Conductor Ludovic Morlot and pianist Hélène Grimaud join DSO for three concerts, performing music by Sebastian Currier, Beethoven, and Prokofiev, April 12-14

- Grimaud is featured soloist on Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4

- April 13 concert will be webcast for free at dso.org/live 

Detroit, (March 26, 2019) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will be joined this April by two acclaimed guest artists, conductor Ludovic Morlot and pianist Hélène Grimaud, for three performances in Orchestra Hall.

The concert program pairs two works that explore war themes through different contexts: Sebastian Currier’s 2015 composition Divisions, written to commemorate 100 years since the start of World War I and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, written in the Soviet Union during the height of World War II. Beethoven’s celebrated Piano Concerto No. 4, with Grimaud as featured soloist, completes the program.

The concerts take place Friday, April 12 at 10:45 a.m., Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, within Midtown Detroit’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center. 

One hour prior to each performance, guests are invited to enjoy an informative onstage Concert Talk about the program. These lectures and discussions will be made available for later viewing on the DSO’s YouTube channel.

Watch Live around the world: the Saturday evening concert will be webcast for free atdso.org/live and via Facebook Live, as part of the DSO’s groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series. The series is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Thanks to a generous grant from the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US, the DSO welcomes military veterans, active military, and their families to access discounted tickets for the Friday morning performance on April 12. See below for more information about the ticket discount. The FCA Foundation and the DSO thank our veterans and active military members for their service.

The DSO Classical Series is generously sponsored by PVS Chemicals, Inc.

About Ludovic Morlot

The French conductor Ludovic Morlot has served as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony since 2011. He regularly appears as a guest conductor with premier orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and others.

Morlot served as Chief Conductor of La Monnaie for three years (2012-2014) and conductor in residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon under David Robertson (2002-2004). He also has a particularly strong connection with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, having been the Seiji Ozawa Fellowship Conductor at Tanglewood in 2001. He was subsequently appointed assistant conductor for the orchestra (2004-2007). Since then he has conducted the orchestra in subscription concerts in Boston, at Tanglewood, and on a west coast tour.

Morlot and the Seattle Symphony recently presented the world premiere of Caroline Shaw’s Piano Concerto, and the U.S. premiere of Pascal Dusapin’s At Swim-Two-Birds. Under Morlot, the Seattle Symphony has released several successful recordings, two of which have won Grammy Awards. They recently released a box set of music by Henri Dutilleux to mark the 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Trained as a violinist, Morlot studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School with Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo. He continued his education at the Royal Academy of Music and then at the Royal College of Music as recipient of the Norman del Mar Conducting Fellowship. Morlot was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 2014 in recognition of his significant contribution to music. He is Chair of Orchestral Conducting Studies at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle.

About Hélène Grimaud

Hélène Grimaud is not just a deeply passionate and committed musical artist whose pianistic accomplishments play a central role in her life—she has also established herself as a committed wildlife conservationist, a compassionate human rights activist, and successful writer.

Grimaud began her piano studies in her native France, first in Aix-en-Provence and then Marseilles, before being accepted to the Paris Conservatory at age 13. Her career began in earnest in 1987, when conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris. Since then, she has performed with many of the world’s leading conductors, orchestras, festivals, and ensembles.

Grimaud has recorded exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon since 2002. Her most recent album is Memory, released in September 2018 and comprising evanescent miniatures by Chopin, Debussy, Satie, and Valentin Silvestrov. Other recordings in her catalog have won numerous accolades, includes the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year, Diapason d’or, Record Academy Prize (Tokyo), and Echo Klassik Award.

Grimaud’s love for the world’s endangered species was sparked by a chance encounter with a wolf in northern Florida. This led her to open the Wolf Conservation Center, a nonprofit that protects and educates the world about wolves. She is also a member of the organization Musicians for Human Rights and has published three books: Variations Sauvages, Leçons particulières, and Retour à Salem.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 begin at $15 and can be purchased at dso.org, by calling (313) 576-5111, or in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit).

Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30% on the price of a single ticket for most DSO concerts. For more information, contact Group Sales Manager Jim Sabatella at (313) 576-5130 or jsabatella@dso.org.

Veterans, active military, and their families may use the code HEROES1819 to unlock $10 tickets for the 10:45 a.m. concert on Friday, March 22. The code can be used at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111.

Performance Details

Friday, April 12 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. 

Orchestra Hall at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center

Ludovic Morlot, conductor

Hélène Grimaud, piano

SEBASTIAN CURRIER
  Divisions
BEETHOVEN
  Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
  Hélène Grimaud, piano

PROKOFIEV
  Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100

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 institution. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who recently concluded an acclaimed decade-long tenure at the helm, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate, endowed by the Kresge Foundation. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding 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 Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall will celebrate its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven 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 radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, 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.