Falletta Featured in Fanfare Magazine In May, 2008, on the heals of a prolific recording period for Falletta, Jerry Dubins of Fanfare Magazine sat down with JoAnn to recap her thoughts on a wide variety of topics, from the importance of recording and performing the works of neglected composers and advocating for new works to the evolving status of women in leadership, whether on the podium or in politics, as well as how she juggles her busy schedule and the importance of classical guitar in her life. The article also includes reviews of 5 of her most recent discs, including Brahms, Bruch, Respighi, Schoenfield and Borrowed Treasures. More Info JoAnn discusses Dohnányi and the joys of discovering rarely performed gems on WRTI In May 2008, JoAnn visited the studios of WRTI in Philadelphia to talk to radio host Jill Pasternak. Listen to Jill’s interview with JoAnn, and the radio broadcast premiere of Ernst von Dohnányi’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in C minor with Michael Ludwig, violin soloist and former associate concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Maestra Falletta conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Falletta discusses many of the facets that make this concerto for violin and orchestra unique—including the fact that it does not use a violin section at all. Instead, it highlights the viola section and the rest of the full orchestra. Hear the first recording by a major symphony orchestra of this rarely heard concerto by Dohnányi. More Info Falletta Receives 10th ASCAP Award May 22, 2008 in NYC JoAnn Falletta will be an honoree at the 9th Annual ASCAP Concert Music Awards in New York City on May 22, 2008. Citing her “career-long advocacy for American composers”, and calling her a “leading force for the music of our time”, the ASCAP award is being given in recognition of her work as a “conductor, communicator, recording artist, audience builder, champion of American composers and distinguished musical citizen”. Awards will also be presented to Pulitzer-prize winning composers John Corigliano and David Lang, and composer, arranger and Chanticleer Music Director, Joseph Jennings, and to recipients of the 2008 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. This will mark Ms. Falletta’s 10th ASCAP award. In 2007, Maestro Falletta led The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to receive its first ASCAP award, when it was honored for Programming of Contemporary Music from ASCAP and the League of American Orchestras ( formerly, ASOL) at the ASOL National Conference in Pittsburgh. More Info Falletta Mentors Women Conductors for the League of American Orchestras During 2008, JoAnn Falletta hosts a Women Music Directors’ Mentoring Circle for the League of American Orchestras. This series of focused, mentor-led discussions build on the legacy of the Women’s Philharmonic, which was led by Maestro Falletta, to provide training and opportunities for women musicians, composers, and conductors. “I am looking forward to hosting the Women Music Directors’ Mentoring Circle”, said conductor JoAnn Falletta. “Together we will be able to address the issues facing women conductors who hold the position of Music Director with professional orchestras. By sharing our experiences and aspirations we will ensure the extraordinary talent that is available to America’s orchestras is nurtured and more widely recognized.” Participants must hold the position of music director with a professional orchestra. For more information: americanorchestras.org/learning_and_leadership/women_conductors.html More Info JoAnn Falletta Receives Honorary Degree from Virginia Weselyan College At its commencement ceremonies on May 17, 2008, Virginia Wesleyan College awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree to JoAnn Falletta in recognition of her “achievements and service to improve mankind” as conductor of the Virginia Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Falletta has previously received honorary degrees from several national and international colleges and universities, including The New School in New York City (2007), The College of William and Mary in Virginia (2007), Marian College (1988), Old Dominion University (1994), Canisius College (2000), Christopher Newport University (2000), and Niagara University (2001). Says Falletta: “I have deep respect for Virginia Wesleyan College and for each of the fine colleges and universities from which I have received honorary degrees in the past, and am very grateful for their support of the arts and for their recognition of my work through these degrees.” More Info JoAnn Falletta and the BPO Perform and Record the Lost Works of Marcel Tyberg JoAnn Falletta, who has established a reputation for conducting artistically important but seldom-heard works, is embarking on a multi-year project of performing and recording the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Italian composer and Holocaust victim. Falletta and the BPO presented the American premiere of Tyberg’s Symphony Following the composer’s death at Auschwitz, his original scores were transferred to the care of Dr. Enrico Mihich, who currently practices in Buffalo at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. In 2005, Dr. Mihich related the Tyberg story to Maestro Falletta, who reviewed the manuscripts and initiated BPO support to bring the music to life. The project is further