NEWS
Preview: Brett Mitchell on the podium for New Year's Eve with the Colorado Symphony
DENVER — The Gazette (Colorado Springs) has published a preview of various New Year’s Eve celebrations in and around the Denver metropolitan area, highlighting Brett Mitchell’s fourth New Year’s Eve program with the Colorado Symphony. Complete details are as follows:
“A Night in Vienna” by Colorado Symphony
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St., Denver
Price: $20 to $94; 877-292-7979, coloradosymphony.org
The early concert means you can take in some classical music and still close 2019 out on the town. The Colorado Symphony will present a program of waltzes and marches. Music Director Brett Mitchell will conduct.
On the program, Mr. Mitchell will lead works by Johann Strauss II, Richard Strauss, Mahler, and Tchaikovsky. For more information, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell discusses his surprise appearance this weekend with the Amarillo Symphony
Brett Mitchell speaks with Andy Justus about this weekend’s concerts with the Amarillo Symphony.
AMARILLO — Brett Mitchell sat down with anchor Andy Justus on this afternoon’s episode of Studio 4, a daily newsmagazine on NBC’s Amarillo affiliate, to discuss his surprise appearance this weekend with the Amarillo Symphony in a program of Bach, Mozart, and Schumann. To watch this interview, please click here.
Preview: 2019 Hollywood Bowl Summer Season Celebrates Oscar-Winning Films
WeAreMovieGeeks.com has published a preview of the Hollywood Bowl’s 2019 summer season, including Brett Mitchell’s upcoming debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic:
On Thursday, September 12, the LA Phil, conducted by Brett Mitchell, presents the digitally-restored An American in Paris, winner of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, featuring a treasure trove of Gershwin classics.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: 'Apollo 11 fever! How Colorado is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing'
Buzz Aldrin plants the U.S. flag on the surface of the moon, July 1969. (Photo by Neil Armstrong)
DENVER — The Denver Post has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performance with the Colorado Symphony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing:
Americans are fired up for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which arrives on July 20. And Colorado, with its wealth of aerospace institutions and growing legacy in the industry, will be one of the epicenters for the celebration….
As part of its “Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration,” Colorado Symphony music director Brett Mitchell will lead a night of live music from composer John Williams (featuring selections from not only “Star Wars” but “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”) and contemporary American composers Mason Bates and James Beckel, all accompanied by archival footage from the moon landing and other visuals.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: 'Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration touches down July 20'
Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. (Photo by Neil Armstrong)
DENVER — The Sentinel (Colorado) has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performance with the Colorado Symphony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing:
Mission Control…the Eagle has landed…in Denver. On July 20, the Colorado Symphony will present the Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration at Boettcher Concert Hall. Music Director Brett Mitchell will conduct the Colorado Symphony with music from the iconic John Williams, including selections from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars and E.T. Former NASA astronaut Richard Hieb — a veteran of three space shuttle missions and a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder — will serve as narrator [for James Beckel’s From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond (2018)].
Mason Bates’s Passage (2017)—featuring mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke—will round out the program.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To read an additional preview in the Los Angeles Times, please click here.
Preview: 'Summer Heats Up at the San Francisco Symphony'
SAN FRANCISCO — SFGate has published a preview of the San Francisco Symphony’s upcoming summer season, featuring Brett Mitchell’s debut with the orchestra on Thursday, July 18:
Those looking for a more traditional night of classical music at the SF Symphony should look no further than the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at the SF Symphony. Conductor Brett Mitchell will lead the SF Symphony in an exhilarating concert of the masterworks, before one of today’s most promising violinists, Canadian Blake Pouliot, will perform the Violin Concerto to what is sure to be a captive audience.
Also on the program are Berlioz’s Hungarian March from The Damnation of Faust and Symphonie fantastique.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: 'An American in Paris' with The Cleveland Orchestra
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has published several behind-the-scenes videos previewing their upcoming performances of the classic 1951 film ‘An American in Paris’ led by guest conductor Brett Mitchell.
