“This is a name to watch… Schiffman intensified, emphasised and conjured up the images so vividly, that you could reconstruct the storyline of the fairytale even if you had never heard it before.” (Südkurier)
Jonathan Schiffman has rapidly emerged as one of the most promising and distinctive young conductors on the international scene. His career was launched in 2004 as a result of winning 1st Prize, at age 27, in the 8th Antonio Pedrotti International Conducting Competition in Trento, Italy. The critics praised Schiffman as possessing a rare combination of "uncontestable musicality and impeccable technique".
In 2007, following two seasons as Assistant Conductor to Kurt Masur at the Orchestre National de France and to Ivan Fischer at the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Schiffman was named Music Director of the Orchestre Lyrique de Région Avignon-Provence, thus becoming one of the youngest conductors at the helm of a French orchestra. In February 2006, Schiffman, replacing Kurt Masur on short notice, made his subscription concert debut with the Orchestre National de France at the Théatre de Champs-Elysées which resulted in a 2008 reengagement as well as debuts with the Opéra National de Lorraine and the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire.
In 2009 Schiffman made his debut with the Orchestre de Paris and also with the Northern Sinfonia in a sell-out concert in the Royal Albert Hall, London, and the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz. He has also appeared with the Orchestre de Cannes, Opéra de Rouen, Les Choregies d’Orange, and conducted productions with the Opéra d’Avignon of Les Contes d’Hoffman, La Clemenza di Tito, and I Capuleti e I Montecchi as well as a string of debuts and re-engagements throughout Italy.
Future engagements include a return to the Opera National de Lorraine for a double bill of Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti and Ravel: L’Enfant et les Sortileges in Spring 2010, and debuts with the Gelders Orkest, Helsingborg Symphony, Norrlands Opera Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Dublin. He will also conduct Cosi van Tutti and Eugene Onegin for the Opéra d’Avignon.
An active composer himself, Schiffman has a particularly close affinity to new music. He has conducted premieres by a number of prominent composers including a European premiere of Wolfgang Rihm: Dritter Doppelgesang with the Orchestre National de France. He also conducted the world premiere performance of Stravinsky's last work, entitled, Four Preludes and Fugues transcribed from The Well-Tempered Clavier.
A native of New York City, Schiffman began studying cello at age five. Piano and composition studies followed shortly afterwards. While an undergraduate at Yale, Schiffman was appointed Music Director of the Yale Bach Society Orchestra & Chorus. Upon graduating with honours, Schiffman attended the Aspen Summer Music Festival as a conducting fellow and subsequently received a master’s degree from Juilliard, where he studied conducting with Otto-Werner Mueller. In 2001, Schiffman made his professional conducting debut with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. His success there led to several return engagements as well as concerts with the National Symphony, Eugene Symphony, and Richmond Symphony orchestras. Schiffman moved to Paris in 2003 to study composition with Narcis Bonet as a Fulbright scholar. He currently divides his time between Avignon and New York.
Jonathan Schiffman is represented by Bridget Emmerson at Intermusica
March 2010 / 495 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
SAMPLE CONDUCTING PROGRAMMES
Dutilleux Mystère de l'instant
Beethoven Romance for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in G Major
Dutilleux Sur le même accord
Beethoven Symphony No.7
Ligeti Ramifications
Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major
Ligeti Cello Concerto
Haydn Symphony No.95 in C Minor
Stravinsky Suite No.2 for small orchestra
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Gershwin Second Rhapsody
Stravinsky Firebird Suite
Stravinsky Suite No.2 for small orchestra
Ravel Concerto for piano and orchestra in G major
Greenwood Popcorn Superhet Receiver
Stravinsky Firebird Suite
Brahms Variations on a theme by Joseph Haydn
Lutoslawski Symphonic Variations
Dvořák Concerto for cello and orchestra in B minor
Mozart Symphony No.25 in G minor
Berio Folk Songs
Dallapiccola Piccola Musica Notturna
Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor
Schiffman New work
Stravinsky Danses concertantes
Dvořák Violin Concerto in A minor
Milhaud Symphony No.5 for small orchestra
Ravel Piano Concerto in G minor
Martinů Double Concerto for two string orchestras, piano and timpani
Mozart Symohony No.35 in D major ‘Haffner’
Eric Tanguy Adagio for strings
Prokofiev Violin Concerto no. 2
Nielsen Symphony No.1 in G minor
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Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Konstanz / Chopin, Dallapiccola, Stravinsky
“Whilst the orchestra did not have much to do in Chopin’s piano concerto other than roll out the red carpet for the soloist, the second half of the concert belonged to the Philharmonie and their 32 year-young guest conductor, Jonathan Schiffman. This is a name to watch and his performance of Stravinsky’s ‘Fire Bird’ was an occasion to remember…
The Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie played Stravinsky’s well-loved ballet suite only two years ago… This is still a little too recent to be making a repeat appearance. But in view of Jonathan Schiffman’s breathtaking performance, any objections were over-ridden. He really brought out the vividness of the music. Whether it was the firebird flying towards us, the princesses snuggling down comfortably, or the evil Kaschtschej racing furiously through hell; Schiffman intensified, emphasised and conjured up the images so vividly, that you could reconstruct the storyline of the fairytale even if you had never heard it before. The orchestra followed him every step of the way, showing their flexibility and spontaneity. The Konstanzer Konsil was filled with well-deserved applause.”
Südkurier, October 2009
“Jonathan Schiffman led the orchestra in a transparent, dynamic performance of Mozart’s graceful Haffner Symphony […] This was only a prelude to the orchestral highlight of the evening: Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’, where Jonathan Schiffman and the passionately engaged orchestra painted the magical atmosphere and raging turmoil with breath-taking dynamism and precision.”
Schwäbische Zeitung, October 2009