supported by the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, sponsoring live performances and CD recordings of Tyberg’s music. More Info JoAnn Falletta’s Premiere Recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra features Michael Ludwig Performing the Violin Concertos of Dohnányi JoAnn Falletta’s most recent release on the Naxos label, the Violin Concertos of Erno Dohnányi, featuring the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and soloist Michael Ludwig, has been hailed as “bristl[ing] with brilliance”. Says Falletta: “I am astonished that these Romantic gems are so little known and played. Both Dohnányi Violin Concertos contain all the ingredients of a blockbuster concerto—passion, drama, soaring melodies, virtuosic writing for the soloist, passage after passage of breathtaking beauty, lush orchestration, propulsion and drive. Having such an extraordinary advocate as violinist Michael Ludwig, these concertos may find their way onto concert stages all over the world. Michael plays them with the intensity, technique and glorious tone of the masters of the golden age of the violin, and makes a truly compelling case for the Dohnányi concertos.” This disc marks JoAnn Falletta’s eighth contribution to the highly acclaimed Naxos label, and her second this year to the Naxos Classical label. More Info Four New Discs Featuring Joann Falletta in Works By Respighi, Brahms, Bruch and Schoenfield Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta, who is currently the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, is in the midst of a prolific recording period. This season, she conducts the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony and the Prague Philharmonia in four new recordings of orchestral works by Resphighi, Brahms, Bruch and Schoenfield. Upcoming Naxos releases by Ms. Falletta include a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Kenneth Fuchs with the London Symphony, her first recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra featuring the violin concertos of Dohnanyi, and two world premiere recordings with the Buffalo Philharmonic including John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man and “new” works by Schubert, featuring the completion of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. JoAnn Falletta leading the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in rarely-heard works by 20th-century Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, including Vetrate di chiesa, P 150 (Church Windows), Impressioni brasiliane (Brazilian Impressions), and Rossiniana. Falletta, who has recorded works of Aaron Copland, Kenneth Fuchs, Charles Griffes, John Corigliano and Frederick Converse for Naxos as part of a continuing program of recordings of American music, is now bringing her talents to bear upon this, the first in a series of 20th century Italian music from Naxos, to include both new recordings and Marco Polo reissues. Andrew Russo joins the Prague Philharmonia under JoAnn Falletta for this Black Box release of Schoenfield’s piano concerto Four Parables. Described in Audiophile Audition as “a sort of Gershwin Concerto in F for the new millennium..[that] keeps an irrepressible spirit connected with both the Roaring 20s and today’s Generation X.” JoAnn Falletta leads the Virginia Symphony Orchestra with soloist Michael Ludwig in Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra and Massenet’s Meditation from Thais, on the Hamptons Road Classics label. Hailed by Strad Magazine for his “effortless, envy-provoking Pianist Norman Krieger “takes a full-bodied approach to this marvelous, romantic Brahms concerto—captured in a live recording in Virginia, Falletta’s other home—and tops it off with a warm studio recording of the Capriccio Op. 116 in D Minor, the Intermezzo Op. 116 in A minor and the Fourth Ballade. This is a lovely, passionate, straightforward recording.” Buffalo News More Info JoAnn Falletta leads the London Symphony Orchestra in Second Naxos Recording of New Works by Kenneth Fuchs Recording follows up on 2006 Grammy-Nominated Naxos CD, An American Place (Fuchs, Naxos American Classics) Few artists are as important to the fabric of their communities as JoAnn Falletta. Acclaimed by The New York Times as “one of the finest conductors of her generation”, she serves as the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Falletta is an ardent champion of music of our time, having introduced over 400 works by American composers, including nearly 100 world premieres. For the Naxos American Classics Series, she has recorded works by Aaron Copland, Kenneth Fuchs, Charles Griffes, John Corigliano, Romeo Cascarino and Frederick Converse. This marks JoAnn Falletta’s sixth contribution to the highly acclaimed series and her second disc dedicated to the works of Kenneth Fuchs. “I find Ken’s music extremely colorful, communicative and lyrical” says Falletta. “I have been very impressed at how much the musicians of both the London Symphony and the Virginia Symphony enjoyed playing his work, and how warmly the audiences have responded.” The recordings represent the culmination of over 20 years of friendship that began when Fuchs and Falletta were colleagues at The Juilliard School in New York City. Maestro Falletta’s 2007/08 season with the Buffalo Philharmonic is a prolific recording period, with the Orchestra recording four CDs and releasing two