The newly appointed artistic leaders of the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic will be on the podium when the two internationally renowned orchestras return for six-concert residencies during the 2008 season of the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.
Alan Gilbert, a 40-year-old up-and-comer who created a stir in July when he was appointed the Philharmonic’s music designate, will lead the orchestra July 18, with the hugely popular piano soloist Lang Lang, and July 19.
And Charles Dutoit, who begins his duties as chief conductor and artistic adviser of the Philadelphia Orchestra in September, will direct that orchestra July 6 and 8.
Bravo! leaders are putting the final touches on the festival’s 2008 season, which will be formally announced in January. The annual summer series will run June 25 through Aug. 2 and feature more than 40 respected soloists and chamber musicians.
If the appearances by the two big orchestras will probably draw the most attention in 2008, another notable feature will be the July 15 world premiere of “Green Sneakers,” a 50-minute music-theater piece by Ricky Ian Gordon.
Gordon, the festival’s 2008 composer-in-residence, is best known for bridging the worlds of theater and classical music and writing for the voice. Earlier this year, the Minnesota Opera debuted the composer’s well-received new opera, an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Typically, the festival performs a short work by its resident composer. But a couple of months ago, Gordon called and asked if the festival would be willing to present this more substantial new work, which will feature baritone Jesse Blumberg and the Miami String Quartet.
“Written in very plain words, it’s an exquisite, excruciating story of loss and death and love,” said Eugenia Zukerman, the festival’s artistic director. “It’s really a brilliant libretto. It’s a gift to Vail to be given this extraordinary theater piece.”
Joining the Philadelphia and New York orchestras for its 19th appearance at the festival will be the Rochester (N.Y.) Philharmonic. There was speculation last year that the festival might replace it with another ensemble in 2008, but, instead, Bravo! signed the regional orchestra to another one-year contract.
“We love the Rochester,” Zukerman said. “We think the world of them. And there is no one like (conductor) Jeff Tyzik to do our wonderful patriotic concert. So, we’re very happy that that worked out.”
Even though the festival’s leaders have long wanted to expand its duration, the event will run its usual length in 2008 because of two key practical considerations. The Vail International Dance Festival comes right afterward and uses many of the same facilities, and it’s hard to lure audiences to Vail before the end of June.
“So we have a fixed number of dates, and we pack an awful lot into it,” Zukerman said.
Tickets for 2008 will go on sale March 4. Call 877-812-5700 or go to .
