The atmosphere in the classical music world may not have been optimal in 2012, a year marked by a bruising, public disagreement over pay-cuts and budget shortfalls at the Atlanta Symphony. But fortunately for Atlanta audiences, at least on stage, 2013 turned out to be a year marked by triumphs, upgrades, innovations, world premieres and, most of all, fabulous music.
Symphony Hall got a new acoustic shell, a long overdue replacement. The improvement is vast, not just to the sound, which is now more detailed and intimate, but also to the look of Symphony Hall. The warm wood paneling make the place seem more inviting and elegant.
Highlights of the ASO season included André Watts playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 on opening night, Arvo Pärt's meditative "cantus in memory of benjamin britten," and the drama of "Carmina Burana" with the ASO chorus, which shared an outstanding program with violinist Gil Shaham playing Bartók's brooding Violin Concerto No. 2.
Roswell resident Jamie Barton won one of the opera world's most prestigious titles when she was named BBC Cardiff Singer of the World in June. She also won the contest's other big honor, Best Song, a top-title double-win that's extremely rare in the contest's 30-year history. (Barton is the first woman to win both.) Barton made a stunning debut at Spivey Hall in November and took a star turn at one of her old haunts when she performed with the Atlanta Master Chorale at Emory's Schwartz Center for Christmas concerts in mid-December.
A week before Barton's visit, tenor Nicholas Phan gave a knock-out concert that may have slipped under a lot of people's radar. His nuanced renditions of Benjamin Britten's settings of Thomas Hardy poems made for a fascinating journey into a rich repertoire that we're not always lucky enough to hear in Atlanta.
It was a fantastic year for Atlanta composers, as well. ASO contrabassist and composer Michael Kurth's witty, romantic and sometimes plaintive symphony based on Atlanta graffiti "Everything Lasts Forever" had its world premiere at Symphony Hall in April under the baton of Robert Spano. Spano also masterfully teased out the beautiful interplay of light and dark elements in Emory Professor Richard Prior's "…of shadow and light… (incantations for orchestra)" in early October. In June, independent Atlanta composer Mark Gresham's short violin work "Café Cortadito" was one of 10 honorable mentions in the "In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores" composition contest. The world renowned violinist will play his piece as an encore in an upcoming concert sometime before 2015.
In April, the Atlanta Opera got a new general and artistic director, Tomer Zvulun. He directed his first work in the new position in October — a compelling production of Puccini's "Tosca," which suggested a promising future for the company.
Composer Philip Glass visited Emory for a three-day residency in September, the highlight of which was his concert with renowned violinist Tim Fain at the Schwartz Center. The enthralling evening demonstrated that the composer has been and remains a resolutely forward-looking pioneer.
The pioneering spirit was also in evidence when Georgia Tech's ensemble-in-residence Sonic Generator performed with the prestigious Orchestre National de Lorraine from France in November at the Ferst Center for an evening of contemporary music. Highlights included "City Life" by Steve Reich and John Adams' "Century Rolls" piano concerto, with pianist Sébastien Koch. Sonic Generator also joined forces with contemporary Atlanta-based dance company gloATL to perform "the child project" in collaboration with renowned composer David Lang in February at Kennesaw State's Bailey Performance Center.
But the pioneering spirit isn't all about contemporary music, as the lucky audience at the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra's May concert "Spring in Spain" discovered. The lively program was highlighted by soprano Nell Snaidas and counter-tenor José Lemos performing little-known gems from an interesting corner of the musical past, traditional Sephardic songs from Spain of the Baroque era.
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