MAESTRO ALAN GILBERT, VIOLINIST LISA BATIASHVILI, AND THE BSO BEGIN THE NEW YEAR JANUARY 10-15 WITH A PROGRAM FEATURING TCHAIKOVSKY'S VIOLIN CONCERTO

MR. GILBERT ALSO LEADS THE ORCHESTRA IN DUTILLEUX'S MÉTABOLES, STRAVINSKY'S SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, AND RAVEL'S LA VALSE

Performances to take place Thursday, January 10, Saturday, January 12,

and Tuesday, January 15, at 8 p.m., and Friday, January 11, at 1:30 p.m.;
for press tickets reply to this email or call 617-638-9286

New York Philharmonic music director Alan Gilbert will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra and violinist Lisa Batiashvili in Tchaikovsky's ultra-Romantic Violin Concerto Thursday, January 10-Tuesday, January 15. Maestro Gilbert also leads the BSO in three 20th-century works: Dutilleux's Métaboles for Orchestra, in which the composer endeavors to "present one or several ideas in a different order and from different angles, until, by successive stages, they are made to change character completely"; Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements; and Ravel's remarkable homage to Vienna, La Valse.

PROGRAM DETAILS

One of Henri Dutilleux's several important works to have been commissioned by American orchestras-The Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell, in this case-Métaboles is an intricate work, meticulous composed over five years (1959-1964), that uses formal and motivic metamorphoses as a musical lens through which to examine corresponding transformations in nature. Comprising five connected sections, Métaboles presents a series of motifs, each of which is slowly modified, reshaped, and then used as the starting point for the next section, resulting in something like a nested set of interconnected theme-and-variations.

It is perhaps fitting that Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto has over its history reached the highest highs and the lowest lows-just like the emotions of its music and its composer. Composed in 1878, it emerged from one of the darkest periods of Tchaikovsky's life, when the composer had fled to Switzerland to escape a farcical marriage. The piece, though, came easily, and was completed in less than a month. Shortly thereafter, things went south: The first two soloists he asked to premiere it declined, and when it was finally given its first performance three years later, infamous critic Eduard Hanslick eviscerated the music in a scathing review, stating that the piece "for the first time confronts us with the hideous idea that there may be compositions whose stink one can hear." History and subsequent audiences, however, have taken a contrasting view, and Tchaikovsky's rhapsodic, cathartic, and vibrant concerto is now enshrined among the greatest works in the genre.

The program concludes with two works profoundly influenced by the ravages of the 20th century's two great wars. Though Ravel denied that his great orchestral "choreographic poem" La Valse carried symbolic meaning, it was his first completed work after a halting return to composition following the end of World War I, and its exploration of the waltz taken to distorted and even violent extremes seem to perfectly capture the cataclysmic end of Europe's Belle Époque. Stravinsky, on the other hand, decisively made the connection between the subsequent World War and his Symphony in Three Movements, which he said represented "our arduous time of sharp and shifting events, of despair and hope, of continual torments, of tension and, at last, cessation and relief..."

ALAN GILBERT

Alan Gilbert last appeared with the BSO at Symphony Hall on March 5-10, 2009, leading the BSO in a program of Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, and Ives. He made his BSO debut at Tanglewood on August 28, 1999.

New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair, began his tenure in September 2009, launching what New York magazine called "a fresh future for the Philharmonic." The first native New Yorker to hold the post, he has sought to make the Orchestra a point of civic pride for the city as well as for the country. Mr. Gilbert's creative approach to programming combines works in fresh and innovative ways. He has also forged artistic partnerships, introducing the positions of The Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence and The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, held in the 2011-12 season by Magnus Lindberg and violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, respectively; an annual three-week festival, which this season is The Modern Beethoven, conducted by David Zinman; and CONTACT!, the new-music series in which Philharmonic musicians perform works by today's leading and emerging composers in New York's more intimate venues. In the 2011-12 season Alan Gilbert conducted world premieres of works by John Corigliano, Marc Neikrug, and Magnus Lindberg; three Mahler symphonies, including the Second, Resurrection, on A Concert for New York on September 10; the Orchestra's first International Associates residency at London's Barbican Centre, as part of its Europe Winter 2012 tour and the California Spring 2012 tour; and the season-concluding musical exploration of space at the Park Avenue Armory that features Stockhausen's theatrical immersion, Gruppen. Renée Fleming's recording, Poèmes, featuring Alan Gilbert leading the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Seiji Ozawa is also a featured conductor on this album), has been nominated for a Grammy Award for best classical vocal solo for the 55th annual Grammy Awards. In September 2012, Mr. Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic released recordings of Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments,and Symphony No. 3, Sinfonia Espansiva. His contract with the orchestra was recently extended through the 2016-17 season.

Lisa Batiashvili

Lisa Batiashvili last appeared with the BSO at Symphony Hall on March 26, 28, 2009, performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2. She made her BSO debut at Tanglewood on July 29, 2005.

