Heras-Casado begins 2011 with three major debuts and return to Paris’ Salle Pleyel

Jan 7, 2011

Pablo Heras-Casado begins 2011 with his North American operatic debut in February when he conducts performances of John Adams’ Nixon in China with the Canadian Opera Company. This eight-performance run of Adams’ groundbreaking opera, based on Richard Nixon’s five-day trip to China in 1972, begins on February 5 and is directed by James Robinson. Following Nixon, Heras-Casado makes another debut, this time with the Indianopolis Symphony Orchestra. The program for the March 3 concert includes John Adams’ Lollapalooza, Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Copland’s Second Symphony, and Debussy’s La Mer. The concert will be held at the Hilbert Circle Theater; Ingrid Fliter is the soloist for the Saint-Saëns.

Heras-Casado then travels to Europe, returning to the Salle Pleyel in Paris on March 11 to lead the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in a program of Beethoven and Berg. For Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, popularly known as the “Emperor,” the soloist will be the renowned Rudolf Buchbinder. Berg’s Fünf Orchesterlieder, or Altenberg Lieder, will be sung by soprano Christiane Oelze.

Later in March, the 33-year-old Spaniard returns to the U.S. to make yet another debut: He joins musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and violinist Yuan-Qing Yu for a performance of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s epic 1994 work “Graal théâtre.” The concert will be held on March 21 at Chicago’s Harris Theater and will be hosted and feature a new work by Mason Bates, who is the CSO’s Composer in Residence, as well as a premiere by composer Anna Clyne.