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PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, a vital part of the City of Pittsburgh's heritage for more than 100 year, is under the exciting leadership of Music Director Mariss jansons. With its noble history of the finest conductors and musicians and its strong commitment to artistic quality and excellence, audiences around the world have claimed the Pittsburgh Symphony as their orchestra of choice.

Starting in the early 1900s with frequent performances in Canada, the Pittsburgh Symphony has confirmed its ranking as a world-class orchestra, earning critical acclaim, for each tour abroad. The 28 international tours, beginning with a 1947 appearance in Mexico, include 14 European tours, seven trips to the Far East and two to South America. The Far East Tour in 2002 marked first-time concerts, by the Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur and Australia.

The Pittsburgh Symphony enjoys a long and illustrious reputation for its recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Orchestra was broadcast coast-to-coast, sponsored then by H.j. Heinz Company. Since 1982, the Pittsburgh Symphony has received increased national attention through its annual series of network radio broadcasts by Public Radio International. The PRI series is produced by WQED-FM 89.3 in Pittsburgh and is made possible by the H.j. Heinz Company Foundation and musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Starting with the release of its first commercial recording in 1941, the Orchestra has made hundreds of critically acclaimed discs, Pittsburgh Symphony recordings are available on the EMI, Angel, CBS, Philips, MCA, New World, Nonesuch, Sony Classical and Telarc labels. The Orchestra, with Lorin Maazel conducting and Yo-Yo Ma as cello soloist, won a 1992 Grammy award for a Sony Classical disc featuring works by Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. Anaother Sony Classical disc features David Zinman conducting Richard Danielpour's Concerto for Orchestra, a work commissioned and given its world premiere

performance by the Pittsburgh Symphony. Cinema Serenade, a CD with john Williams conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony and Itzhak Perlman in performances of celebrated film scores, reached No. 1 on the Billboard crossover chart. Released in 2001 by EMI, the Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 is the first collaboration by the Orchestra with Music Director Mariss jansons. "The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs music of Rodion Shchedrin," conducted by Jansons, was released by Pittsburgh Symphony Curtain Call in 2002.

Heading the list of internationally recognized conductors who influenced the development of the Orchestra is Victor Herbert who was Music Director between 1898 and 1904. Preceeding Herbert as the first Pittsburgh Orchestra Conductor was Frederic Archer from 18961899. Otto Klemperer was critical to the Orchestra's solidification as an American institution in the late 1930s. Prior to Mr. Klemperer, permanent conductors were Emil Paur (1904-1910), Elias Breeskin (19261930), and Antonio Modarelli (1930-1937). Under the dynamic directorship of Fritz Reiner, from 1938 to 1948, the Orchestra embarked on a new phase of its history, taking its first foreign tour and making its first commercial recording.

In the more recent past, the Orchestra's, high standard of excellence was maintained and enhanced through the inspired leadership of William Steinberg during bis quarter-century as Music Director between 1952 and 1976. Andre Previn, during his music directorship between 1976 and 1984, led the Orchestra to new heights through accomplishments on tours, records and television, including the PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." Lorin Maazel had a formal affiliation with the Orchestra beginning in 1984 when he became Music Consultant. From 1988-1989 through 1995-1996, Maestro Maazel was Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, molding it into one of the finest orchestras in the world. Mariss Jansons became Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony in the 1997-1998 season and concludes his tenure in Pittsburgh at the end of the 2003-2004 season.

Link to Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

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