2022-2023 Season News & Reviews
Develop Good Habits: 11 Best Books to Develop a Growth Mindset [2023 Review]
"If you’re looking for a guide that weaves creativity into your experience of developing a growth mindset, here’s one worth your attention.
This book tells us that the way we look at things shapes the kind of life we have. With a little creativity, we can transform the way we look at obstacles by turning them into inspiring possibilities.
Authors Rosamund and Benjamin Zander share their perspectives and creative “tools” that lead to possibilities in every moment of life. In their book, they state that everything in life is invented. Thus, you might as well invent a viewpoint that’s beneficial to you." -Michal Feyoh, Read the full article here.
City Press: Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra's marvellous Mahler moment
Augmenting Mahler 5 with the Rangwanasha showcase was to be expected. As Benjamin Zander, who conducted it for the Boston Philharmonic in 2019, famously told audiences during his preconcert talk then.“When you do Mahler 5, you have to put something before it. It’s not long enough for a whole evening … the tradition is to pair it with a Mozart concerto or something of that kind…” -Percy Mabandu. Read the full article here.
News World Nation: The review: be more productive by working less?
The Art of Possibility
"Leadership and creativity are essential aspects for success in any business and this book is dedicated to explaining and teaching us how to polish both.Prejudices, preconceived ideas and, why not?, also fear are some brakes that prevent today’s executives from achieving their goals." -World Nation News Desk. Read the full article here.
5 Inspirational Business Fables: Alchemist, Art of Possibility, Delusional, One Minute Manager, Five Dysfunctions of a Team
"The Art of Possibility“, written by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, is an inspiring and transformative book that invites readers to shift their perspective and embrace a mindset of possibility. Using their collective experience in music, coaching, and leadership, the authors share powerful insights and practical tools for unlocking creativity, overcoming obstacles, and fostering positive change. Through engaging stories and thought-provoking exercises, they encourage readers to challenge limiting beliefs, redefine success, and cultivate a sense of abundance. The book encourages us to view setbacks as opportunities, to embrace failure as a stepping stone to growth, and to approach life with a sense of curiosity and wonder. Ultimately, The Art of Possibility teaches us that by reframing our perceptions and embracing a mindset of possibility, we can unlock our full potential and create a life filled with joy, meaning, and limitless opportunities." -Mac Venucci. Read the article on FoxChronicle.com.
Boston Globe: Boston Philharmonic finishes season with the unfinished
"Conductor Benjamin Zander approached the score on Friday night with the poise and lucid insight of a veteran interpreter...The cellos unspooled the first movement’s famous theme with a warm songfulness and a graceful sense invitation. Overall the orchestra sounded at the top of its game." -Jeremy Eichler, Read the full review at TheBostonGlobe.com here.
Boston Classical Review: Boston Philharmonic, superb soloists wrap season with a serenely eloquent “Das Lied”
"Singing with warmly rounded, slightly muscular tone, Vinke had no trouble projecting over the ensemble or, more impressively, cleanly enunciating his texts. He brought winsome colors to his part’s melancholy turns along with firm contrasts of character...Connolly accomplished much the same in “Von der Schönheit,” with a notably spirited central episode. She also opened up worlds of vulnerability in both “Die Einsame im Herbst” and“Der Abschied.” -Jonathan Blumhofer. Read the full review at BostonClassicalReview.com.
Arts Fuse: Boston Philharmonic Plays Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”
"Vinke and the orchestra engaged in tittering banter, recalling the joyful verve of Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn...[Dame Sarah Connolly's] dark, almost Wagnerian mezzo-soprano embodied the world-weary gravity of “Der Abschied.” Connolly also expressed the utter desolation of “Der Einsame in Herbst,” her lines mingling intimately with winds and strings. She warmly conveyed the sweet sorrows of love and loss in “Von der Schönheit." Few conductors in Boston have a feel for late Mahler the way Zander does. His bold direction could make winds and strings flutter and cry out without hampering the forward momentum of the music. Better yet, the Boston’s Philharmonic’s whisper was just as powerful as its roar — these delicate moments are indispensable way stations along Mahler’s quest for life." -Aaron Keebaugh. Read the full review at The Arts Fuse here.
