NEWS
Brett Mitchell to lead San Antonio Philharmonic during its inaugural 2022-23 season
SAN ANTONIO — The newly formed San Antonio Philharmonic has announced that Brett Mitchell will guest conduct the ensemble on its inaugural classical series during the 2022-23 season.
Mr. Mitchell will lead the Philharmonic at First Baptist Church of San Antonio at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, 2023, in the following program:
FALLA - Suite No. 1 from The Three-Cornered Hat
LISZT - Piano Concerto No. 2
William Wolfram, piano
MENDELSSOHN - Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”
Mr. Mitchell was a frequent guest conductor with the San Antonio Symphony before it ceased operations in June 2022. In August 2022, the musicians formally reorganized as the San Antonio Philharmonic.
For more information, please enjoy the following articles:
Texas Public Radio: ‘San Antonio Symphony reborn as the San Antonio Philharmonic’
San Antonio Report: ‘New San Antonio Philharmonic seeks to fill void left by symphony’s demise’
San Antonio Magazine: ‘San Antonio Symphony Musicians Will Return as San Antonio Philharmonic’
San Antonio Current: ‘Musicians of city's dissolved symphony reform as San Antonio Philharmonic, launch new season’
Violinist.com: ‘New San Antonio Philharmonic is Formed Following Symphony's Dissolution’
SlippedDisc.com: ‘San Antonio musicians form a new orchestra’
Preview: Sunriver Music Festival returns with new conductor, adds Bend venue
Brett Mitchell poses in the Sunriver Resort Great Hall, one of two venues for the 2022 Sunriver Music Festival. (Photo by Tambi Lane)
BEND, Ore. — The Bulletin has published a preview of the Sunriver Music Festival’s 2022 season, featuring an interview with Brett Mitchell as he enters his first season as Artistic Director & Conductor:
The Sunriver Music Festival returns for its 45th season this week. Given that long and storied history, incoming conductor Brett Mitchell humbly sees himself as one part of a, well, classic classical music series.
“I’m obviously thrilled to be coming on as the artistic director and conductor of the Sunriver Music Festival,” he told GO! Friday. “But I really view my job as — I’m kind of a temporary custodian of a permanent position. This position and this festival predate me, and assuming I do it right, it will postdate me as well.”
The festival opens for its 45th season — and the first of the three Mitchell is signed on for — on Wednesday, bringing live classical music performed by the professional Sunriver Festival Orchestra for concerts over three nights at the new Caldera High School in southeast Bend, as well as SRMF’s longtime home in Sunriver, the Sunriver Resort Great Hall.
Bend audiences will see Classical Concert I (Wednesday, Aug. 10), the Pops Concert (Aug. 12) and the closing night performance, Concert III (Aug. 21). Sunriver will see Classical Concerts II and III (Aug. 15 and 18) along with Cliburn International Piano Competition bronze medalist Dmytro Choni’s solo concert (Aug. 16) and the family-friendly Discover the Symphony Concert (Aug. 17). See “More information” for a more detailed breakdown, along with ticketing info.
Mitchell is excited for the entire season, but one of the highlights for him will occur right out of the gate on Wednesday, when Concert I, in lieu of guest soloists, features pieces that will highlight the Festival Orchestra’s innate talent, some of whom have served long tenures themselves.
“Part of the legacy of the festival is that, even though the artistic director will change from time to time, as it is right now, the musicians are the ones that are making the sound, and they are the constant,” Mitchell said. “They are the constant year in year out, and so this second piece by (Alberto) Ginastera, this wonderful South American composer … instead of being a concerto for a solo instrument and orchestra, this piece is in, like, a dozen little movements. And each one of those dozen little movements is like a tiny concerto for one of the members of the orchestra. So there’s a little flute concerto movement, and a little oboe concerto movement, and it’s a great way for us to be able to feature our musicians as soloists.
“That, for me, was really important to do on the first program, to try to throw back as much focus as I can to the musicians. Some of them have been here for decades,” he added. “I think it’s going to be a really nice way for us to start our official relationship.”
