NEWS
Previews: 'West Side Story' with The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017. Mr. Mitchell returns to Cleveland lead the project again on March 17, 18, and 19. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
CLEVELAND — In anticipation of Brett Mitchell’s performances of Leonard Bernstein’s score for West Side Story with The Cleveland Orchestra this weekend, several media outlets have published preview articles.
From Axios: Cleveland Orchestra takes on West Side Story
It was good enough for Steven Spielberg, so why not the Cleveland Orchestra?
Driving the news: Guest conductor Brett Mitchell will lead the Cleveland Orchestra through "West Side Story in Concert," this weekend at Severance Hall.
Video from the 1961 Oscar-winning film will play on a screen behind the orchestra.
Zoom out: "West Side Story" has experienced a national resurgence in recent years, starting with a Broadway revival in 2020 and Spielberg's film remake in 2021.
Zoom in: Mitchell, who is an adjunct professor of music at the University of Denver, has led the Cleveland Orchestra in multiple performances of "West Side Story," most recently in 2017 when he was associate director of the orchestra.
What they're saying: Mitchell tells Axios that Leonard Bernstein's music in "West Side Story" is "universal" and "quintessentially American."
"This project premiered in the 1950s. The film premiered in 1961," Mitchell says. "Here we are more than 60 years later still experiencing this piece. It's a total masterpiece."
The big picture: Orchestral performances of mainstream movies have become all the rage.
"It's one of the greatest things that has happened to orchestras in the last century," Mitchell says. "I grew up listening to all these amazing soundtracks, and now I get to bring them to life for thousands of people."
From The News-Herald: Cleveland Orchestra, guest conductor revisiting classic West Side Story movie score
It wasn’t too long ago the notion of The Cleveland Orchestra performing live during a movie screening would have been considered taboo for a world-class symphony.
Those days are long gone, with the renowned orchestra entertaining fans and merging worlds through numerous film experiences, including during its popular Blossom Season.
Next up for The Cleveland Orchestra is a return to the classic “West Side Story,” with guest conductor Brett Mitchell, taking place March 17 through 19 at Severance Music Center.
This is familiar ground for Mitchell, who nearly six years conducted The Cleveland Orchestra through composer Leonard Bernstein’s legendary score.
“The last project that I did with The Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall before I left was ‘West Side Story,’” Mitchell said. “It was hugely meaningful to me and an enormous thrill.
“Back then, the orchestra had started doing movies with live accompaniment — I believe it was the first time the orchestra had ever done one of these movie projects on their classical subscription series. Here we are again. It says a lot about these movie projects and how they have become such an integral part of what we do at orchestras now.”
With Mitchell conducting, The Cleveland Orchestra will perform Bernstein’s electrifying score — “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere” — while the remastered film is shown on a high-definition screen with the original vocals and dialog.
“I’m watching a special version of the film with lines that run across the picture,” Mitchell said. “Those lines are how we kind of synchronize the live music to the picture. Normally when I’m conducting a piece, I’ve got two things going on: the orchestra in front of me and the score.
“I’m always navigating back and forth. With a project like this, you have the orchestra, you have the score and the video monitor. It’s just one more wrench in the works that can throw you for a loop.”
Naturally, the loop for a project like this comes down to synchronization and timing. The latter is where working with a world-class orchestra makes Mitchell’s job easier. It turns out there’s a certain element of flexibility afforded a conductor when working with The Cleveland Orchestra.
“They’re the greatest musicians in the world,” Mitchell said. “Part of what makes them the greatest in the world is that they’re also the best-prepared musicians in the world. If I need to speed the tempo up ever so slightly, they make it so easy to be able to do that.
“If I need to slow it down ever so slightly, they make it incredibly easy to do that, as well. These film projects can be the most stressful things you do as a conductor because of all the demands of synchronization but when you have The Cleveland Orchestra it really takes all of the stress off you. You just get to focus on making this great music.”
When it comes to the upcoming “West Side Story” affair, the irony — and heresy to some — is this time around some Cleveland Orchestra audience members may be just discovering the original 1961 film.
That’s due to Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning 2021 remake that attracted younger viewers.
