Violinist James Ehnes Returns to Bravo! Vail

VAIL, Colo. - June 29, 2014 - PRLog -- Celebrated violinist James Ehnes returns to Bravo! Vail in performance of Barber’s quintessentially poetic Violin Concerto on Monday, June 30 with Jaap van Zweden and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Ehnes, who took home the 2008 GRAMMY Award for his recording of the Barber Violin Concerto with Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, is one of the world’s most acclaimed violin soloists. Tickets for this concert titled “Copland and Barber” are on sale now. Lawn tickets are $28 or $5 for children ages 12 and under. Visit bravovail.org or call the box office at 877.812.5700 for more information.

“James Ehnes is one of my favorite musicians,” said James W. Palermo, president and executive director, Bravo! Vail. “I’ve worked with James several times over the last nearly decade or so and am always struck by his wide-ranging repertory and completely unassuming manner. He’s a regular guy with a great sense of humor who just happens to be one of the greatest violinists alive. His recording of the Barber, Korngold and Walton Concertos is outstanding – he won a GRAMMY Award for that disk – and it is one of my favorites. His passion, musicality, superior technique and sweet sound are standouts for me.”

In its review of Ehnes’s recording of the Barber Violin Concerto, The Philadelphia Inquirer declared, “The performances show violinist Ehnes in peak form, full of star quality with his silky tone and almost offhanded ease with the technical fireworks (many of which were written for Jascha Heifetz).” In its review, CBC Radio-Canada extolls Ehnes’s performance: “He’s virtuosic but not flashy. His small, sweet, warm tone wins you over and enhances the more purely musical aspects of this music […] Intonation and tuning are once again, near perfect, as are his phrasing and overall musicianship.”

Audiences can also anticipate a rare treat at the June 30 concert: the Bravo! Vail premiere of Copland’s Third Symphony. Called the “Great American Symphony” and composed during a two-year period from 1994 to 1946, Copland’s Third reflects a genuine sense of optimism that springs from what Copland called the “euphoric spirit of the country at the time.” This evening of gorgeous melodies and thrilling orchestral splendor also features Bernstein’s lovely Overture to his operetta, Candide.

To learn more about James Ehnes and listen to excerpts of his recordings, visit jamesehnes.com (http://www.jamesehnes.com/). To read the program notes about this concert, visit bravovail.org. (http://bravovail.org/tickets-season-info/dallas-symphony-...)

If You Go: Copland and Barber
Three works. Three glorious statements of 20th Century American genius. Bernstein’s frolicking Candide overture, Barber’s tender Violin Concerto and Copland’s majestic Third Symphony promise an evening of gorgeous melodies and thrilling orchestral splendor.
What: Bravo! Vail – Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Violinist James Ehnes
Where: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, 530 S Frontage Rd. E, Vail, CO 81657
When: 6 p.m. Monday, June 30 2014
Cost: Tickets range from $28 to $102. Lawn tickets for children 12 and under are $5.
Information: Visit bravovail.org or call the Box Office: 877.812.5700.

About Bravo! Vail
Bravo! Vail, one of North America’s premier summer music festivals, brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout Eagle County, Colorado for six weeks each summer, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host three of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 27th season June 27 through August 2, 2014, under the direction of Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott and President & Executive Director James W. Palermo. The 2014 season features residencies by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, with celebrated concerto artists plus a wide array of stellar chamber music performances. For more information about Bravo! Vail visit bravovail.org (http://www.bravovail.org/) or call 970.827.5700.