Thierry Fischer

The Utah Symphony’s music director, Thierry Fischer, will be stepping in on short notice to conduct the BBC Symphony’s “Boulez at 90” concert at London’s Barbican on March 21, replacing the originally scheduled conductor Francois-Xavier Roth.

The concert is the culmination of a weekend series of concerts and other events marking the 90^thbirthday of the legendary French composer, conductor and mentor Pierre Boulez. The nonagenarian has had a long and fruitful association with the BBC Symphony dating back to the early 1960s and including a stint as its chief conductor.

Pierre Boulez (Photo Credit: Eric Marinitsch)

On the March 21 program are two works by Boulez: the orchestral version of Notations and the massive Pli selon pli (Fold by Fold), the composer’s seminal masterpiece. A setting of poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, the large scale song cycle  was written between 1957-62. At over an hour it is the composer’s longest work. Joining Fischer and the orchestra for this performance will be the Korean soprano Yeree Suh.

Fischer is an ardent fan of Boulez’s music who doesn’t shy away from undertaking large, demanding programs. He is also a well known figure at BBC Symphony concerts. His last appearance with the ensemble was last season, when he conducted another massive work, Olivier Messiaen’s Éclairs sur l’au-delà (Illuminations of the Beyond).

For more information about the “Boulez at 90” celebration log on to http://www.bbc.co.uk/symphonyorchestra.