Grant Gershon gives an overview of
the world premiere requiem by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse
to the Los Angeles Master Chorale Board of Directors.
Grant
Gershon,
currently in his 10th season as music director of the Los Angeles Master
Chorale, has garnered tremendous critical acclaim during his tenure with the
renowned chorus. The Los Angeles Times proclaims that the Chorale “has become
the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon.” Composer John Adams declares, "Grant
Gershon is one of those rarities we call 'the complete musician.' My respect
for his musicality—for his conducting, his extraordinary musical intuition and
his formidable ear—knows no bounds.” In addition to his post with the Chorale, Gershon
also holds the position of Associate Conductor / Chorus Master of the LA Opera.
During his tenure with the Chorale, he has led
over 75 performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, including virtually all of
the major choral works. Also well known
as a champion of new music, Gershon has led world premiere performances of
works by John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Christopher Rouse, Steve Reich, and
Chinary Ung, among many others. His
discography includes two Grammy-nominated recordings: Sweeney Todd and Ligeti’s Grand Macabre; as
well as three CDs with the Chorale: Glass-Salonen, You Are, and Daniel Variations.
Grant Gershon
In New York,
Gershon has appeared on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center and on
the Making Music series at Zankel Hall. Other
major appearances include performances at the Ravinia, Aspen, Edinburgh,
Helsinki and Vienna Festivals. He has
worked closely with many leading conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Pierre
Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka
Salonen.
In 2007, Gershon
conducted the Minnesota Opera’s world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera The
Grapes of Wrath, which was recorded live for PS Classics. In addition, he has conducted choral
recording sessions for the motion picture sound tracks of I Am Legend, Charlie Wilson’s War, Lady in the Water, Click and License to Wed. In 2009, he made his highly acclaimed LA Opera
debut leading eight performances of Verdi’s La Traviata. Last season, Gershon
led the world-premiere performances at LA Opera of Daniel Catán’s Il Postino,
featuring Plácido Domingo. He will make
his Santa Fe Opera debut in 2011, conducting Peter Sellars’ new production of
Vivaldi’s Griselda.
Gershon was recently named Outstanding Alumnus
of the USC Thornton School of Music and is a member of the Board of Advisors
for the Thornton School and the Board of Directors of Chorus America.