new discs on the Naxos label, including a world premiere recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man, based on the poems of Bob Dylan, and the international release of a disc of the works of Ottorino Respighi. The Respighi, which was hailed for its “brilliant performances” and as “one of the BPO’s finest hours since its wonderful previous Griffes disc on Naxos,” is the first in a series of 20th century Italian music from Naxos. Falletta, who has established a reputation for conducting artistically important, but seldom-heard works is embarking on a multi-year recording project of the lost works of Marcel Tyberg, the brilliant Italian composer and Holocaust victim. The first release in this series will be Tyberg’s Symphony No. 3. Other works to be recorded this season include discs of the music of Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss, both for Naxos. More Info President briefly conducts orchestra at Jamestown By WARREN FISKE, The Virginian-Pilot © May 14, 2007
 Watch the VideoJAMESTOWN - He’s the president, he can do what he wants. On Sunday, George Bush wanted to conduct a Midway through a rousing rendition of ”The Stars and Stripes Forever,” Bush took the baton from JoAnn Falletta, musical director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. While the Anniversary Park crowd of several thousand roared, the president led the musicians for two minutes without a hitch. Bush pointed to all sections of the orchestra, which included young musicians from around the country. He implored crescendos. His grin burst with pleasure. ”It was a complete surprise,” Falletta said later. ”I think it was a surprise to him, too. ”I wish you could have seen the expressions of everyone in the symphony, especially some of the young people. ”As soon as the music ended, they were all on their cell phones telling their parents they had been conducted by the president of the United States.” Falletta said the commander in chief had a good ear. ”He was very musical,” she said. ”He was cueing the brass; he was cueing the percussion. He kept the tempo going.” The president’s spontaneous moments follow another recent episode in which he stole the spotlight from artists. In late April, when African dancers and drum players entertained on the White House lawn in an event tied to Malaria Awareness Day, Bush joined the dancers and even played the drums. On Sunday, the president offered himself as maestro after delivering a ”From these humble beginnings, the pillars of a free society began to take hold,” Bush said. ”Private property rights encouraged ownership and free enterprise. The rule of law helped secure the rights of individuals. The creation of America’s first representative assembly ensured the consent of the people and gave Virginians a voice in their government.” Although Bush made a only fleeting mention of Iraq, he linked the hardships the settlers encountered establishing democracy in America to the difficulties the United States has faced spreading democracy to other nations. ”As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown to honor the beginnings of our democracy, it is a chance to renew our commitment to help others around the world realize the great blessings of liberty,” he said. ”America is proud to promote the expansion of democracy, and we must continue to stand with all those struggling to claim their freedom. ”The advance of freedom is the great story of our time, and new chapters are being written every day, from Georgia and Ukraine, to Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon, to Afghanistan and Iraq. ”From our own history, we know the path to democracy is long, and it’s hard. There are many challenges, and there are setbacks along the way. Yet we can have confidence in the outcome because we’ve seen freedom’s power to transform societies before.” The president was accompanied by first lady Laura Bush, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, now chancellor of the College of William and Mary. Bush began his speech with a light-hearted homage to Mother’s Day. ”This state is known as the Mother of Presidents, which reminds me: I need to call my mother today,” he said. ”And if you haven’t called your mother,” he told the crowd, ”you better start dialing here after this ceremony.” After the speech, Bush shook hands with a variety of politicians and Jamestown commemoration organizers who commanded stage seats behind the presidential podium. Then he walked over to the symphony, composed of young and old musicians from every state and anchored by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. ”He didn’t say anything,” Falletta said. ”He gave me a wink and made a little gesture like he wanted the baton. It was an unbelievable experience.” Amid yet another crescendo, Bush handed back the baton, kissed Falletta on the head and was gone. Norfolk to announce five more Legends of Music today By MALCOLM VENABLE, The Virginian-Pilot © March 20, 2007
