Bignamini conducts works by Giovanni Bottesini, Tchaikovsky, and Paganini with violinist Giuseppe Gibboni, winner of the 2021 Paganini Violin Competition
Also upcoming in May, DSO musicians play From Sonatas to Sambas Chamber Recital on May 9 in Detroit and Katharina Wincor conducts DSO Assistant Concertmaster Hai-Xin Wu in Henri Vieuxtemps’s Violin Concerto No. 5, plus works by Haydn and Mendelssohn, May 25-28 in West Bloomfield, Plymouth, Bloomfield Hills, and Grosse Pointe
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (April 19, 2023) – This May, Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Music Director Jader Bignamini will make his debut on the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series with a weekend of concerts featuring violinist Giuseppe Gibboni, who in 2021 became the first Italian in 24 years to win the Paganini Violin Competition.
The program will open with Overture to Il diavolo della notte by Giovanni Bottesini, who is sometimes referred to as “the Paganini of the Double Bass.” Next, Gibboni, winner of the 56th Paganini Competition, is featured soloist in Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a showcase of technical prowess for the soloist, complete with the orchestra's echoes of a military band. The program will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s Suite from Swan Lake, the composer's ballet about a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer. These concerts will take place on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, May 12 at 8 p.m. at the Meyer Theater in Monroe, and May 14 at 3 p.m. at the Seligman Performing Arts Center in Beverly Hills.
Later in May, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series continues with DSO Assistant Concertmaster Hai-Xin Wu performing Henri Vieuxtemps’s Violin Concerto No. 5, a work that displays the full range of the instrument’s expressive capacity, from lilting lines to frenetic storms of rapid notes. The program will be conducted by Katharina Wincor and opens with Haydn’s playful and light-hearted Symphony No. 64, whose Latin subtitle refers to changes brought by the passage of time. The program will conclude with Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, which was inspired by a trip to the country that bears its name, and includes music inspired by local folk dances as well as a solemn religious procession the composer observed in Naples. These concerts will take place on Thursday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, Friday, May 26 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, Saturday, May 27 at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, and Sunday, May 28 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star in the Sea Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe.
Also of note, on May 9 at 7 p.m., DSO musicians Hannah Hammel Maser (Principal Flute), Ralph Skiano (Principal Clarinet), Alexander Kinmonth (Principal Oboe), Scott Strong (Horn), and Conrad Cornelison (Principal Bassoon) will present an intimate program of chamber works by Latin American composers Julio Medaglia and Paquito D'Rivera along with Beethoven's Sextet in E-flat major, Op. 71. This concert will take place at the Cass Community United Methodist Church (3901 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI).
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series subscriptions and single tickets (beginning at $30, with $10 tickets available for students) are on sale now and can be purchased at dso.org/neighborhood or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Currently in its twelfth year, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series brings world-class DSO performances to seven Metro Detroit communities. Featuring repertoire curated especially for intimate venues, the series creates musical impact by connecting with audiences in their communities. DSO Chamber Recitals feature DSO musicians in a variety of settings in Detroit and across the entire metro area. In addition, DSO musicians regularly perform at schools, hospitals, senior living facilities, places of worship, parks, and other community gathering spaces.
The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the series. Renamed in 2014 in honor of philanthropist William Davidson, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series brings even more opportunities for Metro Detroiters to experience the DSO close to home. In October 2017, the William Davidson Foundation made a $15 million gift of support to the DSO—one of the orchestra’s largest ever–including continued sponsorship of the series.
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TCHAIKOVSKY & PAGANINI
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series
Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek (27375 Bell Rd, Southfield, MI)
Friday, May 12 at 8 p.m. at La-Z-Boy Center – Meyer Theater on the Monroe County Community College campus (1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe, MI)
Sunday, May 14 at 3 p.m. at the Seligman Performing Arts Center on the Detroit Country Day School campus (22305 W. 13 Mile Rd., Beverly Hills, MI)
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Giuseppe Gibboni, violin
Jader Bignamini conducts haunting music from Tchaikovsky's ballet about a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer. Giuseppe Gibboni, winner of the 56th Paganini Competition, plays that composer’s First Violin Concerto, a showcase of technical prowess for the soloist, complete with the orchestra's echoes of a military band. The program opens with the overture to an opera by Bottesini, sometimes called "the Paganini of the Double Bass."