Boston Musical Intelligencer: Boston Philharmonic Season Finishes Flourishingly
"Oboist Peggy Pearson, who proved a highlight throughout the night, matched beautifully with clarinetist Rane Moore for the primary theme of the first movement. The two polymerized to form a new, morose timbre of neither clarinet nor oboe, but an individual mixture of both that soared above the orchestra...Pearson’s marvelous oboe lines opened Der Einsame im Herbst with vocal, dulcet tones that would only be surpassed Connolly. While Vinke also contributed remarkably, Connolly ultimately owned the night. She clearly gave everything, visibly fading as the will of the Apollonian singer gradually faded into the reality of death." -Matthew Winkler, Boston Musical Intelligencer
WBUR: Spring forward into a season of classical music delights
"Benjamin Zander, music director of the Boston Philharmonic, doesn’t provide many surprises in his choice of repertoire, but there isn’t any conductor I’d rather hear lead the music in this upcoming concert: Schubert’s sublime “Unfinished” Symphony (which Zander makes as fresh and radiant as if you’d never heard it before) and Mahler’s epic but intimate “Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth),” with Dame Sarah Connolly in the heart and gut-wrenching contralto role. (On May 3, Zander will return to Symphony Hall with his Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in Mahler’s overwhelming Symphony No. 2, with Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano.)" -Lloyd Schwartz, WBUR Spring Classical Music Guide.
New York Classical Review: Beethoven’s Ninth gets a brisk star turn from Zander, Boston Philharmonic
"all the performing elements made memorable contributions — starting with Zander, who set brisk, joyous tempos that marshaled the players and spared the singers’ lung capacity. The conductor deftly managed the shifting storm and set off some thrilling crescendos." -David Wright. Read the article in New York Classical Review
UK Meet the Artist: Benjamin Zander, conductor
"The great Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassadó was probably the greatest influence on the way I hear music. Listen to him playing the Chopin Eb Nocturne – it’s a sound and freedom of timing that I seek when I conduct."-Frances Wilson. Read the full article on Meet the Artist
The Boston Globe: Benjamin Zander and Boston Philharmonic do it Beethoven's Way
"Alfred Walker was in full command when he took up the “Freude” theme; he and the other soloists — soprano Liv Redpath, mezzo Ashley Dixon, and tenor Nicholas Phan — complemented one another without blending into mush. Chorus pro Musica and Boston University’s Marsh Chapel Choir, 130 strong, sang with spirit and exemplary enunciation...Performing the Ninth the way Beethoven heard it in his head is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. On Friday, Zander, the BPO, and chorus just about did." -Jeffrey Gantz. Read the full article on The Globe.com
Boston Musical Intelligencer:`Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
"The orchestral whirlwind abruptly ending, the audience produced its own godly spark." -Mark DeVoto
Boston Classical Review: A comforting yet audacious Beethoven Ninth from Zander, Boston Phil
"If sometimes the Ninth’s last movement can come across as the most outlandish in the canon, on Friday its originality carried the day...Part of this was due to the BPO’s charismatic playing. In particular, the low strings’ delivery of the opening recitative was marked by a beguiling liveliness. Additionally, the introduction of the “Ode to Joy” theme packed a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement." -Jonathan Blumhofer. Read the full article on Boston Classical Review.com
The Boston Globe: Beethoven’s Ninth as its composer intended
"Few realize that after Beethoven’s death, no one else heard it the way he wrote it, either. That is, until conductor and musicologist Benjamin Zander premiered his ultra-fast Beethoven’s Ninth in London in 2017, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus at Royal Festival Hall." -Michael Levin. Read the full article on BostonGlobe.com.
New York Classical Review: Friday Event Listings
El Diario: Agenda de eventos: ideas para toda la familia
"La Novena Sinfonía de Beethoven reinventada
Escuche la Novena Sinfonía de Beethoven como nunca antes la había escuchado, este domingo 26 de febrero, cuando el renombrado director Benjamin Zander dirija la Orquesta Filarmónica de Boston en el Carnegie Hall en una versión que desafía una de las piezas musicales más influyentes de la historia. El concierto marca el cumplimiento de la búsqueda de 45 años del maestro para finalmente responder a la pregunta “¿qué pretendía Beethoven, qué escuchó en su mente?”. Después de casi medio siglo investigando y consumido por esta obra monumental, Zander ha llegado a la apoteosis de su propio pensamiento, uno que refleja las marcas de tempo explícitas de Beethoven y las indicaciones de ritmo. El maestro presentó por primera vez su idea de la Novena en el Carnegie Hall con la Filarmónica de Boston y el Chorus Pro Musica en 1983. Cuarenta años después, Zander trae las mismas fuerzas, además de cuatro solistas de renombre, para compartir una nueva forma de experimentar la música. Charla previa al concierto a la 1:30 pm, concierto a las 3:00 pm, ambos se transmitirán en vivo online. Información: https://www.carnegiehall.org."
