HIGHLIGHTS FROM HANDELS TESEO SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE MAY 6 ON PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE PRODUCTIONS San Francisco, CA A ri!

! ", #$"% The seventh disc on Philharmonia Baroque Orchestras own recording label will feature highlights from Handels Teseo. Scheduled for release on Ma !" the disc features e#cer$ts from this rarel %$erformed o$era recorded live at &irst 'ongregational 'hurch" ($ril )* and )+" ,-)*. Music .irector /icholas Mc0egan conducts the orchestra and an acclaimed cast of soloists including .ominique 1abelle" (manda &ors the" (m &reston" 2obin Bla3e" .rew Minter" and '4line 2icci. This recording is made $ossible b a generous gift from the 5averle &und. The New York Times $raised Philharmonia for their 6irre$ressible $ositive energ 7 in the ,-)* live $erformance of this wor8 6that confirmed its leading $osition in the field.7 The San Francisco Chronicle called the $erformance 6sum$tuous7 commenting s$ecificall on the 6bright and tender7 $la ing of the orchestra. (ll Philharmonia Baroque Productions recordings are distributed b harmonia mundi in the 9nited States" 9nited :ingdom" 0erman and (ustria and are available in both standard '. and digital download formats from (ma3on" iTunes and other online outlets" as well as all ma;or retailers and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra website" www.$hilharmonia.org. 1isteners will also be able to download the album in high resolution" ,+%bit<=!8H3 audio" on H. Trac8s www.hdtrac8s.com. (ll si# of the Philharmonia Baroque Productions recordings are $roduced and engineered b .avid v.2. Bowles" who has $roduced the orchestras recordings since )==!. (mong the most%recorded $eriod%instrument orchestras in the 9nited States or in >uro$e" Philharmonia has made *? highl $raised recordings" including its Gramophone award winning recording of Handels Susanna, for harmonia mundi" 2eference 2ecordings and BM0. @n ,-))" the orchestra launched its own label" Philharmonia Baroque Productions" with an acclaimed recording of Berlio3s Les Nuits d't and Handel arias featuring me33o%so$rano 1orraine Hunt 1ieberson. The second '. release" Ha dnA S m$honies /o. )-+ London" /o. BB" /o. )-) The Clock" was nominated for a 02(MMCD (ward for Best Orchestral Performance and featured in the ,-)) New York Times Best 'lassical 2ecordings list. The ensemble then went on to release a recording of Eivaldi violin concertos including The Four Seasons feat uring violinist >li3abeth Blumenstoc8" a recording of Handels Atalanta also featuring Philharmonia 'horale and a recording of Brahms Serenades" the latter also featuring in the ,-), New York Times Best 'lassical 2ecordings list and described as a 6Ftrul treasurable disc.7 These last seven releases on the Philharmonia label" including their most recent release Beetho en S!mphonies Nos" # and $" are the first the orchestra has issued since ,--G" when it self%released live recordings of Ha8e Heggies To %ell and Back and Beethovens S m$hon /o. =. /amed Musical (mericas >nsemble of the Cear in ,--+" music critic Hoshua :osman said" 6This adventuresome band has carved out a niche as the nations liveliest $urve or of $eriod $erformances. The

uncommon brilliance of its instrumental $la ing infuses the historical%$erformance enter$rise with a vitalit and 3est that are worlds removed from dull conformit to the dictates of scholarshi$.7 (1B9M @/&O2M(T@O/ 0>O20> &2@.>2@' H(/.>1 Teseo IhighlightsJ" H5E = I)!B?%)G?=J 2eleased Ma !" ,-)+ Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra /icholas Mc0egan" conductor .ominique 1abelle IMedeaJ" soprano (manda &ors the ITeseoJ" soprano (m &reston I(gileaJ" soprano 2obin Bla3e I(rcaneJ" countertenor .rew Minter I>geoJ" countertenor '4line 2icci I'li3iaJ" soprano Heffre &ields ISacerdote .i MinervaJ" &aritone Honathan Smuc8er I'horusJ" tenor ABOUT PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra has been dedicated to historicall %informed $erformance of Baroque" 'lassical and earl %2omantic music on original instruments since its ince$tion in )=B). 9nder Music .irector /icholas Mc0egan" Philharmonia has been named >nsemble of the Cear b 'usical America. The Orchestra $erforms an annual subscri$tion series in the San &rancisco Ba (rea" and is regularl heard on tour in the 9nited States and internationall . The Orchestra has its own $rofessional chorus" the Philharmonia 'horale" directed b Bruce 1amott" and welcomes talented guest artists such as me33o%so$rano Susan 0raham" countertenor .avid .aniels" conductor Hordi Savall" forte$ianist >mmanuel (#" conductor Masaa8i Su3u8i" and violinist 2achel Podger. The Orchestra has had numerous successful collaborations with celebrated com$osers and choreogra$hers. Philharmonia $remiered its first commissioned wor8" a one%act o$era b Ha8e Heggie entitled To %ell and Back" in /ovember ,--!. @n collaboration with the Mar8 Morris .ance 0rou$" Philharmonia Baroque gave the 9nited States $remieres of Morriss highl acclaimed $roductions of Henr Purcells (in) Arthur and Hean% Phili$$e 2ameaus ballet%o$era *late. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra was founded b har$sichordist and earl music $ioneer 1aurette 0oldberg. ABOUT NICHOLAS McGEGAN (s he embar8s on his fourth decade on the $odium" /icholas Mc0egan" hailed as 6one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation7 I1ondon +ndependentJ" is increasingl recogni3ed for his $robing and revelator e#$lorations of music of all $eriods. He has been music director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for ,G ears" and was (rtistic .irector of the @nternational Handel &estival 0Kttingen for ,- ears I)==),-))J. Beginning in the ,-)*%,-)+ season he becomes Princi$al 0uest 'onductor of the Pasadena S m$hon . His a$$roach to $eriod st le L intelligent" infused with ;o and never dogmatic L has led to a$$earances with ma;or orchestras including the /ew Cor8" 1os (ngeles and Hong :ong PhilharmonicsM the 'hicago" Milwau8ee" St. 1ouis" Toronto and S dne S m$honiesM the 'leveland and the Philadel$hia OrchestrasM and the /orthern Sinfonia and Scottish 'hamber Orchestra" where his $rograms often mingle Baroque with later wor8s. He is also at home in o$era houses having conducted com$anies including 'ovent 0arden" San &rancisco" Santa &e and 5ashington. >nglish%born /icholas Mc0egan was educated at 'ambridge and O#ford. He was made an Officer of the Most >#cellent Order of the British >m$ire IOB>J 6for services to music overseas.7 Other awards include the Halle Handel Pri3eM the Order of Merit of the State of 1ower Sa#on I0erman JM the Medal of Honour of the 'it of

0KttingenM and a declaration of /icholas Mc0egan .a " b the Ma or of San &rancisco in recognition of his wor8 with Philharmonia. PRESS AND MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT :aren (mes 'ommunications :aren (mes or Brenden 0u I+)?J !+)%G+G+ 8arenN8arenames.com brendenN8arenames.com Michael 'osta" Philharmonia Baroque >#ecutive .irector I+)?J ?,-%),-G or mcostaN$hilharmonia.org &or a com$lete biogra$h " visit htt$A<<www.$hilharmonia.org<about<histor < Press $hotos are available at www.$hilharmonia.org<$ress%room<resources