchell as new music director
Musical America (3/26): Pasadena Symphony Taps Music Director (subscription required)
Broadway World (3/27): Pasadena Symphony Appoints Brett Mitchell Music Director
Pasadena Now (3/27): Pasadena Symphony Names Brett Mitchell as Its Next Music Director
The Violin Channel (3/28): California's Pasadena Symphony Appoints New Music Director
Los Angeles Times (3/30): Easter music, alt art fair and the best L.A. culture in the week ahead
Symphony (4/1): Brett Mitchell Named Music Director at Pasadena Symphony
Local News Pasadena (4/4): Brett Mitchell is Listening
Pasadena Weekly (4/11): Major Music Changes: Pasadena Symphony appoints Brett Mitchell as new music director
Brett Mitchell will lead his first concerts as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony on October 26, 2024, at the orchestra’s home of the Ambassador Auditorium, often referred to as the “Carnegie Hall of the West.”
Brett Mitchell to open The Cleveland Orchestra’s classical series at the 2024 Blossom Music Festival
Brett Mitchell will lead the opening concert of The Cleveland Orchestra’s classical series at the 2024 Blossom Music Festival. (Photograph by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — For the second time in four seasons, The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will lead the opening concert of their classical series at the 2024 Blossom Music Festival.
On Saturday, July 6, Mr. Mitchell will be joined by banjoist Béla Fleck—fresh off his latest Grammy Award wins—to mark the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with his dazzling new transcription of this beloved showpiece. Mr. Mitchell rounds out this all-American evening with orchestral gems by Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and William Grant Still.
The complete program:
BERNSTEIN - Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
GERSHWIN (trans. Fleck) - Rhapsody in Blue
Béla Fleck, banjo
BARBER - Overture to The School for Scandal
STILL - Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American Symphony)
Mr. Mitchell also led The Cleveland Orchestra in the opening concert of their classical series at the 2021 Blossom Music Festival, which marked the orchestra’s first public performance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For tickets and more information about Mr. Mitchell’s performance at the 2024 Blossom Music Festival, please click here.
Sunriver Music Festival announces 2024 season, ‘Classical Elements,’ Brett Mitchell’s third as Artistic Director & Conductor
“One of my favorite things about Central Oregon is the power of nature that we’re able to witness all year round, so I’m particularly thrilled to share with you an entire season filled with pieces inspired by the four classical elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Composers for centuries have been inspired by the enormity and grandeur of nature, and I know you’ll be just as inspired when you hear their extraordinary music.” Brett Mitchell, Artistic Director & Conductor
SUNRIVER, Ore. — The Sunriver Music Festival has announced its 2024 summer season, ‘Classical Elements,’ which marks Brett Mitchell’s third as the organization’s Artistic Director & Conductor.
The Festival’s 47th season opens Sunday, August 11 at the iconic Tower Theatre in downtown Bend, and closes Friday, August 23 at Sunriver Resort’s historic Great Hall. Four classical concerts, one pops concert, a solo violin recital, and a family-friendly ‘Discover the Symphony’ concert will be presented.
The classical season will consist of the following four programs, all under the direction of Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell:
OPENING NIGHT CLASSICAL CONCERT: EARTH
Sunday, August 11 - 7:30 p.m.
Tower Theatre - Bend, OR
IVES (arr. Schuman) - Variations on ‘America’
GERSHWIN - Rhapsody in Blue
Orion Weiss, piano
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6, ‘Pastoral’
CLASSICAL CONCERT II: WATER
Sunday, August 18 - 3 p.m.
Tower Theatre - Bend, OR
J. STRAUSS II - The Blue Danube
DEBUSSY (orch. Büsser) - The Sunken Cathedral
HANDEL (arr. Harty) - Water Music Suite
SCHUMANN - Symphony No. 3, ‘Rhenish’
CLASSICAL CONCERT III: FIRE
Wednesday, August 21 - 7:30 p.m.
Sunriver Resort Great Hall - Sunriver, OR
BEETHOVEN - Overture from The Creatures of Prometheus
HAYDN - Symphony No. 59, ‘Fire’
FALLA - Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Joyce Yang, piano
FALLA - ‘Ritual Fire Dance’ from El amor brujo
SEASON FINALE CLASSICAL CONCERT: AIR
Friday, August 23 - 7:30 p.m.
Sunriver Resort Great Hall - Sunriver, OR
AARON JAY KERNIS - Musica Celestis
MICHAEL TORKE - Sky
Tessa Lark, violin
MOZART - Symphony No. 41, ‘Jupiter’
Repertoire for the complete season is available on our Upcoming Events page.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit sunrivermusic.org.
