October 20 , 2006
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra Brings “Smiles for an Autumn Evening” To Frederick and Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, MD - - The Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Elizabeth Schulze bring their second of five 2006-2007 Masterworks Series concerts to the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick on November 10 at 8:00 pm and to the historic Maryland Theater in downtown Hagerstown on November 11 at 8:00 pm and November 12 at 3:00 pm. “Smiles for an Autumn Evening” features two giants of the classical repertoire, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig von Beethoven, at their most charming. Very special guest Shai Wosner, dubbed “A superb pianist” by The New York Times, performs of one of Mozart’s early masterpieces, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat, K. 271, also known as the "Jeunehomme" concerto, then the MSO fills the theatre with the glorious notes of Beethoven’s lyrical Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36. This celebration of humor in music also includes Bolcom’s delightful Commedia for (Almost) 18th Century Orchestra.

Winner of a 2005 Avery Fisher Career Grant and a 2005 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, Shai Wosner has been described by The Financial Times as "an artist to follow keenly." Active as a soloist and chamber musician, his uniquely intellectual and poetic approach has caught the attention of audiences and critics alike. Since his Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 with the Chicago Civic Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim conducting, Mr. Wosner has performed with many major orchestras in the United States including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, San Francisco; the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, among others. He has worked with conductors such as Lawrence Foster, Zubin Mehta, Peter Oundjian, and Yan Pascal Tortelier. Abroad, Mr. Wosner has appeared with the Barcelona Symphony, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Gothenburg Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, the Orchestre National de Belgique, and the Staatskapelle Berlin among others.

Mr. Wosner gave his New York recital debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in February 2004 to critical acclaim. He has also given recitals in Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Vancouver, Toronto, Kalamazoo, and on Ravinia's "Rising Stars" series, and his summer festival appearances include The Grand Teton Music Festival and the La Jolla Chamber Music Festival. A sought-after chamber music collaborator, Mr. Wosner was a member of Lincoln's Center's Chamber Music Society Two and has performed at chamber music festivals including Bargemusic, the Chamber Music Northwest festival in Porltand, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, and recently performed in duo recital with cellist Claudio Bohorquez at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico.

A prizewinner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1999, Mr. Wosner has received awards in other international piano competitions, notably in Senigallia, Italy, in Palm Beach and at the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv (1995). He has been a recipient of numerous America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships and has been featured on radio and television in the United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Israel.

Born in Israel in 1976, Shai Wosner studied for 12 years with Emanuel Krasovsky in Tel Aviv. In addition, he studied composition, theory and improvisation with André
Hajdu, with whom he has participated in various improvisation concerts and activities. His studies continued at the Juilliard School with Emanuel Ax.
Mr. Wosner resides in New York City with his wife, Roni Tamari.

Silver Sponsor for the MSO’s appearance in Frederick is Susquehanna Bank. Additional sponsors are John & Diane Laughlin, Dr. & Mrs. George E. Manger, Jr., Joan & John Treadway, the Columbia Bank, Farmers & Mechanics Bank, First United Bank & Trust, Frederick County Bank, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., Sandy Spring Bank and Sycamore.US. Tickets for the concert are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for children and full-time students, and are available at www.weinbergcenter.org or by calling 301-228-2828.

Sponsors for the November 11 and 12 Hagerstown concerts are Art & Ruth Anne Callaham, Dr. & Mrs. Anton T. Dahbura, Jeanne & Mack Davis, Ferris, Baker Watts, Inc. and Marshfield Associates. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is also supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for “Smiles for an Autumn Evening” in Hagerstown and mini-subscriptions for all 25th Anniversary Season performances are available at the MSO Box Office at 13 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown, or at 301-797-4000. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Elizabeth Schulze, is currently celebrating its twenty-fifth season as the area’s premiere professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances and programs that educate and entertain while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the Quad-state region.