Upcoming Concert
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006
7:30 PM
Studio One, Broadcasting House, Llandaff
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Kenneth Woods Conductor
Nielsen Flute Concerto
Sharon Bezaly, flute
This concert is presented by the BBC as part of the Listen Up! Festival of Orchestras
About Sharon Bezaly-
Sharon Bezaly started to play the flute at the age of 11 and gave her début concert as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta when she was 14. On the advice of Jean-Pierre Rampal she continued her studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris under Alain Marion, Raymond Guiot and Maurice Bourge, winning the Academy’s first prizes for flute and chamber music. She was subsequently invited by Sándor Végh to play as principal flautist in his Camerata Academica Salzburg, a position she held until his death in 1997.
Since leaving the Camerata Academica, Sharon Bezaly has concentrated on expanding her solo career and has performed in the leading concert halls worldwide with orchestras such as the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestras of Wales and Scotland, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, SWR Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Academica Salzburg and both the Munich and Vienna Chamber Orchestras. As a chamber musician she has also participated in festivals alongside such musicians as Gidon Kremer and the Bartók Quartet. She has recently expanded her repertoire with a disc of newly commissioned concertos by three Scandinavian composers (Kalevi Aho, Haukur Tómasson and Christian Lindberg) entitled ‘Nordic Spell”. The recording has received the highest international critical acclaim and been singled out both as an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and as a Choc de la Musique by Le Monde de la Musique.
In the December 2005 Gramophone (celebrating the magazine’s 1000th issue) the reviewing journalists were asked to choose the artists they would most like to hear in a dedicated concert. Sharon Bezaly was honoured with inclusion in the dream team list which comprised such legendary names as Sergei Rachmaninov, Jascha Heifetz, Vladimir Horowitz and Pablo Casals. Amongst the 33 musicians chosen Sharon Bezaly was one of only 7 living artists and had the added honour of being by far the youngest and the only wind player.
Some of the highlights for the 2005 / 06 season included concerts with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Alan Gilbert, The Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä, a tour to Japan which comprises both a Tokyo recital and concerts with The Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, additionally performances at the prestigious Verbier Festival & Academy and a tour of Germany with the Salzburg Camerata. Sharon Bezaly started the season by giving the world première of a new flute concerto by Sally Beamish which she performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra together with Martyn Brabbins. Sharon Bezaly was chosen as ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ by the prestigious Klassik Echo in Germany in 2002, and in 2003 received the Cannes Classical Award as ‘Young Artist of the Year’.
Her playing has inspired renowned composers, among others Sofia Gubaidulina, Kalevi Aho, Sally Beamish and Zhou Long to write for her. As of 2005, seven concertos have been completed and dedicated to her. Sharon has already premièred five of them. Six more are being composed. She has an exclusive contract with the Swedish label BIS. Up to 2005 she has recorded 17 albums, which have won her awards such as the Diapason d’or (Diapason), Editor’s Choice (Gramophone) Stern des Monats (FonoForum), Recommandé (Répertoire), Choc de la Musique (Monde de la Musique), Recomendado (CD Compact), a five-star rating from the BBC Music Magazine and Musica, Italy and a special recommendation (Record Geijutsu, Tokyo).
Recent Comments