READ MORE:
The Bend Bulletin: ‘Sunriver Music Festival announces 2024 Summer Concert Series’
Review: 'Cleveland Orchestra kicks off 2023 holiday series with festive Severance concert'
Brett Mitchell introduces The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2023 Holiday Concerts from his living room in Denver, CO.
CLEVELAND — Cleveland.com has published a review of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2023 Holiday Concerts, led by guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
It’s a safe bet to hold off on the Noëls and Fa-la-la-la-las until The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus launch their Holiday Concerts. This year there are 14 of them, and these events are regarded as the true beginning of the holiday season. Let the celebrations begin!
And so they did on Wednesday evening, December 13, at Severance Music Center, when Brett Mitchell led The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus (joined by the Cleveland State University Chorale and the College of Wooster Chorus) in a classy program of Christmas, Chanukah, and winter-themed music starring the formidable Capathia Jenkins, who brought her personal vocal rizz to the party (thank you, Oxford English Dictionary, for the gift of that new word).
The engaging playlist began with a hearty welcome by conductor/emcee Brett Mitchell, a former Cleveland Orchestra assistant conductor, and an elaborate version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” by Mack Wilberg, director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who contributed four arrangements to the program.
Mitchell went on to introduce two orchestral selections “from the classical canon,” an arrangement of the chorale that appears twice in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata BWV 147 by Leopold Stokowski, long-time conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and himself an organist, and the breath-taking Dance of the Tumblers from Rimsky-Korsakoff’s “The Snow Maiden,” tossed off at a daring tempo with astonishing clarity…
Mitchell gave a nod to another December celebration, the Jewish Festival of Lights, summed up in Jeff Tyzik’s ebullient “Chanukah Suite,” which featured the Orchestra’s gleaming brass section.
Brett Mitchell introduces The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2023 Holiday Concerts from the stage at Severance Music Center.
Then it was time to bring the audience into the celebration. Mitchell announced that “Away in a Manger” (arranged by Steven Amundson) would be its audition piece, and if things went well, the assembled multitudes would be invited to join in “Joy To the World.” Things did, and Admundson’s arrangement of Handel’s tune set the mood for the composer’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in Mozart’s orchestration, which brought the audience to its feet…
How do you follow such a class act? With an appearance by Saint Nicholas himself, who ho-ho-ho’d his way down the aisle looking untraditionally svelte, to hold a witty Q&A with Mitchell. His departure led to Leroy Anderson’s obligatory and delightful “Sleigh Ride,” and to the final piece on the printed program, Wilberg’s arrangement of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” prefaced by Mitchell’s concise (and accurate!) comments about the origin of Mendelssohn’s tune.
Not quite finished yet, Mitchell led the performers and audience in Carmen Dragon’s lovely and theatrical arrangement of “Silent Night” and the musical greeting card, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
To read the full review, please click here.
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and Wooster Chorus in Arthur Harris’s arrangement of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ live at Severance Music Center on Dec 14, 2023.
Preview: Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra's 2023 holiday festival
Brett Mitchell will lead more than a dozen performances with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center between December 13 and 23, 2023.
CLEVELAND — Fox 8 News has broadcast an interview with Ross Binnie, Chief Brand Officer of The Cleveland Orchestra, about the ensemble’s upcoming holiday festival, featuring 14 performances led by guest conductor Brett Mitchell.
Mr. Mitchell will conduct a dozen performances of the orchestra’s annual Holiday Concerts from December 13 through 23, as well as two performances of John Debney’s score for Elf (2003) while the film is shown live on the big screen above the Severance Music Center stage on December 19 and 20.
Watch the complete interview below, or click here to view it on Fox 8 News’s website.
Preview: Brett Mitchell leads ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ with the Houston Symphony
Brett Mitchell will lead Danny Elfman’s Grammy- and Golden Globe-nominated score for The Nightmare Before Christmas with the Houston Symphony on December 9-10 at Jones Hall.
HOUSTON — The Katy News has published a preview of the Houston Symphony’s upcoming 2023 holiday concert schedule, including several performances led by guest conductor Brett Mitchell.
Guest Conductor Brett Mitchell kicks off the holiday concert season in Jones Hall with the modern holiday masterpiece, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. As the film plays on the big screen above the Jones Hall stage, the live orchestra breathes life into Danny Elfman’s captivating score and the whimsical worlds of Halloween Town and Christmas Town.
