NEWS
Brett Mitchell Named a Steinway Artist
Brett Mitchell sits at one of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Steinway & Sons’ Model D concert grand pianos. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
NEW YORK — Brett Mitchell has been named the newest Steinway Artist by Steinway & Sons.
In recognition of your distinguished career in music and outstanding commitment and loyalty to the Steinway piano, Steinway & Sons is pleased to welcome you, Brett Mitchell.
The high standard that you have set with your artistic and professional achievements makes it most appropriate that you are now formally included on the Steinway Artist roster, a list of the most accomplished and discriminating artists in the world.
Steinway & Sons congratulates you on receiving this distinction.
Please click here to visit Mr. Mitchell’s artist profile on the Steinway & Sons website.
‘An Impressive Philharmonic Debut’: Brett Mitchell Steps In at the New York Philharmonic
Brett Mitchell leads the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall. © Brandon Patoc
NEW YORK — On May 16, 17, and 18, Brett Mitchell stepped in for his subscription debut with the New York Philharmonic, leading three performances of Kevin Puts's The Brightness of Light featuring soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry, followed by the complete score of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé featuring the New York Philharmonic Chorus.
Review: With Last-Minute Conductor Swap, Philharmonic Soldiers On
Brett Mitchell led the New York Philharmonic in the local premiere of a song cycle by Kevin Puts, featuring the soprano Renée Fleming.
"The Philharmonic announced on Thursday afternoon — just a day before the concerts — that [Juanjo] Mena would not be conducting… Instead, the conductor Brett Mitchell, the music director of California's Pasadena Symphony and a newcomer to the Philharmonic, stepped in. Mitchell possesses the right credentials, having led The Brightness of Light at the Colorado Symphony with Fleming and Gilfry in 2019. Still, this was no easy task given his truncated rehearsal time and lack of familiarity with the players... School may be almost out, but the Philharmonic passed this particular test with grit."
New York Philharmonic with Renée Fleming & Rod Gilfry — Brett Mitchell conducts Puts and Ravel
Stepping in for Juanjo Mena, Brett Mitchell made an impressive Philharmonic debut.
"Under Mitchell, the Philharmonic was rhythmically secure and well-attuned to the nuances of Puts's captivating score, and electrifying in the rapturous rendition of 'The High Priestess of the Desert'."
"Mitchell expertly managed [Daphnis et Chloé's] frequent tempo changes, alternating between languid wooing, ceremonial processions, exhilarating dances, sudden scenes of conflict, and tumultuous revelry... The vocalizing of the 60-member NY Philharmonic Chorus, meticulously prepared by Malcolm J. Merriweather, provided additional color and strength to this ravishing rendition."
"The Philharmonic was not left out of Puts's efforts—not only in the marvelously, intricately orchestrated songs, but in a pair of Orchestral Interludes, 'Georgia and Alfred' and 'The High Priestess of the Desert'—through which conductor Mitchell drew sweep and passion. He was a last-minute substitution on the podium, though he had conducted the work once before. Still, he did a stellar job, as did the ensemble."
"Complete scores of ballets can flag in concert without dancers to sustain interest, but the hour-long performance of Daphnis et Chloé had no such problem Friday night. Conductor Mitchell smoothly managed Ravel's constant tempo changes, ushering in stately processions, infectious dances, languid wooing, sudden battles, and ecstatic revelry by rapid turns. (The list of tempo markings alone occupied an entire page of the Philharmonic program.)"
"There is a pleasing lyricism to Puts' writing here, and the Philharmonic produced an appropriately warm coloring under conductor Brett Mitchell, a last-minute replacement…"
"Mitchell rounded out the program with a complete performance of Daphnis et Chloé, the latest in the Philharmonic's ongoing celebration of Ravel's 150th anniversary... Mitchell kept the action moving seamlessly in a work that can easily turn a conductor into a traffic cop, and...the Philharmonic's reading offered a performance delightfully varied in color and style."
