It has just been announced that legendary architect, Frank Gehry will create the set design for a tribute to the composer-conductor Pierre Boulez, in honour of his 90th birthday. The concerts will take place on November 14th and 16th, 2014 as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Beyond the Score® series conducted by Riccardo Muti
The 75-minute performance will touch upon music, words and visual projections tied together under the creative stage design of Gehry. The goal of the production is to present a multimedia portrait of Boulez, as well as composers who have influenced him, such as Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.
“Pierre Boulez and Frank Gehry have been close friends for many decades, so I am especially delighted that Frank can be an important part of celebrating Pierre this fall,” said CSO President Deborah F. Rutter. “Frank’s level of innovation in the field of design is equaled only by Pierre’s innovation in music, making this collaboration such a natural one. Frank’s work is widely acclaimed, and of course, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge that he designed—and which are right across the street from Symphony Center in Chicago—are beloved by Chicagoans and visitors alike. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing Frank’s design on our own concert stage, and to witnessing how it will inspire our musicians and our audiences.”
CSO Music Director Riccardo Muti adds, “When I think of Pierre Boulez, I immediately think of him as a man of great culture… To hear in his voice how he thought about each work as he created it, and also after he had time to reflect, is to understand how music is created and then re-created with every performance.”
Gehry and Boulez have enjoyed a close friendship over many decades. They originally met in Los Angeles while Boulez was working with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the 1980s and 1990s. Boulez will also be involved in the production.
Michael Vincent
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