The National Concert Hall Press Release Archive 2012

Antonio Pappano to conduct world-class London Symphony Orchestra in first concert of New Year as part of The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series '11/'12 Media Release 5 January 2012 Antonio Pappano, who received a knighthood in the 2012 New Year Honours List for his services to music as Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, will conduct one of the world’s great orchestras The London Symphony Orchestra at The National Concert Hall on Monday 13 February 2012, 8pm.

The London Symphony Orchestra are set to make their mark on The National Concert Hall's International Concert Series in this eagerly awaited performance, the first in the New Year. The programme features Rachmaninov’s ‘The Isle of the Dead’, Bartòk’s Concerto for Orchestra and Korngold’s Violin Concerto to be performed by guest violinist Roman Simović.

Currently serving as Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Orchestra of the Accademia Natzionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Pappano's 30 years of conducting operas, concert performances and recordings has ensured his postion as one of the leading conductors of his generation.

He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic. He has conducted in all the great opera houses of the world including the Vienna Staatsoper, the English National Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Berlin Staatsoper and at the Metropolitan Opera New York.

As well as being knighted in 2012 by Queen Elizabeth 11 for his services to music, Pappano’s recent awards also include being a winner at the recent 2011 Gramophone Awards which took place on October 6th in London. In 2008 he was made a 'Commendatore of the Republic of Italy'.

It is no surprise that such a prolific conductor would cross paths with the great London Symphony Orchestra; widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras. Resident at the Barbican in the City of London presenting over 70 concerts a year, the orchestra also complete a further 70 concerts abroad as well as taking up residencies annually at the Lincoln Centre New York and is the international resident orchestra of La Salle Pleyel in Paris. Adding to the already impressive schedule the London Symphony Orchestra has established its own label, LSO Live, which is currently the most successful label of its kind in the world. Their recordings have been widely acclaimed attracting numerous Grammy, Grammophone and Classical Brit Awards.

Guest violinist for their Irish performance, is Roman Simović who currently serves as concertmaster for London Symphony Orchestra and has been described as a ‘supreme violinist’ and praised for his ‘exceptional musicality’. As well as performing in Europe, America and Russia, Simović has earned his reputation as master violinist and has been awarded prizes at numerous International competitions to include the ‘Premio Rodolfo Lipizer (Italy) where along with a Gold Medal he was awarded twelve 3