NEWS
Audio: "Brett Mitchell on becoming the Colorado Symphony's next Music Director"
Brett Mitchell, who will become music director of the Colorado Symphony in 2017, leading the Cleveland Orchestra in concert. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Brett Mitchell has given an extensive interview to Colorado Public Radio about his recent appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Conductor Brett Mitchell is the next music director of the Colorado Symphony. The orchestra announced on Sept. 12 that the 37-year-old conductor will take over in 2017 -- though he’ll lead five concerts at Boettcher Concert Hall this season.
Mitchell, who’s currently associate conductor with the Cleveland Orchestra, spoke with CPR Classical’s David Rutherford just two days after the big announcement. He talked about what he’s learned from working with the Cleveland Orchestra, what he hopes to accomplish in his first concerts with the Colorado Symphony and what he remembers about his first conducting gig.
To hear the complete interview, please click here.
Brett Mitchell joins the roster of CM Artists New York
Brett Mitchell has joined the roster of CM Artists New York, where he will be represented by Linda Marder. For more information, please see Mr. Mitchell's page on the CM Artists website.
"Brett Mitchell to take the helm of the Colorado Symphony"
(Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Cleveland Classical has published an article about Brett Mitchell's recent appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
The Colorado Symphony announced on September 12 that Brett Mitchell has been appointed music director designate for the 2016-2017 season, and will assume the post of music director in July 2017. “It’s a great opportunity to be the Music Director of a great orchestra in a great city,” Mitchell said during a recent telephone conversation. “I don’t know how you could ask for more than that.”
The Colorado Symphony will give Mitchell a year to get to know his new colleagues in Denver — both the administration and musicians. “One of the extraordinary things about the appointment is the timeline that we have been able to develop,” Mitchell said. “Ordinarily the announcement would be made, then the next season you’d be named the music director designate, and become music director the following season — so that would add up to two years. In this case we’re only a year away from the full appointment.”
In order to introduce Mitchell to Denver audiences, the Symphony has created a “Meet Brett Mitchell” subscription series. “The best part is that while I’m getting to work with the staff, I’m also going to conduct five weeks with the orchestra this season. To be welcomed like that is wonderful, and everybody has gone above and beyond to make this happen. The Colorado Symphony and The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra have been absolutely perfect in working through all of this with me to make sure that I can spend as much time as possible in Colorado. By the time we get down to business in September 2017, I think we’re already going to be old friends and will be able to hit the ground running.”
Brett Mitchell joins the Denver-based orchestra at a pivotal moment in its history. Thanks to a new management team and board headed up by Co-Chair and CEO Jerome H. Kern, and with the help of members of the orchestra, the Colorado Symphony now has an expanded concert schedule, new performing opportunities and new financial commitments from corporations and foundations.
“I’m coming into a supremely healthy organization. The nice thing about turning over a new leaf is that the orchestra will have a new artistic leader who will be bringing a completely fresh perspective to the job. The only Colorado Symphony that I know is the one that #1, sounds amazing, #2, is well managed and well run. A lot of the credit for that goes to Jerry Kern and his wife Mary, who have been real miracle workers for that orchestra, and by extension, for that city.”
Because his appointment was made over the summer, Mitchell has been an integral part of the planning process for 2017-2018. “We’ve been going fast and furious with planning the season. It will really be my season and represent my vision for the orchestra,” Mitchell said....
Dividing his time between two cities means that Mitchell’s schedule for this coming year is going to be even busier than usual. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “To get to be with all three of these orchestras in one season is amazing. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
"As season opens, Colorado Symphony's next music director looks ahead"
Brett Mitchell is the new Music Director of the Colorado Symphony. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
The Denver Business Journal has published an extensive interview with Brett Mitchell about his recent appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
DBJ: Why did you decide to join the Colorado Symphony? What was attractive about the orchestra that led you to take this position? Was it the talent of the musicians? The management? The community? All of the above?
Mitchell: There are so many reasons this marriage between the Colorado Symphony and me seems to be such a perfect fit, but the biggest is that our respective visions for the future of orchestras are one and the same. Once I read the mission statement, I knew that I had finally found my ideal match, as we've both spent decades crafting programs that feature that wonderful, compelling blend of music, "...from the best of the past to the edge of the future."
