NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC APPOINTS CARTER BREY
TO PRINCIPAL CELLO POSITION
June 13, 1996 -- The New York Philharmonic announced today that it has
appointed Carter Brey to its Principal Cello position effective September
15. Known to American audiences for his consummate musicianship, virtuosity
and technique, Mr. Brey will join a long line of distinguished cellists
who have held the post in the Orchestra's 154 years. He replaces Lorne Munroe,
who retired at the end of the 1995-96 season.
"We are delighted to announce this appointment," said Deborah
Borda, the Philharmonic's Executive Director. "It continues the Philharmonic's
long-standing tradition of brilliant principal cellists occupying this chair.
Carter Brey's qualities as an outstanding ensemble musician are wonderfully
matched with his remarkable solo abilities."
"I am thrilled about this," commented Mr. Brey. "I grew up
in New York, and some of my earliest musical experiences were attending
Young People's Concerts by the Philharmonic with Leonard Bernstein conducting.
This is my hometown orchestra. To think that I'm not only joining it, but
also stepping into the shoes of Lorne Munroe and before him Carl Stern,
Laszlo Varga, and Leonard Rose-this is an honor."
Mr. Brey was educated at the Peabody Institute, where he studied with Laurence
Lesser and Stephen Kates, and at Yale University, where he studied with
Also Parisot. He rose to international attention in 1981 as a prize-winner
in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition, and his subsequent
appearances with Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra were widely
praised. The winner of the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Prize, Avery Fisher
Career Grant, the Young Concert Artists' Michaels Award a~and other honors,
he also was the first musician to win the Arts Council of America's Performing
Arts Prize.
Considered today a leading instrumentalist of his generation, Mr. Brey has
appeared as soloist with virtually all the major orchestras in the United
States, and performed under the batons of Claudio Abbado, Semyon Bychkov,
Sergiu Comissiona, Christoph von Dohnanyi and other prominent conductors.
Among his noteworthy chamber-music collaborations are a series of duo recitals
with pianist Christopher O'Riley, and his recording, for Decca's Argo label,
of Aaron Jay Kernis' Still Movement with Hymn with violinist Pamela Frank
and violist Paul Neubauer. Recently he gave a program of works by Amy Beach
at Alice Tully Hall as part of a special Lincoln Center series on American
music. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ilaria Dagnini Brey, and
their two children, Ottavia and Lucas.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Polly Winograd
Arizeder Urreiztieta
Telephone: (212) 875-5700
Fax: (212) 875-5717
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