Performances will be presented at Jones Hall on Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 10 at 2:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, please click here.
Preview: Pasadena Symphony kicks off 2023-24 season with Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and a nod to Silicon Valley's great inventors
Brett Mitchell will open the Pasadena Symphony’s 2023-24 classical subscription series at the Ambassador Auditorium on October 21 on a program featuring works of Mason Bates, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky.
PASADENA — The Pasadena Symphony has announced details about its opening classical weekend of the 2023-24 season, led by returning guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
The Pasadena Symphony opens its 96th season on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at Ambassador Auditorium with both matinee and evening performances at 2:00pm and 8:00pm. The six-concert series of Classical Music’s Greatest Hits, will open with Tchaikovsky’s fate-filled Symphony No. 4. Highly sought-after conductor Brett Mitchell returns to kick off the 2023-24 season as one of six Artistic Partners to take the podium this season for the orchestra’s Music Director search.
Pasadena’s most anticipated opening night of the concert season will showcase the fresh talent of Armenian Violinist Diana Adamyan on Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. First Prize winner of the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition and the 2020 Khachaturian Violin Competition, Adamyan has been deemed “one of the new generation’s most promising and gifted young concert soloists” by The Violin Channel.
The 23/24 season ushers in the Pasadena Symphony’s fourth annual Composer’s Showcase, featuring work by emerging and established living composers. The Kennedy Center’s first composer-in-residence, Mason Bates’ Garages of the Valley will open the program, taking inspiration from the great inventors of our time who dreamed up the digital age in the most low-tech of spaces dotting the landscape of Silicon Valley. The magical intersection between music and technology is a central theme of Bates’ work, including his GRAMMY-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To learn more about and purchase tickets to these performances, please click here.
Audio: Brett Mitchell discusses John Williams's score for 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'
HOUSTON — As he prepares to lead the Houston Symphony in four performances of John Williams’s Oscar-nominated score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Brett Mitchell has appeared as a guest on the most recent episode of Houston Matters from Houston Public Media.
In this appearance, Mr. Mitchell speaks with producer Joshua Zinn about Mr. Williams’s work for both the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises.
To listen to the complete story, please click here; the interview with Mr. Mitchell begins at 6:20.
Brett Mitchell to lead John Williams celebration at 2023 Strings Music Festival
Brett Mitchell will lead the Strings Music Festival Orchestra in an all-John Williams performance on July 1, 2023, at the Strings Music Pavilion in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
John Williams and Brett Mitchell in Nov. 2022 at Severance Music Center in Cleveland, Ohio (Photo by Angela Mitchell)
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Brett Mitchell will return to the Strings Music Festival to lead an all-John Williams program on Saturday, July 1, 2023, the organization has announced.
The program will feature original arrangements for brass and percussion by Timothy Higgins of some of Mr. Williams’s most iconic works, including music from the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln. The Cowboys, and several Olympic fanfares.
The orchestra will be comprised of members of the Cleveland, Minnesota, and Philadelphia orchestras; the Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Oregon, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Utah symphonies; the Chicago Lyric and San Francisco opera orchestras; the United States Marine Band; and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit stringsmusicfestival.com. Donor presale begins on Tuesday, April 25; tickets will be on sale to the public on Thursday, May 11.
Mr. Mitchell first led the Strings Music Festival in a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on their 2018 season finale, and returned to lead Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on their 2022 season finale.
Brett Mitchell returns to lead The Cleveland Orchestra's 2023 Holiday Concerts
Brett Mitchell will lead his fifth season of Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concerts in December 2023 at Severance Music Center. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Brett Mitchell welcomes Santa Claus to the Severance Music Center stage on December 8, 2022. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead their 2023 Holiday Concerts, a series of a dozen performances running from Wednesday, December 13 through Saturday, December 23.
This marks Mr. Mitchell’s fifth season as conductor and host of the Orchestra’s celebrated holiday concerts.
Tickets are on sale now at clevelandorchestra.com/holiday.
Repertoire, guest artists, and additional holiday programs will be announced in Fall 2023.
Sunriver Music Festival announces 2023 season, Brett Mitchell's second as Artistic Director & Conductor
SUNRIVER, Ore. — The Sunriver Music Festival has announced its 2023 summer season, which marks Brett Mitchell’s second as the organization’s Artistic Director & Conductor.
Running from August 4 through 17, the Festival’s 46th season will feature four classical concerts, a pops concert, and a family concert, all under the baton of Mr. Mitchell, as well as a solo piano recital.
