PRESS RELEASE Brno, 16. 11. 2022
The International Classical Music Awards, one of the most prestigious international competitions, yesterday published its nominations for best recordings for 2023. Filharmonie Brno features in the top selection in the Contemporary Music category. We received a nomination for the album we released in January with Orange Music Mountains. It features the world premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 12 “Lodger”. Under the baton of Chief Conductor Dennis Russell Davies, the recording is dominated by multiple Grammy award winner, Benin singer Angélique Kidjo, accompanied by one of the most renowned contemporary organists, Christian Schmitt. “I’m really tremendously pleased. I remember when Philip and I began discussing the idea that he might compose a symphony. He had written successful operas, a couple of orchestra pieces, and I wanted to get his music into concert halls and play it with a symphony orchestra,” says Davies, who has enjoyed many years of friendship with Glass.
This proved of benefit when recording the Twelfth Symphony, which had its world premiere in 2019. Thanks to Davies, the score underwent a number of revisions and minor changes in lyrics. Dennis Russell Davies worked extensively with Angélique, including on the European premiere. “During numerous joint performances, Angélique and Dennis really got the piece into shape, because it went through numerous revisions in order to get to its final form. I’m grateful for their continued commitment in this regard. Christian brought his renowned experience to the prominent organ part, and Filharmonie Brno under Dennis’s direction sounds incredible,” says Glass.
Filharmonie Brno performed the Czech premiere of Glass’s Symphony No. 12 during Prague Spring Festival 2021, and played it again same year at the opening of Moravian Autumn Festival. “In January next year, we’re taking it to Leipzig Gewandhaus, and then the big one in the Carnegie Hall. That’ll launch our great American tour, with the New York premiere on 8 February,” says Managing Director of Filharmonie Brno, Marie Kučerová.
The nominated album can be purchased from the Filharmonie online store CD nová edice: Philip Glass | Filharmonie Brno (filharmonie-brno.cz), or can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Amazon music, or downloaded here.
Media contact Kateřina Konečná, Head of PR and Marketing, Filharmonie Brno
+420 775 426 040 katerina.konecna@filharmonie-brno.cz