TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2014 /CNW/ - TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian is
pleased to announce Earl Lee as the RBC Resident Conductor. After an
open call for Canadian applications, five finalists were chosen to
audition by conducting the Orchestra in rehearsal. Following the
audition, each member of the Orchestra cast their vote. These ballots,
in combination with selection committee interviews, resulted in the
appointment of Earl to the position. Earl takes the TSO podium
immediately, making his TSO conducting début in the January 27-30, 2015
Student Concert programmes. The RBC Resident Conductor position is part
of the larger RBC Emerging Artists Project, designed to help develop
the next generation of Canadian artists.
"Through the RBC Emerging Artists Project, we are proud to support the
TSO's RBC Resident Conductor and congratulate Earl Lee for achieving
this honour at such an early stage in his career," said George Lewis, Group Head, RBC Wealth Management & RBC Insurance. "In addition to offering professional experience and the opportunity to
work with some of the world's best conductors, programmes like
this enable the next generation of artists to bridge the gap from the
academic to the professional world."
"The TSO is committed to elevating the orchestral art form by renewing
the tradition of musical excellence with the very best and brightest
talents," said TSO President & C.E.O. Jeff Melanson. "Investing in the future of Canadian culture and artists is critically
important and we are pleased to partner with RBC to share our
organization's opportunities and resources."
"I have had the pleasure of watching Earl develop as a musician over the
past decade," said TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian. "As an accomplished cellist, he performed with great sensitivity and
brilliant artistry. He brings these same instincts to his conducting.
He has been expertly taught by Hugh Wolff, and I, along with the
musicians of the TSO, am thrilled to be a part of the development of
Earl's considerable talent."
As the TSO's RBC Resident Conductor, Earl will work closely with Music
Director Peter Oundjian and the Artistic staff of the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra with complete access to all TSO rehearsals and performances.
He will also work with TSO guest conductors for consultation, coaching,
and discussion. Earl makes his TSO conducting début in the January
27-30, 2015 Student Concert programmes, and his public début leading
the TSO Young People's Concert on Saturday, February 7, 2015, with TSO
Music Director Peter Oundjian. In the 2014/2015 season, he will also
lead the June 13 and 14 Light Classics series Pan American Rhythms concert.
ABOUT EARL LEE: Born in Korea, Earl was raised in Toronto where he was a member of the
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra cello section. An accomplished
cellist, Earl is currently pursuing a career as a conductor. He is a
graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School with
degrees in cello performance, and he began his conducting studies in
2010 with Ignat Solzhenitsyn. He went on to study with George Manahan at the Manhattan School of
Music, from where he recently graduated. Earl currently studies with Hugh Wolff at the New England Conservatory
of Music. Earl received the 2013 Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship to study
with Kurt Masur in Leipzig, and was also awarded a 2013 Ansbacher
Fellowship for Young Conductors by the American Austrian Foundation. In
February 2014, he participated in the 5th International Conducting
Masterclass with David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.
ABOUT THE RBC EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAMME AT THE TSO: Along with the RBC Affiliate Composer position, the RBC Resident
Conductor represents an important investment in the Canadian arts
community by fostering the development of artists and leaders. This
investment is supported by special project grants from the Canada
Council for the Arts, and a multi-year commitment from the RBC
Foundation that began in 2012. Both positions are fully integrated into
all areas of the organization, with full access to the inner workings
of a major symphony orchestra. The RBC Resident Conductor position is
a two-year term and the RBC Affiliate Composer position is extended to
a third year
Since his appointment as RBC Affiliate Composer in 2012, Kevin Lau has
had two new works performed by the TSO, and he is currently working on
his third commission for the Orchestra. Other recent projects have
included a commission by the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, written to
commemorate Canada's role in the First World War and recently premièred
in Vienna, and a new work for the Afiara String Quartet in
collaboration with DJ Skratch Bastid. Currently, he is composing the
score for an original full-length ballet entitled Le Petit Prince, commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada (to be premièred in
2016). Former RBC Resident Conductor Shalom Bard continues as part of
the TSO Artistic Leadership team as the current Toronto Symphony Youth
Orchestra Conductor and will be making his début with Orchestra London
in February 2015. Shalom made his conducting débuts with the Calgary
Philharmonic in 2013 and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in October 2014.
ABOUT THE TSO: Founded in 1922, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is one of Canada's most
important cultural institutions, recognized internationally as an
outstanding orchestra. Music Director Peter Oundjian leads the TSO with
a commitment to innovative programming and audience development through
a broad range of performances that showcase the exceptional talents of
the Orchestra along with a roster of distinguished guest artists and
conductors. The TSO also serves the larger community with TSOUNDCHECK,
the original under-35 ticket programme; the Toronto Symphony Youth
Orchestra; and music education programmes that reach over 50,000
students each year. TSO.CA
About RBC's Commitment to Community and Sustainability: Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) is Canada's largest bank and
one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization.
We employ approximately 78,000 full- and part-time employees who serve
more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and
institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 38 other
countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and
environmental leaders and is listed on the 2014 Dow Jones
Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi
Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest
Employers, and one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible
Corporations. RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives
through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In
2013, we contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide,
including donations and community investments of more than $69 million
and $35 million in sponsorships. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.
RBC Resident Conductor and RBC Affiliate Composer are part of the RBC
Emerging Artists Project, supported by the RBC Foundation. These
positions are also supported in part by the Canada Council for the
Arts.
The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO Financial Group.
The TSO Official Airline is Air Canada.
The TSO Season Patrons are Pam and Chris Hodgson.
Website: TSO.CA
Twitter: @TorontoSymphony
Facebook: Toronto Symphony Orchestra
YouTube: youtube.com/torontosymphony
Instagram: instagram.com/torontosymphony
SOURCE RBC