Few young soloists command the degree of warmth and respect from fellow musicians all over the world as violinist Lisa Batiashvili. She is featured season after season with many of the world's greatest orchestras. In the US she performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Philadelphia orchestras. In Europe she works with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden and the Orchestre de Paris. In the 2011/12 season Lisa Batiashvili performed with the New York Philharmonic (with Alan Gilbert), NHK Symphony Orchestra (with Charles Dutoit) and Sydney Symphony (with Vladimir Ashkenazy). Further highlights include a European tour with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (with Sakari Oramo), concerts with London Philharmonic and Rotterdam Philharmonic orchestras (both with Yannick Nézet-Séguin), Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and Orchestre National de France (with David Zinman). Lisa Batiashvili has an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. She received an ECHO Klassik award for her debut album for the label, released in February 2011, featuring Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In 1995, as the youngest ever competitor aged 16, Lisa was awarded second prize in the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki. In 2003 she was named winner of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival's Leonard Bernstein Award and was later awarded the Beethoven Ring Prize from the Beethoven Festival Bonn.

TICKET, SPONSORSHIP, AND OTHER PATRON INFORMATION

TICKET INFORMATION

Subscriptions for the BSO's 2012-13 season are available by calling the BSO Subscription Office at 888-266-7575 or online through the BSO's website (http://www.bso.org/subscriptions). Single tickets are priced from $30 to $124. Regular-season Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings are priced from $30 to $114; Friday afternoons are priced from $31 to $107; concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings are priced from $33 to $124. Tickets may be purchased by phone through SymphonyCharge (617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200), online through the BSO's website (www.bso.org), or in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston). There is a $6.25 service fee for all tickets purchased online or by phone through SymphonyCharge.

A limited number of Rush Tickets for Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons are set aside to be sold on the day of a performance. These tickets are sold at $9 each, one to a customer, at the Symphony Hall Box Office. For Friday afternoon concerts Rush Tickets are available beginning at 10 a.m. For Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening concerts Rush Tickets are available beginning at 5 p.m.

The BSO's <40 strong="strong"> program allows patrons under the age of 40 to purchase tickets for $20. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis on both the orchestra and balcony levels. There is a limit of one pair per performance, but patrons may attend as many performances as desired.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers groups advanced ticket reservations and flexible payment options for BSO concerts at Symphony Hall. Groups of 20 or more may take advantage of ticket discounts, backstage tours, clinics, and master classes. Pre- and post-concert dining options and private function space are available. More information is available through the group sales office at groupsales@bso.org

The BSO College Card and High School Card are the best way for students and aspiring young musicians to experience the BSO on a regular basis. For only $25 (College Card) or $10 (High School Card) students can attend most BSO concerts at no additional cost by registering the card online to receive text and email notifications of real-time ticket availability.

American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, and Discover (in person or by mail) and cash (in person only) are all accepted at the Symphony Hall Box Office. Gift certificates are available in any amount and may be used toward the purchase of tickets (subject to availability) to any Boston Symphony Orchestra or Boston Pops performance at Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. Gift certificates may also be used at the Symphony Shop to purchase merchandise.

Patrons with disabilities can access Symphony Hall through the Massachusetts Avenue lobby or the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue. An access service center, accessible restrooms, and elevators are available inside the Cohen Wing entrance. For ticket information, call the Access Services Administrator at 617-638-9431 or TDD/TTY 617-638-9289.

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES AT SYMPHONY HALL

As part of the BSO's ongoing initiative to make classical music programming and education widely available to listeners, the orchestra is offering adult educational initiatives for the 2012-2013 season.

UnderScore Fridays is a uniquely formatted concert series. At all Friday-evening concerts, subscribers will hear comments from the evening's conductor, guest artists, or other important guests speaking from the stage about the program. Tickets for UnderScore Fridays range from $33 to $123.

BSO 101: Are You Listening?returns in 2012-2013, offering seven Wednesday-evening sessions with BSO Director of Program Publications Marc Mandel and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra designed to enhance your listening abilities and general appreciation of music by focusing on works from the BSO's repertoire. No prior musical training, or attendance at any previous session, is required, since each session is self-contained. BSO: 101: An Insider's View also returns in 2012-2013, offering four Tuesday-evening sessions with BSO administrative staff and musicians in discussions of such behind-the-scenes activities as program planning, auditions, and the rehearsal process, as well as player perspectives on performing with the BSO. All "BSO 101" sessions take place from 5:30-6:45pm at Symphony Hall, and each is followed by a complimentary reception. Full details of the 2012-2013 "BSO 101" schedule will be announced at a later date.

The popular Friday Preview Talks, during which sandwiches and beverages are available for purchase, run from 12:15pm to 12:45pm and the Symphony Hall doors open at 11:30am. Given by BSO Director of Program Publications Marc Mandel and Assistant Director of Program Publications Robert Kirzinger, these informative half-hour talks incorporate recorded examples from the music to be performed.

