“A conductor who deserves to have an important career on the
podiums of American orchestras...”
—Henry Fogel, President, The League of American Orchestras

ALEXANDER PLATT, conductor

One of eight conductors chosen to work with the Nashville Symphony at the 2009 National Conductor Preview of the League of American Orchestras, ALEXANDER PLATT has forged a unique career among the younger American conductors, combining a true commitment to regional orchestras with an ability to lead cutting-edge projects on the international scene. Looking forward to his fourteenth year as Music Director of the Waukesha Symphony—which he has returned to its former status as one of Wisconsin’s leading orchestras—and the equally distinguished Marion, Indiana Philharmonic, he is also in his third season as Principal Conductor of the Boca Raton Symphonia, an assigment born of his debut with Sir James Galway, on 48 hours’ notice, at the international Festival of the Arts BOCA. Having previously spent 12 very successful seasons as Music Director of the Racine Symphony Orchestra—which he transformed from a struggling ensemble into an artistically and financially thriving institution—he has also guest-conducted the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Chicago, the Lexington and Hudson Valley Philharmonics, and the Houston, Charlotte, Columbus, Flagstaff, Sioux City and Indianapolis Symphonies, while his European assignments have included the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the Freiburg Philharmonic in Germany, and on several occasions the Aalborg Symphony in Denmark. Alexander made his New York debut with the Brooklyn Philharmonic before thousands in Central Park, and was then invited back to lead them in Dvorák's New World Symphony at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. This summer he makes his third annual appearance with the orchestra, as well as his debut at the New Hampshire Music Festival; in the autumn, he builds on his relationship with the Chicago College of Performing Arts, once again leading its orchestra and now also, its opera department in Puccini's LA RONDINE.
 
Following major assignments with the Minnesota Opera and Skylight Opera Theatre, Alexander Platt made his debut with Chicago Opera Theater in 1997, and was appointed Resident Conductor in 2000. Since then he has led the Chicago premieres of such 20th-century masterworks as John Adams' NIXON IN CHINA, Britten's DEATH IN VENICE and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM; the Chicago stage premiere of Schoenberg's ERWARTUNG; the world premiere of the Tony Kushner/Maurice Sendak version of Krasa's BRUNDIBAR; and the premiere recording of Kurka's THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK—all to high acclaim in Opera News, the  New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times of London, and both the great Chicago papers. In 2007 he made his Canadian debut at the Banff Music Festival to accolades in Opera Canada, and in 2009 he led the Chicago premiere of the Bizet/Peter Brook masterpiece LA TRAGEDIE DE CARMEN— once again to large audiences and unanimous critical acclaim.

Alexander Platt spends his summers in New York’s Hudson River Valley, as the sixth Music Director of The Maverick Concerts, in Woodstock, New York—the oldest summer chamber-music series in America, which under his direction has become a thriving, eclectic festival. A recent highlight of his achievements there was his conducting the world premiere of his own chamber version of David Del Tredici’s FINAL ALICE for soprano and large orchestra. Created under a Rockefeller grant from the New York State Music Fund, his new version was hailed by The New York Times as a workable version of Del Tredici’s 1976 masterpiece; recently Mr. Platt has been sanctioned to create a similar chamber version of a similarly neglected American masterwork, Leonard Bernstein’s SONGFEST.

Alexander Platt was educated at Yale College, as a conducting fellow at both Aspen and Tanglewood, and then at King’s College Cambridge under a British Marshall Scholarship. At Cambridge he led all the important musical societies, and as conductor of the Cambridge University Opera Society led a revival of Britten’s neglected OWEN WINGRAVE which earned him high praise in the London press. During this time he also made his debut at the Aldeburgh Festival, and reconstructed the lost chamber version of the Mahler Fourth Symphony, which has gone on to become a classic of the repertoire. In addition to recording for National Public Radio, the South-West German Radio and the BBC, his 2004 recording of Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with violinist Rachel Barton still appears frequently on radio stations across America.

 

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