FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Suzette Espinosa Fuentes Sheryl Feuerstein 786-468-2221 310-650-8668 sespinosa@arshtcenter.org sheryl@eastwestmedia.net

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Presents

ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

WITH PIANIST EMANUEL AX

“The most distinguished American pianist alive” -- The Telegraph

“The professionalism and masterful musicianship that characterize this orchestra, married to the urgent expressivity of its young conductor, resulted in an intense energy that bewitched the

audience.” – Le Cronache Salerno

Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $50 - $170*

John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall

Miami, FL – February 27, 2020 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) continues its Knight Masterworks Classical Music series with the Arsht Center debut of the ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA with the guest soloist EMANUEL AX on Wednesday, March 18, at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. Ax will play Brahms’s grand and lyrical Piano Concerto No. 1, conducted by Lahav Shani. The program also features the Philharmonic performing Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, a dazzling showcase for the visiting musicians. “We are so fortunate to present this international renowned orchestra and this celebrated pianist in a program including two cornerstones of music of the last two centuries,” said Liz Wallace, vice president of programming for the Arsht Center.

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PERFORMERS AND PROGRAM ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Lahav Shani, chief conductor Emanuel Ax, pianist Program: BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra The program offers two cornerstones of the classical music repertory, composed nearly 100 years apart. Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 of 1858 revealed the precocious 20-year-old composer flexing his muscles and expanding the form of the concerto, challenging the pianist to ecstatic heights. The result is a dramatic work of epic emotions, notable for its scale and grandeur, as well as the thrilling technical difficulties it presents for pianist and orchestra. In 1943, Bartók composed his Concerto for Orchestra as a newly arrived immigrant to the United States, having fled from Hungary and World War II just three years earlier. Premiered by the Boston Symphony in 1944, it immediately became one of his most popular works. When asked to explain why he had called this five-movement orchestral showpiece a “concerto,” Bartók said that he meant that he had often treated individual sections of the orchestra were often treated as soloists. TICKETS Tickets range from $50-$170* and can be purchased online at arshtcenter.org, by phone at (305) 949-6722, or in person at the Adrienne Arsht Center Box Office, located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Founded in 1918, the ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The orchestra distinguishes itself with its intense energy during performances, its acclaimed recordings and its innovative audience approach, with which it has claimed its own position among Europe’s most foremost orchestras. In the 1970s, with Jean Fournet and Edo de Waart, the orchestra gained international recognition. Valery Gergiev’s appointment heralded a new period of bloom, which continued from 2008 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, principal conductor until the 2017–2018 season, after which he remains with the orchestra as honorary conductor. LAHAV SHANI made his debut as principal conductor this season. The prodigiously gifted Israeli conductor’s career was launched when he won first prize at the 2013 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg. Since then he has quickly established himself as one of the most talked about young conducting talents making a huge impression with his astonishing maturity and natural, instinctive musicality. Born in modern-day Lvov, Poland, pianist EMANUEL AX is one of the best-known classical musicians of our time. A Sony Classical exclusive artist since 1987, Ax is the winner of multiple GRAMMY® Awards for both solo and chamber performances. Recent releases include Brahms Trios with Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma and two-piano music by Brahms and Rachmaninoff with Yefim Bronfman. A committed exponent of contemporary music, he has had works written

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for him by many of the top composers of our era, including John Adams, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Bright Sheng.

FREE MASTERWORKS PRE-CONCERT TALKS presented by Steinway & Sons Miami A free pre-concert lecture will be held in the Arsht Center’s Peacock Foundation Education Center (inside the Knight Concert Hall) at 7 p.m. prior to the concert. The 2019-2020 John S. and James L. Knight Masterworks Season Classical Music Series is funded with leadership support from Knight Foundation, with additional support from Lyft, inc.; University of Miami Health System; Steinway Piano Gallery of Miami; Caring Friends Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee; and Encore Circle members.

To download high-resolutions versions of the photos above, click here.

@ArshtCenter #ArshtCenter *All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County

Image of Emanuel Ax – Photo by Lisa

Marie Mazzucco

Image of Lahav Shani – Photo by

Marco Borggreve

Image of Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra – Photo by Guido Pijper

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Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

### About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world’s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 60,000 children each year. As Miami’s new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market. Visit arshtcenter.org for more information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Presents