FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WSO APPOINTS AWARD-WINNING MAESTRO DANIEL RAISKIN AS NEXT MUSIC DIRECTOR BEGINNING IN THE 2018-2019 SEASON

Winnipeg, MB – February 14, 2018 – In a press conference this morning, Terry Sargeant, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), announced that Russian-born maestro Daniel Raiskin will be the next Music Director of the WSO commencing August 1, 2018. The public’s first opportunity to see Maestro Raiskin in action will be at The Asper Foundation Opening Night Gala on September 17, 2018 and then at concerts throughout the WSO 2018-2019 Season. “The Board believes that Daniel will prove to be an excellent Music Director for the WSO,” says WSO Board Chair Terry Sargeant. “His musicianship is outstanding. His experiences have spanned the globe. He will bring to our stage skills and talent and new ideas that will allow our orchestra to continue to grow in making great music. We look forward to having Daniel Raiskin as a member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and of our community.” Daniel Raiskin’s career to date has taken him around the world. Recent guest conducting engagements include orchestras in Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Athens, Osaka, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mexico City to name a few. He is Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous positions include Chief Conductor of the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie in Koblenz and the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra in Łódz. His long list of recordings have received both critical acclaim and awards, including the Echo Classic Award in 2012 for an album of cello concertos by Korngold, Bloch and Goldschmidt with Julian Steckel on AVI. Gramophone Magazine writes, “Daniel Raiskin is clearly a musician of sensibility, well versed in his craft; a further example perhaps of one last great gift of the old Soviet Union, the rigour and distinction of its conducting schools.” Daniel Raiskin is already a familiar face to regular WSO concertgoers. Having led the WSO three times since 2015, his last appearance was in October to conduct Beethoven, Chopin, and Górecki. “The musicians of the WSO are very excited to welcome Maestro Raiskin to our family,” said Concertmaster Gwen Hoebig. “We know his breadth of knowledge and excellent musicianship are a great fit for the variety of music we perform. All our audiences are really going to enjoy hearing and seeing us make music together!” Of the appointment, Raiskin said, “from the very first rehearsal my experience of making music with WSO's excellent, curious and highly driven musicians was remarkably natural and very inspiring. I’ve only had a few encounters in my professional life where I could enjoy this kind of immediate connection, trust and feeling of freedom - I cherish this. There is also an endless potential this orchestra offers in terms of programming variety. Leading an ensemble that is equally at ease with excellent symphonic repertoire, ballet and opera accompaniments, Broadway shows, film music, educational projects and popular offerings is a treat! For more than a quarter of a century, the WSO is at the core of the already emblematic Winnipeg New Music Festival and this in itself is an extraordinary source of innovation and energy. I feel truly privileged and excited to take on this new role and to develop my relationship with such a wonderful ensemble, its devoted audiences and community in Winnipeg and beyond."

Maestro Raiskin will open the WSO’s 2018-2019 Season on September 17th and conduct many concerts throughout the season. Full details of the 2018-2019 Season will be announced on February 23rd. ABOUT DANIEL RAISKIN

The son of a prominent musicologist, Daniel Raiskin grew up in St. Petersburg. He attended music school and later the celebrated conservatory in his native city, where he studied violin, viola and conducting. At the age of twenty, Daniel Raiskin left the Soviet Union to continue his studies in Amsterdam and Freiburg. Inspired to take up the baton by an encounter with the distinguished teacher Lev Savich, he also took classes with Maestri such as Mariss Jansons, Neeme Järvi, Milan Horvat, Woldemar Nelson und Jorma Panula. Raiskin, who cultivates a broad repertoire, often looks beyond the mainstream in his strikingly conceived programs.

From the 2017-2018 season onwards, Daniel Raiskin will be Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Artistic Partner of the Chamber Orchestra St. Michael Strings in Finland. He was Chief Conductor of the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie in Koblenz (2005-2016) and held the same title with the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra in Lódz (2008-2015).

His regular guest engagements include the Athens State Orchestra, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symfoniorkester, Mariinsky Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Orchestre National de Belgique, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, State Academic Symphony of Russia “Svetlanov” and the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen.

His regular appearances in the opera house have included Carmen directed by Calixto Bieito for the Dutch company Opera Zuid, and at the Koblenzer Stadttheater, where he also conducted Shostakovich’s The Nose. Raiskin conducted the Minsk Orchestra in an acclaimed production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the St. Margarethen Opernfestspiele 2011 in Austria.