Other things he’s looking forward to are the Pops Concert, which will feature a lot of recognizable music from film, as well as jazz arrangements of George Gershwin and Duke Ellington, to name but two. That concert also features bass-baritone Timothy Jones, a friend of Mitchell’s, who will also be heard during Classical Concert IV on Aug. 21 in Bend.
Mitchell replaces longtime conductor George Hanson, who last led the Festival Orchestra in 2019. Prior to COVID rearing its ugly head, the 2020 festival would have celebrated Hanson’s 10th and final year in Sunriver, a program that would have also celebrated composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday.
The enduring festival returned last season, albeit with a slightly downsized orchestra and outdoor performances led by Mitchell and fellow finalist Kelly Kuo, who gave public auditions, as it were, live and in person.
“It was just such a weird time, you know,” Mitchell recalled. “Presenting outdoor concerts is a whole different venture than presenting concerts at the Tower Theatre in Bend or at the Great Hall at the resort here in Sunriver.” Problems with weather and smoke factored in last year.
The prospect of having a new conductor in his inaugural season, along with a full orchestra and a return to indoor venues, one of them new, makes this year special for Meagan Iverson, executive director of SRMF.
Last summer, “we really kept the focus on the music. We didn’t have any of the extras,” Iverson said. “I’m grateful that I have been here through the years prior to COVID, so I do know the flow of things and also how we have just been very creative over the last 2½ years.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
Preview: Sunriver Music Festival summer series presents dynamic duo
SUNRIVER, Ore. — Sunriver Scene has published a front-page preview of the Sunriver Music Festival’s 2022 season, featuring an interview with Brett Mitchell as he enters his first season as Artistic Director & Conductor and an extensive exploration of his long collaboration with bass-baritone Timothy Jones, who will appear on three of the 2022 Festival’s six concerts:
Brett Mitchell met Timothy Jones 20 years ago, working together at the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. They performed a few pieces there together during that first summer (the world premiere of “A Lyric’s Tale” by Maurice Wright and “Eight Songs for a Mad King” by Peter Maxwell Davies) and ever since have continued to work together symbiotically on stage and in life as close friends. They have similar work ethics and passion for what they do.
“Making music is such an intense process that musicians often become instant friends when working together. That said, when the music-making is over, those friendships often fade. But once in a great while, you meet and make music with a kindred spirit who becomes a deeply important part of your life, and that’s who Jones is to me,” said Mitchell. “We’ve been making music and sharing laughter together now for 20 years, and I’m thrilled that our audiences in Sunriver and Bend will get to experience his exquisite artistry this summer.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
Debut: Brett Mitchell to lead the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in February 2023
Brett Mitchell will lead multiple programs with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in February 2023, featuring music of Mendelssohn, Walton, Elgar, and Canadian composer John Estacio. (Photo by Deborah Besanson)
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will appear as guest conductor on their 2022-23 subscription series, leading a varied weekend of programs at the Winspear Centre in February 2023:
Thursday, February 23, 2023
ELGAR’S LOVES: ENIGMA VARIATIONS
MENDELSSOHN - Overture from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
WALTON - Viola Concerto
Keith Hamm, viola
ELGAR - Enigma Variations
Friday, February 24, 2023
ELGAR & MYSTERY
MENDELSSOHN - Overture from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
JOHN ESTACIO - Wondrous Light
ELGAR - Enigma Variations
Saturday, February 25, 2023
ELGAR’S LOVES: ENIGMA VARIATIONS
MENDELSSOHN - Overture from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
WALTON - Viola Concerto
Keith Hamm, viola
ELGAR - Enigma Variations
For more information, please read ‘Edmonton Symphony Orchestra announces new season’ in the Edmonton Journal.
Interview: 'Sunriver Music Fest Has A New Face For 2022'
Brett Mitchell applauds cello soloist Amit Peled after his performance of Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto at the Sunriver Music Festival in August 2021.
