David Robertson, internationally acclaimed conductor and music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, will give an Assembly Series talk at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, in Graham Chapel.
Free tickets for a Thursday, Sept. 21, orchestra performance are available to students with a current WUSTL ID. Tickets are available at the Edison Theatre box office in Mallinckrodt Center, limit two per student.
This month, Robertson begins his second season as music director of the St. Louis orchestra. He also serves as principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Acclaimed by critics as one of the most important conductors of his generation, he is respected internationally for his dynamic interpretations and extensive command of core orchestral and operatic repertoire. This, combined with his expertise in 20th- and 21st-century music, has earned him a strong following.
Robertson, a champion of young musicians, has devoted time throughout his career to work with students and young artists. Dedicated to making classical music accessible to everyone, he is actively involved in community outreach and conducts the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and the In Unison Chorus — a diverse chorus representing singers from African-American churches.
From 2000-04, Robertson was the music director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and artistic director of Lyon Auditorium, one of the great concert halls of Europe. He was the first to hold both positions simultaneously and has forged strong relationships with major orchestras worldwide.
He has guest conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris and the Staatsorchester in Munich. Domestically he regularly guest conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.
Robertson has a wide-ranging operatic repertoire and has worked with many European and American opera companies.
Born in Santa Monica, Calif., Robertson studied French horn, composition and orchestral conducting at London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Robertson has made numerous recordings on various labels. In 1997 he received the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award, given to exceptionally gifted American conductors. Musical America named Robertson Conductor of the Year in 2000.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information about the Assembly Series lectures, call 935-5285 or go online to assemblyseries.wustl.edu.