“I love it — I think it’s great,” Mitchell said. “So if people have come to ‘West Side Story’ through Steven’s remake of it, which I thought was completely brilliant, I’m thrilled.
“It’s a project that is absolutely worth discovering in every single iteration. They’re both fantastic pieces of art in their own right.”
Brett Mitchell returns to the Pasadena Symphony's 2023-24 classical series
Brett Mitchell will return to the Pasadena Symphony’s classical subscription series at the Ambassador Auditorium in October 2023 on a program featuring works of Mason Bates, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky.
PASADENA — The Pasadena Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead the following program on their 2023-24 classical subscription series:
MASON BATES - Garages of the Valley
MENDELSSOHN - Violin Concerto
Diana Adamyan, violin
TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 4
The program will be presented at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium at both 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
For complete information and to purchase tickets, please click here.
Brett Mitchell to lead 'West Side Story' with The Cleveland Orchestra
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra in West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017. Mr. Mitchell will lead the project again with the orchestra in March 2023.
Brett Mitchell and The Cleveland Orchestra present West Side Story at Severance Hall in June 2017.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to lead three performances of Leonard Bernstein’s score for West Side Story—synchronized with the original film—on March 17, 18, and 19, 2023.
Mr. Mitchell first led this project in Cleveland in June 2017 during his final season as the orchestra’s Associate Conductor. Read reviews of those performances on Cleveland.com and Cleveland Classical.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the March 2023 performances, please click here.
Preview: 'Celebrate being Home for the Holidays with The Cleveland Orchestra'
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Classical has published a preview of The Cleveland Orchestra’s upcoming 2022 Holiday Concerts, featuring an extensive interview with guest conductor Brett Mitchell:
“Not only is it nice to be back with one of the world’s greatest orchestras, but it also happens to be family because I’ve worked with them for so long,” said conductor Brett Mitchell, who will be leading The Cleveland Orchestra in their upcoming holiday concerts. “You get the best of both worlds — the best possible artistic outcomes featuring these amazing musicians, but also friends and family.”
Holiday Concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus will run from December 8 through 18 at Severance Music Center. Program highlights include selections from The Nutcracker, pieces featuring the Chorus and soprano Mikaela Bennett, audience sing-alongs… Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Each concert will begin with O Come All Ye Faithful. “It starts in almost darkness with just the men in the chorus, and we add everybody slowly but surely,” Mitchell explained. “By the end of the piece, the whole stage and the whole hall are completely lit up. For as many dozens of times I’ve conducted this arrangement, I get goosebumps just talking about it.”
Though the musical aspects of the program alone are magical, Mitchell emphasized that the audience experience and interaction is pivotal. “The simple act of coming to a concert is already kind of embodying that communal spirit, and that’s so special. But then, to have everybody not only with us in the hall but also singing the same carols together — that’s maybe my favorite tradition of all on these programs.”
Mitchell added that it’s not just the audience and the chorus who will be singing. “All you have to do is look up at the orchestra, and you’ll see plenty of musicians singing along with these carols. And you’ll see me singing along too. I’m not just up there mouthing the words — the front stands can tell you that I’m really singing. I do it, not because people need to hear my voice, but for the same reason that everybody else sings along, which is to be a part of this community.
Mitchell elaborated on the importance of making the concerts memorable for every listener. “In many ways, these are the most important performances that we do all year because we’re able to engage people who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t be joining us,” Mitchell explained. “Everybody has their own holiday traditions, and for many people, The Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concerts are a part of that.”
Each year, a certain man in a red suit pays a visit to Severance. One of the communal experiences the audience can take part in is the opportunity to ask Santa a question. Prior to the concert, listeners can write a question on a piece of paper for him to answer. After the intermission, Mitchell will return to the stage with Santa and ask him the questions from the audience.
“Santa always has funny things to say to the kids and the adults,” Mitchell said, chuckling. “I’m able to look out at the audience and see people with tears in their eyes because they are laughing so hard — and I’m talking about 8-year-olds and 78-year-olds. The purpose of these programs is to bring joy to people’s lives at this time of year. Hearing and feeling 2,000 people laugh together is as good as it gets.”