Knowing that we're starting on the same page, pursuing the same goals, and sharing a common purpose gives us a huge advantage.
In my experience, the most reliable predictor of a successful relationship between an orchestra and a conductor is the chemistry they have in rehearsal and performance. Not every conductor gels with every orchestra, no matter how great each might be. That's why it was so special when I stood in front of the Colorado Symphony musicians for the first time, because it was instantly clear that there was something special going on, right from the first downbeat.
Getting to work with these amazing musicians week in, week out will be an absolute treat, and I'm so looking forward to developing and deepening our relationship over the coming seasons.
I should also say, as a Seattle native, that coming back out west after living for 15 years in the Midwest and Texas will be a real pleasure. I've loved everywhere I've lived, but coming to a city that feels more like what I grew up with is such a wonderful feeling.
My wife Angela and I are so looking forward to making our home there, and taking advantage of all the amazing opportunities to hike, bike, and spend time exploring all the amazing outdoor opportunities living in Denver will afford us.
DBJ: The Colorado Symphony has tried very hard to broaden the traditional audience for classical music in recent years with some success and, with much broader corporate support than it had before, is beginning the year with a surplus for the first time in it's history. What do you make of those efforts?
Mitchell: I couldn't be more pleased with where the Colorado Symphony is in terms of both its audience development and its fiscal situation. My mom worked in health care finance for her entire career, so I definitely understand how important a sound fiscal outlook is to the health of any organization, whether in the arts or otherwise. The Colorado Symphony has taken enormous steps toward ensuring it's on the firmest financial footing possible, and I'm looking forward to contributing to those continuing efforts.
In terms of reaching out to as broad an audience as possible, the Colorado Symphony really is an industry leader, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the diverse array of performances we offer each season. I couldn't be prouder to help lead an organization that makes such a consistent, concerted effort to reach as many of our friends and neighbors as possible, both longtime classical series subscribers and first-time single ticket buyers.
DBJ: What are some of the challenges you think lie ahead for the orchestra?
Mitchell: Like every arts organization, we're going to keep dreaming up deeper, more meaningful ways to engage younger audiences. There's a ton of competition out there in 2016 for the public's attention, with streaming video and instant access to entertainment and social media around every corner. We're proactive about reaching new audiences at the Colorado Symphony, and that means creating innovative, cutting-edge, compelling programs that will draw both traditional and new audiences to join us in Boettcher or on the road.
DBJ: Tell me why you think it's important for Denver and other cities to have a professional orchestra.
Mitchell: With each passing year, there seems to be more and more that fills our days and fewer opportunities to take time for ourselves. I certainly don't claim to know the meaning of life, but I do know that my life is enriched when I surround myself with beauty, and that's exactly what a professional orchestra brings to its community.
The chance to slow down, to unplug, to take in a brilliant piece of music, to appreciate beauty for beauty's sake, to remember that we're all a part of something larger than ourselves — all these things lead to happier, more fulfilled, and more engaged citizens, and are some of the many reasons it's crucial for any strong community to have an equally strong orchestra.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Colorado Symphony targeting younger audiences with new music director"
(Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
The Denver Post has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Nothing underscores the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s current approach to the business of making music more clearly than the appointment of Brett Mitchell as its new music director.
The orchestra is aggressively targeting younger audiences who like their classical infused with significant doses of pop. At 37 years old, and with an open mind toward the kind of fare that counts as symphonic, Mitchell fits right in.
The new hire is a considerable departure from the CSO’s past practices. Mitchell’s predecessor, Andrew Litton, is two nearly decades older and arrived four years ago with great fanfare and a detailed résumé, full of lead appointments and conducting jobs at major orchestras around the world. He was well established in the industry and had good connections with top-tier musicians and recording label executives.
Mitchell is coming in from Cleveland where he has two supporting positions, as the Cleveland Orchestra’s associate conductor and as music director of the organization’s Youth Orchestra. In Denver, he’ll lead an artistic team that also includes 26-year-old Associate Conductor Christopher Dragon and 31-year-old Assistant Conductor Andres Lopera.
