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EMI press release
EMI Signs Conductor Gisele Ben-Dor And The Santa
Barbara Symphony For New Ginastera CD Featuring
Placido Domingo and Ana Maria Martinez.
Conductor Gisele Ben-Dor Continues To Give Voice To Ginastera and To Latin American Composers.
"Gisele Ben-Dor is just the conductor we have been waiting
for to make a really persuasive case for Latin composers."Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times.
(New York, NY, September 2nd, 2002) - One bright spot in today's difficult classical environment
is the recent EMI signing of conductor Gisele Ben-Dor. Ms. Ben-Dor is set once again to record the
music of Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) with The Santa Barbara Symphony
in early May. A well known champion of Latin American composers, Ginastera in particular, Ms. Ben-
Dor will conduct excerpts from "Don Rodrigo", with Placido Domingo and the dazzling soprano
Ana-Maria Martinez. Domingo is reprising his starring role as he made his US debut in the 1964
New York City Opera staging of the work. This disc will also include the Cantata "Milena", based
on Franz Kafka's letters, and the world premiere of Five Popular Argentinean Songs that have been newly
scored for orchestra.
Grammy Award winner and former head of A&R for Deutsche Gramophone Michael Fine,
will produce, marking the fifth time he has teamed with Ben-Dor in the studio.
Their collaborations include Villa-Lobos' Symphony No. 10 "Amerindia"(Koch), as well as a number
of Ginastera recordings, "Variaciones Concertantes", "Glosses on Themes of Pablo Casals"(Koch),
and two complete ballets with the London Symphony, "Panambi" and "Estancia"(BMG/Conifer).
Commenting on the disc, Classic CD wrote: ".. a conductor who spectacularly proves her credentials .
These are top-flight,` thrilling performances" .
I've included a copy of this recording in your press kit and would like to get your thoughts.
Ms. Ben-Dor has also recently released a recording of Silvestre Revueltas' (1899-1940) final work,
the ballet La Coronela. An active supporter of Revueltas, the Uruguayan born conductor created an innovative
four day Festival in Santa Barbara dedicated to the music of the Mexican composer.
A Festival celebrating composers from Argentina,"Tango and Malambo" is currently in the making.
Ms. Ben-Dor has also recorded the music of John Adams, David Ott, Béla Bartók, and Ezra Symms
Ms. Ben-Dor's most recent conducting credits include an upcoming debut with the London Philharmonic,
re-engagements with the BBC/Wales and the New World Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony,
English Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops, Israel Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Bavarian Radio Orchestra,
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, to name just a few. Her debut with the Grand
Theatre de Geneve in the European premiere of Ginastera's last opera "Beatrix Cenci" was received by an ecstatic
audience and international press.
Antony Tommasini,writing for the Boston Globe remarked,"Ben-Dor is a tremendous musician…a vital,charismatic
presence.As Music Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony and the Boston Pro-Arte Chamber orchestra her performances
have always garnered the highest critical praise from both musicians and critics.In March 1999, Ben-Dor returned to lead
the New York Philharmonic with a program of Mahler and Beethoven. She conducted without rehearsal, a situation
reminiscent of her last-minute 1994 debut with the Philharmonic, when she stepped in for Kurt Masur to unanimous
praise. About the 1999 performance, The New York Times wrote "If Ms. Ben-Dor had merely survived in a work as
complex as the Mahler under the circumstances, she would have done well; she did more, making the interpretation her own."
Her talent was also recognized by Leonard Bernstein with whom she shared the stage at Tanglewood and at the
Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. As the winner of the Bartok Prize in Hungary, Ms. Ben-Dor toured eastern Europe .
She made her debut with the Israel Philharmonic in Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" televised by the BBC/London.
Born and raised in Uruguay, Ms. Ben-Dor studied at the Tel-Aviv Academy of Music and at the Yale School of Music.
She currently resides in the United States, where she has recently become a citizen.
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