Conductor Eun Sun Kim leads the DSO in program of Rachmaninoff and Rodrigo with classical guitarist MILOŠ, February 3-5

- Program also includes Texu Kim’s Dub-Sanjo

- February 5 concert will be webcast for free at dso.org and on Facebook as part of DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall series

- Tickets on sale now at dso.org

Detroit, (January 27, 2022) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will welcome South Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim to Orchestra Hall on February 3-5 for three concerts on the PVS Classical Series with Montenegrin classical guitarist MILOŠ.

The program will open with the DSO premiere of Texu Kim’s Dub-Sanjo, which reinterprets traditional Korean music with fresh harmonies and textures while delivering the sophisticated nuances and energetic virtuosity of the tradition. Next, classical guitarist MILOŠ will join as featured soloist for Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra. The quintessential showpiece for Spanish guitar evokes birds, flowers, and fountains in the gardens of Aranjuez in the composer’s native Spain. The program concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, a moody work that hints at the exiled composer’s homesickness for Russia.

Please note: originally scheduled soloist Pablo Sainz-Villegas is unable to appear with the DSO for this program. The DSO thanks MILOŠ for stepping in to perform Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.

The performances will take place Thursday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 4 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, February 5 at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall.

To protect the health and well-being of our patrons, musicians, and staff, our safety policies include mask and vaccine or test requirements for all guests and contactless e-ticketing. Visit dso.org/safetyplan for more information.

The February 5 performance will also be webcast for free at dso.org and via Facebook Live as part of the DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall series.

Tickets for these performances start at $15 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The title sponsor of the DSO’s Classical Series is PVS Chemicals, Inc. DSO Live is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Digital programming is produced from the Al Glancy Control Room.

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RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO

PVS Classical Series

Thursday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 5 at 8 p.m.

Orchestra Hall

Eun Sun Kim, conductor

MILOŠ, classical guitar

Guitarist MILOŠ performs Rodrigo’s quintessential showpiece for Spanish guitar, a fragrant gem that evokes birds, flowers, and fountains in the gardens of Aranjuez. Eun Sun Kim conducts Rachmaninoff's Third Symphony, a moody work that hints at the exiled composer's homesickness for Russia.

TEXU KIM Dub-Sanjo

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44

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About Eun Sun Kim

Following “a company debut of astonishing vibrancy and assurance” (San Francisco Chronicle) in Rusalka, Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim has been named the Caroline H. Hume Music Director of San Francisco Opera. Her presence in North America was first established with performances of Verdi’s Requiem with the Cincinnati Symphony and La traviata with Houston Grand Opera, with the latter earning her an appointment as the company’s first Principal Guest Conductor in twenty-five years.

The 2021-22 season opens Kim’s inaugural term at San Francisco Opera, where she will lead Tosca and a new production of Fidelio, in addition to three concerts. She continues a series of important operatic debuts at Wiener Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera with La bohème, and at Lyric Opera of Chicago with Tosca, before returning to Houston Grand Opera for a new production of Turandot. She is slated to conduct symphony orchestras around the globe, including concerts in Berlin, Detroit, Toronto, Portland, and Bedford, UK, with additional engagements to be announced.

Kim has enjoyed recent North American successes at Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, where The New York Times pronounced her “a major star…with great sensitivity and flexibility.” Her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic was quickly followed by debut engagements with Oregon Symphony and Seattle Symphony, and her triumphant return to Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra was hailed by the Business Courier as “impeccable…a dynamic presence, illuminating details of the score with clarity and expressive power.” 

In addition to her growing North American presence, Kim is a regular guest conductor at many important European opera houses. She maintains a particularly close connection with the Staatsoper Berlin, where she has recently conducted successful productions of La traviataAriadne auf NaxosMadama ButterflyUn ballo in maschera, and Il trovatore. She has appeared consistently at opera houses across Germany, leading productions of Hänsel und Gretel at Bayerische Staatsoper, Madama Butterfly at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Rigoletto at Semperoper Dresden, and a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor at Oper Köln. She has been frequently engaged by Oper Frankfurt, where she celebrated successes with La SonnambulaThe Count of LuxembourgLa bohèmeDie Csárdásfürstin, and Der Fliegende Holländer.

Kim established herself in Scandinavia with a successful debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Madama Butterfly, returning there to conduct Il barbiere di Siviglia. Her performances of Il trovatore at Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Carmen in Oslo, and Madama Butterfly and Der Fliegende Holländer in Bergen have been complemented by concert appearances with Gothenburg Symphony and Norwegian Radio Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Malmö, Umeå, and Aarhus.

Kim’s recent engagements have also included a new production of Die Fledermaus with English National Opera, Carmen at Opernhaus Zürich, Hänsel und GretelCarmen, and Die Fledermaus at Volksoper Wien, Il viaggio a Reims at Teatro Real Madrid, La traviata at Opéra de Marseille, and La bohème with Oper Graz. Concert performances comprise appearances with Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and Stuttgart Philharmonic, as well as orchestras in Madrid, Marseille, Munich, Lille, Nancy, Milan, Palermo, Turin, Milwaukee, Calgary, and Santiago de Compostela.

Kim studied composition and conducting in her hometown of Seoul, South Korea, before continuing her studies in Stuttgart, where she graduated with distinction. Directly after graduation, she was awarded the First Prize in the International Jesús López Cobos Opera Conducting Competition at the Teatro Real Madrid.

About MILOŠ

Firmly positioned as a leading exponent of his instrument, Miloš has appeared in some of the most important concert halls and at major festivals around the world, including with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra.

His first three releases on Deutsche Grammophon achieved chart-topping successes around the globe and turned him into “classical music’s guitar hero” (BBC Music Magazine) overnight. His recording of Rodrigo’s concerto with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the London Philharmonic had the Sunday Times calling him “The King of Aranjuez”, while his record, Blackbird–The Beatles Album — including duets with Gregory Porter, Tori Amos, Steven Isserlis, and Anoushka Shankar – was released to unanimous praise. Miloš’ 2019 album, Sound of Silence, joined his previous albums, in reaching No. 1 on the UK Classical charts, and on Amazon.

Miloš is the first ever classical guitarist to have performed in solo recital at the Royal Albert Hall in London, The Guardian commenting: “More extraordinary by far was the way a single guitarist could shrink the Hall’s cavernous space into something so close.” The Independent concluded: “not only a magician, but a serious and accomplished musician”.

In August 2018 Miloš made a triumphant return to the hall. In front of 6,000 people at the BBC Proms, he performed the world premiere of Joby Talbot’s guitar concerto, Ink Dark Moon written especially for him, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Committed to commissioning new repertoire for the guitar, Miloš joined the NAC Ottawa in May 2019 to perform another concerto written especially for him, ‘The Forest’ by Howard Shore.

In 2021, Miloš released his sixth album The Moon and the Forest, featuring the Talbot and Shore concerti as well as Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Full Moon’ and Schumann’s ‘Traumerei’. This latest album marks Miloš’s 10-year anniversary with Decca and was hailed by Gramophone as offering “new perspectives on the relationship between guitar and orchestra, performed with conviction and elan”.

Taking every opportunity to promote classical music to the widest possible audience, Miloš often finds himself in the role of a radio and TV presenter. He is a passionate supporter of music education and acts as a Patron of the Mayor of London Fund for Young Musicians and the Awards for Young Musicians. Miloš records exclusively for Decca Classics, and BBC Music magazine included him amongst six of the greatest classical guitarists of the last century. He lives in London and performs on a 2007 Greg Smallman guitar.

About the DSO

The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while Oscar-nominated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair.

Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in eight metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings.

A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.