Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Sergio Mims: Wayne Marshall leaving WDR Radio House Orchestra in Summer 2020


Wayne Marshall

Sergio A. Mims writes:





Wayne Marshall wants to dedicate
himself more intensively to his
international career after six years
as Chief Conductor of the WDR Radio
House Orchestra from the summer of
2020 onwards. 
Under his direction,
the entertainment orchestra discovered
the dazzling works of Gershwin and
Bernstein in a new way. 
His unique
interpretations and Marshall's grandiose
improvisational skills thrilled audiences
in NRW and Germany.
Wayne Marshall: "The decision to phase out the contract was not easy for me, because I love to be chief conductor of the WDR radio house orchestra. The WDR Funkhausorchester is such a versatile orchestra that plays at the highest level, as you have to spend a lot of time as the chief conductor. On the other hand, as a musician and conductor, I also travel to concerts in Europe and internationally. I want to focus on that in the future. But I'm very happy to continue as a regular guest of this orchestra, which has grown dear to my heart. " 

With "Symphonic Jazz", Wayne Marshall sets a great emphasis in the program. In this series, tailored entirely to Marshall, his love for improvisation and his penchant for American composers are combined.

Highlights this season are under Marshall's direction: Tom Gaebel's "License to Swing", Till Brönner's "Balladen" and "Symphonic Latin" with the old master Paquito D'Rivera. The successful WDR 3 web series "Wayne interess's" has been running for over a year now. In the videos he improvises, tells and explains music from baroque to jazz.

Valerie Weber, WDR Radio Director: "I respect the decision. Although I personally regret that we no longer have this outstanding musician, this wonderful organist and charismatic entertainer as chief conductor. He has inspired the WDR radio house orchestra and played so well that there are now waiting lists for the subscriptions of this season. I'm happy about every production that he is willing to take over as a guest conductor beyond 2020. "

The British conductor, organist and pianist Wayne Marshall (* 1961 in Oldham) has been chief conductor of the WDR Radio House Orchestra since the 2014/2015 season. Wayne Marshall has been organist in residence at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester since 1996. As an organist and pianist he is especially interested in the music of American composers of the 20th century, such as Gershwin and Bernstein, and his interpretations are celebrated. He recorded extensively for numerous labels, his CD "Gershwin Songbook" was awarded the ECHO.

He has performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under conductors such as Simon Rattle and Claudio Abbado and has given concerts in the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Konzerthaus Dortmund and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the Royal Albert Hall, the National Grand Theater in Beijing and the cathedrals of Florence and Paris (Notre Dame). Wayne Marshall also works regularly with top-class soloists such as Wynton Marsalis, Diane Reeves or Sabine Meyer.

In 2007 he became first guest conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. In his guest conducting he met top orchestras worldwide, such as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Invitations have taken him several times to the BBC Proms and opera houses in Washington, Dallas, Montreal, Paris and Berlin. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University. In 2010 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Music. 

Wayne Marshall lives with his wife and two children in Valletta, Malta

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