BEND, Ore. — Source Weekly has published an interview with Brett Mitchell—subtitled ‘PNW native takes baton for 45th concert season’—about his upcoming first season as Artistic Director & Conductor of the Sunriver Music Festival, running August 8-21, 2022:
The Sunriver Music Festival, an annual series of chamber orchestra concerts, welcomes a new artistic director this season, as well as the addition of a brand-new venue. Seattle native Brett Mitchell has a vibrant program lined up for events at Bend's new Caldera High School as well as Sunriver's Great Hall, kicking off with a free movie night outdoors at the resort's Besson Commons on Aug. 8. The Source Weekly spoke with Mitchell this week about the 2022 season and his vision for the future of the festival.
Source Weekly: Welcome to the Sunriver Music Festival. Will this be your first time in Central Oregon?
Brett Mitchell: Surprisingly, yes. It's remarkable because growing up, my family spent a good part of every summer in Grants Pass visiting my grandparents, but we didn't get over to the east side of the Cascades – and it's just stunning. I was here for a week last summer to play for the selection committee.
SW: It looks like this season's lineup has a few "warhorses"–Beethoven's Eroica symphony, Brahms' Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn's 4th–with some interesting diversions in between, like pop and jazz on Aug. 12 and a "piano-centric evening" on Aug. 15.
BM: Yes, it's such a nice program. For the piano-centric concert, we'll feature one or two of the medalists from this year's Cliburn competition (the 16th annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place in Fort Worth, Texas, this June). We know it will be a Mozart piano concerto of some kind, because one of the requirements for the Cliburn competition is to perform a Mozart concerto.
For the closing concert, there's this wonderful song cycle by British composer Gerald Finzi, based on songs from five different Shakespeare plays, called "Let us Garlands Bring," sung by my longtime associate and one of my very best friends, bass-baritone Timothy Jones. Before Jones sings, we'll play a five-part instrumental cycle, David Diamond's "Music for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet." It's a really nice kind of Shakespearean first half. The second half will be the Italian Symphony by Mendelssohn, a composer who like everyone else in the 19th Century was also a well-known Shakespeare lover. I think it'll be a nice way to end the season.
SW: I see the pops concert includes "symphonic jazz," which some people would describe as involving a lot of improvisation, while others might think of a more big-band sound. Which will it be?
BM: For the pops performance, the first half is all about film scores, which is a deep love of mine. The first piece is from the Bond franchise which turns 60 this year, a medley of themes from the film series. Next is the love theme from The Godfather movie, which turns 50 this year; then after we meander through some other things, we finish the first half with some John Williams works, closing with one from the movie "E.T." which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. So, kind of a forward timeline of film scores.
For the second half, when we're talking about symphonic jazz, yes, that can mean a lot of different things for different people. I was originally a jazz pianist – I paid for my undergraduate degree at Western Washington University playing in a jazz trio. I conceived of it here as dating back to the ragtime era, so we'll start with some Scott Joplin arrangements. Then when you think about jazzers who crossed over into the symphonic space, I always think of Duke Ellington, so there will be arrangements by Morton Gould of a couple of Ellington tunes. We'll close with selections from George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" score, featuring our bass-baritone Jones.
SW: Will there be any pre-concert talks?
BM: There may or may not be a pre-concert talk, but there will certainly be a decent amount of talking from the podium. It's something I love doing. I like to inspire our audiences by showing them what lights me on fire about a piece. I think the days of walking onstage, conducting, taking and bow and walking off are gone. Audiences want to see the personalities behind the music.
SW: What would you say is your overall hope for this, your first season with the Sunriver festival?
BM: For the last few years, the festival has been very different, largely because of COVID, so the aim this summer is really to reconnect with our community. I hope we're going to have new folks with us who will become permanent fans. I also hope I can connect with the audience on a personal level. I don't walk in with a cape flowing behind me, turn my back to the audience and start in without a word. I'm more of a kind of real person. I don't stand on ceremony – I'm just Brett, and I hope that kind of relatability will help our audiences feel entirely welcome.
To read the complete interview, please click here.
Brett Mitchell returns to the Strings Music Festival in August 2022
Brett Mitchell will close the Strings Music Festival's 2022 season with a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring at the Strings Music Pavilion in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Brett Mitchell will return to the Strings Music Festival to lead their 2022 season finale on Saturday, August 6, the organization has announced. The program will be:
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Scheherazade
STRAVINSKY - The Rite of Spring
The orchestra will be comprised of members of the Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras; the Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, National, North Carolina, San Antonio, and San Francisco symphonies; the Chicago Lyric and Metropolitan opera orchestras; and the Buffalo, Los Angeles, and New York philharmonics.
