Kenneth Woods’ insatiable inquisitiveness for exploring the highways and revealing the byways of a broad spectrum of repertoire manifests itself in a host of performances and events this spring and summer. From curating a Canadian festival to recording world-premieres, conducting symphonic and chamber works to discussing one of the 20th century’s great composers, audiences on both sides of the Atlantic will be treated to the multi-faceted talents that Ken has to offer.

Scotia Festival
The Scotia Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia has been referred to as the “greatest little chamber music festival in the world.” Woods’ first experience with this musical gem was as a student in 1993, when Peter Lieberson was composer-in-residence and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard a featured artist. In subsequent years he met and collaborated with composers Oliver Knussen and Joan Tower, pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, fellow-cellist Fred Sherry, and many more. With such memorable experiences, Ken is thrilled to be returning to Scotia in May as artist-in-residence with his Ensemble Epomeo performing a range of string trios with an emphasis on Russian and eastern European composers, including Mieczys?aw Weinberg, Schnittke, Kurtag, Penderecki, Han Gál and Krasa, the latter two who figure in Ensemble Epomeo’s critically acclaimed release for AVIE.

Ken will also conduct the Scotia Winds in Berg’s Chamber Concerto, Mozart’s Serenade “Gran Partita”, and Kurt Weill’s Three Penny Opera Suite; the Scotia Festival Strings in Britten’s Frank Bridge Variations, and the fiendishly difficult We’re Hardcore for soprano and chamber orchestra by Canadian composer-in-residence Tim Brady. Ken culminates these musical adventures conducting the Scotia Festival Orchestra in a gala concert of concertos by John Adams, Mozart and Shostakovich.

Orchestra of the Swan - Spring Sounds
As Principal Guest Conductor of Stratford-upon-Avon-based Orchestra of the Swan, Ken has won international acclaim for his world-premiere recordings of the Symphonies of Hans Gal coupled with those of Schumann. He began his association with OOTS at the orchestra’s 2009 Spring Sounds Festival which he has returned to annually. This year’s focus is a programme celebrating the legacy of Benjamin Britten and featuring soprano April Frederick. The June concert includes Britten’s Les Illuminations, Takemitsu’s Death and Resurrection, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14, which was dedicated to Britten who conducted the work’s UK premiere in 1970.

BBC Proms Literary Festival
In July, Ken indulges in one of his greatest musical passions, Gustav Mahler, when he takes part in the Proms Literary Festival by introducing A Mahler Anthology, a selection of readings about the composer, including letters, reviews and biographies. Ken’s talk will be broadcast during the July 15 Proms concert broadcast featuring a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 conducted by Jonathan Nott.

Ken has previously been heard discussing Mahler on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and has made an acclaimed recording of the Schoenberg arrangement’s of Das Lied von der Erde and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for Somm Recordings. From 2006-9, Ken won national recognition in the United States for his community-based “Redneck Mahler” series for the Oregon East Symphony.

New Recordings, New Releases
Ken has become an enthusiastic advocate of the music of Philip Sawyers, so it was with great excitement that this past spring he made the world-premieres recordings of three of the London-based composer’s works, including the Second Symphony, “one of the finest new symphonies by a British composer” in years, according to ClassicalSource.com. Also on the album, which was recorded for Nimbus, are Sawyer’s Cello Concerto, with the oustanding young cellist Maja Bogdanovic, and Concertante for Violin, Piano and Strings with the Steinberg Duo. Look for a release later this year.

Meanwhile, Ken’s first recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released in June on Somm Recordings: Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Franck’s Symphonic Variations, and Turina’s Rapsodica Sinfonica, with piano soloist Valerie Tyron.

Woods began 2013 with his appointment as Artistic Director of the English Symphony Orchestra, complimenting his performance and recording activities with Orchestra of the Swan. He has guest conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia and Aspen Festival Orchestra, among others, and made recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His work has been broadcast on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and Performance Today, and he has broadcast as a commentator on BBC Radio 3 and 4. His widely read and respected blog A View from the Podium, is one of the 25 most read classical music blogs.

To learn more about Kenneth Woods visit http://kennethwoods.net.

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All media enquiries, interview and image requests: Melanne Mueller, melanne@musiccointernational.com, +1 917 907 2785 or +44 (0) 7788 662 461

PERFORMANCE AND EVENT INFORMATION

SCOTIA FESTIVAL
Monday, 27 May – 7:00 pm
Sir James Dunn Theatre, Dalhousie Arts Centre
Schnittke String Trio
Ensemble Epomeo (Caroline Chin, violin, David Yang, viola, Kenneth Woods, cello)

Also on the programme:
Bach Chaconne (Philippe Djokic, violin)
Schubert Piano Trio in E flat major
(John Novacek, piano, Mark Fewer, violin, Denise Djokic, cello)

Tuesday, 4 June – 7:00 pm
Sir James Dunn Theatre, Dalhousie Arts Centre
Berg Concerto for Piano, Violin & 13 Winds
Mozart Wind Serenade No. 10, K. 361, Gran Partita
Scotia Winds
Kenneth Woods conductor

Friday, 7 June – 7:00 pm
Sir James Dunn Theatre, Dalhousie Arts Centre
T. Brady We’re Hardcore
Kurt Weill The Threepenny Opera Suite
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op.10
Scotia Winds, Scotia Festival Strings
Kenneth Woods conductor

Sunday, 9 June – 2:00 pm
Gala Concert
Sir James Dunn Theatre, Dalhousie Arts Centre
John Adams Violin Concerto
(Mark Fewer, violin)
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K.453
(John Novacek, piano)
Shostakovich Cello Concerto
(Denise Djokic, cello)
Scotia Festival Orchestra
Kenneth Woods conductor

SPRING SOUNDS FESTIVAL
Friday, 14 June 2013 – 7:30 pm
Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon
Britten Les Illuminations
Takemitsu Death and Resurrection
Shostakovich Symphony No. 14
April Fredrick soprano
Arwel Hew Morgan bass
Orchestra of the Swan
Kenneth Woods conductor

BBC PROMS
Monday, 15 July 2013 – 5:45–6:30 pm
Royal College of Music
Proms Plus Literary
Conductor Kenneth Woods introduces a selection of readings about Gustav Mahler, including the composer’s letters, reviews and biographies.

RECORDINGS
Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Franck Symphonic Variations
Turina Rapsodica Sinfonica
Valerie Tyron piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Kenneth Woods conductor
Somm Recordings
Release date: 17 June 2013

Philip Sawyers
Symphony No. 2
Cello Concerto (Maja Bogdanovic, cello)
Concertante for Violin, Piano and Strings (Steinberg Duo)
world-premiere recordings
Orchestra of the Swan
Kenneth Woods conductor
Nimbus Records
Due for release Winter 2013