91Èȱ¬

• Italian maestro steps down after almost a decade of thrilling music making in Manchester
• Season recalls highlights of his time with the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic and close with concert performance of Verdi's Otello
• Roster of visiting conductors including Gunther Herbig, Pablo Heras Casado and Juanjo Mena, also share spotlight
• Soloists appearing with 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic this season include: Alison Balsom, Philippe Cassard, James Ehnes, Barbara Frittoli, Alban Gerhardt, Stephen Hough, Sergey Khachatryan, Katie van Kooten, Sabine Meyer and Steven Osborne

The 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic announces its next season at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, with news that it will be Gianandrea Noseda's last as chief conductor. His close association with the Orchestra will continue when he takes up the title of Conductor Laureate in September 2011, spending up to three weeks per year in Manchester

Under his leadership the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic has developed a visceral, inspirational quality in its music making, combined with careful attention to detail and overall structure.

Gianandrea's final season will recall some of the highlights of his tenure at the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic, featuring repertoire by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Strauss.

His last concert as chief conductor will be Verdi's tragic masterpiece, Otello. Firmly stamping the Italian flavour on proceedings, he opens the season with the Overture from Verdi's Forza del destino.

Noseda arrived in 2002 with an already impressive track record in interpretations of the greats of Russian music, including Shostakovich and Prokofiev. He quickly established his musical versatility and his survey of the Beethoven Symphonies in 2005 marked him as an outstanding new talent.

His passion for opera and its impact in concert performance has produced memorable collaborations notably with the Mariinsky Theatre, and one of Europe's premiere opera houses Teatro Regio in Turin, where he is Music Director.

His scorching performances of Tchaikovsky's The Queen Of Spades, Strauss' Salome and Rachmaninoff's Francesca da Rimini will live long in the memory.

Gianandrea has produced a catalogue of 20 CDs with the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic for Chandos and his daring and imaginative interpretations have led to critical re-appraisals of music by Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Smetana.

Richard Wigley, 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic's general manager, comments: "Gianandrea has forged a unique partnership with the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic, and their recent defining performances of Mahler's Sixth and Seventh symphonies are powerful proof of this.

"He is welcomed at the world's finest opera houses and orchestras, and has created the same expectation of international quality for his beloved 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic. His legacy of acclaimed recordings for Chandos, wonderful Proms and countless special performances here in Manchester are testament to his outstanding achievements as Chief Conductor."

Elsewhere in the season, the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic's popular chief guest conductor, Vassily Sinaisky, will present three concerts, starting with a Russian fest of music by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, while visionary composer/conductor HK "Nali" Gruber will perform his show-stopping work Pandemonium Frankenstein.

Former principal conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier also returns, as does Günther Herbig.

Two of Spain's exceptional talents come back this season. Juanjo Mena makes his debut at The Bridgewater Hall, in October, conducting Steven Osborne in Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto and Bruckner's epic Seventh Symphony, while Pablo Heras Casado follows with the Mozart Requiem and Strauss' Four Last Songs.

Giving valuable insight into the music, journalist and critic Lynne Walker's pre-concert discussions with guest musicians and commentators continue by popular demand. These are one hour before each performance and are free to ticket holders.

The majority of concerts start at 7.30pm. All are recorded for broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 3, or go out live on the network.

Next year, the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic moves to its brand-new home in nearby Salford at MediaCityUK. The Orchestra will join the rest of 91Èȱ¬ North at the 91Èȱ¬'s new regional centre at Salford Quays, and look forward to a purpose-built recording studio and rehearsal space.

More information can be found out about the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic at bbc.co.uk/philharmonic, or by requesting a season brochure from: philharmonic@bbc.co.uk.

Tickets cost from ₤10 to ₤31.50 (concessions available) and can be purchased either by telephoning The Bridgewater Hall Box Office on 0161 907 9000 or by going online at www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk.

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