Mr. Mitchell first led the Strings Music Festival in a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on their 2018 season finale.
For more information, please visit stringsmusicfestival.com.
Sunriver Music Festival announces 2022 season, Brett Mitchell's first as Artistic Director & Conductor
Brett Mitchell introduces the Sunriver Music Festival’s 2022 summer season, his first as the organization’s Artistic Director & Conductor.
SUNRIVER, Ore. — The Sunriver Music Festival has announced its 2022 summer season, which marks Brett Mitchell’s first as the organization’s Artistic Director & Conductor.
Running from August 8 through 21, the Festival’s 45th 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 and a movie night.
The classical season will consist of the following four programs:
CLASSICAL CONCERT I - August 10, 2022
DAVIES - Ojai Festival Overture
GINASTERA - Variaciones concertantes
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
CLASSICAL CONCERT II - August 15, 2022
WALKER - Lyric for Strings
MOZART - Piano Concerto TBD
Featuring 2022 Van Cliburn Competition medalist
SCHUBERT - Symphony No. 5
CLASSICAL CONCERT III - August 18, 2022
JESSIE MONTGOMERY - Banner
HAYDN - Symphony No. 94, “Surprise”
BRAHMS - Violin Concerto
William Hagen, violin
CLASSICAL CONCERT IV - August 21, 2022
DIAMOND - Music for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
FINZI - Let Us Garlands Bring
Timothy Jones, bass-baritone
MENDELSSOHN - Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
Repertoire for the complete season is available on our Upcoming Events page.
KTVZ News Channel 21 has also published an article previewing the season.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit sunrivermusic.org.
Preview: 'An emotional, intense symphony for tumultuous times'
Brett Mitchell will guest conduct the Pasadena Symphony in two Saturday performances on a program that features Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor. (Photo by Jeff Nelson)
Pasadena, CA — Pasadena Now has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming debut with the Pasadena Symphony:
The Pasadena Symphony…will present two performances of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 on Saturday at the acoustically impeccable Ambassador Auditorium.
The selection befits our times. The symphony is emotionally charged and intense, with lyrical passages, but composed in the dark main key of G minor and hauntingly tragic in tone.
The program also features Adam Schoenberg’s “Finding Rothko” along with Grieg’s Piano Concerto performed by Cuban pianist Aldo López-Gavilán.
Brett Mitchell is the guest conductor…
Mozart’s tumultuous Symphony No. 40 headlines the program, while Aldo López-Gavilán…has been called “genius” by the Seattle Times for his “dazzling technique and rhythmic fire.”
Composers Showcase artist Adam Schoenberg’s “Finding Rothko” has also been described by the Aspen Times as a “colorful orchestration, rich in textures and a sense of power similar to the painter’s work.”
The popular and staggeringly successful Emmy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated composer is currently ranked among the top 10 most performed living composers in the US…
Pasadena Symphony and POPS, Ambassador Auditorium, Saturday, March 19, 2022. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To purchase tickets for these performances, please click here.
Debut: Brett Mitchell to lead the Tulsa Symphony in March 2023
Brett Mitchell will lead a program of Bach, Vaughan Williams, Mahler, and Prokofiev with the Tulsa Symphony on March 12, 2023.
TULSA — The Tulsa Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will appear as guest conductor on their 2022-23 concert series, leading the following program at Lorton Performance Center on Sunday, March 12, 2023:
BACH - Orchestral Suite No. 3
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Concerto Grosso
MAHLER - Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
PROKOFIEV - Symphony No. 1, “Classical”
For more information, please click here.
Brett Mitchell returns to The Cleveland Orchestra to lead 2022 holiday festival
Brett Mitchell will lead The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2022 Holiday Concerts in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Published March 8, 2022 Updated July 16, 2022
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead their 2022 Holiday Concerts, a series of a dozen performances running from Thursday, December 8 through Sunday, December 18. Repertoire and guest artists will be announced in Fall 2022, but tickets are on sale now. For more information, please visit clevelandorchestra.com/holiday.
