Andrew Balio & John Wilson
Biography Andrew Balio & John Wilson
Andrew Balio
has been principal of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since his appointment to the position by Yuri Temirkanov in 2001. For the 2014-15 season, he will also be principal of the Oslo Philharmonic under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. From 1990 to 1993, he served as principal of the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico; and in 1994, Zubin Mehta appointed him principal of the Israel Philharmonic, where he stayed through 2001. The 1999-2000 season had him serving additionally as principal of the Bergen Philharmonic when not needed in Israel.
Balio has been a frequent soloist since his earliest days as a student, having made his debut at the age of 15 playing Haydn’s Concerto with the Milwaukee Symphony in his home state of Wisconsin. Over the years, he has appeared as soloist with various orchestras in Europe, the us, South America, and Asia under the batons of noted conductors Mehta, Venzago, Herbig, Temirkanov, Rozhdestvensky, and McGeegan. His Carnegie Hall solo debut, an important milestone for musicians, came in 2013 in the company of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Constantine Orbelian. Naxos has recently issued his first solo recording, the Weinberg Trumpet Concerto with the St Petersburg Symphony, inaugurating a string of other recording projects planned to document his repertoire.
Performing in churches with an organist has remained his favored context ever since his first studies in Wisconsin when he filled nearly all his Sunday mornings with performances around town. In recent years he has partnered with renowned German organist Felix Hell. Bach’s 2ndBrandenburg Concerto has also been a staple of most concert seasons since his days with the Israel Philharmonic.
His focus has been purely orchestral since his first rigorous studies at the age of 14 with former Oberlin Conservatory professor Gene Young who was himself a close pupil of the New York Philharmonic’s and the Juilliard School’s William Vacchiano. The young Balio was soon introduced to the Chicago Symphony’s Adolph Herseth, almost by chance, after a wind ensemble concert that Young had conducted, and this began a five-year association centered on occasional lessons. Concurrently, Young’s methodical instruction gained entrance for Balio to the Tanglewood Music Festival when he was 15, and there he began much-needed studies in solfeggio with Roger Voisin. There he also met his primary and most influential mentor, Charles Schlueter, the newly installed principal of the Boston Symphony after storied decades with the Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestras. Schlueter offered a place, and ultimately a full-scholarship, for him at New England Conservatory, which Balio briefly attended. While his conservatory studies were quite brief, his apprenticeship and friendship with Schlueter were lasting, and they provided him much experience at the master’s side and as a substitute with the Boston Symphony.
There was a four-year period starting at age 19 when Balio took leave from the trumpet and the conservatory — a quitting, in fact — and during which time he turned to immersive study within a Hindu ashram that was formerly a Jesuit monastery. It was during these intensive years of daily meditation, yogic austerities, renunciation, lessons in classical Vedic philosophy and Sanskrit as well as in Catholic theology and principles, and visits from many of India’s enlightened monastics, that he gained a renewed capacity for learning that presaged his eventual return to music making.
A major feature of yogic breathing practice for meditation, pranayama figured prominently in his newly integrated approach to the trumpet. This knowledge was an ideal addition to the breath-centric wisdom of Schlueter and Herseth — together affectionately called the Midwestern Brass School.
Another chance meeting at the ashram, this time with Israel’s greatest Klezmer musician and former ipo clarinetist, Giora Feidman, serendipitously turned Balio towards joining his fellow musicians again. The philosophical Feidman exhorted Balio not to play just as an occasional hobbyist but to work towards being a musician full-time — to dedicate himself to our art and its practice, while throwing caution to the wind to take a more adventurous path beyond the usual concern of playing correctly. Through no apparent connection to Feidman, five years later, Balio was playing in the Israel Philharmonic, having caught the attention of Mehta during the Shira Music by the Red Sea Festivalunder the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel.
John Wilson
stands at the forefront of American piano music, celebrated for his extraordinary artistry and commanding presence on the concert stage. As the pianist for the San Francisco Symphony and Principal Keyboard for the Marin Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Oakland Symphony, Wilson has solidified his reputation as one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation. His performances are hailed for their technical brilliance, profound musicality, and rare ability to forge a deep connection with audiences.
The 2024-2025 season marks a significant chapter in Wilson’s illustrious career, featuring highly anticipated appearances at Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Symphony Chamber Series, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Showcasing his versatility, Wilson will perform Beethoven’s transcendent “Choral Fantasy” with the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra and deliver a compelling interpretation of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Marin Symphony Orchestra.
Wilson’s remarkable journey is studded with standout performances and critical acclaim. He captivated audiences at the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Midsummer Mozart Festival with a masterful interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24. Demonstrating exceptional adaptability, he stepped in with less than 24 hours’ notice to perform Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto” at the Sun Valley Music Festival, earning unanimous praise. His accolades—including First Prizes in the 2019 International Respighi Prize Competition and the 2021 American Competition, as well as the 2023 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music—underscore his exceptional talent and dedication. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Wilson has premiered works by esteemed composers such as Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Timo Andres, and Steve Reich, significantly contributing to the evolution of modern piano repertoire.
An esteemed chamber musician, Wilson has shared the stage with some of the world’s most renowned artists, including violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Johannes Moser, and vocalists Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, and Andrea Bocelli. His collaborative prowess extends to international tours with the San Francisco Symphony, performing under the legendary Michael Tilson Thomas at Carnegie Hall and across Europe. His engagements as Guest Principal Keyboard with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra further attest to his versatility and esteem among peers.