Youth brings with it a certain freshness the orchestra hopes to project, and it links easily with a programming routine that places equal emphasis on the new and the old...
There are other bits of strategy wrapped up in the appointment. The CSO wanted a maestro who would relocate to Denver and Mitchell is pledged to spend at least half the year here conducting a large number of concerts...
And regardless of the level of talent — and Mitchell appears to have plenty of it — young conductors come with a relatively low price tag.
“I think this is a deal that will resonate well with the budget, but also resonate well with the musicians,” said Jerry Kern, who is both CEO and co-chair of the board of trustees.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Cleveland O Associate Conductor to Colorado"
Musical America Worldwide has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Succeeding Andrew Litton as music director of the Colorado Symphony will be Brett Mitchell, associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and music director of its youth orchestra. He serves as designate in Colorado's current season and starts in earnest next July....
Mitchell, 37, has guest conducted widely and apprenticed under Kurt Masur at the Orchestre National de France, as assistant conductor, and Lorin Maazel at the Castelton Festival.
To read the complete article (subscription required), please click here.
"Cleveland Orchestra associate conductor Brett Mitchell scores top post at Colorado Symphony"
Brett Mitchell, associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, has been appointed music director of the Colorado Symphony. He begins as music director designate and takes up the full mantle in 2017. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
No longer is Brett Mitchell's musical future uncertain.
Now it's clear exactly where the associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra is headed: to the podium of the Colorado Symphony.
On Monday, the group announced the appointment of Mitchell as its next music director, for a four-year term officially commencing next year. He replaces conductor Andrew Litton, who has served in the post since 2012.
"It feels like that perfect marriage between an organization and an artistic leader," said Mitchell, also known locally as director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO).
"It was clearly a great match, from the first downbeat of the first rehearsal. You're always looking for an orchestra that you have real chemistry with."
For Mitchell, 37, here since 2013, the move to Colorado marks an unusually large step up the musical ladder. While most Cleveland assistants have gone on to great things, none have leapt straight to a prominent music directorship.
And yet the appointment is far from surprising. Indeed, for an orchestra like Colorado, just 26 years old and in the midst of a fiscal and artistic renaissance, Mitchell may be just the ticket.
Already Mitchell said he intends to be anything but a conventional music director, leading, as he did here in Cleveland, not only classical concerts but family and pops programs as well. He also has a great deal of comfort and experience speaking from the podium, and plans to continue the practice.
"[W]e have to recognize that Denver is a changing city, with younger audiences to engage," said Colorado Symphony board chair Jerry Kern, in a statement that included news of a healthy annual report. "We need to stay current..."
"I think it's going to be a ground-breaking partnership," added Mitchell.
Mitchell said his contract in Cleveland extends through the coming season. He will remain in Northeast Ohio through the coming year and fulfill all his regular duties, including those with COYO.
Meanwhile, in Colorado, he will serve as music director designate, appearing five times on a subscription series in his honor. He will officially take up the music director mantle and commence a four-year term at the start of the 2017-18 season.
"It's a forward-thinking orchestra," Mitchell said, "the kind I want to work for. I respect any organization that sees what it wants and goes out and gets it."
Respect, of course, is also what Mitchell feels for his current employer, which extended his contract and promoted him to associate conductor last year.
Having grown up in music listening to Cleveland Orchestra recordings, Mitchell said it has been nothing but an honor and a first-rate learning experience conducting at Severance Hall. He'd have gladly stayed here, in fact, had Colorado not come knocking.
"For being affiliated with an organization that places such a premium on excellence at every stage, I will never be anything but grateful," Mitchell said.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Colorado Symphony introduces new music director Brett Mitchell"
(Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Colorado Public Radio has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Exciting news for classical music fans in Colorado this morning: The Colorado Symphony today revealed the name of its next music director.
Conductor Brett Mitchell, the 37-year-old associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, will be the next maestro to lead the Colorado Symphony.