Daniel Raiskin’s engagements in the 2017-2018 season include appearances with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Jenaer Philharmonie, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic, Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Clásica Santa Caecilia, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Slovenska Filharmonia Bratislava (including a tour through Japan), Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

He will give his debut with the Philharmonic Orchestras in Freiburg and Györ as well as with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

Among the major soloists with whom Daniel Raiskin has appeared are Kolja Blacher, Martin Fröst, Alban Gerhardt, Vadim Gluzman, Natalia Gutman, Kari Kriikku, Lang Lang, Francois Leleux, Jan Lisiecki, Alexei Lubimov, Mischa Maisky, Olli Mustonen, Daniel Müller-Schott, Gerhard Oppitz, Steven Osborne, Ivo Pogorelich, Julian Rachlin, Vadim Repin, Benjamin Schmid, Julian Steckel, Akiko Suwanai, Anna Vinnitskaya, Stefan Vladar and Alexei Volodin.

Recent recordings include Mahler Symphony No. 3 and Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 with the label AVI, both to great critical acclaim. His recording with cello concertos by Korngold, Bloch and Goldschmidt with Julian Steckel and the label AVI received an Echo Klassik Award in 2012. Other recent recording projects include two Louis Glass Symphony cycles with the label CPO, Lutosłlawski’s vocal-instrumental works with the label Dux and the world premiere recording of Alexander Tansman’s Isaie le Prophète and Psaumes. He recently won the prestigious P2 Danish Radio Prize for the best Symphonic CD recording of Danish music in 2017.

THE STORY OF THE WSO

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, is a gem of an orchestra tucked into the geographic centre of North America. Music critic Norman Lebrecht describes it as “an orchestra with a sound all its own,” and that is no surprise. From its debut 1948 performance to over 3,000 audience members, the WSO has become a powerhouse orchestra, regularly surprising guest conductors and artists with the exceptional musicianship and flexibility of its members.

Performance highlights of the last few decades include working Maureen Forrester, Kathleen Battle, Janina Fialkowska, Angela Hewitt, Buffy St. Marie, Wu Man, Randy Bachman, Dame Evelyn Glennie, and Tanya Tagaq, to name a few.

Each year, the WSO’s much-lauded Winnipeg New Music Festival features four full orchestral programs plus numerous additional concerts, regularly drawing crowds in the thousands. The 2018 edition had over 11,000 attendees. Headliners of the Winnipeg New Music Festival range from Philip Glass to Meredith Monk to David Lang to Joan Tower to R. Murray Schafer to Arvo Pärt to Christos Hatzis to Samy Moussa to Kelly Marie Murphy to Stephen O’Malley to Caroline Shaw, to name a few.

The WSO’s activity regularly extends beyond its home stage at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg. It has produced concerts everywhere from Olympic size diving boards to cottage country harbours. The orchestra has toured twice to Carnegie Hall and regularly performed across Manitoba and Canada.

The WSO has served as a launching point for many illustrious careers including Victor Feldbrill, Kazuhiro Koizumi, Bramwell Tovey, and Andrey Boreyko. It has also worked hard to foster and support Manitoba and Canadian talent working closely with the likes of James Ehnes, Tracy Dahl, Andriana Chuchman, Karen Sunabacka, and Lara Ciekiewicz.

From it’s founding, the orchestra has been a pillar in the Canadian music scene, commissioning and premiering hundreds of new works. The Canadian Music Centre recently recognized the WSO with its Award of Excellence for its work promoting the Canadian voice. This work has also been recognized by a 2017 JUNO win and 2018 nomination for best classical recording of the year.

In 2011, the WSO founded Sistema Winnipeg (based on the famous Venezuelan El Sistema), in partnership with two Winnipeg school divisions, to deliver daily, intensive music education that focuses on children with the fewest resources and greatest need in Winnipeg’s urban core.

Over 40,000 students attend orchestra concerts presented by the WSO each season and its innovative pops and film programs introduce a rapidly growing audience to symphonic music.

Starting in 1954, the orchestra has worked closely with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, released numerous recordings on the CBC label, and has given thousands of national radio broadcasts. In addition to its own extensive season of concerts and educational activities, the WSO functions as the official orchestra of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Manitoba Opera Association.

Walter Kaufmann was the orchestra’s first music director (1948-1957), followed by Victor Feldbrill (1958-1968), George Cleve (1968-1970), Piero Gamba (1971-1983), Kazuhiro Koizumi (1983-1987), Bramwell Tovey (1987-2002), Andrey Boreyko (2002-2005), and current Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate (2005-2018). Under their guidance, the orchestra has both earned a place among the ranks of major Canadian symphony orchestras and has come to be regarded as one of Canada’s most innovative. Some of the eminent soloists who have appeared with the WSO in the past include conductors Pierre Monteux, John Barbirolli and Arthur Fiedler; violinists David Oistrakh and Itzhak Perlman; pianists Glenn Gould, Byron Janis, Gary Graffman, and Leon Fleisher; singers Marilyn Horne and Maureen Forrester; cellists Zara Nelsova and Jacqueline du Pré and many others.

On February 14, 2018, Daniel Raiskin was appointed as the next Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, starting in the 2018-2019 season.

-30- MEDIA: For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Sarah Panas, Marketing & Communications Officer p. (204) 949-3970 e: communications@wso.mb.ca