The musicians—Clarence Clemons, General Norman Johnson, Pat Curtis, JoAnn Falletta and the late Phelps Brothers—will be honored with medallions embedded in the sidewalk in the 300 block of Granby Street. The induction ceremony will be April 18, with a free concert afterward at the Roper Performing Arts Center at Tidewater Community College. Honorees this year span a few different genres of music. Clemons’ oeuvre includes pop, rock, blues and soul; he’s perhaps best known as the charismatic, larger-than-life saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Clemons was born in Norfolk. Pianist and Norfolk native Pat Curtis taught Bruce Hornsby how to play. The General Norman Johnson, born in Norfolk’s Huntersville, gained fame as the leader of the group The Showmen. He’s considered a beach music icon; he’s the bard behind “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” and the song “Patches”, which became a hit for Clarence Carter. JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Music critics regard her as one of the finest conductors in the country, if not the world, and city officials said she is being inducted because of her effect on the appreciation of classical music in Hampton Roads and Virginia. Falletta is also a recording artist; her discography includes more than 40 titles. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. “I can scarcely believe it,” Falletta said Friday. “I’m kind of amazed. It’s a great honor. This is a city I have loved since the day that I moved here 16 years ago, so to have a little permanent piece like that is a thrill for me.” She said she’ll likely celebrate the entire week of the induction ceremony and said she’ll play some “interesting” and fun classical guitar selections at the April 18 concert. The Phelps Brothers—Norman, Willie and Earl—started singing in South Norfolk as teens. They eventually landed in Hollywood, appearing in a series of films for Paramount Pictures as singing cowboys in the late 1930s. Norman Phelps wrote the song “Back in the Saddle Again”, and although he did not receive royalties from the song, it became one of Gene Autry’s biggest hits. These musicians follow notables including Hornsby, Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey, who have had plaques installed on Granby Street since the Walk of Fame was created by the City Council in 2002 to honor musicians with local ties. After the induction ceremony, scheduled to begin at 3pm, Clemons, Johnson, Falletta and Curtis will perform at the free concert, which starts at 7pm Norman Phelps’ daughter Bonnie and her husband, Ed, will represent the Phelps Brothers. JoAnn Falletta to Make British Conducting Debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic October 27th and 28th Two New CD Releases by Falletta, and a Recording Session with the London Symphony Also Scheduled for the Fall Acclaimed American conductor JoAnn Falletta will make her British debut conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on October 27 and 28, 2006 at 7:30pm. Both concerts will feature trumpet soloist Alison Balsom, who will perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto on Friday at King George’s Hall in Blackburn, and the world premiere of Joby Talbot’s Trumpet Concerto in the Saturday concert at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. The concerts will also include John Adams’ exhilarating work A Short Ride in a Fast Machine and will end with Berlioz’s dazzling Symphonie Fantastique. The Saturday concert is part of the Listen Up Festival of Orchestras 2006, presented by BBC Radio 3, the Association of British Orchestras, and Making Music, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Tickets are available for the October 28 concert at www.liverpoolphil.com and at www.kinggeorgeshall.com for the concert on the 27th. JoAnn Falletta is known worldwide as one of the finest conductors of her generation, and is hailed as “one of the brightest stars of symphonic music”. Currently the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, and Artistic Advisor to the Honolulu Symphony, she has been invited to conduct many of the world’s great symphony orchestras. In addition to her debut with the RLPO, this season Falletta is making her first appearance with the Orchestre National De Lyon, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Lisbon, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal in Germany, the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Shanghai Philharmonic, with debuts in 2007 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National De Lyon, the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and the National Orchestra of Belgium. This summer, she made acclaimed debuts with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and the Jerusalem Symphony. Highlights of her recent North American guest conducting appearances include the orchestras of Philadelphia, Montreal, San Francisco, Toronto, Detroit and St. Louis, and the National Symphony. Maestro Falletta is a prolific recording artist. Her growing discography, which will soon include over 40 titles, consists of recordings with the London Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony, the English Chamber Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony, the Czech National Symphony and the Women’s Philharmonic. This October will see the international release of two new recordings on the Naxos label, including a BPO CD of Prairie Music devoted to the music of Aaron Copland, and a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Romeo Cascarino with the Philadelphia Philharmonic. Her upcoming releases for this season also include a world premiere recording of the orchestral music of Kenneth Fuchs with the London Symphony to be released on the Naxos label, following up on her 2005 recording of Fuchs’ music with the