Newly Appointed Principal Conductor Jaime Laredo Leads from the Orchestra

In recent seasons, soloist-leaders Nadja-Salerno Sonnenberg, Cho-Liang Lin, and Jeremy Denk created conductor-less programs of power and intimacy, leading the Westchester Philharmonic as they play, and making the Phil’s chamber orchestra concert the can’t-miss event of the year. On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 3 pm, newly appointed principal conductor and renowned violinist Jaime Laredo takes the format to new heights. Joining him for solo turns in front of the orchestra are the Phil’s concertmaster Robert Chausow, principal oboist Melanie Feld, plus violinists Robin Bushman and Sander Strenger, in an enchanting program that spans Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods.

Performing for over six decades before audiences across the globe, Jaime Laredo has excelled in the multiple roles of soloist, conductor, recitalist, and chamber musician. According to the New Yorker, “He has everything a virtuoso violinist needs. But he has more than that. He is a violinist of profound musicianship.” This concert marks Laredo’s fourth appearance with the Philharmonic and second as Principal Conductor.

“The first three works on the program are conductor-less, in which Jaime Laredo leads the ensemble while performing on violin,” commented Executive and Artistic Director Joshua Worby. “This construct, which Philharmonic audiences have enjoyed the past few years, requires a particular intimacy and give-and-take among all of the musicians. They must listen, watch and react not only to the soloist-leader’s cues but to each other, their instrumental ‘voices’ and even body language, in order to create a unified whole.”

Laredo and the orchestra will highlight Bach’s gift for melody in the composer’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe; they will explore the intimacy of the violin in Dvořák’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra; and audiences will delight in the intensity of Vivaldi’s versatility and imagination in the Concerto for Four Violins. The concert concludes with maestro Laredo in a traditional conductor role for Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, the last of the composer’s twelve famed “London Symphonies” written for the English capital.

One hour before the concert, listeners are invited to a preconcert discussion of the program with Jaime Laredo, Robert Chausow and Melanie Feld led by radio personality Robert Sherman.

General Information and Tickets

All performances will take place in The Concert Hall at The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York. A pre-concert discussion with the artists takes place inside the concert hall at 2pm.

Single tickets range from $30-$97. College student/group discounts are also available. To purchase tickets and for additional information call the Westchester Philharmonic Box Office at (914) 682-3707 ext. 10 or visit www.westchesterphil.org. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card accepted.