FAMU's Lyceum Series will present the Munich Symphony Orchestra featuring Maestro Philippe Entremont, Saturday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium.The Munich Symphony Orchestra is one of Munich’s four symphony orchestras. It was founded in 1945 as “Symphonieorchester Kurt Graunke” and – with its four subscription series in Prinzregententheater, Herkulessaal and the Philharmonie am Gasteig – is regarded as one of the high-profile ensembles of the city of Munich.
For more than 10 years, the Munich Symphony has been a cooperative partner to the opera festival at Gut Immling in Chiemgau with two major opera productions each summer. Attractive productions of film scores (for example, a live concert of the score of “The Lord of the Rings”) and show productions (Roncalli’s “Circus Meets Classic”) add to the profile of the Munich Symphony Orchestra.
The exceptional career of Entremont began at the age of 18 when he came to international attention with his great success at New York’s Carnegie Hall playing Jolivet’s piano concerto and Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Since then, he has pursued a top international career as a pianist, and for the last 30 years, on the podium as well.
The 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons have taken Entremont all over the world, with many orchestral tours including the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Festival Orchestra, the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie, and the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. He will also guest conduct European and American orchestras as well as perform numerous piano and chamber music concerts. Moreover, in the 2010-2011 season, Entremont became principal conductor of the Boca Raton Philharmonic and Lifetime Laureate conductor of the Munich Symphony Orchestra.
His is renown as an orchestral conductor and his dedication to developing orchestras’ artistic potential have led to numerous international tours, playing before full houses: 10 tours in the U.S. and seven in Japan with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, a tour of 11 concerts with the Orquestra de Cadaqués in capitals of countries in Asia, and a tour in Switzerland and Germany conducting the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra.
One of the most recorded artists of all time, Entremont has appeared on many labels, including CBS Sony, Teldec and Harmonia Mundi, and he has garnered all of the leading prizes and awards in the industry. His 2008 releases include Mozart’s Concertone; Concerto for Violin and Piano with the Wiener Kammerorchester; Strauss’ lieder with Sophie Koch (mezzo-soprano); and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 with the Orquesta del Festival Musical de Santa Domingo.
Known as Great Cross of the Austrian Republic Order of Merit, Officer of the French Legion of Honor, Commander of the Order of Merit, Commander of the Order of Arts et Lettres, Entremont has also been awarded the Arts and Sciences Cross of Honor of Austria. He is president of the International Certificate for Piano Artists, president of the Bel’Arte Foundation of Brussels and is director of the famed American Conservatory of Fountainebleau, a post formerly held by the legendary Nadia Boulanger.