LSO, for which Falletta received her first Grammy nomination. Her 2004 recording of Griffes Orchestral Music, on the Naxos label with the Buffalo Philharmonic, was selected as an Editor’s Choice Recording by Gramophone. More info Aaron Copland CD with the BPO Naxos announced the international release of a new Aaron Copland collection CD by the Buffalo Philharmonic, under the direction of JoAnn Falletta. The disc is devoted to works inspired by the spacious landscape of the American prairie, including The Red Pony Suite, Rodeo, Prairie Journal, and Letter from Home. The disc honors the Buffalo historic landmark Darwin D. Martin House, one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s premier prairie houses. “From the brash ‘Circus Music’ to the gentle ‘Granfather’s Story’ (both from The Red Pony), the disc presents a dream of America as expressed by Copland and by the prairie-style architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It can make us think deeply, as both theses artists wanted us to, about our place in the world”, says the Buffalo News, which called the disc “sparkl[ling] with life and wit”. More info BPO and Music Director JoAnn Falletta Honored by Their Peers for Adventurous Programming The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director JoAnn Falletta received a prestigious award for adventurous programming at the American Symphony Orchestra League’s (ASOL) National Conference in Pittsburgh on June 11. The BPO received the Second Place Award for Programming of Contemporary Music, offered by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the ASOL. It was the first time the BPO has been the recipient of this prestigious award. JoAnn Falletta Nominated for Grammy JoAnn Falletta has received a Grammy Nomination in the category of Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. The nomination, which she shares with English Horn soloist, Thomas Stacy, is for their recording of Eventide, Concerto for English Horn, Harp, Percussion, and String Orchestra, by Kenneth Fuchs, performed by Thomas Stacy and the London Symphony Orchestra. Eventide is included in Kenneth Fuchs: An American Place, issued on the Naxos American Classics label (2005, Naxos 8.559224). Says JoAnn, “It is such an honor for me to have the opportunity to collaborate with an artist like Tom Stacy on the extraordinary music of Ken Fuchs. The entire recording process with the incredible musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra and producer Michael Fine was a wonderful experience, and I feel that everyone involved in this recording should be very proud.” Michael Fine, who produced the Fuchs disc and JoAnn’s other recently released Naxos recording with the LSO, Ranjbaran: Persian Triology, was also nominated for the Classical Producer of the Year Grammy for his work on the Fuchs and Persian Trilogy CDs. Press Quotes One of the finest conductors of her generation. The New York Times One of the brightest stars of symphonic music in America. Los Angeles Times Falletta conducted with a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein. Falletta has won conducting awards named for Toscanini, Walter and Stokowski. That seems appropriate as her podium work draws on the legacy of all three—Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, and Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship. The Washington Post A gripping, lovingly detailed performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. Falletta brought a wonderfully organic feeling for both structure and Dallas Morning News JoAnn Falletta made an impressive, dynamic, and well-paced debut with the [Royal Scottish National Orchestra]. Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, though big-boned in the gigantic space, demonstrated Falletta’s fine control of tension and breadth. The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) I spent a day with [the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra] in mid-March, and was thrilled with what I both saw and Henry Fogel, On the Record, Exploring America’s Orchestras Falletta’s splendid outing with the [Utah Symphony] in Abravanel Hall Friday certainly merits serious The Salt Lake Tribune Falletta’s passion for the night’s music was evident throughout the performance, her enthusiasm spilling over into the orchestra and to the audience, which treated the performers to a number of well-deserved standing ovations. Deseret Morning News (Utah) Falletta really gets the big picture of the Bruckner Ninth. The huge blocks of sound were always traversed with a compensating smoothness of line and an unerring balance between the dominant string and brass incantations. Falletta’s sure control made the [third movement’s] many tenuous, wandering sections seem like one long, mystical musical thought process. Buffalo News The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia gave one of its best concerts under JoAnn The Philadelphia Inquirer The five compositions received exactly what they needed from Falletta and the orchestra. Finesse and charm in the [Mendelssohn Overture], expressiveness in the [Zwilich Concerto Grosso] and power next to concentration in the [Chen Yi Duo]. Telegraaf (Rotterdam) What a triumphant return it was. Working without score, Falletta drove the [Denver Chamber] Orchestra through every grand sweep of Viennese opulence, handling those time-stretching rubatos with taste