Time Out: The best things to do in NYC this weekend
6. Benjamin Zander conducts at Carnegie Hall Music
Hear Beethoven's Ninth Symphony like you never heard it before as the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra performs at Carnegie Hall with renowned conductor Benjamin Zander on Sunday, February 26. Read the full article here.
WHRB Transcript: Soprano and Harvard Alum Liv Redpath on Singing in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
"Well, I can only speak to my experience singing it at the Hollywood Bowl, because I've yet to meet all of the amazing musicians playing in the Philharmonic. But I am actually intrigued, and I'll be very interested to see what it's like to sing this piece in an enclosed space rather than the Hollywood Bowl—which seats, I think, 10,000 people—and everything has to then be amplified by virtue of that. So I think, hearing this piece in an acoustic space as it was originally written, it's going to be a different thing for me to experience." Read the full article here.
The Violin Channel: Conductor Benjamin Zander on His Interpretation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
"I'm seeing this performance as a kind of liberation of the human spirit for Beethoven. I think that's what Beethoven would have wanted and I feel that he's my friend now, instead of my master who I have to follow." -Benjamin Zander. Read the full article here.
WHRB Transcript: Benjamin Zander Sees Beethoven's Ninth in a New Light
"Benjamin Zander: Every musician knows the Ninth Symphony. It's the most important piece of music ever written. And so it's part of our culture. It's part of our life. It's part of our history. And so I've known it since I was a child, and it had a huge impact on me as a child, and it's a very, very powerful piece of music. I've been conducting it for 45 years"- Hillary Jean-Gilles. Read the text of the radio interview here.
New York Classical Review: Zander sees Beethoven Ninth as ideal work to crown 50 years of conducting
and
Boston Classical Review: Zander sees Beethoven Ninth as ideal work to crown 50 yeras of conducting
"Interestingly, his latest process involves an embrace of some performance practices that have fallen out of fashion, including amending instrumentation in Beethoven’s orchestration for clarity. Purists will bristle at certain of Zander’s handful of adjustments to the score, but he holds that there are musical reasons for all of them." -Jonathan Blumhofer. Read the full article here.
Violin Channel: Interview of Maestro Benjamin Zander
AP: How fast should Beethoven's Ninth Symphony be performed?
"His tempi approach has been adopted over the last three decades by John Eliot Gardiner, who led the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique through it in just a few seconds over an hour, and Roger Norrington, who conducted The London Classical Players in 62 1/2 minutes." -Ronald Blum
Read the full AP article here.
The Strad: Beyond the Metronome - Benjamin Zander on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
"The biggest decision facing a conductor preparing a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is whether to follow his clearly stated and fervently advocated metronome marks. Beethoven had no doubts. When he was told that the first performance of the Ninth in Berlin was a huge success, he snapped: ’That’s because they followed the metronome marks!’ When his tempi are followed, the experience of the piece is totally different from the ’traditional’ Romantic performance." -Benjamin Zander
Boston Musical Intelligencer: Getting Beethoven’s 9th “Right” This Time?
"After decades of wrestling with the master’s metronome markings and learning from “successes and errors” in performances and recordings, Benjamin Zander told BMInt that he thinks he has found a way of reconciling the two contrary ways of interpreting the work – the Romantic and the more historically informed approach." .-Lee Eisman. Read the full article here.
Forbes Talks: This Is The Most Important Piece Of Music Ever Written | Conductor Benjamin Zander Speaks To Forbes
Forbes: From Beethoven To Billionaires, An Ode to Joy And Love At Work
The first is Ben Zander, the legendary conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, who will be performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at Carnegie Hall on Feb 26th. Some of you may know Zander by his Ted Talk or his bestselling book with Rosamund Stone Zander, The Art of Possibility. (Zander has said he feels his job is to awaken possibility in others.) Now celebrating his 50th anniversary in leading the Boston Philharmonic, Zander remains a passionate student and teacher of music. Whether talking about his work with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra or his lifelong quest to understand Beethoven’s intention with the metronome in his ubiquitous Symphony No. 9, Zander exudes joy. As a result, it’s a joy to speak with him." -Diane Brady, Read the full article at Forbes here.