"In his Philharmonic debut, Brett Mitchell was a last-minute replacement... Even on short notice, Mitchell was well prepared for the Puts cycle, having conducted the work in 2019 as music director of the Colorado Symphony, one of the work's co-commissioners... The conductor paced both works nicely, with a good sense of where the Puts needed to breathe."
Brett Mitchell leads the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall. © Brandon Patoc
Brett Mitchell extends contract as Artistic Director & Conductor of Sunriver Music Festival through 2028
SUNRIVER, Ore. — The Sunriver Music Festival has announced that Brett Mitchell has extended his contract as Artistic Director & Conductor through the 2028 summer season.
From the official press release:
The Sunriver Music Festival Board of Trustees has announced that Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell’s contract has been extended four years to 2028. The maestro's four-year extension will encompass the Festival's monumental 50th season. In March 2024, Mitchell was named Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony, beginning an initial five-year term with the 2024-25 season. He will work concurrently with the Pasadena Symphony and the Sunriver Music Festival, along with his many prestigious guest conducting roles.
“Maestro Mitchell is an esteemed conductor with a dedication to artistic excellence, creative concert curation, and inspired community engagement, and we are thrilled that his role with the Festival will continue,” said Festival Board President Dr. Ronald Carver.
For more information, 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 – 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 named Artistic Director and Conductor of Sunriver Music Festival
Brett Mitchell has been named Artistic Director and Conductor of Oregon’s Sunriver Music Festival, beginning a three-year term in August 2022. (Photo by Jeff Nelson)
SUNRIVER, Ore. — The Sunriver Music Festival has announced that Brett Mitchell will serve as its next Artistic Director and Conductor, beginning a three-year term in August 2022.
In this role, Mr. Mitchell will lead the Festival Orchestra each summer in four classical concerts, a family program, and a pops concert.
The Festival was founded in 1978, and Mr. Mitchell is the fourth Artistic Director and Conductor in the organization’s 44-year history.
From the official press release:
“We don’t name orchestras after conductors. We name them after communities,“ explains Maestro Mitchell. “That’s because festivals reflect their communities. I am thrilled that I will be able to make a contribution to this festival that has been a part of the Central Oregon community for 44 years.”
Mitchell has accepted a 3-year contract with Sunriver Music Festival which includes a commitment for quarterly visits to the region for ongoing connection with the community and the Festival’s thriving music education programs.
Mr. Mitchell previously led the Orchestra in two programs on August 21 and 23 during the Festival’s 2021 season:
COPLAND - Music for Movies
MOZART - Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor
Daniel Hsu, piano
STRAVINSKY - Suite from Pulcinella
JESSIE MONTGOMERY - Starburst
SAINT-SAËNS - Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor
Amit Peled, cello
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 7 in A Major
On August 18, Mr. Mitchell also played an evening of John Williams’s chamber music from the piano with musicians from the Festival, including music from Fiddler on the Roof, The Terminal, Memoirs of a Geisha, Lincoln, and Schindler’s List.
The official press release points to the importance of the feedback about these performances from the Festival’s musicians and audiences when selecting Mr. Mitchell as their next Artistic Director:
The Festival’s Board of Trustees received hundreds of helpful evaluations submitted by patrons and musicians. Here's just a sampling:
"Brett Mitchell is a high-level conductor with very good conducting technique, rehearsal technique, big personality, very good. Keeping interest and energy levels high are Maestro Mitchell's strongest qualities as a conductor, and he has many more."
"Brett Mitchell is an effective musical leader. His conducting was very clear and did not get in the way of our ability to concentrate. Players were led by someone who understands what conducting is about and who therefore makes our task easier. He is extremely musical, gives excellent cues, is great with the audience and has a very polished approach."
For more information on Mr. Mitchell’s appointment, please view the press release on the Sunriver Music Festival’s website.
KTVZ News Channel 21 (NBC’s affiliate in Bend) has published a piece about Mr. Mitchell’s appointment: “Patrons, musicians help select Mitchell as new maestro for Sunriver Music Festival.”
Dates for Mr. Mitchell’s inaugural season as Artistic Director and Conductor in August 2022 will be announced in Fall 2021.