Mr. Mitchell will also lead The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus in a live-to-picture performance of John Williams’s score for the 1990 Christmas comedy film, Home Alone, on Wednesday, December 14. To learn more or purchase tickets for Home Alone, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell to lead 'Return of the Jedi' with the Houston Symphony
HOUSTON — The Houston Press has published an extensive preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performances of John Williams’s Oscar-nominated score for Return of the Jedi.
The Force is strong as the Houston Symphony presents Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - in concert. The orchestra will play the entire score while audiences watch the battle between good and evil rage on in the final chapter of the original Star Wars trilogy. The program runs Friday through Sunday at Jones Hall.
John Williams’ incredible score - from 20th Century Fox fanfare to closing credits - will be conducted by Brett Mitchell. The impresario returns to the stage after many years after operating as an Assistant Conductor for the Houston Symphony from 2007 to 2011. This marks his first time to lift the conducting baton since the birth of his son, William.
And if there was any indication that Mitchell is the perfect choice to conduct this piece, his son is the proof.
"I'm an enormous John Williams fan, to the point where our little boy's name is Will, but his full name is William John Mitchell. William and John happened to both be family names as well, but it is also no coincidence that that his name is William John, because John Williams has been an enormous part of my life. It's a little bit of an homage to the maestro with with the name," he said.
The show will be a display of artistic athleticism. There is one hour and 54 minutes of music in this film. For comparison, that's 37 minutes more than Star Wars: A New Hope, and 15 minutes more than Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi runs two hours and 17 minutes, which means that only 23 minutes of this movie doesn't have music. Hopefully The Force will be strong with the musicians as well.
Mitchell feels that it will be.
"I have no doubts and no fears that we're going to be able to do this. I have every confidence that it's going to be fantastic, and it is precisely because of the quality and the caliber of Houston Symphony."
To pull off a feat like this, Mitchell and the orchestra don't have much prep time. Yet, depending on how you look at it, Mitchell has been preparing for this nearly his entire life.
"I have done this project before, which helps. That said, the entire score is 527 pages long, and it's almost two hours of music. It's a lot of music to take in. It takes months to really absorb all of this material. But the real trick is, I saw Return of the Jedi as a four year old boy on October 9, 1983. I remember because it was my mom's birthday," he said. "I suppose you could say I've been preparing for this for more than 38 years since I saw the movie. I love John Williams' work and Star Wars in particular."
There will be an intermission in the show, but once everyone is seated for the second act, it's nonstop for the orchestra and conductor afterward.
"Once you get 10 minutes into the second act, from that point forward, there's 58 minutes of nonstop music until the end of the picture. There's no opportunity for the orchestra to break and no opportunity for the for the conductor to break. It's incessant. It's really driving, musically," he said.
"I really hope the audience gets the brilliance of John Williams' music during this concert. When you're watching Return of the Jedi at home, even on the very best of sound systems, or even in the theaters, the music is only one part of the soundtrack. It's competing with dialogue. It's competing with sound effects. And it can get lost, or it can get dialed down. When you're experiencing an orchestra playing this music live, there is such an immediacy to it that you simply cannot ignore," he said. "And the corollary to that is that I hope the audience appreciates what brilliant virtuoso athletic musicians the Houston Symphony is composed of because this is an extraordinary feat to be able to play this score."
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To purchase tickets to these performances, please click here.
Brett Mitchell celebrates 'John Williams at 90' with Colorado Public Radio
John Williams poses on the red carpet at the 2016 AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to John Williams at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
DENVER — Brett Mitchell is the featured guest on Colorado Public Radio Classical’s new special, John Williams at 90, a celebration of the legendary composer and conductor’s 90th birthday on February 8, 2022.
It’s virtually impossible to have lived a life without hearing John Williams’ music. From some of the best loved films of the last century to the opening of the Olympics, his music is firmly part of our experience. He’s seen six decades in Hollywood, composed three trilogies of “Star Wars” films over the span of 40 years, and he’s the most Oscar-nominated living human. And at 90, he’s still at it.
