Arts center reveals new hall’s bill

Elia Powers

Premieres from international artists, newly commissioned pieces and

performances from three renowned Russian companies will highlight the

Orange County Performing Arts Center’s opening celebration for the

Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater, scheduled

to open next fall.

Standing about 100 yards away from the halfway-completed

structure, center officials on Wednesday announced details of the

six-week gala, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 22, 2006.

“The programming signals a new era for the Performing Arts

Center,” center president Jerry Mandel said. “The goal is for our

audiences to never have to leave Orange County to see the best

performances in the world.

“The whole concept is to show off not only the new halls, but

music of international consequence.”

The latter is the focus of one of the most substantial

undertakings during the opening celebrations. The new 2,000-seat

concert hall and the existing 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall will share

duties hosting the Kirov Orchestra, Ballet and Opera for an

unprecedented 17-day run from Oct. 6 through Oct. 22, 2006.

Mandel said it is the first time all three companies from the

Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, are performing together

for such a lengthy international run.

Kirov Opera is performing Richard Wagner’s four-part “The Ring of

Nibelung” in the Untied States for the first time.

“I’m proud to share a great moment in your history,” Mariinsky

artistic director Valery Gergiev told an audience of a few hundred

people. “Because of the excitement here, it is one of the climaxes of

my own career. It’s a fantastic opportunity for an artist.”

Gergiev, who performed earlier in the week at Disney Hall, said

the Orange County appearance has been in the works for more than two

years. He said he has performed at Segerstrom Hall twice before.

Opening celebrations begin Sept. 15, 2006, with the performance of

a song cycle composed by William Bolcom, based on a text by Spanish

poet Federico Garcia Lorca and sung by tenor Placido Domingo.

Philip Glass’ “The Passion of Ramakrishna” makes its world

premiere on the second night. Both evenings will include performances

by the Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale.

“For the Pacific Symphony, the first notes in this concert hall

will be the most important in our life as an orchestra,” musical

director Carl St. Clair said. “It’s an honor and a weighty

responsibility. Everything up until this point has been to prepare us

for the opening of this new concert hall.”

St. Clair said he looks forward to bringing American music to the

new venue and testing its acoustics.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center will celebrate its 20th

anniversary with performances on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.