The classical season will consist of the following four programs:
CLASSICAL CONCERT I - August 5, 2023
MOZART - Regina coeli | Ave verum corpus
feat. Central Oregon Mastersingers
MOZART - Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
STRAUSS - Suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
CLASSICAL CONCERT II - August 11, 2023
MILHAUD - La création du monde
BRUCH - Violin Concerto No. 1
William Hagen, violin
BRAHMS - Symphony No. 3
CLASSICAL CONCERT III - August 14, 2023
COPLAND - Three Latin American Sketches
BARBER - Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Kathryn Mueller, soprano
MAHLER (arr. Lee) - Symphony No. 4
Kathryn Mueller, soprano
CLASSICAL CONCERT IV - August 17, 2023
LIGETI - Concert Românesc
HAYDN - Symphony No. 104, “London”
BEETHOVEN - Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
Andrew von Oeyen, piano
Repertoire for the complete season is available on our Upcoming Events page.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit sunrivermusic.org.
Brett Mitchell debuts with Pensacola Symphony Orchestra on 2023-24 classical season
Brett Mitchell will lead the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra in a program of works by Mason Bates, Saint-Saëns, and Tchaikovsky on their 2023-24 classical subscription series.
PENSACOLA — The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will make his subscription debut on their 2023-24 classical subscription series. The program will be:
MASON BATES - Garages of the Valley
SAINT-SAËNS - Cello Concerto No. 1
Mark Kosower, cello
TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 4
The program will be presented at Pensacola’s Saenger Theatre on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
For complete information and to purchase tickets, please click here.
Previews: 'West Side Story' with The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017. Mr. Mitchell returns to Cleveland lead the project again on March 17, 18, and 19. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — In anticipation of Brett Mitchell’s performances of Leonard Bernstein’s score for West Side Story with The Cleveland Orchestra this weekend, several media outlets have published preview articles.
From Axios: Cleveland Orchestra takes on West Side Story
It was good enough for Steven Spielberg, so why not the Cleveland Orchestra?
Driving the news: Guest conductor Brett Mitchell will lead the Cleveland Orchestra through "West Side Story in Concert," this weekend at Severance Hall.
Video from the 1961 Oscar-winning film will play on a screen behind the orchestra.
Zoom out: "West Side Story" has experienced a national resurgence in recent years, starting with a Broadway revival in 2020 and Spielberg's film remake in 2021.
Zoom in: Mitchell, who is an adjunct professor of music at the University of Denver, has led the Cleveland Orchestra in multiple performances of "West Side Story," most recently in 2017 when he was associate director of the orchestra.
What they're saying: Mitchell tells Axios that Leonard Bernstein's music in "West Side Story" is "universal" and "quintessentially American."
"This project premiered in the 1950s. The film premiered in 1961," Mitchell says. "Here we are more than 60 years later still experiencing this piece. It's a total masterpiece."
The big picture: Orchestral performances of mainstream movies have become all the rage.
"It's one of the greatest things that has happened to orchestras in the last century," Mitchell says. "I grew up listening to all these amazing soundtracks, and now I get to bring them to life for thousands of people."
From The News-Herald: Cleveland Orchestra, guest conductor revisiting classic West Side Story movie score
It wasn’t too long ago the notion of The Cleveland Orchestra performing live during a movie screening would have been considered taboo for a world-class symphony.
Those days are long gone, with the renowned orchestra entertaining fans and merging worlds through numerous film experiences, including during its popular Blossom Season.
Next up for The Cleveland Orchestra is a return to the classic “West Side Story,” with guest conductor Brett Mitchell, taking place March 17 through 19 at Severance Music Center.
This is familiar ground for Mitchell, who nearly six years conducted The Cleveland Orchestra through composer Leonard Bernstein’s legendary score.
“The last project that I did with The Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall before I left was ‘West Side Story,’” Mitchell said. “It was hugely meaningful to me and an enormous thrill.
“Back then, the orchestra had started doing movies with live accompaniment — I believe it was the first time the orchestra had ever done one of these movie projects on their classical subscription series. Here we are again. It says a lot about these movie projects and how they have become such an integral part of what we do at orchestras now.”
With Mitchell conducting, The Cleveland Orchestra will perform Bernstein’s electrifying score — “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere” — while the remastered film is shown on a high-definition screen with the original vocals and dialog.
“I’m watching a special version of the film with lines that run across the picture,” Mitchell said. “Those lines are how we kind of synchronize the live music to the picture. Normally when I’m conducting a piece, I’ve got two things going on: the orchestra in front of me and the score.