Former music director of the Colorado Symphony and John Williams buff Brett Mitchell talked with CPR’s Karla Walker, and explained why Williams’ music sticks with us. “He really understands how to create themes — very memorable, very singable themes. And as John will be the first to tell you, it’s the hardest part of what he does. To come up with these short little ideas” — here, Mitchell hums “Indiana Jones” — “takes 90 percent of the time that he spends on a project.”
Williams has been nominated for 52 Academy Awards, but even being the most nominated living person doesn’t guarantee a win; he’s only brought home five Oscars, four of which were for best original score.
“I find it remarkable, some of the scores he wrote that weren't even nominated for best score, like the entire ‘Star Wars’ prequel trilogy,” Mitchell says. “‘Jurassic Park’ was not even nominated for best score… you can ask yourself ‘my gosh, I mean, how is it possible that this man who has inspired and influenced millions if not billions of people across the planet, that he's only won four Oscars for best original score?’”
In fact, the last time Williams won an Oscar was in 1994. That win came for his deeply felt music to long-time collaborator Steven Spielberg's film, “Schindler's List.” “When they did the spotting session…, Spielberg sits down and shows John the film for the first time,” Mitchell says. “John was understandably very moved and said, ‘I just need five minutes.’ He took a walk around the studio, and he came back in and said to Steven, ‘It’s such a beautiful film, but I think you need a better composer than me.’ And Steven’s response was, ‘I know, but they are all dead.’” Mitchell points to this as an example of the kind of collaboration and deeply felt emotions Williams used to create the Oscar-winning score….
As for how Williams has created legendary film scores for over 60 years? “I think that what John would tell you is that it is a six-day-a-week job,” says Mitchell. “Whether he's working on a specific project or not, he writes music every day. It's a muscle like anything else, and if you don't flex it, if you don't work it everyday, it will go away. And if you sit there waiting for the muse to strike, you may be sitting there for an awfully long time.”
This special will air 13 times between Friday, February 4 and Monday, February 14, all of which may be streamed live at cpr.org (all times Mountain):
Friday, February 4 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, February 5 - 10 a.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 6 - 12 p.m. & 6 p.m.
Monday, February 7 - 8 a.m. & 5 p.m.
Tuesday, February 8 - 1 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Wednesday, February 9 - 6 p.m.
Friday, February 11 - 11 a.m.
Sunday, February 13 - 1 p.m.
Monday, February 14 - 8 p.m.
Brett Mitchell conducts ‘Return of the Jedi’ with the Houston Symphony
Published January 30, 2022 Updated March 4, 2022
HOUSTON — The Houston Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead four performances of John Williams’s Oscar-nominated score for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi at Jones Hall in March 2022. The complete schedule is as follows:
Friday, March 4 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Mr. Mitchell has led over 100 performances with the Houston Symphony, principally in his former role as Assistant Conductor from 2007 to 2011.
For more information about these performances and to purchase tickets, please click here.
Read several preview articles by clicking on the following links:
The Katy News: “Houston Symphony Screens Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi With Orchestra Performing John Williams’ Iconic Score Live”
Culture Map: “Houston Symphony blasts off with special Return of the Jedi screening and performance”
Houston Chronicle: “Houston Symphony goes out of this world” (subscription required)
To watch Mr. Mitchell’s in-depth exploration of the music of Return of the Jedi, watch the video below, or click here to view it on YouTube.
Preview: Sunriver Music Festival announces plethora of musical experiences for 2022
Brett Mitchell will lead his first season as Artistic Director & Conductor of the Sunriver Music Festival in August 2022.
SUNRIVER, Ore. — KTVZ has published an article previewing the Sunriver Music Festival’s 2022 summer season, which marks Brett Mitchell’s first as the organization’s Artistic Director & Conductor:
The renowned Sunriver Music Festival enters its 45th season with fresh perspective and talent. We are honored and excited to announce that Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell will be joining the Festival, plus a plethora of musical talent and excitement before summer arrives….