Audio: 'Sounds and Reflections from The Cleveland Orchestra's First Rehearsal in 16 Months'
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center on July 3, 2021, marking the orchestra’s first public performance since March 2020. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — WKSU 89.7 has published an audio story about The Cleveland Orchestra’s return to live performances, featuring an interview with Brett Mitchell, who led the orchestra’s first live concerts since March 2020 earlier this month.
Classical music has returned to Northeast Ohio after more than a year of silence.
The first time the world-renowned orchestra was back together to rehearse for its July 4 weekend concerts.
Former Cleveland Orchestra associate conductor Brett Mitchell led the program, serving as guest conductor.
At the opening of its first rehearsal, Mitchell addressed the orchestra as it prepared to play “Soul of Remembrance” by Mary D. Watkins.
“Do we want to do nothing but ‘sis boom bah’ right now, or do we want to acknowledge why we have not been together for the last 16 months? So, that’s why we’re going to do this piece,” Mitchell said.
He addressed the orchestra, stating that it would play in commemoration of the 600,000 Americans who died from the coronavirus and the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020.
“The whole piece is called ‘Five Movements in Color,’” he said. “It’s supposed to be a statement about the African-American experience. And this is the second movement.”
He said the piece is bittersweet is and nostalgic. It’s a song of sorrow and hope.
Mitchell said although so much has happened in the last year and the orchestra had not joined together to play music in some time, it was able to pick back up right where it left off for the rehearsal.
“Have they not played together, all of them, for 16 months? Yes, that’s true. And how long did it take before everything locked back in? I don’t know, 90 seconds or something like that,” he said.
Mitchell said seeing the clarinet players sitting together in a row, without social distancing, was a big change.
During the pandemic, he recorded videos of himself playing piano at home and uploaded them to YouTube.
“But that’s not what I wanted to spend my career doing,” Mitchell said. “I want to be with people. I want to make music with people. As a conductor, I really can’t do what I do without other people.”
Mitchell was on the conducting staff of the Cleveland Orchestra from 2013 to 2017, serving as assistant conductor and then associate conductor. In 2017, he became the music director of the Colorado Symphony.
When he was asked to guest conduct the Cleveland Orchestra for the July 4 concerts, he led the group in performing works by American composers, including Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.
“What I’ve really thought about is not primarily making music. It’s primarily everybody being together again and what that feels like,” he said.
To read the complete story and hear audio from The Cleveland Orchestra’s first rehearsal after the Coronavirus pandemic, please click here.
Video: Cleveland Orchestra musicians join Brett Mitchell for 80th-anniversary recording of Copland's 'Quiet City'
Robert Walters (English horn), Brett Mitchell (piano), and Michael Sachs (trumpet) perform Aaron Copland’s ‘Quiet City.’
DENVER — Cleveland Orchestra principal trumpet Michael Sachs and solo English horn Robert Walters join Brett Mitchell for a long-distance performance of Aaron Copland's Quiet City, recorded to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the piece's premiere on January 28, 1941.
Mr. Mitchell worked with Mr. Sachs and Mr. Walters from 2013 to 2017 while serving on the conducting staff of The Cleveland Orchestra, where Mr. Sachs has been principal trumpet since 1988 and Mr. Walters has been solo English horn since 2004.
Mr. Mitchell recorded his portion of this video in Denver, Colorado, on January 8. Mr. Walters and Mr. Sachs recorded their portions in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 15 and 19, respectively.
Enjoy the complete performance below, or watch on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Brett Mitchell marks milestone anniversary of conducting debut with multimedia release
Brett Mitchell with the combined bands at Lynnwood High School after his conducting debut on October 12, 1995.
LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Brett Mitchell made his conducting debut 25 years ago today on October 12, 1995.
As a 16-year-old junior at Lynnwood High School in a northern suburb of Seattle, Mr. Mitchell created and then conducted the premiere performance of an arrangement of Bruce Healey’s music from Fantasmic!, a nighttime show at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that premiered in 1992.