“I’m always navigating back and forth. With a project like this, you have the orchestra, you have the score and the video monitor. It’s just one more wrench in the works that can throw you for a loop.”
Naturally, the loop for a project like this comes down to synchronization and timing. The latter is where working with a world-class orchestra makes Mitchell’s job easier. It turns out there’s a certain element of flexibility afforded a conductor when working with The Cleveland Orchestra.
“They’re the greatest musicians in the world,” Mitchell said. “Part of what makes them the greatest in the world is that they’re also the best-prepared musicians in the world. If I need to speed the tempo up ever so slightly, they make it so easy to be able to do that.
“If I need to slow it down ever so slightly, they make it incredibly easy to do that, as well. These film projects can be the most stressful things you do as a conductor because of all the demands of synchronization but when you have The Cleveland Orchestra it really takes all of the stress off you. You just get to focus on making this great music.”
When it comes to the upcoming “West Side Story” affair, the irony — and heresy to some — is this time around some Cleveland Orchestra audience members may be just discovering the original 1961 film.
That’s due to Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning 2021 remake that attracted younger viewers.
“I love it — I think it’s great,” Mitchell said. “So if people have come to ‘West Side Story’ through Steven’s remake of it, which I thought was completely brilliant, I’m thrilled.
“It’s a project that is absolutely worth discovering in every single iteration. They’re both fantastic pieces of art in their own right.”
Brett Mitchell returns to the Pasadena Symphony's 2023-24 classical series
Brett Mitchell will return to the Pasadena Symphony’s classical subscription series at the Ambassador Auditorium in October 2023 on a program featuring works of Mason Bates, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky.
PASADENA — The Pasadena Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead the following program on their 2023-24 classical subscription series:
MASON BATES - Garages of the Valley
MENDELSSOHN - Violin Concerto
Diana Adamyan, violin
TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 4
The program will be presented at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium at both 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
For complete information and to purchase tickets, please click here.
Brett Mitchell to lead 'West Side Story' with The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra in West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017. Mr. Mitchell will lead the project again with the orchestra in March 2023.
Brett Mitchell and The Cleveland Orchestra present West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead three performances of Leonard Bernstein’s score for West Side Story—synchronized with the original film—on March 17, 18, and 19, 2023.
Mr. Mitchell first led this project in Cleveland in June 2017 during his final season as the orchestra’s Associate Conductor. Read reviews of those performances on Cleveland.com and Cleveland Classical.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the March 2023 performances, please click here.
Preview: 'Celebrate being Home for the Holidays with The Cleveland Orchestra'
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Classical has published a preview of The Cleveland Orchestra’s upcoming 2022 Holiday Concerts, featuring an extensive interview with guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
“Not only is it nice to be back with one of the world’s greatest orchestras, but it also happens to be family because I’ve worked with them for so long,” said conductor Brett Mitchell, who will be leading The Cleveland Orchestra in their upcoming holiday concerts. “You get the best of both worlds — the best possible artistic outcomes featuring these amazing musicians, but also friends and family.”
Holiday Concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus will run from December 8 through 18 at Severance Music Center. Program highlights include selections from The Nutcracker, pieces featuring the Chorus and soprano Mikaela Bennett, audience sing-alongs… Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Each concert will begin with O Come All Ye Faithful. “It starts in almost darkness with just the men in the chorus, and we add everybody slowly but surely,” Mitchell explained. “By the end of the piece, the whole stage and the whole hall are completely lit up. For as many dozens of times I’ve conducted this arrangement, I get goosebumps just talking about it.”
Though the musical aspects of the program alone are magical, Mitchell emphasized that the audience experience and interaction is pivotal. “The simple act of coming to a concert is already kind of embodying that communal spirit, and that’s so special. But then, to have everybody not only with us in the hall but also singing the same carols together — that’s maybe my favorite tradition of all on these programs.”
Mitchell added that it’s not just the audience and the chorus who will be singing. “All you have to do is look up at the orchestra, and you’ll see plenty of musicians singing along with these carols. And you’ll see me singing along too. I’m not just up there mouthing the words — the front stands can tell you that I’m really singing. I do it, not because people need to hear my voice, but for the same reason that everybody else sings along, which is to be a part of this community.
Mitchell elaborated on the importance of making the concerts memorable for every listener. “In many ways, these are the most important performances that we do all year because we’re able to engage people who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t be joining us,” Mitchell explained. “Everybody has their own holiday traditions, and for many people, The Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concerts are a part of that.”
