PERRYSOCONDUCTOR

In the2015-16 season, conductorPerrySomadedebutswiththe Houston, New Jersey, Grand Rapids, Sarasota, Omaha,ShanghaiandGuangzhouSymphonyOrchestras,andreturnedto the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic, theRoundTopFestival,andtheOrquestaSinfónicadelPrincipadodeAsturias.Inthatseason,hegavethreeworldpremieresandhis wide-ranging programs included works by composers asvaried as Rameau, Beethoven, Schumann, Glazunov,Schoenberg,ChenQigangandGuillaumeConnesson.The2016-2017 season includes his German debut with the RheinishePhilharmonie Koblenz and appearances with Orchestra NewEngland,OrquestaSinfonicadelPrincipadodeAsturias,andtheRoyalDanishBalletforJewels.AninauguralDudamelConductingFellowoftheLosAngelesPhilharmonic,hereceivedtheFirstandSpecialPrizesattheFifthInternationalProkofievConductingCompetitioninStPetersburg.HisrecordingofBarberandKorngold'sViolinConcertoswithviolinistAlexanderGilmanandtheCapePhilharmonicOrchestrareceivedtheDiapasond’OrinJanuary2012.RecenthighlightsincludedebutswiththeClevelandOrchestra,theChinaPhilharmonic,theResidentieOrkestintheHague,andtheIsraelandVancouverSymphonyOrchestras.Thelatterhetookoverwithfivedays'notice,andwasimmediatelyreinvitedforthefollowingseason.FollowinghisstintasconductingfellowattheLosAngelesPhilharmonic,hehasbeenafrequentguestbothatWaltDisneyHallandtheHollywoodBowl.DuringhistenureattheHongKongPhilharmonic,firstasAssistant,thenAssociateConductor,heledtheorchestrawithLangLanginaninternationallytelevisedcelebrationofthe15thAnniversaryofHongKong'sreturntoChina.HetouredtheBalkanPeninsulawiththeZagrebPhilharmonicinthefirstseriesofculturalexchangesestablishedafterthebreakupofYugoslavia.InrecentyearshehasappearedwiththeLondonPhilharmonicOrchestra,ZürcherKammerorchester,theRoyalDanishOpera,theNewZealandSymphony,theJapanPhilharmonic,SingaporeandNationalTaiwanSymphonies.HehasconductedproductionsofMozart'sCosífantutteandTheMagicFlute,Britten'sTurnoftheScrew,Handel'sGiulioCesare,Puccini'sGianniSchicchi,Bernstein'sCandideandJohannStrauss'DieFledermaus.HispassionforworkingwithyoungmusicianshastakenhimtotheAustralianYouthOrchestra,theRoundTopFestival,theManhattanSchoolofMusic,theHongKongAcademyforthePerformingArts,andtheYaleSchoolofMusic.HehasassistedEdodeWaart,Esa-PekkaSalonen,GustavoDudamel,LorinMaazelandJohnAdams.BorninHongKong,PerrySostudiedComparativeLiteratureatYaleUniversity,andcurrentlylivesinNewHaven,Connecticut.

