Performances of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Rimski-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnole, Falla’s Nights in the Garden of Spain, and Schumann’s New England Triptych contribute to a spectacular night of music with the OKC Philharmonic on Saturday, March 20, at 8PM at the Civic Center. Pianist Orion Weiss will be the special guest performing with the orchestra. Read more about this impressive young pianist below, courtesy of the OKC Philharmonic website. Ticket information can be found at www.okcphilharmonic.org.
Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most sought-after soloists and collaborators in his generation of young American musicians. His deeply felt and exceptionally crafted performances go far beyond his technical mastery and have won him acclaim from audiences, critics and colleagues in a wide range of repertoire and formats. At age 26, he continues to demonstrate his gift for communication across boundaries of style and setting.
The summer of 2008 saw Mr. Weiss perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of his 2008-2009 season include performances with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony. In spring 2008, he released his debut recording, a recital disc for Yarlung Records including works of Bach, Mozart, Scriabin, and Carter.
In the past three seasons, he has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, New World Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, and in duo summer concerts with the New York Philharmonic at both Lincoln Center and the Bravo! Vail Valley Festival. He has also appeared with the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Phoenix, Rochester, Memphis, Albany, Annapolis, Louisville, and Omaha, as well as the Minnesota Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and Oregon Symphony, among others. He toured the US with the Orchester der Klangverwaltung Munich in October 2007. In 2005, he toured Israel with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman.
A native of Lyndhurst, OH, Mr. Weiss attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Schenly. Other teachers include Daniel Shapiro, Sergei Babayan, Kathryn Brown, and Edith Reed. In February of 1999, Mr. Weiss made his Cleveland Orchestra debut performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. In March 1999, with less than 24 hours’ notice, Mr. Weiss stepped in to replace André Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He was immediately invited to return to the Orchestra for a performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in October 1999. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Emanuel Ax.