PRESS RELEASE

Young Composer Celebrates Major Commissions, Commercial Recordings

March, 2008: Violin Concerto to be released on Naxos in Feb of 2009. Recording performed by Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Chas Wetherbee and Markand Thakar. Also on the CD is the Pearl German String Quartet.

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Baltimore, Md., January, 2007: Leshnoff has been commissioned to write a new double violin-viola concerto for Roberto Diaz, Victoria Chaing and Charles Wetherbee. The work is commissioned by a consortium of orchestras including Iris Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Duluth Symphony, Curtis Institute Orchestra and National Gallery of Art Orchestra. An additional performance will be presented by the Tokkyo Philharmonic. Iris will record the work for Naxos with Michael Stern conducting. Markand Thakar will conduct the DSO and BCO performances.

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Baltimore, Md., June, 2006:  Leshnoff receives commission to compose his new orchestral work for Iris's 08-09 season, the third and final work for the Naxos CD of Leshnoff's orchestral music. Michael Stern will conduct the work and record it. Leshnoff has alos been named the composer-in-residence with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.


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Following a successful premiere of Leshnoff's first symphony Forgotten Chants and Refrains, the piece was recorded by Michael Stern and the IRIS Orchestra for commercial release in the near future. The symphony was also performed on the Kansas City Symphony's 05-06 season.

Leshnoff's new Violin Concerto, commissioned by a consortium of five international orchestras (Buffalo Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, National Repertory, National Symphony of Mexico and Baltimore Chamber Orchestras) for ten (10) performances, was greeted with excellent reviews: Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun wrote that  the work was "remarkably assured, cohesively constructed and radiantly lyrical." Barbara Zuck of the Columbus Dispatch wrote: "the piece grows on you and its themes quickly become familiar and welcome by the ear." Conductors involved in the project include Enrique Diemecke, JoAnn Falletta and Markand Thakar.

The Violin Concerto was recorded by the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in October of 2006 with Markand Thakar conducting and Charles Wetherbee as soloist. The Kyoto Philharmonic will perform the work in August, 2007 with Junichi Hirokami conducting.

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Leshnoff has completed two new major works: One for the Syrinx Ensemble, Roberto Diaz (viola), Elizabeth Hainen (harp), Jeffrey Khaner (flute) and guest percussionist David DePeters. Syrinx will premiere the work on Feb. 25, 2008 on the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society's Series.

The second work is a string sextet for Concertante. This work is scheduled for premiere on May 6, 2007 at Merkin Hall (NY) and the Lehrman Center for Arts in Harrisburg, PA (5/4/07).

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Leshnoff's work for trumpet and organ, Cosmic Echoes,  was released on MSR in winter of 2006. This work is on a CD featuring Stephen Hendrickson (trumpet) and William Neil (organ). Reviewer Aurthur Butterworth reviewed Leshnoff's work as: "one of the most imaginative and compelling works for trumpet and organ that I have ever heard, and ought to be widely-known by trumpeters everywhere."

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For more information or interviews, contact Jonathan Leshnoff directly at (410) 704-2845 or jleshnoff@towson.edu. To read a full biography, visit Leshnoff’s website at www.jonathanleshnoff.com.



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