New York City Guide: Culmination of a 45-Year Journey: Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Perform a 'Revelatory' Beethoven's Ninth
The Jewish Standard Magazine: Culmination of 45-Year Journey: Benjamin Zander and Boston Philharmonic Orchestra To Perform a “Revelatory” Beethoven’s Ninth
"Carnegie Hall Concert and maestro’s enlightening pre-talk will be live-streamed.
Beethoven unleashed. Hear the composer’s Ninth Symphony like you never heard it before on Sunday, February 26, when renowned conductor Benjamin Zander leads the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in an orthodoxy-defying version of Beethoven’s Ninth, one of the most influential pieces of music ever written.
One of the world’s foremost interpreters of Beethoven and Mahler, the concert marks the fulfillment of the maestro’s 45-year quest to finally answer the question “what did Beethoven intend, what did he hear in his mind.” Read more here
Boston Globe: 10 dynamic classical concerts to wake you up this winter
BEETHOVEN’S NINTH The conductor Benjamin Zander and his Boston Philharmonic Orchestra make a grandly festive return to Beethoven’s landmark score for a performance with the Chorus Pro Musica; the Marsh Chapel Choir; and soloists Liv Redpath, Ashley Dixon, Nicholas Phan, and Alfred Walker. Feb. 24, 8 p.m at Symphony Hall, and Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. (with livestreaming) at Carnegie Hall, 617-236-0999, www.bostonphil.org. Read the full article here
WBUR: Classical music to keep us warm this winter
"It’s hard to believe that the ever-youthful Benjamin Zander is celebrating his 50th year as a conductor of exciting and revelatory performances. No coward, he leads his Boston Philharmonic Orchestra in one of the most monumental works of classical music (and one of his specialties), Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony." -Lloyd Scwartz Read the full article here
Boston Classical Review: Top Ten Performances of 2022
"9. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Benjamin Zander/Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
The Boston Philharmonic came roaring back from its pandemic hiatus last fall and did not pause in 2022. Its accomplishments this year were several, including a powerful Mahler Third Symphony in April and a dancing Brahms Second in November (the last marked the 50th anniversary of BPO music director Benjamin Zander’s debut as a conductor). But their October performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2—heard alongside Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, with the exceptional Jonathan Biss taking the solo spotlight—brought a piece that can feel stuffy and verbose fully to life. This was, for once, a Rach Two that could have been played twice in succession without getting a complaint from a soul in a nearly sold-out Symphony Hall." -Jonathan Blumhofer. Read the full article here
Benjamin Zander And Boston Philharmonic Orchestra to Perform Beethoven's Ninth At Carnegie Hall in February
"In this age of influencers, consider Ben Zander. Having just celebrated his 50th year as a conductor, the octogenarian founder of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and its youth counterpart may not fit the typical profile but when it comes to classical music-and life-a consummate influencer is precisely what he is." -Chloe Rabinowitz
Boston's classical music performances dazzled in person — and still online — in 2022
"Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic gave outstanding performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto (with Jonathan Biss), and a beautifully-shaped version of Rachmaninoff’s huge Second Symphony—the one with the unforgettable tune. Zander also led the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in a brisk Beethoven Fifth (following the composer’s own tempo markings) and a richly laid out, beautifully played Richard Strauss “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life—Strauss himself being the hero)."-Lloyd Scwartz Read the full article on WBUR.org here.
WBUR Radio Interview with Benjamin Zander about his music scores
Benjamin Zander settles the score by rethinking it after his notes are stolen
"As he prepares for Sunday’s concert by the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, conductor Benjamin Zander is feeling both disturbed and excited — agitato, you might say.
That’s because when Zander, who’s 83, takes the podium at Symphony Hall, he’ll be without the scrupulously annotated musical scores he relies on to get the best performance from the orchestra and himself." -Mark Shanahan Read the full article here.
