In Tuesday’s (5/25) Lexington Herald Leader (Kentucky), Rich Copley writes, “The hottest star in classical music, 29-year-old Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, will conduct the venerable Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts on Sept. 27, during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. … The Danville engagement will be a rare United States appearance outside of New York for the Vienna Philharmonic, considered by most observers to be among the best, if not the best, orchestra in the world. The only other United States appearance by the Vienna orchestra with Dudamel will be Sept. 30 at New York’s Carnegie Hall. … Norton Center director of programs and public relations Debra Hoskins said the process of inviting the Philharmonic and Dudamel started in February 2008, with the intention of attracting the biggest name possible to play Danville during the games. ‘At first, I was told it was impossible to get the Vienna Philharmonic to come to the Norton Center,’ Hoskins said. But she contacted the orchestra through the Austrian embassy in Washington D.C. and, ‘they were intrigued by the idea of coming during the World Equestrian Games.’ Hoskins said it was the VPO that, at her suggestion, secured Dudamel for the concert, part of the Alltech Fortnight Festival presented in conjunction with the games.”
Posted May 26, 2010
