Music Director Candidate Bruno Ferrandis Conducts Santa Rosa Symphony Feb. 11, 12 & 13 with Guest Violinist Baiba Skride

News Release Contact: Sara Obuchowski,
(707) 546-7097 ext 218

January 13, 2005

(Santa Rosa, CA) — Santa Rosa Symphony audiences will experience the last candidate in a year-long audition process when French-born Bruno Ferrandis takes the podium on February 11, 12 and 13 at the Luther Burbank Center. Ferrandis is the seventh conductor to vie for the music director position which Jeffrey Kahane officially vacates in May. Remarkable Latvian violinist Baiba Skride joins Ferrandis in the guest spotlight, performing Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 in honor of the 250th anniversary of the great composerâs birth.

The program begins with the wild and spooky Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky, a piece known to movie buffs the world over from its appearance in the original Disney film Fantasia; it continues with Requies by Luciano Berio and concludes with the 1st Symphony of Shostakovich.

The 45-year-old Ferrandis is a regular guest conductor with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and has led many of the orchestras of his native France. He was music director of the Julliard Pre-College Orchestra and associate conductor at the Julliard Opera Center from 1988-1993. He co-founded the New Music Ensemble ãMusic Mobileä in New York City, conducted major works at the Canadian Opera Company and from 1991-2000 served as music director of the Banff Art Center in Alberta, Canada. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Ferrandis has a masterâs degree in conducting from The Julliard School.

Of the 25-year-old Baiba Skrideâs debut at the Munich Philharmonic, the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung has noted: ãShe plays with an internal lyricism and a wonderful tone, filling every bar with an extraordinary intuition.ä Skride was first prize winner of the 2001 Brussels Queen Elisabeth Competition, and in years prior, won first prize at international competitions in Romania, Germany and Italy. She has appeared with orchestras under the baton of such renowned conductors as Mikko Franck, Marin Alsop, Lu Jia, Paavo Berglund, Loren Maazel, and Jeffrey Kahane and has had recital debuts in many international venues as well as at Washington DCâs Kennedy Center.

The February 11-13 performances of the Santa Rosa Symphony Classical Series are underwritten by Sonne J. Pedersen, The Press Democrat and The Dr. Larry Schoenrock Endowment Fund.

Santa Rosa Symphony concerts are Saturday and Monday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (formerly Luther Burbank Center) in Santa Rosa. Concert Conversations with Bruno Ferrandis begin in the concert hall one hour prior to performances, and are made possible by Quivira Estate Vineyards and Winery.

The popular Discovery Series of open rehearsals continues at 2 p.m. on February 11. These concerts, priced at $10 for adults, $6 for youth, offer a sneak peek into the final rehearsal process before each concert set. Audiences for Discovery concerts enjoy free Krispy Kreme donuts at intermission.

Call (707) 546-8742 for tickets or visit the Symphony Box Office on the first floor of the North Coast Bank building at 50 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets may also be purchased at the door 1¸ hours before each performance on a space-available basis. Single tickets are $27-49, with senior discounts available. $7 Student Rush tickets (to students showing school I.D. can be purchased a half hour prior to curtain.

Heading
Classical

Who
Santa Rosa Symphony 

Dates and Times
Sat., February 11, at 8 p.m.
(Discovery Rehearsal, Sat. February 11 at 2 p.m.)
Sun., February 12 at 3 p.m.
Mon., February 13 at 8 p.m.

Symphony Concert
Bruno Ferrandis, conductor and music director candidate
Baiba Skride, guest soloist, violin
Pre-concert talk featuring Bruno Ferrandis, one hour before each performance

Program
Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5, Turkish
Berio: Requies
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1

Venue
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
50 Mark West Springs Road
Santa Rosa, CA

Cost
Single tickets $27-49

Tickets
(707) 54-MUSIC [546-8742]