Watch Lesley Moffat, Director of Bands and Orchestra at Lynnwood High School from 1992 to 2002, introduce Mr. Mitchell’s debut:
The Performance
For the first time ever, to commemorate this anniversary, Mr. Mitchell is releasing complete footage of his debut:
Capturing the Moment
Mitchell’s writer’s notebook from 1995-96
The journal entry describing Mitchell’s conducting debut
Mr. Mitchell captured the experience of his debut several days later in his writer’s notebook:
As all three bands set up together, I waited backstage. After a while, I had to go sit down on the stairs because my knees were shaking so badly! Then Mrs. Moffat introduced me: “Never in 8 years of teaching have I asked a student to conduct, but because your students have done their jobs and Brett is so capable, I’m very proud to turn the baton over to our own arranger, Brett Mitchell.”
When I walked onstage, everybody—even the band—was clapping. WOW! Then I went over to the left side of the podium, just like we rehearsed, and stood there until everybody (the band) was watching. Then I stepped up onto the podium, lifted my arms, and gave the pickup. Everything after that (not to give a cliché) was a blur… I gave the last note and held my arms up. As soon as my arms went down, the whole audience started applauding. I motioned for the band to stand up, and when I turned around to bow, the whole audience was standing!! A standing ovation! Man. Mrs. Moffat was crying and came to give me a hug… I won’t ever forget that.
Interview with Lesley Moffat (2020)
Nearly 30 years after becoming her student in 7th grade band, Mr. Mitchell recently sat down for a Zoom conversation with Mrs. Moffat, who was his band director at both Alderwood Middle School (1991-92) and Lynnwood High School (1993-97). In the conversation below, they discuss Mr. Mitchell’s 1995 conducting debut, Mrs. Moffat’s three-plus decades as an educator, and what music education looks like in times of COVID.
Brett Mitchell interviews Lesley Moffat, his middle and high school band director in the 1990s.
Meeting Bruce Healey
Bruce Healey and Brett Mitchell in Hollywood, CA (Sep 2019)
Nearly 25 years after arranging Fantasmic!, Mr. Mitchell met composer Bruce Healey—now retired from Disney—while in Southern California for his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2019.
A manuscript folio of Fantasmic! autographed by composer Bruce Healey
Video: Brett Mitchell explores Mahler 9 with the Colorado Symphony
Brett Mitchell and a virtual ensemble of Colorado Symphony musicians explore Mahler's Ninth Symphony.
DENVER — The Colorado Symphony and Music Director Brett Mitchell have released a new video exploring Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony.
Mr. Mitchell and the orchestra were to have performed the work in May 2020, but those performances were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Instead, Mr. Mitchell explores the work from the piano at home, and is joined virtually by members of the Colorado Symphony for demonstrations of three orchestral excerpts from Mahler’s final masterpiece.
Mr. Mitchell is also joined by his wife, soprano Angela Mitchell, for demonstrations from Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and the hymn Abide With Me.
The video originally premiered on Wednesday, September 9 on both YouTube and Facebook, and may now be viewed on both platforms on demand.
Gustav Mahler (1909)
World premiere video: Brett Mitchell and the Colorado Symphony explore Wagner’s ‘Ring’
Brett Mitchell introduces the Colorado Symphony’s latest Virtual Music Hour: ‘The Ring without Words.’
DENVER — From May 22 to 24, as part of its ongoing Virtual Music Hour series, the Colorado Symphony will present never-before-seen video of its April 2018 performances of The Ring without Words, a selection of orchestral highlights from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle as arranged by Lorin Maazel. Music Director Brett Mitchell explains how the project came to Denver:
“In my late twenties, I was very fortunate to be mentored by the great conductor Lorin Maazel. One of the many pieces we delved into during our time together was his arrangement of orchestral highlights from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle, which Maazel affectionately titled The Ring without Words. When I accepted my position at the Colorado Symphony, I knew right away that I wanted to bring this incredible masterpiece to our audience, not just because of the greatness of Wagner’s music, but also because of my personal relationship with Maazel. When I reached out to Maestro’s widow to let her know we’d be doing this piece, I was stunned and incredibly moved when, a few weeks later, I received from her one of Maestro’s last batons with which to conduct the weekend’s performances. For so many reasons, it remains one of the most meaningful programs I’ve ever led, and one I’ll certainly carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Before presenting a complete performance of the piece, Mr. Mitchell and the orchestra shared with the audience various leitmotifs, compositional techniques, and plot points from Wagner's score:
Brett Mitchell returns to the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Brett Mitchell will return to the Hollywood Bowl for the second consecutive season to lead the music of Mozart with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
LOS ANGELES — Following his successful debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in September 2019, the orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to the Hollywood Bowl in August 2020 for the second consecutive season.
