A new beginning with memories of the past

The Philharmonic Orchestra of Monaco (OPMC)

At a press conference introducing the upcoming season, Paul Masseron, Counsellor for the Interior, explained that the maestro had planned much of the new season before his death.

"His (Kreizberg's) spirit is still here amongst us; to guide and to help us," Chandler Cudlipp, artistic advisor to the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra said. 

Masseron went on to pay tribute to Yakov Kreizberg’s “dynamism, enthusiasm, competence and human qualities,” qualities that made the late director one of the best-loved and respected ever to lead the Philharmonic - and a difficult leader to replace. “We will do it as soon as possible, but we won’t be precipitous,” declared Monsieur Masseron. “We are looking for a director who embodies the spirit of Monaco.”

In keeping with the late director’s programme, the accent is on the introduction of new music, especially French music, and directors and guest soloists new to Monaco.

For the Philharmonic’s June 5th and 6th concerts in St Petersburg and Moscow, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic will be led by the young conductor Robert Abbado, nephew of Claudio Abbado.

At the Palace concerts in July and August, two new generation conductors and a familiar name will replace Yakov Kreizberg on the podium in three of six concerts: Kristjan Jarvi will direct the July 24th evening of Grieg, Dvorak, Strauss and Stravinsky; Jaap van Zweden will conduct the July 31st evening of Wagenaar, Bruch and Beethoven while Lawrence Foster, familiar to Monegasque audiences, will return for the August 7 performance of Mozart, Waxman, Tiomkin, Kaper and Korngold.

The July 26th evening at the Palace marks the discovery of both new music and a new generation of musicians in a benefit programme by the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra that brings together both Charlie Piper (The Twittering Machine) and Gustav Mahler (The Titan Symphony), under the baton of Francois-Xavier Roth.

Highlights from September to March include concerts in homage to Yakov Kreizberg and Princess Antoinette, new music, conducted by young musicians like Venezuelan Diego Matheuz, and a concert with Monaco Brass.

The success of projects inspired by Yakov Kreizberg assures their continuance: the artist-in residence programme will remain as will recording under the OPMC label (two Yakov Kreizberg recordings will be released in October), cinema-concerts, with this year’s choice falling on Chaplain’s Modern Times, and tourneys abroad, booked for the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

Summing up Yakov Kreizberg’s contribution to Monaco and the Philharmonic, Paul Masseron said, simply, “We were lucky.”

For full season’s details: www.opmc.mc