Beethoven Orchestra Bonn Performs at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts

If you love Beethoven, then come experience the celebrated German ensemble Beethoven Orchestra Bonn as it performs at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 8 p.m. This revered 106-member orchestra, under the baton of Stefan Blunier, will perform a Beethoven-focused program that is sure to delight audiences of all ages. The concert also features renowned French-Canadian piano soloist Louis Lortie.

Hailing from the birthplace of its namesake, Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn has been a pillar of cultural life in Bonn since its founding more than a century ago. Throughout the years, it has become one of the most celebrated orchestras of its kind in Germany, as the distinguished ensemble performs more than 100 shows annually, ranging from concerts and performances in the Oper Bonn (Bonn Opera House) to premieres, recordings and special events. Additionally, the orchestra has been recognized internationally after successful world tours and performances at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg.

Beethoven Orchestra Bonn has been led by its music director and conductor, Stefan Blunier, since August 2008. Blunier received his degree from Folkwang College in Essen, Germany, where he studied piano, bugle, composition and conducting. He has made guest appearances as a musician with more than 90 symphony orchestras and has been invited to guest conduct at national and international locales, including Berlin, Munich, London and Oslo. In 2010, he was appointed as the “Premier Chef Invité” of the Orchestre National de Belgique in Brussels. Blunier is also a producer and two of his recordings with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn won the prestigious Echo music award in Germany.

Louis Lortie is a pianist and conductor with the Montreal Symphony. His illustrious career includes performing with some of the world's leading conductors and musicians, including Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Leonidas Kavakos. Lortie has performed complete Beethoven sonata cycles at London's Wigmore Hall, Berlin's Philharmonie and the Sala Grande del Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, earning him widespread acclaim for his interpretation of the famous German composer.

A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance on the Center’s Grand Tier III and is sponsored by the Friends of the Center for the Arts. 

Tickets are $30, $52 and $60. This performance is Family Friendly: tickets for youth grades 12 and under are half price when accompanied by an adult. Tickets to this performance can be purchased at the box office at George Mason University's Center for the Arts (open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or by calling 888-945-2468 or visiting cfa.gmu.edu. George Mason University's Center for the Arts is located on Mason's Fairfax Campus, at the intersection of Braddock Rd. and Rt. 123. Free parking is available in Lot K and paid parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck adjacent to the Concert Hall.

For more information about this performance or other events at George Mason University's Center for the Arts, please visit cfa.gmu.edu. Like the Center for the Arts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gmucfa and follow the Center for the Arts on Twitter at @GMU_CFA.

This article was written by Amanda Rodriguez, with assistance from Jill Graziano Laiacona.