On Thursday, August 20, Mr. Mitchell will lead the LA Phil and Pacific Chorale in the immortal music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to accompany a screening of the 1984 classic film Amadeus.
For more information, please visit the event page on the Hollywood Bowl’s website, or read these articles in Broadway World.
Debut: Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl
Brett Mitchell will make his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on September 12, 2019.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced that Brett Mitchell will make his debut with the orchestra by leading their 2019 Hollywood Bowl season finale.
On Thursday, September 12, Mr. Mitchell and the orchestra will perform the iconic music of George Gershwin to accompany a screening of the 1951 classic film An American in Paris.
Single tickets go on sale on Sunday, May 5. For more information, please click here.
Video: 'Gods and Monsters: The Musical Journey of Wagner's Ring Cycle'
CLEVELAND — Brett Mitchell has created, written, and presented a new television special about Richard Wagner's music for the Ring Cycle, produced by Ideastream in Cleveland. In Gods and Monsters: The Musical Journey of Wagner's Ring Cycle, Mitchell demonstrates at the piano how Wagner crafted and combined leitmotifs to tell one of the greatest stories of all time.
Brett Mitchell named Music Director of the Colorado Symphony
DENVER — Brett Mitchell has been named Music Director of the Colorado Symphony, beginning in the 2017-18 season. Prior to this four-year appointment, he will serve as Music Director Designate during the 2016-17 season. For more information, please see the official press release from the Colorado Symphony and the following media coverage:
The Plain Dealer: "Cleveland Orchestra associate conductor Brett Mitchell scores top post at Colorado Symphony"
The Denver Post: "Colorado Symphony targeting younger audiences with new music director"
Colorado Public Radio: "Colorado Symphony introduces new music director Brett Mitchell"
Cleveland Classical: "Brett Mitchell to take the helm of the Colorado Symphony"
Denver Business Journal: "As season opens, Colorado Symphony's next music director looks ahead"
Colorado Public Radio: "Brett Mitchell on becoming the Colorado Symphony's next Music Director"
Slipped Disc: "Cleveland aide becomes music director"
Denver Business Journal: "Colorado Symphony posts first budget surplus in 26 seasons, hires new music director"
Musical America Worldwide: "Cleveland O Associate Conductor to Colorado" (subscription required)
The Classical Arts: "Cleveland Orchestra's Brett Mitchell named music director for Colorado Symphony"
The Violin Channel: "Colorado Symphony announce new music director"
Pizzicato: "Colorado Symphony announces budget surplus and new music director"
Audio: "Star Wars: The Score Awakens"
CLEVELAND — Brett Mitchell discusses John Williams's Oscar-nominated score for Star Wars: The Force Awakens with host Bill O'Connell in a new, hourlong special, “Star Wars: The Score Awakens,” set premiere on WCLV Classical 104.9 on Saturday, January 23 at 5 p.m. Eastern.
A synopsis from WCLV:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is already the biggest movie of all time in the United States. The soundtrack is an original score by John Williams, who has written the music for all seven Star Wars movies, plus other classics like Indiana Jones, E.T., Home Alone, and many, many more. Brett Mitchell, Associate Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, is a die-hard fan of John Williams and Star Wars, so WCLV invited him to the KeyBank Studio to take us through the score.
Listen at Ideastream or via the player below.
Update: ‘Star Wars: The Score Awakens’ won Best Documentary at the 2017 All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Like this special? Check out my two episodes of Classical Classroom exploring the music of Star Wars and The Force Awakens!