Each year, a certain man in a red suit pays a visit to Severance. One of the communal experiences the audience can take part in is the opportunity to ask Santa a question. Prior to the concert, listeners can write a question on a piece of paper for him to answer. After the intermission, Mitchell will return to the stage with Santa and ask him the questions from the audience.
“Santa always has funny things to say to the kids and the adults,” Mitchell said, chuckling. “I’m able to look out at the audience and see people with tears in their eyes because they are laughing so hard — and I’m talking about 8-year-olds and 78-year-olds. The purpose of these programs is to bring joy to people’s lives at this time of year. Hearing and feeling 2,000 people laugh together is as good as it gets.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Preview: Brett Mitchell returns to the Houston Symphony for a special collaboration
Brett Mitchell will lead a collaboration between the Houston Symphony and the One O’Clock Lab Band in April 2023.
HOUSTON — The Houston Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will return for the second time in the 2022-23 season to lead a special collaboration in April 2023:
The University of North Texas’s world-famous One O’Clock Lab Band joins the Houston Symphony and renowned saxophonist Chris Potter for this one-night-only special event! Hear John Williams’s Escapades, a suite for alto saxophone and orchestra based on the popular soundtrack to Catch Me If You Can… To close, the worlds of jazz and classical music collide with a world-premiere work composed by One O’Clock Lab Band® director, Alan Baylock.
The Katy News has published a brief preview of this collaboration:
Committed to exploring and showcasing a wide array of musical genres, the Houston Symphony is combining forces with the University of North Texas’ renowned One O’Clock Lab Band for a unique and memorable evening of jazz and jazz-influenced music-making, Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Hall.
Houston favorite Brett Mitchell, returning again this season after leading the Symphony in the score of Disney’s Fantasia Thanksgiving weekend, leads this special concert that culminates in a world premiere performance: a special work composed by famed jazz composer and One O’Clock Lab Band Director Alan Baylock for One O’Clock Lab Band, the Houston Symphony, and saxophone soloist Chris Potter to perform together.
Also on the program, the Houston Symphony performs John Williams’s Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, composed for the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can, employing the progressive jazz style of the ‘60s in which the film was set.
To learn more and purchase tickets, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell to lead 'Fantasia' with the Houston Symphony
HOUSTON — The Katy News has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performances of Disney’s Fantasia with the Houston Symphony:
This Thanksgiving weekend, the Houston Symphony brings to life the magical classic that’s captivated generations—Disney’s animated film Fantasia. November 25–27, Conductor Brett Mitchell leads the orchestra through the iconic film score while animation fills the giant screen at Jones Hall. Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, families and music-lovers alike can experience the magic of favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Pomp and Circumstance, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and, of course, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Known for its crowning achievement in the history of animation, Fantasia is Disney’s longest animated feature ever made. The film revolutionized the industry by combining animation with a collection of great classical music that sends audiences on a fantastical journey filled with Disney magic. Fans will be thrilled to know that the Houston Symphony has its own unique ties to the film as well; the 1940s version of Fantasia features eight segments of classical music conducted by former Houston Symphony Music Director Leopold Stokowski. Additionally, guests can look forward to seeing the “Blue Bayou” segment as Disney animators originally imagined it for the 1940 release—a languid flight of a pair of whooping cranes above a Louisiana bayou set to the Debussy classic Claire de Lune.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To purchase tickets to these performances, please click here.
Brett Mitchell named Interim Director of Orchestras at University of Denver
Brett Mitchell will serve as Interim Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music during the 2022-23 academic year.
DENVER — The University of Denver has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to the Lamont School of Music during the 2022-23 academic year as Interim Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting while its Director of Orchestras—Lawrence Golan—is on sabbatical. From the official press release:
Brett Mitchell will return to conduct the Lamont Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Gates Concert Hall. This will be his second engagement with the group, having previously led the LSO in Fall 2019.
On the first half of the program is the Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82, by Alexander Glazunov. Lamont faculty member Igor Pikayzen is the soloist. After intermission, Mitchell conducts Dvořák's Symphony No. 6.
"I couldn't be more thrilled to be returning to work with the talented students at the Lamont School of Music," said Mitchell. "After our first collaboration together in October 2019, I was eager for the opportunity to make music again with these promising young musicians, and I'm particularly thrilled to be leading works by two Romantic masters—Antonín Dvořák and Alexander Glazunov—with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra this Fall."
In addition to his appearance with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra in November, Mr. Mitchell will also teach additional courses to select advanced conducting students in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.