Tech Wire: Guest opinion: Here’s how to cultivate an abundant rather than scarcity mindset
"Zander does this before every performance. He operates from a mindset of abundance; he wants his audiences to gain the very most from experiencing the music."- Grace Ueng
Slipped Disc: A STOLEN SCORE FROM CATE BLANCHETT’S TAR?
‘"The parallels are superficially striking – Boston Philharmonic vs Berlin Philharmonic, Beethoven’s 5th vs Mahler’s 5th. Furthermore, like Lydia Tár, Zander is an expert on Mahler and has recorded almost all of his works. And Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 is thematically related to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 because Mahler idolized Beethoven and paid homage to him in his own Fifth Symphony." -William Sarill
CBS Boston: WBZ-TV's Brandon Truitt reports Boston Philharmonic conductor's scores stolen ahead of concert
Boston.com: Boston Philharmonic reeling after conductor’s annotated scores stolen from his car
Boston Globe: The search is on for conductor Benjamin Zander’s prized musical scores after they vanished in a car theft
NBC Boston 10: Theft of Priceless Musical Scores Under Investigation
NBC 10 discusses the theft of Maestro Benjamin Zander's Beethoven Symphony No. 5 scores.
Jewish Boston: Benjamin Zander Shares the Magic of Music
"Finally, love is the glue that holds Zander’s musical enterprise together and carries a sense of enthusiasm and caring. “These three elements are very much present in the adult and youth orchestras. They are workshops for possibility." -Judy Bolton-Fasman, Jewish Boston
From Brussels to Boston, a young cellist brings Dvorak to Symphony Hall
"The vehicle of celebration was Brahms’s halcyon Second Symphony, the first work he led back in 1972. Zander seemed inspired by the occasion, leading with a particular expansiveness of gesture, and the orchestra responded by infusing its playing with a noted energy and rhythmic elan... the woodwind solos drifted into the hall with an authentically Brahmsian sense of grace, and the finale, boldly profiled and full of driving tempos, brought the crowd in Symphony Hall swiftly to its feet. -Jeremy Eichler, View the full article here.
A gifted young cellist joins Zander, Boston Philharmonic for Dvořák-Brahms program
"Zander led the BPO in an accompaniment that never wanted for direction or purpose. His was an unsentimental but never unfeeling Dvořák. Tempos moved rightly, textures were clean. The discreet woodwind writing in the Allegro’s exposition spoke vitally, while the slow movement’s opening hymn for winds and trombones was a picture of serenity. Throughout, the conductor’s feel for the music’s architecture ensured that the performance didn’t get muddled by the concerto’s various melancholic turns. It was, in a word, a self-justifying reading—which is precisely what such canonic fare demands." -Jonathan Blumhofer View the full article here.
WHRB: 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition Winner Hayoung Choi and Luminary Conductor Ben Zander Meet at WHRB
WGBH The November Drop: A month stuffed like a turkey with Brahms to Bram Stoker
"Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic invite cellist Hayoung Choi to Symphony Hall in her U.S. premiere. Choi, Queen Elisabeth 2022 Cello First Prize Winner, will deliver a crowd-pleaser with the Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. It’s a staple for solo cellists — if you’ve never spent time with it, consider this performance a welcome to a path well-trodden by talented musicians the world over. If you know it all too well, from all the permutations of the first movement’s heroic first theme to the composer’s self-quotation in the second, here’s a fresh interpretation from a promising young musician. The concert concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, whose uplifting and pastoral natures ought to pair well with a cool autumn evening. A pre-concert talk will take place at 6:45."-James Bennett II. View the full article here.
Thinking About Encores
"Jonathan Biss’s quiet, lovely encore at last Wednesday’s Boston Phil event, a true Moment musical..." -Mark DeVoto
Read the full article on the Boston Musical Intelligencer site.