Essay: 'The Masur I Knew'
Kurt Masur and Brett Mitchell after performing together at the Manhattan School of Music on March 12, 2004.
I first met Kurt Masur as a graduate student in March 2004, when I was one of a handful of young conductors he selected to attend his first weeklong conducting seminar at the Manhattan School of Music. During our first encounters, I was enormously intimidated by the recently named Music Director Emeritus of the New York Philharmonic, but by the end of the week, we were sharing the second half of the seminar’s culminating concert (which was also my New York debut). I began with the Haydn Variations (while Maestro peered on from just offstage – no pressure!), and he concluded with Till Eulenspiegel.
Two years later, after another seminar together at the Manhattan School, Maestro invited me to Paris to audition to become one of his assistant conductors at the Orchestre National de France. Not speaking a word of French, I took him up on his offer, and ended up working with him in Paris and on tour for the next three seasons. Among the many extraordinary musical memories from those years, two in particular stand out: a desperately moving War Requiem at the Basilica of St Denis, and his unforgettable 80th-birthday concert at the BBC Proms, played by the combined forces of his two orchestras at that time: the ONF and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2008, Maestro selected me as one of his first two Mendelssohn Scholarship recipients, which allowed me to spend a month learning from him as we traveled from Vienna to Leipzig, from Berlin to New York. (It was during this trip that Maestro posed for the photograph below, which captures perfectly the lighthearted, humorous, even silly man that rarely made a public appearance.) Over the course of that trip, Maestro asked me to lead a rehearsal of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Gewandhausorchester, and to accompany an impromptu vocal rehearsal for St. Matthew Passion at the New York Philharmonic. Throughout all these experiences, Maestro helped me grow with both a watchful eye and an open heart. The countless meals and conversations we shared during that month—especially those at his home in Leipzig—will remain dear to me for the rest of my life.
Kurt Masur at Vienna International Airport in February 2008. (Photo by Brett Mitchell)
Kurt Masur and Brett Mitchell at the Musikverein in February 2008.
Over the many years we worked together, Maestro became for me the greatest mentor a young conductor could hope for, offering far more than technical advice and “tricks of the trade.” Nothing illustrates better the musician and human being I came to know than the time I asked him about a certain crescendo he requested of an orchestra: “Maestro, if Mozart wanted a crescendo there, why didn’t he just write one?” Masur replied, “Because if he wrote it down, you’d do it with your head instead of with your heart.” For Maestro, music was never about sharps and flats, dots and dashes; at its core, music was about communicating thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Technique was important, yes, but only insofar as it served the music; everything else was superficial.
When I learned of Maestro’s passing this past Saturday morning, I was stunned. Yes, he was 88 years old, and yes, had struggled with health issues for some time, but I don’t think any of us ever imagined a world without him in it until he left. As we all mourn his loss, my great hope is that the artistry and humanity he shared for almost nine decades will light the way for those of us who strive to continue in his footsteps.
Farewell, dear Maestro, and Godspeed.
Watch Mr. Mitchell’s culminating performances from Maestro Masur’s 2004 and 2006 masterclasses at the Manhattan School of Music.
BRAHMS — Variations on a Theme by Haydn
(March 2004)
MOZART — Finale from Symphony No. 40
(January 2006)
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra completes nine-day, four-city tour of China
Music Director Brett Mitchell (top center) and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra on the Great Wall in June 2015 during their four-city tour of China.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and music director Brett Mitchell have returned from a highly successful nine-day, four-city tour of China, the ensemble’s second international tour and their first to Asia.