Mitchell doesn’t officially become music director until the 2017-18 season starts. But he’ll conduct several concerts this year as “music director designate.”
He’s slated to hold the music director position for four seasons.
In Cleveland, he also served as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra’s youth orchestra and increased the ensemble’s focus on American and contemporary composers...
Mitchell is active on social media, often sharing photos from rehearsals and concert tours on his Twitter feed.
He replaces Andrew Litton, who's taken on a reduced role with the orchestra after accepting a position with the New York City Ballet. Litton served as music director for four seasons beginning in 2012.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Colorado Symphony announces budget surplus and new Music Director"
Pizzicato has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
The Colorado Symphony is starting in the new season with a budget surplus of $1.7 million. Andrew Litton currently serves as Artistic Advisor, yet the orchestra just has appointed a new music director, Brett Mitchell, now associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. Mitchell will be music director designate for the 2016-2017 concert season, and will become music director in July 2017. Mitchell was born in Seattle in 1979. With approximately 150 musical performances per season the Colorado Symphony is one of the busiest orchestras in the United States.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Cleveland Orchestra's Brett Mitchell named Music Director for Colorado Symphony"
The Classical Arts has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Brett Mitchell, the current associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, has been named as the new music director for the Colorado Symphony's upcoming season. The new appointment was announced on Monday in a published press release from the Colorado Symphony.
The Colorado Symphony's announcement revealed that Mitchell will begin his tenure as music director with the famed orchestra next year. The four-year term finds Mitchell replacing Andrew Litton, who served in the symphony's prestigious music director post since the year 2012.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Colorado Symphony Orchestra announce new music director"
(Photo by Gregg Barckholtz)
The Violin Channel has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra has today announced the appointment of 37 year old American conductor, Brett Mitchell as their new Music Director – effective from the commencement of the 2017/18 season.
A graduate of the University of Texas and the Western Washington University, Brett currently serves as Associate Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and as Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra.
“Mitchell was unanimously selected by musicians and artistic leadership alike — a rare occurrence in the orchestra world when making such a momentous change …” Chief Artistic Officer, Anthony Pierce has said.
“Brett’s skill, character, and creativity won us all over, and he’s completely on board with our mission for innovative artistry and financial success …” he has said.
“From the first downbeat of our first rehearsal together, it was clear that the Colorado Symphony and I had that special chemistry vital to any great artistic partnership,” Mitchell has said.
He will replace conductor, Andrew Litton – who has served the position since 2012.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Just in: Cleveland aide becomes music director"
Norman Lebrecht's Slipped Disc has published a brief article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
Brett Mitchell, Associate Conductor at the Cleveland Orchestra, has been named Music Director of the Colorado Symphony from next season. Brett, 37, has also been in charge of Cleveland’s youth orchestra. Colorado has bounced back from hard times with its first budget surplus.
To read the complete article, please click here.
"Colorado Symphony posts first budget surplus in 26 seasons, hires new music director"
The Denver Business Journal has published an article about Brett Mitchell's appointment as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony:
The [Colorado Symphony] is announcing the appointment of a new music director — Brett Mitchell, now associate conductor of the acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra. Mitchell will have the title of music director designate for the 2016-2017 concert season, will conduct five concerts this season and will become music director in July 2017.
Mitchell is also planning to make Denver his home, unlike many music directors of the past who lived elsewhere. In an e-mail interview with the Denver Business Journal, Mitchell expressed excitement for the move to Denver.
“There are so many reasons this marriage between the Colorado Symphony and me seems to be such a perfect fit, but the biggest is that our respective visions for the future of orchestras are one and the same," he said.
"Once I read the symphony's mission statement, I knew that I had finally found my ideal match, as we've both spent decades crafting programs that feature that wonderful, compelling blend of music ... from the best of the past to the edge of the future," Mitchell wrote. “Knowing that we're starting on the same page, pursuing the same goals and sharing a common purpose gives us a huge advantage.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
Brett Mitchell named Music Director of the Colorado Symphony
DENVER, CO – 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"
Brett Mitchell to perform in The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence: Cleveland Edition
On Sunday, September 25, Brett Mitchell will perform in The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence. Mr. Mitchell will accompany several selections at the piano as part of the Cleveland edition of this nationwide event. More information from the official press release:
On September 25, artists and activists from coast to coast will band together for The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence with a series of live concerts brought together by social media. Our purpose is to use music to honor and remember the victims of gun violence, and to bring heightened visibility to this serious problem.