and immaculate timing, and drawing out some of the most sumptuous playing heard this season. Rocky Mountain News JoAnn Falletta is such a delight, both on cd and in performance. The energy levels and joy she exudes is infectious for all involved. ClassicallyHip.com JoAnn Falletta, the vivacious director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, was an inspired choice to conduct [the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic], maintaining the hypnotic momentum without letting [the Talbot Trumpet Concerto premiere] feel rhythmically unyielding. The Guardian (Liverpool, England) JoAnn Falletta led a striking performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Liverpool Daily Post Brilliance from Buffalo in Respighi’s rich orchestration. The Buffalo Philharmonic under music director JoAnn Falletta is treated to warm and spectacular recording, apt for such exotica. Respighi, Church Windows CD, Gramophone Editor’s Choice, February, 2008 An absolute smoker of a performance. Conductor JoAnn Falletta captures the music’s volatile emotions and youthful energy in frill measure. In short, we’ve struck 64 minutes’ worth of Brahmsian gold from an unlikely and often provocative source. Gramophone, Brahms Piano Concertos, Norman Krieger, Pianist, Virginia Symphony Orchestra One of today’s most talked about conductors, JoAnn Falletta, obtains highly coloured backdrops from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the sound is superb. Yorkshire Post, Dohnanyi: Violin Concertos, Michael Ludwig, Violin, RSNO All I can say is I am glad I heard this disc, for in its intelligent planning, its superb recording, and its dedicated playing it puts forward one of the best cases for Respighi’s music I have heard in years. It is perhaps the sensitivity that Falletta garners from her Buffalo forces that impresses most of all. She can take her orchestra down to the merest whisper (perfectly captured in Producer Tom Shepard’s recording; try “The Matins of Saint Clare”), and sustain a restrained tension for uncannily long passages. Fanfare Magazine, Respighi, Church Windows, BPO A recording I would readily choose over Fanfare Magazine: Bruch, Scottish Fantasy, Michael Ludwig, violin, VSO A sort of Gershwin Concerto in F for the new millennium [that] keeps an irrepressible spirit connected with both the Roaring 20s and today’s Generation X. Audiophile Audition, Schoenfield’s Four Parables (Black Box) Everything came together thrillingly in the final movement of Rachmaninoff’s 1940 “Symphonic Dances”, Op. 45, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of JoAnn Falletta ended Saturday’s concert in a blaze of Buffalo News Detroit News Falletta led off with a vivacious performance of Kodaly’s “Dances of Galanta” and closed with Zemlinsky’s “Die Seejungfrau” (“The Mermaid”), in which she and the orchestra transmuted an exceptional level of musical detail into vivid and touching storytelling. The response of the audience was rapturous. A list of the dozen best American conductors today would contain several names that would also have appeared 25 years ago. But it would also now include Falletta. Boston Globe I happened to attend the Buffalo Symphony’s concert at Carnegie Hall last Sunday, in which conductor JoAnn Falletta stirred a hard-boiled Big Apple crowd to many standing ovations and an encore. Falletta has inspired this orchestra to an impressive level, blurring the category of the Big Five. Falletta and Curtis-trained Atlanta Symphony conductor Robert Spano are shining lights on the American-born conducting scene. Philadelphia Daily News One of the world’s leading female conductors. Under Falletta the ensemble moved briskly along with a kind of athletic élan. The New York Times Falletta immediately won listener’s Mannheimer Morgen (Germany) The beautiful surprise of the afternoon came from with an absolutely coherent fourth Symphony of Brahms under the baton of JoAnn Falletta. The movements were perfectly sculpted with a very beautiful equilibrium and melodies that were filled with emotional but never artificial. Without a doubt influenced by the interpretations of Kleiber and Berglund in the same material, Joann Falletta clarified the sonority by opting for tempos that were quite brilliant. Le Devoir—Montreal, Canada A delightful performance [with] the unusual musicianship of Ms. Falletta who has both the calmness to create long melodic bows as well as the temperament to turn passion almost into an ecstasy of sound. Ruhr Nachrichten (Dortmund, Germany) Ms. Falletta is on most critics’ short lists of exciting young conductors, and it’s easy to see why. Her musicianship is flawless. