Symphony presents Liszt, Bartok and Wagner under Nakahara's baton

Apr 13, 2005

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 509-326-3136

Symphony presents Liszt, Bartok and Wagner under Nakahara's baton

SPOKANE: Bartok, Liszt, Wagner and an acclaimed German pianist give Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Spokane Symphony a musical program to thrill the listeners on Friday, April 22, at 8 p.m. in the Spokane Opera House.

Markus Groh, who played with the Spokane Symphony in October 2000, confirmed his place in the top echelon of the new generation of pianists when he won the 1995 Queen Elisabeth competition in Brussels. He will perform two pieces by Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1, which calls for the soloist to exhibit the full range of musical expression, and Dance of Death, which draws inspiration from two pieces of Renaissance art.
Completing the program is Bella Bartok's Danse Suite, which incorporates folk traditions from Hungary to Romania and North Africa, and three excerpts from Richard Wagner's comic opera Die Meistersinger.

Groh's recent performances include the London Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony and recitals in Toronto, Washington, D.C., New York and London (Wigmore Hall). Upcoming appearances include The Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony and the Bournemouth Symphony in Great Britain.

He has also performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, The Hague Residentie Orkest, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, SWR Orchestra (Stuttgart), German Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Beijing Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic and the New Japan Philharmonic, to name a few.

In addition to his concert activities, Groh is the founder of the Bebersee Chamber Music Festival outside of Berlin. He has also appeared frequently on radio and television in Germany, Spain, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Japan (NHK), Mexico and the United States (NPR). His recordings for Ren Gailly Productions, Espace2 and Harmonia Mundi feature works of Brahms and Liszt.

Tickets are available for $15 to $34 in advance without service charge at the Spokane Symphony ticket office, 818 W. Riverside, Suite 100, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT or at spokanesympony.org.

CALENDAR LISTING:
Pianist Markus Spokane Symphony, Friday, April 22, at 8 p.m. at the Spokane Opera House. Tickets are $15 to $34; Call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200; tickets are also available, with service charges, through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT, 1-800-325-SEAT and at www.spokanesymphony.org.