BSO MEDIA OFFERINGS

The Boston Symphony Orchestra's extensive website, BSO.org, is the largest and most-visited orchestral website in the country, receiving approximately 7 million visitors annually and generating over $70 million in revenue since its launch in 1996. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is on Facebook at Facebook.com/BostonSymphony and on Twitter at Twitter.com/BostonSymphony. Video content from the BSO is also available at YouTube.com/BostonSymphony.

In the fall of 2011, the BSO redesigned and updated its popular website at BSO.org. The site's Media Center, consolidates its numerous new media initiatives in one location. In addition to comprehensive access to all BSO, Boston Pops, Tanglewood, and Symphony Hall performance schedules, patrons have access to a number of free and paid media options. Free offerings include WGBH radio broadcast streams of select BSO, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood performances; audio concert preview podcasts; Emmy Award-winning audio and video interviews with guest artists and BSO musicians; music excerpts, of up to three minutes, highlighting upcoming programs as well as all self-produced albums by the BSO, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Tanglewood Music Center Fellows, and complete program notes for all performances, which can be downloaded and printed or saved offline to an e-reading device such as a Kindle or Nook.

Paid content includes digital music downloads produced and published under the BSO's music label BSO Classics and includes performances by the BSO, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Tanglewood Music Center Fellows. Albums available include the BSO's and James Levine's Grammy-winning recording of Ravel's complete Daphnis and Chloé, Brahms's A German Requiem; the Boston Pops' The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers featuring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris, and The Red Sox Album; as well as the Tanglewood Festival Chorus's 40th Anniversary CD. The most recent album released by BSO Classics in November 2011, is the Boston Symphony Chamber Players' Profanes et Sacrées: 20th-Century French Chamber Music. During the summer of 2012, BSO Classics will be releasing 75 archive recordings from Tanglewood's storied history. These recordings will be released individually for the first 70 days of the Tanglewood season. Each release will be free to stream within the first 24 hours of release, and then available as a paid digital download after the streaming period is over. Digital music is available in standard definition MP3, and select content is also available in high definition (HD) stereo and surround formats. The Media Center can be visited by clicking on Media Center at bso.org.

In the Fall of 2012, BSO.org will also be available in a phone/mobile device format. Patrons will be able to use BSO.org Mobile to access performance schedules, purchase tickets as well as pre-performance food and beverages, download program notes, listen to radio broadcasts, music clips, and concert previews, watch video exclusives, and make donations to the BSO - all in the palm of their hand.

RADIO BROADCASTS AND STREAMING

BSO concerts are broadcast regularly on the stations of Classical New England, a service of WGBH. Saturday-evening concerts are broadcast live on 99.5 in Boston and 88.7 in Providence, on HD radio at 89.7 HD2, and online - both live and archived - at www.classicalnewengland.org In addition, BSO concerts are now heard throughout New England and upstate New York, on a network of stations including WFCR/Amherst MA, WAMC/Albany NY, WCNH/Concord NH, Vermont Public Radio, and the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. BSO broadcasts on Classical New England begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights, and are repeated at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. The full schedule is available at www.classicalnewengland.org/bso.

FOOD SERVICES AT SYMPHONY HALL

The Boston Symphony Orchestra's catering partner, Boston Gourmet, offers a fresh perspective on the food and beverage options offered at Symphony Hall before concerts, during intermission, and in the popular Symphony Café. Symphony Café offers buffet-style dining from 5:30 p.m. until concert time for all evening Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts. In addition, Symphony Café is open for lunch prior to Friday-afternoon concerts. Patrons enjoy the convenience of pre-concert dining at the Café in the unique ambiance of historic Symphony Hall. The cost of dinner is $39 per person; the cost of lunch is $25. The Café is located in Higginson Hall; patrons enter through the Cohen Wing entrance on Huntington Avenue. Please call 617-638-9328 for reservations.

Additionally, appetizers will be available at the bars in Symphony Hall's Cabot-Cahners Room and O'Block-Kay Room. Patrons can purchase appetizers at the bars or order in advance a pre-concert package that features an appetizer and half-bottle of wine and they can also take advantage of the hall-wide beverage service by purchasing beverage coupons in advance through the BSO's website at www.bso.org/dining.

SYMPHONY HALL SHOP AND TOURS

The Symphony Shop, located in the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue, is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, and from one hour before concert time through intermission. A satellite shop, located on the first-balcony level, is open only during concerts. Merchandise may also be purchased by visiting the BSO website at http://www.bso.org/shop. The shop can be reached at 617-638-9383.

The Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers offers weekly public and private tours of Symphony Hall during the BSO and Pops seasons. For more information on taking a Symphony Hall tour, please visit us at www.bso.org. You may also email bsav@bso.org, or call 617-638-9390 to confirm specific dates and times. Schedules are subject to change.

SPONSORSHIPS

Bank of America and EMC Corporation are proud to be the Season Sponsors of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2012-13 season. The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012, together with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, is the Official Hotel of the BSO. Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation is the Official Chauffeured Transportation Provider of the BSO