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Maestro Jean-Claude Casadesus and Pianist Alexander Paley

Presented by Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall

February 19-February 21, 2009

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Guest conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus will lead pianist Alexander Paley and the Utah Symphony in Tchaikovsky's 'Concerto No. 1' for Piano in B-flat Minor on a program that also includes Brahms' 'Symphony No. 1 in C Minor.' The evening will begin as Paley joins the orchestra to present Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, where the most famous theme comes from the lyrical and romantic sounds of the violins in the opening of the piece. Considered one of the most famous piano concerti, the finale features a roaring display of technique demonstrated by the pianist. The evening closes with Brahms' First Symphony, which wasn't completed until Brahms was 43 years old and has often been referred to as 'Beethoven's 10th' due to the similarities with Beethoven's symphonies. Jean-Claude Casadesus was born into a family of musicians and actors. He studied percussion and conducting at the Paris Conservatory and began his musical career as a percussionist. He continued to conduct, studying with Pierre Dervaux in Paris and Pierre Boulez in Basel, and in 1968 was appointed resident conductor at the Opera de Paris and the Opera Comique. In 1971, he helped Pierre Dervaux set up the Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire, where he was to remain Assistant Director until 1976. Casadesus is passionately committed to music education and working with young people; he works regularly at the Manhattan School of Music and he has recently been appointed Music Director of the Orchestre Francais des Jeunes and conducted them on tour in August 2005. Jean-Claude Casadesus is also an active operatic conductor, from Lille, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Barcelona, and Antwerp through the major festivals, including Aix-en-Provence, and Orange. His most recent productions include La Traviata at Lille Opera, Les Contes d'Hoffmann with the Orchestre de Paris and last season he conducted Faust for Lille Opera, Trieste Opera and Monte Carlo Opera. Alexander Paley is widely recognized for his exceptionally broad and extensive repertoire of concerti and solo piano works, his dazzling technical prowess, and his convincing, personal interpretations. Born in Kishiniev, Moldavia, Mr. Paley began playing the piano when he was six and won the National Music Competition of Moldavia at sixteen. Subsequently, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Bella Davidovich and Vera Gornostayeva. He went on to win major awards, including First Prize at the Leipzig International Bach Competition in 1984. Since then, he earned similar accolades for performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the St.Louis, San Diego, Utah, Colorado, Milwaukee, and Syracuse Symphony Orchestras.