Wilson’s influence extends beyond the concert hall into the realm of recording, where his artistry continues to garner critical acclaim. His 2022 solo debut album on Avie Records featured the world premiere of Michael Tilson Thomas’s Upon Further Reflection, hailed as a significant contribution to contemporary piano literature. The album received widespread acclaim for Wilson’s insightful interpretation and technical mastery. His recording Rachmaninoff • Gershwin: Transcriptions by Earl Wild has been lauded for its virtuosity and musical depth, with the leading track surpassing one million streams—a testament to his broad appeal. Wilson’s performance on the GRAMMY-winning recording of Tilson Thomas’s Meditations on Rilke, which won Best Classical Compendium, further cements his position as a recording artist of distinction. With the release of GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas on PENTATONE, featuring Upon Further Reflection, Wilson continues to shape the landscape of American piano music through his innovative recordings.
Nicholas Phan
Described by the Boston Globe as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” American tenor Nicholas Phan is increasingly recognized as an artist of distinction. Praised for his keen intelligence, captivating stage presence and natural musicianship, he performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. Also an avid recitalist, in 2010 he co-founded the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC) to promote art song and vocal chamber music, where he serves as artistic director.
A celebrated recording artist, Phan’s most recent album, Stranger: Works for Tenor by Nico Muhly, was nominated for the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. His previous albums, Clairières and Gods and Monsters, were nominated for the same award in 2020 and 2017. He is the first singer of Asian descent to be nominated in the history of the category, which has been awarded by the Recording Academy since 1959. His other previous solo albums Illuminations, A Painted Tale, Still Fall the Rain and Winter Words, made many “best of” lists, including those of the New York Times, New Yorker, Chicago Tribune, WQXR, and Boston Globe. Phan’s growing discography also includes a Grammy-nominated recording of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony, Berlioz’ Roméo et Juliette with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Scarlatti’s La gloria di primavera and Handel’s Joseph and his Brethren with Philharmonia Baroque, an album of Bach’s secular cantatas with Masaaki Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan, Bach’s St. John Passion (in which he sings both the Evangelist and the tenor arias) with Apollo’s Fire, and the world premiere recordings of two orchestral song cycles: The Old Burying Ground by Evan Chambers and Elliott Carter’s A Sunbeam’s Architecture.
A prolific concert artist, Phan regularly appears with many of the leading orchestras in the world, including the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New World Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Boston Baroque, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Violons du Roy, Orchestre de la Suisse-Romande, BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Israel Philharmonic and the Lucerne Symphony. He has toured extensively throughout the major concert halls of Europe and has appeared with the Oregon Bach, Ravinia, Marlboro, Edinburgh, Rheingau, Saint-Denis, Music @ Menlo, and Tanglewood festivals, as well as the BBC Proms. Among the conductors he has worked with are Marin Alsop, Harry Bicket, Herbert Blomstedt, Pierre Boulez, Karina Canellakis, Jonathan Cohen, James Conlon, Alan Curtis, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Charles Dutoit, James Gaffigan, Grant Gershon, Alan Gilbert, Jane Glover, Giancarlo Guerrero, Matthew Halls, Manfred Honeck, Bernard Labadie, Louis Langrée, Cristian Măcelaru, Nicholas McGegan, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, John Nelson, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, George Petrou, Helmuth Rilling, David Robertson, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Masaaki Suzuki, Michael Tilson Thomas, Bramwell Tovey, Jaap Van Zweden and Franz Welser-Möst.
A passionate proponent of vocal chamber music, he has collaborated with many chamber musicians, including pianists Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Jeremy Denk, Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles, Inon Barnatan, Myra Huang, Gabriel Kahane, and Alessio Bax; violinists James Ehnes and Tai Murray; cellist Paul Watkins; the Brooklyn Rider, Jasper and Spektral string quartets; guitarist Eliot Fisk; harpists Bridget Kibbey and Sivan Magen; and horn players Jennifer Montone, Radovan Vlatkovic and Gail Williams. In both recital and chamber concerts, he has been presented by Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, San Francisco Performances, Cal Performances, the Aspen Music Festival, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Atlanta’s Spivey Hall, Boston’s Celebrity Series, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Often working to build the vocal chamber repertoire, numerous new song cycles have been composed for him by many of today’s pre-eminent composers, including Lembit Beecher, Jake Heggie, Gabriel Kahane, Aaron Jay Kernis, Missy Mazzoli, Joel Puckett, Errollyn Wallen, and Nico Muhly.
In addition to his work as artistic director of CAIC, he also has served as guest curator for projects with the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Laguna Beach Music Festival, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Merola Opera program, WQXR, and San Francisco Performances, where he served as the vocal artist-in-residence from 2014-2018.
Phan’s many opera credits include appearances with the Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Chicago Opera Theater, Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and Frankfurt Opera. His growing repertoire includes the title roles in Bernstein’s Candide, Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex and Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Fenton in Falstaff, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Lurcanio in Ariodante.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Phan is the 2012 recipient of the Paul C Boylan Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2018 Christopher Kendall Award. He also studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Aspen Music Festival and School, and is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. He was the recipient of a 2006 Sullivan Foundation Award and 2004 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.