To read the complete article, please click here.
Brett Mitchell leads The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)
Preview: Brett Mitchell returns to the Houston Symphony for a special collaboration
Brett Mitchell will lead a collaboration between the Houston Symphony and the One O’Clock Lab Band in April 2023.
HOUSTON — The Houston Symphony has announced that Brett Mitchell will return for the second time in the 2022-23 season to lead a special collaboration in April 2023:
The University of North Texas’s world-famous One O’Clock Lab Band joins the Houston Symphony and renowned saxophonist Chris Potter for this one-night-only special event! Hear John Williams’s Escapades, a suite for alto saxophone and orchestra based on the popular soundtrack to Catch Me If You Can… To close, the worlds of jazz and classical music collide with a world-premiere work composed by One O’Clock Lab Band® director, Alan Baylock.
The Katy News has published a brief preview of this collaboration:
Committed to exploring and showcasing a wide array of musical genres, the Houston Symphony is combining forces with the University of North Texas’ renowned One O’Clock Lab Band for a unique and memorable evening of jazz and jazz-influenced music-making, Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Hall.
Houston favorite Brett Mitchell, returning again this season after leading the Symphony in the score of Disney’s Fantasia Thanksgiving weekend, leads this special concert that culminates in a world premiere performance: a special work composed by famed jazz composer and One O’Clock Lab Band Director Alan Baylock for One O’Clock Lab Band, the Houston Symphony, and saxophone soloist Chris Potter to perform together.
Also on the program, the Houston Symphony performs John Williams’s Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, composed for the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can, employing the progressive jazz style of the ‘60s in which the film was set.
To learn more and purchase tickets, please click here.
Preview: Brett Mitchell to lead 'Fantasia' with the Houston Symphony
HOUSTON — The Katy News has published a preview of Brett Mitchell’s upcoming performances of Disney’s Fantasia with the Houston Symphony:
This Thanksgiving weekend, the Houston Symphony brings to life the magical classic that’s captivated generations—Disney’s animated film Fantasia. November 25–27, Conductor Brett Mitchell leads the orchestra through the iconic film score while animation fills the giant screen at Jones Hall. Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, families and music-lovers alike can experience the magic of favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Pomp and Circumstance, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and, of course, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Known for its crowning achievement in the history of animation, Fantasia is Disney’s longest animated feature ever made. The film revolutionized the industry by combining animation with a collection of great classical music that sends audiences on a fantastical journey filled with Disney magic. Fans will be thrilled to know that the Houston Symphony has its own unique ties to the film as well; the 1940s version of Fantasia features eight segments of classical music conducted by former Houston Symphony Music Director Leopold Stokowski. Additionally, guests can look forward to seeing the “Blue Bayou” segment as Disney animators originally imagined it for the 1940 release—a languid flight of a pair of whooping cranes above a Louisiana bayou set to the Debussy classic Claire de Lune.
To read the complete preview, please click here.
To purchase tickets to these performances, please click here.
Brett Mitchell named Interim Director of Orchestras at University of Denver
Brett Mitchell will serve as Interim Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music during the 2022-23 academic year.
DENVER — The University of Denver has announced that Brett Mitchell will return to the Lamont School of Music during the 2022-23 academic year as Interim Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting while its Director of Orchestras—Lawrence Golan—is on sabbatical. From the official press release:
Brett Mitchell will return to conduct the Lamont Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Gates Concert Hall. This will be his second engagement with the group, having previously led the LSO in Fall 2019.
On the first half of the program is the Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82, by Alexander Glazunov. Lamont faculty member Igor Pikayzen is the soloist. After intermission, Mitchell conducts Dvořák's Symphony No. 6.
"I couldn't be more thrilled to be returning to work with the talented students at the Lamont School of Music," said Mitchell. "After our first collaboration together in October 2019, I was eager for the opportunity to make music again with these promising young musicians, and I'm particularly thrilled to be leading works by two Romantic masters—Antonín Dvořák and Alexander Glazunov—with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra this Fall."
In addition to his appearance with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra in November, Mr. Mitchell will also teach additional courses to select advanced conducting students in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
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.