DATES & VENUES
Sun, Jun 14
Severance Hall - Cleveland, OH
—
Thu, Jun 18
Forbidden City Concert Hall - Beijing, China
Fri, Jun 19
Tianjin Grand Theatre - Tianjin, China
Sun, Jun 21
Shanghai Oriental Art Center - Shanghai, China
Mon, Jun 22
Ningbo Cultural Plaza Grand Theatre - Ningbo, China
REPERTOIRE
SHOSTAKOVICH - Festive Overture
KILAR - Orawa
BARBER - Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 4
ENCORE
Flower Drum Song from Feng Yang (arr. Huang Ruo)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & PREVIEWS
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra's plans for new season include tour of China
–The Plain Dealer (Nov 18, 2014)
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra to Launch China Tour and More This Summer
–Broadway World (May 13, 2015)
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra looks to draw closer on upcoming tour of China
–The Plain Dealer (Jun 9, 2015)
Maestro Minutes (audio): Brett Mitchell previews the repertoire for COYO’s China tour
–Ideastream (Jun 22, 2015)
SEND-OFF CONCERT
Music Director Brett Mitchell leads the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra in performance at Severance Hall. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Listen to complete audio of COYO’s send-off performance at Ideastream or via the player below.
Review: An orchestra “many cities would be happy to have as their professional orchestra”
On Sunday, June 14 at Severance Hall, a large and enthusiastic audience was treated to a thrilling send-off concert when music director Brett Mitchell led his talented young musicians in works by Shostakovich, Kilar, Barber, and Tchaikovsky.
The program opened with an exuberant performance of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture. Following the grand brass fanfare, Mitchell set a fast tempo for the wind section’s opening melodic lines, which they played with aplomb. Throughout, the orchestra produced a clear, lush sound…
Mitchell led COYO’s string section in an inspired performance [of Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa] and they sounded splendid…
Samuel Barber gives the wind section ample opportunity to shine in [Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance], and shine they did. Mitchell kept the tempos in check without losing any of the work’s wonderfully hysterical qualities.
Following intermission, Mitchell and his brass section held back nothing as they launched into Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. As this ensemble has proven in the past, it is one that many cities would be happy to have as their professional orchestra. Mitchell again led a technically clean and musically thoughtful performance.
— Cleveland Classical (June 18, 2015)
VIDEOS FROM THE ROAD
INTERVIEW: TIANANMEN SQUARE
INTERVIEW: TOUR WRAP-UP
TOUR FAREWELL SPEECH
‘SOUND OF APPLAUSE’ RECAP
Upon returning home, Brett Mitchell sat down with host Dee Perry on Sound of Applause for a debrief to wrap up the tour. Listen at Ideastream or via the player below.
PHOTOS
Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing
Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing
Tianjin Grand Theatre, Tianjin
Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shangai
Ningbo Cultural Plaza Grand Theatre
Dress rehearsal at Ningbo Cultural Plaza Grand Theatre
Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shanghai
Shanghai program cover
The 2014-15 Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and music director Brett Mitchell at home in Severance Hall. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Brett Mitchell receives contract extension and promotion with The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall in March 2014 (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has announced an extension of Brett Mitchell's contract for two years through the 2016-17 season. After serving for two years as Assistant Conductor (2013-15), Mr. Mitchell's title will be elevated to Associate Conductor at the start of the 2015-16 season. He will become the first person to hold that title with the Orchestra in over three decades, and only the fifth in its 98-season history. A concurrent agreement extends Mr. Mitchell’s work as Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra through the same period. To learn more, please visit the following links:
The Plain Dealer: "Cleveland Orchestra assistant conductor Brett Mitchell lands contract extension and promotion"
Crain's Cleveland Business: "Cleveland Orchestra gives conductor a two-year contract extension"
Broadway World: "Brett Mitchell extends contract with Cleveland Orchestra through 2016-17 season"
New York Times Video: Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra
CLEVELAND — Video footage of Brett Mitchell's last-minute subscription debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in March appears in an article in today's New York Times: "Finding Tomorrow’s Classical Fans."
Mr. Mitchell leads the orchestra in Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder and J. Strauss II's Csárdás from Ritter Pázmán.
Western Washington University names Brett Mitchell Young Alumnus of the Year
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Western Washington University has issued a press release announcing Brett Mitchell's selection as the recipient of the university's 2014 Young Alumnus of the Year award. This award, established in 1980, is the most prestigious honor bestowed on a young alumnus.
Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Music in composition from Western in 2001, and will return to WWU to accept this award and lead their orchestra in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 on June 2, 2014.