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.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.