After the successful debuts of his work Starburst for the Baltimore and Kansas City Symphonies in 2010, Jonathan Leshnoff looks forward to an even greater new year in 2011 as he has a European premiere as well as at least three premieres in the US. The first will be his Flute Concerto, written especially for Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Jeffrey Khaner. Maestro Robert Spano conducted the piece on March 4, 5 and 8, 2011 at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. In April, 2011, World renown violinist Gil Shaham, with his sister Orli, premièred Leshnoff’s Yiddish Suite written especially for the Shahams. And within seven weeks of that date, the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts again filled the spacious Kimmel Center for the world premiere of Hope – An Oratorio, Leshnoff’s 72-minute masterpiece written for orchestra, two choirs and four soloists. It’s a true ecumenical effort with verses from the Old Testament, Hafiz, African-American spiritual lyrics, and poetry from Walt Whitman to a five-year-old child.

And just scant weeks after that, the European Premiere of Starburst was performed in Spain by the Extremadura Orquesta and its maestro, Jesús Amigo. As the year turns to summer, the University of Maryland’s Patrice Smith Performing Arts Center will host the world premiere of Leshnoff’s String Quartet No. 3. And these are just the premieres…

Back in his studio at Towson University, Jonathan has created several other pieces, which may or may not have their premieres during 2011. Some are top-secret projects, but what can be told is that he is at work already on a concerto for orchestra and two percussionists, principally commissioned by two of the charter members of So Percussion. Todd Meehan of Baylor University and Doug Perkins of Dartmouth are the powers behind this new commission and four orchestras have joined them so far with others on the way. This piece will see its premiere in the 2012-13 concert season as well as Leshnoff’s String Quartet No. 4, written for the Carpe Diem String Quartet and due to be performed initially by them at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. There are several other projects still on the drawing board – a piece for choir, orchestra, and solo viola to be premiered by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

Jonathan Leshnoff has placed himself squarely among the most productive and recognized young composers in America and his reputation is spreading rapidly. Performances of his double concerto for Violin and Viola, his violin concerto and a number of his chamber works are in the offing as well. The second of three CD’s of his music has been just released by Naxos and picked as one of the year’s ten best by several well-known music critics.

Leshnoff CD listed as Naxos Top 40 CDs of 2009.

Second Leshnoff Naxos CD of his Double Concerto for Violin and Viola (Charles Wetherbee, violin; Roberto Diaz, viola; Michael Stern, conductor) to be released in November, 2010.

April 2009: Leshnoff celebrates release of Naxos CD and receives a commission for a new orchestral work from the Baltimore Symphony, Kansas City Symphony and Orquesta de Extremadura (Madrid). The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform Leshnoff’s Flute Concerto during the 2010-11 season with Jeffrey Khaner as soloist.

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.

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 Tokyo Philharmonic. IRIS will record the work for Naxos with Michael Stern conducting. Markand Thakar will conduct the DSO and BCO performances.

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 also been named the composer-in-residence with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.

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 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.

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 February 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).

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.”