In the first video, Mr. Mitchell explores the methods and challenges of syncing a live orchestra in 2019 with singing and dancing in a film made almost 70 years ago:
Preview: Brett Mitchell returns to The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell will return to The Cleveland Orchestra to lead their 2018-19 season finale. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Scene has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming return to The Cleveland Orchestra to lead their 2018-19 Severance Hall season finale:
The Cleveland Orchestra has two programs left in its regular season… Former associate conductor Brett Mitchell returns to lead the Orchestra in Gershwin’s score to An American in Paris on Thursday, May 30 at 7:30 pm, Friday, May 31 at 8:00 pm, and Saturday, June 1 at 8:00 pm. Meanwhile, the 1951 film inspired by Gershwin’s 1928 orchestral piece will be shown on the big screen, starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, and others.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: Colorado Symphony season finale
DENVER — Westword has included this weekend’s Colorado Symphony performances on this week’s list of “The 21 Best Events in Denver”:
Medieval poetry and modern composition clash with glorious bombast in Carmina Burana, a scenic cantata that sounds every bit as grand in the concert hall as it does on the soundtrack to cinematic epics like Excalibur. Adapted from a collection of satirical verses mostly written by Goliard monks in the twelfth century, Carl Orff's masterpiece retains its source materials' timeless warnings against lust, gluttony and the caprices of fortune while evoking the horrors of the German composer's experience as a survivor of both world wars. Join the Colorado Symphony's Brett Mitchell and Duain Wolfe along with Colorado Children's Chorale artistic director Deborah DeSantis for three rousing performances of Carmina Burana, plus Adam Schoenberg's American Symphony, at Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
New York Times: "How to Celebrate the Moon Landing, From Coast to Coast"
The Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. (Photo by Robert Rausch/The New York Times)
The New York Times has featured Brett Mitchell’s July 20 program with the Colorado Symphony in its list of “eight standouts” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing:
For an artistic take on the space race, head to Denver, Colo., for the Colorado Symphony’s Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration. The program, organized by the music director and self-described “space kid” Brett Mitchell, will feature renditions of John Williams’s scores from “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Star Wars.” Two contemporary pieces from the composers Mason Bates and James Beckel will also be played. Expect sung and spoken-word accompaniments, references to John F. Kennedy’s 1961 moon shot speech, archival footage and a special surprise encore. Get tickets and details here.
To read the complete article, please click here.
Preview: Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias
Brett Mitchell will make his Spanish debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias in Gijón on May 2 and Oviedo on May 3.
OVIEDO — The Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming Spanish debut:
The Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias will continue its subscription season this week with the program Lenguajes propios II, which will be directed by maestro Brett Mitchell, who makes his debut on the OSPA podium at the Jovellanos Theater and in the Príncipe Felipe Auditorium. The program features violinist Akiko Suwanai and twelve students from the Superior Conservatory of Music 'Eduardo Martínez Torner'. The program includes the following works:
Bedřich Smetana, The Bartered Bride: Overture
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 35
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Mr. Mitchell also sat down between rehearsals for a brief conversation about this program with violinist Fernando Zorita, which can be viewed below.
Preview: 'Star Wars Symphony arrives in Colorado this first weekend of spring'
Brett Mitchell will lead the Colorado Symphony in John Williams’s score for ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ on March 23 and 24.
DENVER — NBC’s Denver affiliate, 9NEWS, has included the Colorado Symphony’s upcoming performances of John Williams’s iconic score for The Empire Strikes Back, led by Music Director Brett Mitchell, in their weekly arts roundup:
The Colorado Symphony is headed to Broomfield this weekend for an epic presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. Colorado Symphony's Music Director Brett Mitchell will lead the two performances which include a screening of the complete film with Oscar-winning composer's John Williams' score performed live. Star Wars in Concert takes place Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the 1stBank Center. Tickets are sold at AltitudeTickets.com.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell discusses John Williams's score for 'The Empire Strikes Back'
Brett Mitchell at the piano in the Colorado Public Radio studios. (Photo by Hart Van Denburg/CPR)
DENVER — Before leading the Colorado Symphony in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back next weekend, Brett Mitchell sat down with host David Rutherford in the Colorado Public Radio Performance Studio to explore some of the highlights of John Williams's iconic soundtrack.
After reviewing themes from Star Wars: A New Hope (watch the breakdown here), Mr. Mitchell explores the new themes Mr. Williams created for characters in The Empire Strikes Back, including Darth Vader, Yoda, and Han and Leia.
Watch the full video here.
This special was also featured on the most recent episode of Star Wars podcast Rebel Force Radio. To hear this segment, please begin at 1:57:07 in the video below.
Preview: River Oaks Chamber Orchestra travels across Europe with ‘Ticket to Ride’
Brett Mitchell will lead the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra at St. John the Divine in Houston on Saturday, February 23.
HOUSTON — The Houston Chronicle has published an extensive preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming debut with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra.
“I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could,” says Brett Mitchell, quoting a favorite bumper sticker of his. “That’s kind of like me. Any excuse to come back to Texas is great.”
Originally from Seattle, the music director of the Colorado Symphony received his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Texas at Austin and later worked as the assistant conductor of the Houston Symphony from 2007 to 2011.
On Saturday, Mitchell will return to Houston to make his debut with another local ensemble, leading the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in “Ticket to Ride” at the Church of St. John the Divine.
The concert will take its audience on a train trip across Europe in a program featuring Ethel Smyth’s “The Wreckers,” Wojciech Kilar’s “Orawa,” Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1, Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 (also called the “Haffner” Symphony) and a new commission by composer Jim Stephenson titled “ROCOmotive…”
In a way, the programming was devised through a back-and-forth “dance” between Mitchell and artistic director Alecia Lawyer, whose father collects miniature trains — a fitting theme that ties into ROCO’s overall season, “Games People Play.”