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Griffes—Orchestral Works—Editor’s Choice CD. Conductor JoAnn Falletta is completely sympathetic throughout and there are neatly delivered solos from many of the Buffalo players. This is a revelatory Griffes Gramophone Magazine JoAnn Falletta showed such authority, such caring for detail, such tenderness, such intelligence that [Copland’s Appalachian spring] seemed to open itself to reveal all of its virtues. A “10” for Falletta. LaPresse Buffalo has preposterously harsh winters, but it is worth braving blizzards to hear its fine orchestra. Falletta and the Buffalonians pour an ample portion of polished gorgeousness over Griffes’s scores. International Record Review I don’t know how she does it, but any new CD by conductor JoAnn Falletta—like her latest of music by Charles Tomlinson Griffes on Naxos—is a revelation. Philadelphia Daily News With any justice, Falletta would be a household name by now—she has done splendid work for more than two decades and brings out the best in any ensemble she takes on. Washington Post Widely known for her concerts with the same orchestra at Lanaudiere, JoAnn Falletta returned to us in great form (for her official Montreal debut) for a Brahms Fourth Symphony that proved yet again that this American maestra is one of the phenomena of the music world. One should take advantage of the experience of seeing her in concert at any price to witness it: such force, such authority, such virility (notwithstanding what a delicate woman she is), a network of sound that is at the same time carefully sculpted and free, and a rare degree of organic communication with the orchestra that makes us hope that she might be on the list to succeed Charles Dutoit. Concertonet.com (Montreal) She was best when precipitating an ecstatic moment, inspiring an emotional candidness from the USA Today First, it proved that it could play such thick, intricate music lucidly. I wouldn’t be surprised if this were the thorniest and lushest score of its size and reach that Long Beach has ever attempted. It proved, secondly, that conductor JoAnn Falletta can command Schoenberg’s epic Los Angeles Times Ms. Falletta is a demonstrative, kinetic conductor, and her The New York Times The orchestra The New York Times The program presented here American Record Guide Although JoAnn Falletta undoubtedly had only a few hours to rehearse the London Symphony Orchestra before proceeding to the studio, the performances are impressive, with fine rhythmic precision and passionate sweep. The New York Times [Falletta’s CDs] represent only the tip of an iceberg that Maestro Falletta is revealing to us, both on record and in the concert halls across our land. For her dedication on behalf of contemporary American music, we express our sincere gratitude and encouragement, and we acknowledge her artistic excellence with deep appreciation. Fanfare Magazine Falletta leads her orchestras “with clarity and precision, often producing performances that are remarkable for their combination of raw power and rare sense of proportion”. The Washington Post Falletta was superb, bringing out the best and most clarified music from the orchestra, exuding passion for this romantic work with impeccable control. China Daily (Beijing) One of the most impressive, musically intelligent and professional conductors. San Francisco Examiner Falletta kept the orchestra beautifully in check. It was a stunning and satisfying performance, to please even the most hardened Mahlerite. Equally impressive was the Philharmonic’s rugged performance of Sibelius’ First Symphony—a reading full of verve and passion. Newsday Let your friends listen to these works [on the BPO’s Griffes CD]. They will be enchanted and surprised to learn of this American music. A success that testifies once again to the excellence of the Naxos American Classics series. ClassicsToday.com, France No more than five seconds into her traversal of the Symphonic San Antonio Express-News I am not going to beat around the bush: the revelation of the evening was the guest conductor, New Yorker, JoAnn Falletta, a young woman who did not cease to astonish me by her energy, her precision, her conducting which was both supple and convincing, and which made the orchestra play in a manner that was exceptionally transparent and detailed. Once again, JoAnn Falletta captivated the audience with her confidence, and intelligent range of her conducting. Le Soliel JoAnn Falletta revealed herself as a genuine orchestral conductor. Her gestures were always energetic, expressive and effective, impeccably combining a rigorous beat with ample and generous gestures. With Falletta, one could feel an obvious love of the music, and the style she employed communicated every moment with the orchestra and, at the same time, with the audience. La Presse It must be said that the direction by JoAnn Falletta and the playing of her Buffalo Philharmonic [on the new Griffes CD] are beyond praise. This orchestra has played an important part in recording much of what is good in American Amazon.com Balancing nuts-and-bolt conducting with inspired leadership is tricky. Falletta provided the right combination, giving the orchestra plenty of guidance while encouraging spirited, touching musicality. Houston Chronicle The concert marked the Philadelphia Orchestra debut of JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony. Her baton technique is extremely clean and her elbow rhythmically eloquent. The Philadelphia Inquirer Falletta did a spectacular job bringing together all the different musical forces into one powerful performance. The Daily Press Falletta is surely destined for classical music superstardom. Rocky Mountain News Apparently born to conduct, she sends all the right messages from the podium. Most important, she seems to create superior playing and clarified performances from the orchestra. Los Angeles Times A large, attentive, enthusiastic crowd packed Alice Tully Hall, perhaps as much to see conductor JoAnn Falletta as to hear the music itself. Musical America JoAnn Falletta proved that she ranks as one of the top young conductors in the country today. Falletta’s