Boston Philharmonic uncorks its new season
"Zander conceives of this work as an organic unity, and he kept the tempos flowing, the phrasing articulate, and the music’s structure powerfully clear. For its part, the orchestra — a mix of professionals, students, and devoted amateurs — sounded in particularly strong form...Certain brass passages rang out with an organ-like sense of ensemble unity, and the strings as in the hard-driving fugue of the second movement — played with warmth, palpable investment, and an appealingly dark-hued sound. Among the accomplished woodwind principals, clarinetist Rane Moore received — and deserved — the first bow at the end of the night. Her dusky-toned solos had poise and musicality in equal measure...All told it was an auspicious opening to the orchestra’s new season"-Jeremy Eichler
View the full review in the Boston Globe
Zander kicks off his 50th season with rich and revelatory Rachmaninoff
" Zander allowed for the music to unfold naturally while taking time to revel in each passing phrase. Strings and winds realized the main theme’s grand sweep, which clarinetist Rane Moore brought to sweet-toned resolution...Zander painted the finale in bold colors. The brass matched the strings’ fervor, with the winds bringing an urgency that carried into the closing measures. This was a revelatory Rachmaninoff Second, led by Zander with customary elan." -Aaron Keebaugh
View the full review on Boston Classical Review
Classical Critic’s Notebook: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2
"A bevy of glowing solos – including those from principal clarinet Rane Moore, principal oboe Nancy Dimock, and English hornist Andrew van der Paardt – were only an extension of the larger BPO’s wonderfully discreet ensemble playing in that movement... The BPO’s brass section (especially the horns) played with exemplary power and finesse in the second and fourth movements...This was, for certain, some conspicuously rousing, meaningful Rachmaninoff." -Jonathan Blumhofer. View the review on The Arts Fuse.
Boston Musical Intelligencer: Great Night from BPO
"One noticed first of all the excellent athleticism of the full string section, which was required to shoulder...the main melodic material in the symphony. It didn’t faze them for a moment. Likewise the heavy brass, seemingly echoing the funereal chorale texture in the Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique but full of cavernous foreboding here, with penetrating fortissimo when needed but never too much... And there was some exquisitely expressive solo wind playing: English horn (Andrew van der Paardt) and clarinet (Rane Moore) especially...I was convinced by this complete performance, as never before, that this almost insupportable symphony is a beautiful work, and I listened to its brave execution with complete attention, as never before. I would consider it anywhere as a dangerous choice for programming. But here, in a packed Symphony Hall, Ben Zander brought forth the impossible and the magnificent." -Mark DeVoto
Read the review on the Boston Musical Intelligencer
Classical Music Preview: Boston Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2022-23 Season
"The season-opener, on October 19th, combines Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Zander is as profoundly taken with the former – when I arrived at his house, he began our chat by extolling the music’s structural and melodic brilliance – as he is enthusiastic about the concerto’s soloist, Jonathan Biss, describing him as 'a true artist…like Rudolf Serkin.'" -Jonathan Blumhofer
TechWire: Grace Ueng: New starts, state of flow & the art of possibility
"Earlier this month, my Happiness teacher Tal Ben Shahar assigned us to watch a masterclass by Ben Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra..."
Boston Herald: Boston's Classical Music Season a Feast of Masterpieces
The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s 2022-2023 concert season marks maestro Benjamin Zander’s 50th year as a conductor. Zander is a force of nature and a force for good in the classical music world (you must Google his Ted talk!). The conductor has made sure to select works for both organization’s seasons that played an important role in his life and work. The BPO opens with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Later concerts will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. (bostonphil.org)
WBUR Fall Classical Music Guide
"Surely the best-loved conductor in greater Boston is Benjamin Zander, who is now celebrating his 50th year as a conductor and has been leading the Boston Philharmonic for more than 40 of them. I look forward to the opening fall concert, which includes the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven’s greatest piano concerto, the Concerto No. 4, with the superb pianist Jonathan Biss (Symphony Hall, Oct. 19). Zander also leads the outstanding Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, which will be performing an afternoon of “heroic” music, Richard Strauss’s orchestral workout “Ein Heldenleben” and (perhaps you’ve heard this one before) Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony(Symphony Hall, Nov. 20)."
The Boston Globe: 10 classical music concerts you can't miss
"BOSTON PHILHARMONIC The two orchestras under the Boston Philharmonic umbrella visit Symphony Hall several times this fall: the Boston Philharmonic brings in pianist Jonathan Biss for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, paired with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, (Oct. 19) and cellist Hayoung Choi features in the Dvořák Cello Concerto before Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 (Nov. 12). The youth orchestra takes its turn the next weekend with a program of Strauss and Beethoven (Nov. 20). Conductor Benjamin Zander leads all concerts. Symphony Hall. www.bostonphil.org"
