View 2019-2020 season media reviews, quotes, and articles about the Boston Philharmonic, and Benjamin Zander.
Boston Classical Review: Debargue finds depth in Liszt with impressive Boston Philharmonic debut
"Zander’s probing interpretation drew attention to every bold contrast: the dark and mysterious opening theme striking a perfect balance with the incisive rhythms that followed; and the second theme exhibiting a charming sweep and grandeur before another bout of agitation. Zander steered the entire first movement decisively through its climactic peaks and releases." -Aaron Keebaugh
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Arts Fuse: Concert Review: Lucas Debargue and the Boston Philharmonic at Sanders Theatre
"It’s hard to argue with the lineup of soloists Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) have brought to town this season. Their trend of finding and presenting some of the most striking artists of the day continued Thursday night at Sanders Theatre with the local debut of Lucas Debargue."-Jonathan Blumhofer
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Boston Musical Intelligencer: Boston Phil’s Brilliant Visegradian Happening
"Zander and the orchestra triumphed with the Dvořák’s Seventh. This treasure trove of Bohemian nationalist tunes, multiplied by Brahms-worthy orchestration, shone from every quarter, with horns and flutes particularly rewarding this listener’s ear and with all string sections providing even and robust support throughout." -Victor Khatutsky
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Boston Musical Intelligencer: Debarguments and Debarcations with Lucas
Interview of pianist Lucas Debargue by Victor Khatutsky. Read it on Boston Musical Intelligencer
The Boston Globe: Boston’s best classical music events for the busy winter season
"The gifted young French pianist Lucas Debargue is the keenly anticipated soloist in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Philharmonic under Benjamin Zander’s baton, on a program that includes works by Kodaly and Dvorak (Feb 20-23, www.bostonphil.org)." -Jeremy Eichler
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WBUR: Here's The Classical Music Events On Our Calendar This Winter
"Ben Zander is admired for having his Boston Philharmonic Orchestra bring to fresh life old warhorses. Their February concert includes Kodaly’s popular Dances of Galanta, Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto with the fascinating young French pianist Lucas Debargue (Zander is also famous for bringing to Boston the most compelling instrumentalists), and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7. (Sanders Theatre and Jordan Hall; Feb. 20, 22 and 23) Zander also leads another orchestra, the astonishing Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Their spring concert is a wonderful pairing of two pieces that tell colorful and fantastical stories, Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.” (Symphony Hall; March 12)" -Lloyd Schwartz
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The Arts Fuse: Top Classical Concerts and Recordings of 2019
Best Solo Performance
"For rapport between soloist and orchestra (and/or conductor), the fall of 2019 brought two mesmeric programs from the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. My favorite of those – by a hair – was Liza Ferschtmann’s account of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in November. Augustin Hadelich played the same piece with the Boston Symphony in September. Then, it was beautifully done, but sterile: his interpretation took no risks; parts of it were even a bit sleepy. Ferschtmann, on the other hand, brought the music to life with a panache and vigor that should be a model for all violinists navigating these well-trod pages." -Jonathan Blumhofer
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Boston Musical Intelligencer: Critics’ Faves From Passing Year
"it rocked, it rolled, it unrolled, the ensemble ablaze. … More than once during the concert I wished I had brought my children and grandchildren." -David Moran
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The Arts Fuse: Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic plays Beethoven and Rachmaninoff
"Ferschtman is a violinist with unimpeachable technique and a compelling stage presence. Her tone is silvery and pure. In Thursday’s performance, her playing was consistently poetic, whether in the Concerto’s delicate, exposed textures or in its hearty, rustic gestures." -Jonathan Blumhofer
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Boston Classical Review: Soloist, Boston Philharmonic offer an intimate take on Beethoven concerto
"Zander led the Boston Philharmonic in a delicate reading of the familiar concerto that yielded a fresh sense of poetic depth. Violinist Liza Ferschtman proved an equally sensitive soloist in her Boston debut." -Aaron Keebaugh
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The Boston Globe: The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world
"BOSTON PHILHARMONIC The Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman makes her local debut with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto under the direction of Benjamin Zander, who also leads Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Nov. 14 and 17 in Sanders Theatre; Nov. 16 in Jordan Hall. 617-236-0999, www.bostonphil.org"-Jeremy Eichler
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Arts Fuse: Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic plays Mozart, Brahms, and Bartók
"Throughout, the ensemble and Deljavan exhibited a lively rapport, the pair responding to and bouncing off of one another with energy and delicacy. Afterwards, the pianist rewarded a lusty ovation with a pair of encores: the “Aria” from Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Frederic Chopin’s Mazurka op. 17 no. 4." -Jonathan Blumhofer
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Boston Musical Intelligencer: Zander Summons and Supports Deljavan
"The Philharmonic achieved rigorous success throughout under Zander’s direction and performed with outstanding verve in the colorful Bartok concerto."-Michael Johnson
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The Boston Globe: For Boston Philharmonic, a satisfying start to the 2019-20 season
"Leading an orchestra with considerably more strings than Mozart was accustomed to, Zander gave admirable clarity to the opera buffa fugue sections and propulsion to the whole."-Jeffrey Gantz
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"Sporting his trademark fingerless black gloves, Deljavan from the opening cadenza onward played with clarity, relentless charge and a generous ear." -Andrew Sammut
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Boston Magazine: Things to Do This Weekend in Boston
Boston Globe: The Weekender: SpongeBob sings, Almodóvar returns, and Holzer takes over
"GET YOUR PHIL: If you haven’t experienced Benjamin Zander helming your experience of classical music, listen to his TED Talk on its “transformative power,” and then watch him lead the Boston Philharmonic through a program of Mozart (Overture to “The Magic Flute”), Brahms (Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring the spellbinding Italian pianist Alessandro Deljavan), and Bartok (Concerto for Orchestra) this weekend at Jordan Hall (on Saturday evening) and at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre (on Sunday afternoon). And get there early to hear Zander’s lucid and elucidating introduction to the program, which will be like getting fit with a fresh pair of ears. Find full program info and tickets here. (And hear former Globe chief critic Richard Dyer discuss the “incredible ear and imagination” of Deljavan here.)" -Michael Andor Brodeur
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The Boston Globe: The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world
"BOSTON PHILHARMONIC Pianist Alessandro Deljavan makes his Boston debut with Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2, under the baton of Benjamin Zander. Program also includes Mozart’s appealing overture to “The Magic Flute” and Bartók’s heady “Concerto for Orchestra.” Oct. 17-20. Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, Cambridge (Oct. 17 and 20); Jordan Hall (Oct. 19). 617-236-0999, www.bostonphil.org" -Zoe Madonna
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Boston Musical Intelligencer: BPO Introduces Pianist in BPC2
Article by Richard Dyer about Alessandro Deljavan, soloist for the BPO's first concert of the season.
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Wicked Local Cambridge: Local conductor receives lifetime achievement award in South Africa
Benjamin Zander feature.
The Jewish Advocate: Zander Feted in South Africa
Benjamin Zander feature.
Benjamin Zander feature.
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WBUR: Fall Arts Guide: The Classical Music Events Not To Miss This Fall In Boston
"Zander is also the conductor of the phenomenal Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Their fall concert features the extraordinary young Boston violinist Stefan Jackiw in the irresistible Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, on a program that also includes Verdi’s stirring Overture to "La Forza del Destino" and, a Zander specialty, Mahler’s haunting (and haunted) Symphony No. 1." -Lloyd Schwartz
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