One of Lawyer’s suggestions was the overture of Smyth’s three-act opera, which was re-scored by composer Mark Buller to fit the smaller orchestra. Highlighting works by women has long been a part of the ensemble’s mission, and it’s an initiative that Mitchell fully supports, saying, “It’s about damn time that we start having more female composers on our series.” …
Although Smyth’s opera debuted over a century ago, it presents a challenge for Mitchell, much like Stephenson’s new commission. Fortunately, he enjoys the challenge and finds inspiration in working on world premieres. In fact, it’s why he became a conductor in the first place, he says, rather than following the paths of a pianist or a composer.
“I came to realize that I didn’t really feel like I personally had anything compelling that I needed to say through my own music,” he says. “What I really love doing is finding other composers that I feel like do have something to say and giving those works a voice, breathing life into them for the first time.” …
“Instead of being a creative artist, I consider what we do in orchestras being a re-creative artist,” he continues. “Priority number one for me always, the person that I am working the hardest for, it’s not the orchestra. It’s not the audience. It’s not even me. It’s the composer. Without the composer, none of us have jobs. I take my obligation to that incredibly seriously, and it’s so incredibly rewarding when you get to bring something to life like this.”
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: ‘Inside the Symphony’ with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Brett Mitchell will lead the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in a program of Dvořák and Smetana on Friday, February 8 at the Orpheum in downtown Vancouver.
VANCOUVER — Daily Hive has published a preview of one of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming three performances with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra:
Looking for a new way to spend your Friday night on the town?
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) wants to help.
This Friday, February 8, is the VSO’s second iteration of “Inside the Symphony,” a new, three-concert series that brings listeners closer to the music, while still allowing plenty of time to hit the town afterwards.
The evening begins with Happy Hour at the Orpheum at 5:30 pm… The concert then begins at 6:30 and lasts for an hour, with the conductor taking listeners inside the music with a casual analysis before the piece is played.
This week’s event features guest conductor Brett Mitchell and two highly-popular Czech pieces – Smetana’s The Moldau and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: Colorado Symphony welcomes Itzhak Perlman
Music Director Brett Mitchell and the Colorado Symphony will welcome violinist Itzhak Perlman for a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. (Photos by Roger Mastroianni and Lisa Marie Mazzucco)
DENVER — Violinist Itzhak Perlman will join the Colorado Symphony and Music Director Brett Mitchell for a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto on Thursday, January 10 in Boettcher Concert Hall, marking the violinist’s first appearance in Denver since 2014. Mr. Mitchell and the orchestra will open the program with Jennifer Higdon’s Fanfare Ritmico and Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones concertantates. For more information, please click here.
Preview: 'Colorado Symphony Will Live-Score Amadeus'
Brett Mitchell will lead the Colorado Symphony in the score of Milos Forman's classic film ‘Amadeus.’
DENVER — Westword has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performances of Amadeus with the Colorado Symphony:
Few movies capture the myth of the mad genius better than Amadeus, Milos Forman's Academy Award-scooping epic. Next month, the Colorado Symphony, conducted by Brett Mitchell, will live-score the film.
This is the perfect mashup of the orchestra's embrace of pop culture through the Movie at the Symphony series and its obligation to perform canonical music for longtime subscribers.
The orchestra will bring out the Colorado Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Duain Wolfe, to fill out the sound on the operatic parts of the score (not to mention that sweeping meditation on mortality, Mozart's final requiem).
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: New Year's Eve with the Colorado Symphony
Music Director Brett Mitchell will lead the Colorado Symphony in a program of waltzes, marches, and polkas on New Year’s Eve at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver. (Photo by Brandon Marshall)
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Gazette has included Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performance with the Colorado Symphony on its list of the biggest New Year’s Eve events in and around Denver:
If you’re searching for a place to ring in 2019 with friends (and friends you haven’t met yet), festivities abound in the Pikes Peak region and the Denver metro area…
A Night In Vienna by Colorado Symphony, conducted by Brett Mitchell, Boettcher Concert Hall… Program includes polkas, waltzes and marches from Nicolai, Strauss, Verdi, Waldteufel and Bernstein.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell on 'Colorado & Company'
Brett Mitchell speaks with host Denise Plante on the set of ‘Colorado & Company.’ (Photo by Nick Dobreff)
DENVER — Brett Mitchell appeared on this morning's Colorado & Company — a daily magazine on NBC's Denver affiliate, 9NEWS — to discuss the wide variety of programs the Colorado Symphony will present during the upcoming holiday season. Watch the video above.
Preview: 'The week's five best Twin Cities classical concerts'
Brett Mitchell will lead the Minnesota Orchestra in works of Kevin Puts, Shostakovich, and Beethoven at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Nov. 15-17. (Photo by Courtney Perry)
The Minnesota Orchestra will celebrate cellist Anthony Ross’s 30-year anniversary.
MINNEAPOLIS - Brett Mitchell’s upcoming concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra are the top pick on the Star Tribune’s list of “The week's five best Twin Cities classical concerts”:
It's been 30 years since principal cello Anthony Ross joined the Minnesota Orchestra. The group marks the occasion by adding Shostakovich's Second Cello Concerto to its repertoire. Conductor Brett Mitchell leads a program that also includes Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. [The program will open with Kevin Puts’s Inspiring Beethoven.]
To read the complete preview, please click here.