AND…ANNOUNCING THE DATES FOR THE 45TH ANNUAL SUMMER FESTIVAL: August 9-21 in Sunriver and Bend with Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell, the Festival Orchestra, and world-class soloists.
“We are deep in the midst of shaping this exceptional inaugural season with our new Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell,” states Executive Director Meagan Iverson. “I’m thoroughly excited about the musical experiences Maestro Mitchell is crafting for this community.” Watch sunrivermusic.org for sneak peeks as the details come together and start or renew your membership now to get in on early ticket sales for the best seats!
Sunriver Music Festival is committed to expanding the audience for classical music by nurturing the next generation of artistic talent and by presenting a world-class musical experience for Central Oregon residents and visitors.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
Video: Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts are back
Brett Mitchell discusses The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2021 Holiday Concerts with Spectrum News 1.
CLEVELAND — Spectrum News 1 has published a story about The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2021 Holiday Concerts, including footage from the opening-night performance and an interview with guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
The world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra's Holiday Show is back this season.
'O come, all ye faithful' opens the show, as guest conductor Brett Mitchell leads the musicians and vocalists.
“To be able to have folks come in over the course of a dozen concerts like we’re doing over the next two weeks and to spend some of the holiday season with us, that’s really what this is about," said Mitchell
The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, directed by Lisa Wong, is returning with the orchestra for its first in-person performance since 2020.
Mitchell told Spectrum News there is something different for everyone to enjoy.
There will also be guest vocalist, Capathia Jenkins, and guest choruses joining the stage on different days from such as Cleveland State University, the College of Wooster and Cleveland's Youth Chorus Chamber Ensemble.
Mitchel said the music is a reminder of how people from all different backgrounds can come together and celebrate being one.
“We all consequently grow up with this music. and so it takes everybody back to being a kid again and that for me is what the holidays are all about.”
To read the complete article and watch the video package, please click here.
Review: 'Cleveland Orchestra exudes joy on resplendent 2021 Holiday Concerts program'
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra in a dozen performances of their 2021 Holiday Concerts at Severance Music Center. (Photo by The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND — cleveland.com has published a review of the opening night performance of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2021 Holiday Concerts, led by guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
Look no further than this year’s Holiday Concerts for proof the Cleveland Orchestra is glad to be back playing for live audiences.
Packed like a full stocking with a wide variety of music, the orchestra’s holiday program in 2021 is nothing if not a display of sincere goodwill all the way around.
Brett Mitchell, a former associate conductor here, is back in a role for which he is uncommonly well suited. He’s adept at the classics, to be sure, but he’s also got a special knack for pops and an easy sense of humor that makes him a natural host.
Patrons Thursday night at Severance Music Center also got to hear the first live notes by the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus with the orchestra in 21 months. On its own, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” would have been beautiful, but context made it an even greater treasure.
All patrons, happily, get to hear vocalist Capathia Jenkins. Into an evening otherwise devoted to classical, traditional, and contemporary music, she injects a healthy dose of holiday jazz, expertly conjuring Ella Fitzgerald in “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and holding the house perfectly transfixed with “Let it Snow!” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
The Chorus remains in fine form under director Lisa Wong. To this listener, Eric Whitacre’s solemn “Lux Aurumque” (“Light and Gold”) is alone worth the price of admission, with its gentle, haunting dissonance, but a lavish, resonant “Wexford Carol” and stirring first movement from Rutter’s “Gloria” compete as close seconds.
The singers also hold up admirably on a brisk account of Handel’s tricky but always rewarding “Hallelujah” Chorus and in a luminous performance of “Somewhere in my Memory” from John Williams’ brilliant soundtrack to the film “Home Alone.”
The big man himself pays an unannounced visit, stopping by to exchange witty remarks with Mitchell, improvise sly responses to audience questions, and narrate “The Night Before Christmas,” in an obviously rehearsed performance with the orchestra.
That the musicians also have done their due diligence is evident in several purely orchestral numbers. Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” makes its mandatory appearance but a lilting performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers,” a dashing “Christmas Overture” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and the little-known “Sleigh Ride” German Dance by Mozart are even more welcome.