PERRYSOCONDUCTOR

RECENTCRITICALACCLAIMSarasotaOrchestra–Beethoven"Eroica";SibeliusViolinConcerto;BilikSymphonyinM-L"GuestconductorPerrySohandledtheorchestrawithconfidenceandprecisionandtheirperformancedidnotdisappoint...theperformanceofBeethoven’sSymphonyNo.3inE-flatmajor,Op.55(Eroica)wasinvigorating.ConductorSokeptabrisktempoandcrispcohesiveness." -GayleWilliams,SarasotaHeraldTribune"TheSarasotaOrchestra,conductedbyPerrySo,seemedtonailtheperpetualmotionofmuchofthepiece,givingusarousingfirsthearingthatwasbothaccessibleandstriking...PerrySoisadynamicyoungconductorwithmuchtoofferanorchestra.Hisbeatisclear,hedoesn’tover-conduct,he’sanexcellentaccompanist,hebreatheswithhisphrases,andhe’sabletobringthebestoutofhismusicians.ThesetraitsweremostevidentintheSibelius“ValseTriste,”whichservedastheconcert’sencore.Hereweheardtheversatilityofthisexcellentensemble,takingthemfromawhisperofapianissimotolarge,neverforcedandbeautifulfortes.Itwillbeinterestingtofollowhiscareer." -JuneLeBell,YourObserver.comVancouverSymphonyOrchestra–SibeliusSymphonyNo.1"PerrySocertainlytooktheworktoheart,controllingdynamicsandtexturesmostsensitively,andcoaxingbothcleanlinesandconsiderableintensityoutoftheorchestra.Hisabilitytobuildclimaxeswithjudgmentandpowerwasunerringandhisabilitytomaintainconcentrationandfeelingthroughtothequietendingwasnotable.Hisorchestralcontrolisreallystunning,andthesheerquicknessofexecutionandmassedpowerthathecoaxedoutoftheorchestraissomethingwedonotseethatoften.Thiswasaninspiredconcert…WelcometoVancouver,PerrySo!” -GeoffreyNewman,SeenandHeardInternationalCapePhilharmonicOrchestra–RecordingofBarberandKorngoldViolinConcertos“GilmanandSogive[theKorngoldViolinConcerto]astaturethatmakesitfitrightinwiththeBarber.Thisisnotmerelya“good”performance…thisisamoving,resplendentperformance,withtherightbalanceoflyricismandintrospectionandplentyofvirtuosity.Finally,arecordingofthisconcertothatI’lllistentobecauseIwantto,notbecauseIhavetoforareview!” -LawrenceHansen,AmericanRecordGuide“TheorchestraofCapeTownunderthebrilliantandconvincingleadershipofPerrySocontributedconsiderablytothestrongimpression.” -PizzicatoMagazin(Luxembourg)OrquestaSinfónicadelPrincipadodeAsturias“PerrySo’senergycreatesaspecialatmosphereeverytimehestepsontothepodiumofOSPA…ThesecondhalfwasdevotedtoBrahms’ThirdSymphony,outofwhichPerrySoveryelegantlyextractedallofitssonicpoetry,withagogicease.Weshouldcelebratetheconductor’sbroadvision,whichextendedwithasenseofevolutiontothelastmovementofthesymphony.” -DianaDiaz,LaNuevaEspaña“TheconcertconductedbyChineseconductorPerrySo...endedwithanabsolutelybrightperformanceofStravinsky’sSymphonyinC,richlydetailed,spirited,filledwithtensionandrhythmicdriveinthefastermovementsandbeautifullyrelaxedplayingintheslowerparts.” -RemyFrank,PizzicatoMagazine(Luxembourg)HongKongPhilharmonicOrchestra–RachmaninoffSymphonyNo.1andPianoConcertoNo.4“So[generated]aforthrightnessfromtheorchestrathatputitonanequal,ifnotdominant,footingwithsoloistSimonTrpceski.HavingtheMacedonian'skeyboardbravuragroutingtheorchestra'svibrantbricksofsoundworkedatreat.” -SamOlluver,SouthChinaMorningPost

NewZealandSymphonyOrchestra–BeethovenSymphonyNo.6“PerrySo'sperformancehadanimmediacyandasenseofbeingheardtotallyafreshthatIfounditbothilluminatingandinspiring...hebroughtasenseofdelighttotheperformancethatisrare.”-LindisTaylor,MiddleCNewZealandSymphonyOrchestra–DvořákSymphonyNo.9“PerrySoenabledonetofallinlovealloveragainwithDvorak'smostwell-knownsymphony...Herewasafresh,urgently-deliveredsequenceofresponseswhichmadethenotessoundasthoughtheyreallymattered.” -PeterMechen,MiddleCHongKongArtsFestival–JuneLovers“Atlastweek’spremiere,conductorPerrySokeptatightreignontheproceedingswhilegracefullylettinghissingerssoar.” -KenSmith,FinancialTimesTheFloridaOrchestra“Hisconductingwasassured,elegantandanimatedatthesametime,withbroad,expressivegestures.” -JohnFleming,TampaBayTimesLosAngelesPhilharmonicOrchestra–TchaikovskySerenadeforStrings“[In]Tchaikovsky'sSerenadeforStrings,[hegot]aripe,clear,cohesivestringsound[fromtheLosAngelesPhilharmonic]." -TheLosAngelesTimesCapePhilharmonicOrchestra-FauréPélleasetMélisandeSuite“So’saccountseemedjustright–aseamlessreading–almosttactileinitssilkiness–theharmoniespulsedgentlyandthesolowinds(particularlytheflutesolo)shonewithanostalgiclustre.” -DeonIrish,CapeTimesMilwaukeeSymphonyOrchestra“Anarticulate,preciseconductor...SogaveindividualplayerswithintheorchestrathefreedomtheyneededtoshapethehauntingmelodiesofPavanepouruneinfantedéfuntewithoutlettingtheexpressiveplayingtugatthetempo.HeconductedStravinsky'sFirebirdSuitewiththepiece'scomplexrhythmsfirmlyinhandandaclearunderstandingoftheconstantlyshiftinglayersofsound...Theirtakeonthefinalmovementwasclean,disciplinedandcracklingwithenergy.” -MilwaukeeJournalSentinelCharlestonSymphonyOrchestra–DvořákSymphonyNo.7“Anup-and-comingyoungtalentwithavigorousinterestinplumbingthedepthsofthemusicheconductsandacontagiouslyenergeticstyleonthepodium.” -AdamParker,CharlestonPost&Courier“So–everwearinghisheartonhissleeve–didn’tletasingleinstanceofsearingemotiongetpastus.” -LindsayKoob,CharlestonCityPaper