NICCOLÒ PAGANINI Violin Concerto No. 1
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Suite from Swan Lake
GIOVANNI BOTTESINI Overture to Il diavolo della notte
MENDELSSOHN’S “ITALIAN” SYMPHONY
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series
Thursday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts (6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield Township, MI)
Friday, May 26 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church (49555 N Territorial Rd, Plymouth, MI)
Saturday, May 27 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (1340 W. Long Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Sunday, May 28 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church (467 Fairford Rd., Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)
Katharina Wincor, conductor
Hai-Xin Wu, violin
Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony was inspired by a trip to the country that bears its name, and includes music inspired by local folk dances as well as a solemn religious procession the composer observed in Naples. Our very own Hai-Xin Wu performs Vieuxtemps’s Fifth Violin Concerto, a work that displays the full range of the instrument’s expressive capacity, from lilting lines to frenetic storms of rapid notes. The program opens with Haydn’s playful and light-hearted Symphony No. 64, whose Latin subtitle refers to changes brought by the passage of time.
FROM SONATAS TO SAMBAS
Chamber Recital
Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
Cass Community United Methodist Church (3901 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI)
Hannah Hammel Maser, flute
Alexander Kinmonth, oboe
Ralph Skiano, clarinet
Conrad Cornelison, bassoon
Scott Strong, horn
A DSO wind ensemble performs works by Latin American composers Julio Medaglia and Paquito D'Rivera on the program with Beethoven's Sextet in E-flat major, Op. 71. Enjoy this chamber recital in an intimate Detroit venue at Cass Community United Methodist Church.
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About Jader Bignamini
Jader Bignamini was introduced as the 18th music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January 2020, commencing with the 2020-2021 season. He kicked off his tenure as DSO Music Director with the launch of DSO Digital Concerts in September 2020, conducting works by Copland, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Georges. His infectious passion and artistic excellence set the tone for the season ahead, creating extraordinary music and establishing a close relationship with the orchestra. A jazz aficionado, he has immersed himself in Detroit’s rich jazz culture and the influences of American music.
A native of Crema, Italy, Jader studied at the Piacenza Music Conservatory and began his career as a musician (clarinet) with Orchestra Sinfonica La Verdi in Milan, later serving as the group’s resident conductor. Captivated by the operatic arias of legends like Mahler and Tchaikovsky, Jader explored their complexity and power, puzzling out the role that each instrument played in creating a larger-than-life sound. When he conducted his first professional concert at the age of 28, it didn’t feel like a departure, but an arrival.
In the years since, Jader has conducted some of the world’s most acclaimed orchestras and opera companies in venues across the globe including working with Riccardo Chailly on concerts of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony in 2013 and his concert debut at La Scala in 2015 for the opening season of La Verdi Orchestra. Recent highlights include debuts with the Houston, Dallas, and Minnesota symphonies; Osaka Philharmonic and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo; with the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Dutch National Opera (Madama Butterfly); Bayerische Staatsoper (La Traviata); I Puritani in Montpellier for the Festival of Radio France; Traviata in Tokyo directed by Sofia Coppola; return engagements with Oper Frankfurt (La forza del destino) and Santa Fe Opera (La Bohème); Manon Lescaut at the Bolshoi; Traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot at Arena of Verona; Il Trovatore and Aida at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera; Madama Butterfly, I Puritani, and Manon Lescaut at Teatro Massimo in Palermo; Simon Boccanegra and La Forza del destino at the Verdi Festival in Parma; Ciro in Babilonia at Rossini Opera Festival and La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Elisir d’amore at La Fenice in Venice.
When Jader leads an orchestra in symphonic repertoire, he conducts without a score, preferring to make direct eye contact with the musicians. He conducts from the heart, forging a profound connection with his musicians that shines through both onstage and off. He both embodies and exudes the excellence and enthusiasm that has long distinguished the DSO’s artistry.