Rounding out the night are two (okay, three, with an encore) sing-along moments. All those without hearts of stone are certain to enjoy taking part in the all-too-rare experience of communal singing, in this case of “Away in a Manger,” “Joy to the World,” and “Silent Night.” If the concert as a whole is a well-decorated tree, they’re the last, essential piece, the star at the top.
To read the complete review, please click here.
Previews: Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Classical has published a preview of The Cleveland Orchestra’s upcoming holiday performances, including an interview with guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
“What gets me excited about holiday concerts? Honestly, everything about them,” conductor Brett Mitchell said during a telephone conversation. “Every performance is for the audience, but these concerts really are for them. There’s so much opportunity for banter, and every crowd feels different.”
Mitchell pointed out a favorite quote of his from the late Stephen Sondheim, who said, the audience is the final collaborator. “And that is what we have been missing for the last two years in general, but particularly for this kind of program.”
Beginning on Thursday, December 9 at 7:30 pm, Brett Mitchell returns to Mandel Hall at Severance to lead The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus in a holiday program devoted to music of the season. The concert also features director of choruses Lisa Wong as well as vocalist and Northeast Ohio favorite Capathia Jenkins. Performances continue through December 19. See our Concert Listings page for dates, times, and guest choirs. Tickets are available online.
Mitchell noted that the concerts are also a family affair where everyone in the audience gets dressed in their holiday finest. “It’s a special occasion for them, and to look out and see the kids and the magic in their eyes when ‘you know who’ makes his special entrance is so heartwarming.”
The conductor said that this year’s program is full of musical selections that will appeal to everyone. “The longest piece is only seven minutes — the ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ from Nutcracker. So if you’re not into one piece, just wait, because the next one is coming.”
He said that the selections are also intended to evoke the feeling of a homecoming, beginning with the first piece — Oh Come all ye faithful — which by tradition, serves as the opener for the Orchestra’s holiday concerts.
“It starts with just the voices and builds and builds,” Mitchell said. “Then there’s a big key change, and that’s when all the wreaths and bows and all of the other holiday finery lights up. Even though we’ve done it hundreds of times, it always has an emotional effect.”
Asked if he has a favorite piece on the program, Mitchell said that since one of his last projects as associate conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra was leading fully staged performances of The Nutcracker at Playhouse Square, “Waltz of the Flowers” is his sentimental favorite.
“But as a guy who was eleven years old in 1990 when Home Alone came out, getting to do ‘Somewhere in My Memory’ is very special, and it’s one the great holiday songs of all time. And right before that is another piece from Home Alone, ‘Holiday Flight.’ Getting to conduct both of these John Williams songs couldn’t be more exciting. It just takes me back to being an eleven-year-old again every time I hear that music. And if you can’t embrace that during the holidays, I don’t know when you can.”
Read additional brief previews from the Plain Dealer, cleveland.com, WKYC, and ideastream, and watch Mr. Mitchell preview these performances in the video below or on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
BREAKING: Brett Mitchell's concerts with the San Antonio Symphony postponed
SAN ANTONIO — Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performances with the San Antonio Symphony on November 5 and 6, 2021, have been postponed, per the San Antonio Symphony’s website. The program was to have consisted of the following works:
MISSY MAZZOLI - Holy Roller
MENDELSSOHN - Violin Concerto
Angelo Xiang Yu, violin
RAVEL - Valses nobles et sentimentales
RAVEL - La Valse
Updates concerning rescheduling will be posted when available.
BREAKING: Brett Mitchell steps in for season opener, world premiere at the Wichita Symphony
Brett Mitchell will lead the Wichita Symphony in a world premiere by George S. Clinton and works of Quinn Mason and Aaron Copland from October 9-11, 2021.
WICHITA — Brett Mitchell will step in to lead this weekend’s season-opening subscription performances (October 9-11) with the Wichita Symphony. The program remains unchanged, and features a world premiere by noted film composer George S. Clinton:
QUINN MASON - Petite Symphonie de Chambre Contemporaine
COPLAND - Clarinet Concerto
Trevor Stewart, clarinet
GEORGE S. CLINTON - Old Cowtown Suite [world premiere]
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 announcement and 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.