Zubin Mehta And PercaDu Bring Avner Dorman’s “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” To Europe
Avner Dorman and PercaDu
’Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” refers to three substances that are appealing yet filled with danger. Spices delight the palate, but can cause illness; perfumes seduce, but can also betray; toxins bring ecstasy, but are deadly. The concerto combines Middle Eastern drums, orchestral percussion, and rock drums with orchestral forces to form a unique sound that is both enticing and dangerous.
About the artists:
Israeli-American composer Avner Dorman quickly rose to become one of Israel’s most successful and renowned composers. His works, exclusively published by G. Schirmer, have been commissioned and performed by some of the world’s leading orchestras and ensembles, and earned him numerous prizes from esteemed international institutions. Dorman’s debut CD on Naxos was received enthusiastically by audiences and critics alike. Ken Smith of Gramophone said, “Dorman is not just a fresh, young voice worth following. He’s also a composer whose music… fits well on the instrument and resonates strongly with the musical tradition at large.” Now a resident of Los Angeles, Avner Dorman holds a Doctorate from the Juilliard School where he studied with John Corigliano. Currently, Dorman is working on a new Multi-Percussion Concerto for percussion sensation Martin Grubinger to be premiered at the Hamburg Philharmoniker led by Simone Young in December 2007. Dorman’s music is available for download on iTunes and can be heard on his MySpace page.
PercaDu, a young dynamic Israeli percussion duo, has already generated worldwide interest and enthusiasm through their unique style of virtuoso, energetic and intense playing. Since forming PercaDu in 1996, Tomer Yariv and Adi Morag have won several prizes in international competitions, such as the first prize at the Percussive Arts Society International Competition in Columbus, Ohio, and the Jury prize as well as the Audience Prize at the International Percussion Competition in Luxembourg.
Zubin Mehta is one of the world’s most renowned conductors, having served as conductor and music director for the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic, for which Mehta is music director for life. He has recorded hundreds of albums and has appeared as a guest conductor with dozens of orchestras around the globe.
The UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra has achieved an outstanding international reputation for quality, vitality and commitment. The orchestra of over 100 musicians aged 17 to 29 from over 30 countries is now in its eighth year and continues to delight its international audiences.
’Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” will receive its European Premiere by Zubin Mehta and the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra on August 1, 2007 at 7:00 P.M.