New Release: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
January 2008

Anniversary Season Concerts
Experience the highlights of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's anniversary season with Zubin Mehta. This specially-priced selection showcases many classical favourites.
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The next two releases in the Decca Concerts series will both come from Gewandhausorchester and feature firstly a magnificent Brahms Gala selection with Herbert Blomstedt and secondly Riccardo Chailly conducting a supreme performance of Mendelssohn and Brahms' 4th Symphonies. These recordings are due to be released in March 2008.

The Gewandhaus Orchestra can look back with pride today over an history of over 250 years. Back then, it was the Leipzig merchants who founded and financed the concert society, which has since made music history and brought forth one of the world's best-known and most renowned orchestras. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Franz Konwitschny and Kurt Masur have all been Gewandhauskapellmeisters. They left their imprint on this unique musical culture, which Herbert Blomstedt carried forward into the new millennium. His successor, the 19th Gewandhauskapellmeister, Riccardo Chailly, embodies tradition and change simultaneously and is be the first musical director to hold both offices (Gewandhauskapellmeister and Musical Director of the Leipzig Opera) concurrently for over 35 years ago.
Read more » The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the world's great orchestras. Acknowledged as the UK's foremost musical pioneer, with an extraordinary recording legacy, the Philharmonia leads the field for its quality of playing, and for its innovative approach to audience development, residencies,music education and the use of new technologies in reaching a global audience. Together with its relationships with the world's most sought-after artists, most importantly its Principal Conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, the Philharmonia Orchestra is at the heart of Britishmusical life.
Read more » The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin proudly looks back on a sixty-year tradition as radio and concert orchestra in Berlin. It began its illustrious history in 1946 as the RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin for the radio service in Berlin's American sector. Its first Music Director was Ferenc Fricsay. From 1956 the Orchestra changed its name to Radio-Symphonie-Orchester (RSO). After Fricsay's untimely death the young Lorin Maazel took over the artistic direction of the Orchestra in 1964. He was followed by Riccardo Chailly in 1982 and, in 1989, by Vladimir Ashkenazy, who remained Principal Conductor until 1999.
Read more » The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman and its inaugural concert, on 26 December 1936, was conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The IPO plays in subscription series, including a special annotated Youth Concert Series, special concerts, concerts as part of the "Arts for the People" project throughout Israel, and special concerts for IDF soldiers at their outposts. The IPO annually tours the world's cultural centers and its prestigious festivals.
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