every gesture and nuance seemed to perfectly express the symphony’s canvas of emotions. No detail was too much for Falletta to ask of the orchestra and the result was an object lesson in artistry. In the Turina Falletta proved she is a dramatist as well as a poet, with engagingly artful shifts of mood and a firm command of the work’s rhythmic complexities. If, as rumor has it, Falletta is auditioning for the Honolulu Symphony’s top job, she won scads of votes with Sunday’s performance. Honolulu Advertiser JoAnn Falletta may be diminutive in stature, but she’s a commanding presence on the podium. The most impressive part of Saturday’s program was her dramatic and expansive reading of the Symphony No.5 by Prokofiev. Her deliberate tempo in the first movement gave the music an extra-weighty flow, culminating spectacularly in a broad, muscular and percussive climax. This overall measured pace was ever-flexible on a local level, however pointing up details in the massive architectural design. The orchestra played brilliantly throughout, with responsive energy, clear textures and alert give-and-take. Los Angeles Times [The Verdi Requiem] was a powerfully dramatic and well-paced account, sharply detailed and with all the forces integrated. Falletta achieved a rare and paradoxical state of impassioned resignation—a telling performance of a major monument. Los Angeles Times “Maestra walks softly, carries powerful Sacramento Union Throughout the program, she [JoAnn Falletta] showed a fabulous baton technique. The absolutely clear and amazingly clean way she used that stick (to say nothing of her intensely expressive left hand) left no doubt as to what she wanted. New York Daily News If there is justice, JoAnn Falletta should become a household name in the near future. Byron Belt, Newhouse News Service Falletta’s floating, transparent textures were The Tampa Tribune Performances of such devotion and intensity are rare today, even in the musical capitols of the world. But when they occur, they are no accident. The gifted Falletta reminded me of the work of the late Italian conductor Guido Cantelli. She has the concentration, musical honesty, culture, clear beat, lyrical grace and force to inspire musicians to play better than they thought they could. Sarasota Herald-Tribune [Falleta’s debut] was an auspicious artistic event that placed Falletta among the most promising conductors of her generation. The maestro’s presentation of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra was impressive by any standard. Falletta, who conducted that technically intricate and emotionally embracing music without a score, knew the music cold, inside and out. Time and again, she demonstrated her thorough grasp of Bartok’s idiom, his point of view, his often-elusive purpose. Milwaukee Sentinel [JoAnn Falletta] is obviously a young conductor of unusual technical and communicative resources. If Schönberg performances could always reach such a high level of excellence, this music might yet sneak its way into the standard repertory. New York Magazine When JoAnn Falletta finished conducting the rousing Dances of Galanta, the Aspen audience gave her the full treatment—standing ovation, stamping, whistling, and whoops of joy. I myself was tempted to shout, “Holy cow!” Falletta virtually danced through the piece, inspiring the Aspen Symphony to a roaring performance that nearly tore the seams out of the music tent. Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph Judging from the results she [JoAnn Falletta] achieved with the Tucson Symphony, it’s clear that she is poised on the edge of a major, major career as a leader of orchestras. Arizona Daily Star [JoAnn Falletta] is, quite simply, the kind of conductor who can inspire almost any group of musicians. Her baton technique is graceful and utterly communicative, her gestures sweeping and poetic but lacking the slightest sign of exaggeration. Watching her is like watching Leonard Bernstein. Newsday Falletta and the Denver Chamber Orchestra were incandescent. This was Mozart of grand power and brilliant ideas realized with dramatic flair. Denver Post As guest conductor of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra last night, Falletta made the orchestra sound as never before. There was a sense of passion and togetherness. Most of all, there was an articulation of nuance and overall scope that added up to thorough excitement. Tucson Citizen Falletta strikes the ideal balance between energy and expressivity. She is heartfelt without being sentimental, passionate without being overbearing. She has highly developed musical instincts, intelligence, and a clear beat. She exudes confidence and she is committed to her art. Orange County Register JoAnn Falletta’s leadership of the orchestra elevated the art of accompaniment to new heights. Especially in the slow movement, her grasp of the unfolding emotions, and the orchestra’s unerring response to her direction made the soloists sound that much better. Milwaukee Journal [JoAnn Falleta’s debut with the Denver Symphony] was a rare and extraordinary event—the emergence of a new superstar! Colorado Springs Gazette [JoAnn Falletta] presided over her charges like the most compassionate of generals, conducting with a crystalline beat, a canny eye for entrances and releases, and an overall sense of daring. San Francisco Examiner
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