In Cleveland, a FREE concert will be held at U.S. Bank Plaza in Playhouse Square. Classically trained musicians will share selections on the themes of peace, remembrance, and non-violence.
For additional information, please see the nationwide homepage or the Cleveland event page.
Brett Mitchell to lead The Cleveland Orchestra in centennial celebration for the Rotary Foundation
On Sunday, October 23, 2016, Rotarians and guests from around the world will come to Cleveland, Ohio, to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of The Rotary Foundation on the eve of World Polio Day. The occasion will be marked with a special performance of The Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of associate conductor Brett Mitchell celebrating The Rotary Foundation from its humble beginnings with Founder Arch C. Klumph (a Cleveland native), through its global expansion and commitment to humanitarian works, to its present-day mission of eradicating polio throughout the world.
The program will feature works by Beethoven, Debussy, Chabrier, Liszt, and John Williams. For more information or to purchase tickets for this event, please click here. To visit The Rotary Foundation's Centennial Celebration website, please click here.
Review: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at Blossom with The Cleveland Orchestra
ClevelandClassical has published a review of Brett Mitchell's recent performance of Raiders of the Lost Ark at Blossom Music Center:
Associate conductor Brett Mitchell led The Cleveland Orchestra in John Williams’s Oscar-nominated score.... The precision of the coordination was remarkable, leading to the somewhat ironic conclusion that The Cleveland Orchestra—at full force on Saturday—did not intrude in a splendid screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark....
The score is symphonic in scope, underscoring most of the film, except for a few extended passages of dialogue. Williams is a genius who can completely change character with one or two chords as the film cuts from one scene to the next. Themes for the characters and situations are developed with Wagnerian clarity, and the orchestral writing is virtuosic throughout. And unlike the original recording by the London Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra played the entire score non-stop. It likely contained more music—if perhaps less profound—than a Mahler or Bruckner symphony, and Brett Mitchell kept the whole thing moving.
To read the complete review, please click here.
Audio + Review: Brett Mitchell and The Cleveland Orchestra perform "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Brett Mitchell is featured in Episode 237 of The IndyCast.
Brett Mitchell is featured in the current episode of The IndyCast, previewing his performances of Raiders of the Lost Ark with The Cleveland Orchestra that closed the 2016 Blossom Music Festival over Labor Day Weekend.
The program also includes a review of the performance given on Saturday, September 3:
The Cleveland Orchestra, Brett Mitchell - could not ask for a better performance. Spot on. Every punch, every whip crack, every crash, every explosion, every little moment, every little beat - all timed out perfectly.
There’s not much that can recapture the feeling of seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, but this...comes awfully close.
To listen to or download this episode, please click here. Mr. Mitchell's interview begins at 1:09:50. The review begins at 1:53:00.
Audio: Brett Mitchell discusses John Williams with "Comic Book Central"
Brett Mitchell is featured in the current episode of Comic Book Central, discussing the music of John Williams in advance of his performances this weekend of Raiders of the Lost Ark with The Cleveland Orchestra. From Comic Book Central:
Indiana Jones and Superman are coming to musical life in Cleveland! On this special bonus episode of Comic Book Central, I sit down with the conductor and the artistic administrator of the Cleveland Orchestra, Brett Mitchell and Ilya Gidalevich, to chat about two action-packed events – Raiders of the Lost Ark: In Concert and Superman at the Symphony!
To listen to or download this episode, please click here.
Debut with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra
Brett Mitchell will make his debut with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra during the 2016-17 season, leading a performance at the orchestra's home of Kulas Hall on Wednesday, February 15. Repertoire for this program will be announced in Fall 2016. For additional information, please see the event page and the 2016-17 CIM Concert Guide.