About Giuseppe Gibboni
With flawless technique and compelling expressiveness, Giuseppe Gibboni won over the jury and audience of the Paganini Violin Competition in Genoa in October 2021. The violinist, born in 2001, was the first Italian in 24 years to win the overall prize, as well as the audience choice prize and special prize for the best interpretations of Niccolò Paganini's Capriccios and Violin Concerto. Subsequently, the now 21-year-old musician has begun an extensive concert career. He made his debut with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under the direction of Lorenzo Viotti. Shortly thereafter, he played with guitarist Carlotta Dalia at the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome; the concert was broadcast live on Italian radio.
Gibboni had already attracted attention with a series of competition successes. He became known to a large television audience in 2016 through his success in the Prodigi–La musica è vita competition broadcast by RAI 1 in collaboration with UNICEF. In the same year he won the first prize and a special prize at the Andrea Postacchini Violin Competition, followed by successes at the Leonid Kogan International Competition in Brussels (2017), the George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest (2018), and the Valsesia Musica Competition (2020).
The son of a family of musicians, Gibboni was first taught by his father Daniele Gibboni before attending the Salerno Conservatory “Martucci.” At the age of 14, he was admitted to the Stauffer Academy in Cremona, where he received lessons from Salvatore Accardo. He also successfully graduated with a Diploma of Honor from the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. After a five-year advanced course at the Accademia Perosi in Biella with Pavel Berman, he now studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg as a student of Pierre Amoyal.
Gibboni recorded his debut CD at the age of 15 for the Warner Classics label. Since 2017, he has been sponsored by the New York SI-YO Foundation. He plays on an Antonio Stradivari, Cremona 1699, ‘Auer, Benvenuti’ violin. As winner of the Paganini Competition, he also had the opportunity to perform on the "Cannone," Niccolò Paganini's favorite instrument built by Guarneri del Gesù in 1743.
About Hai-Xin Wu
Violinist Hai-Xin Wu joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra violin section in July 1995 and was appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the DSO in June 2004. He previously performed throughout the United States, Europe, and his native China.
At the age of 12, Wu was selected as the violin soloist of the Chinese Young Artists’s group to tour the former Yugoslavia. In May 1995, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in New York City, performing the Paganini Violin Concerto with the New York Concert Senior Orchestra. Wu was also featured as soloist with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra for its 25th Anniversary Gala Concert in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center; with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra on its recording and Midwest tour; and with Bergen Philharmonic (New Jersey), among others.
Wu has won competitions including the Waldo Mayo Violin Competition, the Friends of Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Competition and the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition. He also won a special prize in the 2002 Lipizer International Competition. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student of Ariana Bronne.
In addition to performing with the DSO, Wu often plays with various chamber groups, such as the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings and the Cuttime Players. From 1998–2001, he was a member of the Sonnet String Quartet as quartet-in-residence at Oakland University. He is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Wayne State University Music Department and a violin and chamber music coach with the Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Orchestra.
About Katharina Wincor
Austrian conductor Katharina Wincor is a rising, charismatic talent. She made a critically acclaimed Dallas Symphony Orchestra subscription debut in 2021, performing works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Anna Clyne, followed by appearances at the Grafenegg and Gstaad festivals. Recent highlights include debuts and return invitations with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz; Dresden Philharmonic; Cincinnati Symphony at the May Festival in 2022 performing Bernstein’s Candide; Salzburg Festival, where she leads ten performances of the children’s opera Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren; Brevard Music Center Summer Festival; Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin; Graz Symphony Orchestra; Seattle Symphony; Vancouver Symphony; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Phoenix Symphony; Naples Philharmonic; and OFUNAM Mexico. At conductor Laurence Equilbey’s invitation, Wincor served as the chorus master for two performances of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the orchestra of the Opéra de Rouen Normandie in March 2022.
Her previous participation in masterclasses and competitions allowed her to work with world renowned orchestras—the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberger Symphony, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, among others. She was one of just four conductors invited by Iván Fischer to a masterclass with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and was subsequently engaged as his assistant conductor for special projects with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Other mentors include Fabio Luisi, Riccardo Muti, and David Zinman. Wincor began studying conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In 2018, she continued her studies at Zurich University, where she studied in the class of Johannes Schlaefli. At the 2017 Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Wincor received the prestigious Neeme Järvi Prize and was awarded third prize at the 2020 Mahler Competition.
About the DSO
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. 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 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 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.