Papal Concert of Reconciliation 2004

Artists:

Sponsor:

Prof. Carl A. Anderson - Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus

Gilbert Levine, KCSG

Sir Gilbert Gilbert Levine, KCSG, iS one of today's most distinguished Conductors. He first came to world attention when he was named Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic in 1987, becoming the first American to head a major orchestra in the East Bloc. Shortly after commencing his duties in Krakow, he was invited to the Vatican to conduct the Papal Concert in celebration of the Xth Anniversary of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope John Paul 11. That 1988 concert, which was broadcast via RAI throughout the world, began an artistic relationship that continues to this day.

Gilbert Levine has conducted many of the world's most important orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and, in Canada, the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras. In Europe be has led the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, U0rchestre de la Bastille, the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Bayerische Staatsorchester (Munich), the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Symphony Orchestra (Hamburg), the lerusalem Symphony and the RSO Berlin. He has also conducted many of the world's leading chamber orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra.

During Maestro Levine's tenure with the Krakow Philharmonic he led the orchestra on numerous foreign tours, including visits to the U.K., Germany, France, the Far East, and, in 1993 to the major concert halls in the U.S., including Orchestra Hall (Chicago), Severance Hall (Cleveland), Symphony Hall (Boston.), Avery Fisher Hall (New York), and the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C. ).

In 1993, Gilbert Levine was honored to organize and conduct the music for the Papal Vigil Service at World Youth Day in Denver. In 1994,

Gilbert Levine, conceived and had the privilege to conduct the 'Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah," the first-ever public commemoration of the Holocaust in Vatican history. This concert was broadcast by the RAI throughout Europe and on PBS in the United States.

In that same year, 1994, in recognition of his musical and humanitarian contributions to Poland and to the Vatican, Gilbert Levine was granted the highest Pontifical honor given to a non-ecclesiastical musician in more than 200 years - "Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great".

During the years 1995-1999, in addition to concerts, tours and recordings with the above mentioned orchestras, Maestro Levine organized and conducted a series of historic inter-religious commemorations in Saint Paul, Baltimore, and Munich, on the theme of reconciliation and tolerance between Christians and Jews. These concerts were broadcast by NPR and Bayerischer Rundfunk.

In the year 2000, Maestro Levine was appointed as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra "Millennium Creation Series". This series encompassed performances of Haydn's masterpiece in Baltimore, London, and in the Aula Paolo VI at the Vatican in celebration of the 80th Birthday of His Holiness Pope John Paul 11. The Baltimore performance was broadcast on PBS as "The jubilee Creation" and The Papal "Creation" Concert was broadcast by the RAI and via Eurovision, throughout Europe.

Also in 2000, Gilbert Levine led the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in a performance of the Beethoven: Symphony IX in Saint Mary's Basilica in Krakow. This concert was widely broadcast worldwide and aired in America as "A Thousand Years of Music and Spirit". The Chicago Tribune called this broadcast concert "a stirring IXth of emotional commitment and spontaneous excitement". On the occasion of this concert, Gilbert Levine was awarded the Krakow Gold Medallion for his contributions to that city's artistic life.

Maestro Levine bas been featured widely in print, on radio, and on television. He has been profiled in Newsweek, the New York Times and in 2001, in a segment entitled "The Pope's Maestro" Gilbert

Levine became one of only a handful of conductors ever profiled on America's news-magazine program "60 Minutes".

In 2002, Gilbert Levine led the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden and the Munich Bach Choir in Brahms " Ein Deutches Requiem", from the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Krakow. This concert was broadcast throughout Europe and webcast throughout the world.

In October 2003, the ABC program "Good Morning America"celebrated the XXVth Anniversary of the Pope's Pontificate by bringing Maestro Levine and the London Philharmonic Orchestra to Saint Peter's Basilica for special performances of Verdi and Mozart.

Maestro Levine has recorded with the RSO Berlin, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra in performances which the New York Times has called "spectacular". These appear on the Telarc, Arabesque, Laserlight and Justice labels. His video concerts have been released on View Video, Time-Warner "Rhino" Home Video, and Teldec Video.

Gilbert Levine studied at the lud School of Music, and holds degrees from Princeton and Yale Universities. He has also studied with Nadia Boulanger in France and Franco Ferrara in Italy. Early in his career, Gilbert Levine served as assistant to Sir Georg Solti in Europe. He was also protege of Maestro Klaus Tennstedt, working with the great German conductor on his acclaimed Mahler Symphony cycle recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on EMI.

Gilbert Levine has taught conducting at Yale University and at the Manhattan School of Music. He bas lectured widely including at Harvard and at Yale. In 2003, Yale honored him by organizing an international symposium exploring his work in melding music and spiritual values on television.

This evening's Papal Concert of Reconciliation, along with the performance of the Mahler: Symphony 11 in Pittsburgh earlier this week, mark Maestro Gilbert Levine's debut performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.