NEWS
JAMES S. KAHANE'S DEBUT ALBUM TO BE RELEASED IN MAY 2024
24.3.2024
The first album of James S. Kahane with the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra will be released on May 24th 2024.
The recording, distributed by multi-award-winning record label Resonus Classics, features Sami Junnonen as soloist in three three works for flute solo and orchestra.
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"The flute concertos by Jacques Ibert, André Jolivet and Joaquín Rodrigo together embody a distinctive musical heritage written for the flute in the twentieth century, exploring the instrument’s limits.
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These works are now heard together for the first time on one album. Flautist Sami Junnonen is joined by the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra under the direction and conducting of James S . Kahane."
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Based in the UK and launched in the spring of 2011, the award-winning classical label Resonus Classics has a growing reputation for high resolution classical music recordings supporting diverse and eclectic repertoire with artists from across the globe including the UK, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Australia and the USA.
In 2015-16 Resonus won both a Gramophone Award and a BBC Music Magazine Award for its highly-regarded recording with David Watkin of J.S. Bach’s oft-recorded Cello Suites. Further award nominations have followed and in 2021 Resonus won the Opera category of the BBC Music Magazine Awards with Malcolm Arnold's The Dancing Master.
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JAMES S. KAHANE APPOINTED PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR OF THE ORCHESTRE DE CHAMBRE DE LA DRÔME
10.03.2023
James S. Kahane has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de la Drôme alongside French Conductor Rémi Durupt.
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"The 2023 season starts soon! But before that, it's time to announce our new artistic committee following the last general meeting of the Orchestre de Chambre de la Drôme. We are pleased to bring together the talented:
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Nicolas Mizen, Artistic Director
Irène Hontang, Mediation Officer
Rémi Durupt, Principal Conductor
James S. Kahane, Principal Conductor
Alcide Menetrier, Concertmaster"
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A newcomer to the professional musical landscape, the Orchestre de Chambre de la Drôme aims to become one of the leading French chamber orchestras.
Since its creation, the Orchestre de Chambre de la Drôme has brought together young professional instrumentalists around the same musical project, allowing its members to put into practice the musical training received in the best institutions in France and Europe.
The founders of the Orchestra imagined an ensemble as part of an innovative and ambitious project, aimed at becoming part of the Department of Drôme in the long term.
JAMES S. KAHANE JOINS RSB ARTISTS
17.12.2021
James S. Kahane joins RSB Artists for representation in France.
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"The musical year has just ended for the conductor James S. Kahane, with highly successful concerts alongside the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse and the the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra, and we are at this occasion very happy to announce that he will count from this day on among our artists; we will represent him for the French territory.
At the age of 26, the French conductor, who has been living in Finland for a few years, already has a rich career, which has seen him lead many first-rate orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Strings as well as the Gstaad Festival Orchestra."
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RSB Artists is a dynamic artistic agency on a human scale specialized in the management of the careers of lyrical artists and conductors. Besides the confirmed talent they represent, the agency attaches great importance to the research of young artists who will be tomorrow's stars.
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RSB Artists has the advices of the most competent specialists and in particular thanks Nicolas Jouve and Serge Doumeng.
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THE DOCUMENTARY MOVIE "CONDUCTIVITY" TO BE RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 7th
16.01.2020
The documentary movie "Conductivity", which features James S. Kahane as one of its 3 main protagonists, is set to be released on February 7th of 2020 in the movie theaters in Finland.
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The movie follows Kahane through the last 3 years and highlights various musical events and moments from his conducting education in Finland.
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"Conductivity is a film about creative leadership told through the story of three young conductors at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland; I-Han Fu (Taiwan), Emilia Hoving (Finland) and James S. Kahane (France). When stepping on the podium, they are put under a magnifying glass. Conductor training, in essence, is leadership training. The film gives a unique viewpoint to follow the students, as this is the first film about conductor training at the Sibelius Academy."
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Direction: Anna-Karin Grönroos. Script: Anna-Karin Grönroos. Cinematography: Mika Mattila. Editing: Okku Nuutilainen. Sound Design: Tuomas Klaavo. Composer: Salla Luhtala. Cast: Emilia Hoving, I-Han Fu, James S. Kahane, Atso Almila, Susanna Mälkki, Hannu Lintu. Production: Tuffi Films / Venla Hellstedt.
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JAMES S. KAHANE INVITED AS CONDUCTING FELLOW
08.04.2019
James S. Kahane has been selected as Conducting Fellow of the Atlantic Music Festival 2019.
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As a Resident Artist Fellow, Kahane will be joining a community of distinguished guest artists and faculty members including Alan Stepansky, Amy Beth Kirsten, Angel Valchinov, Arlene Shrut, Beth Roberts, Caroline Helton, Chen Yi, Christopher Dobrian, Cynthia Hoffmann, David Fung, David Ludwig, Donald Crockett, Donald Palma, Gabriel Prynn, George Tsontakis, Hannah Lash, Hitomi Koyama, James Van Demark, Joan Kwuon, José Ramón Mendez, Julie Rosenfeld, Karen Brunssen, Kisun Sung, Logan Skelton, Mari Kimura, Mei-Hsuan Huang, Melinda Wagner, Michelle LaCourse, Moni Simeonov, Natalya Antonova, Pierre Jalbert, Reiko Fueting, Sang Woo Kang, Sean Duggan, SoJin Kim, Stephen Lancaster, Victor Rosenbaum, Yeesun Kim, and Zhou Long.
Throughout the season, the festival encourages active collaborations between members of the Orchestra, ResidentArtists, Contemporary Ensemble, pianists, singers, conductors, and over 40 composers.
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The Atlantic Music Festival (AMF) is a classical music festival held every summer in Waterville, Maine, United States on the campus of Colby College. During the month-long event, the festival presents internationally renowned artists as well as performances by resident orchestra and its members. The mission of the Atlantic Music Festival is to showcase independence and originality in the American musical performance arena. The event allows hundreds of emerging artists to gather in recognition of the work of both past and present musical masters.
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THE HELSINKI CHAMBER ORCHESTRA IS LIVE!
01.11.2018
The Helsinki Chamber Orchestra was officially launched in Fall 2018. James S. Kahane will be serving as its Principal Conductor and member of the Artistic Board.
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"The Helsinki Chamber Orchestra was conceived of in the spring of 2018 by a group of international musicians based in Finland. The dream was to create a tight-knit ensemble that blurred the line between orchestra and chamber group, an ensemble that, while still an orchestra, had the ability to perform with the connectivity of a much smaller group.
The project awoke a lot of interest throughout the Helsinki classical music community, and through this interest, the resources were found to produce a number of concerts, some chamber music, some orchestral, which would build up the inaugural season of the orchestra.
The orchestra operates on a fully democratic principle. In every rehearsal, every person's voice is equal, and discussion and debate are strongly encouraged, allowing every player to have their interpretive voice heard. This creates a unique environment, in which every concert is powerfully influenced by those playing in it. From this core tenet and from the quest for true chamber musical communication comes the motto of the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra: "Music, Undivided".
The Helsinki Chamber Orchestra will open its inaugural season in March of 2019, with tickets on sale on January 1st."
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JAMES S. KAHANE APPOINTED CONDUCTOR OF THE POLYTECH ORCHESTRA
31.03.2018
​In March 2018, James S. Kahane has been appointed conductor of the Polytech Orchestra, effective from April 2018.
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"The Polytech Orchestra (Finnish: Polyteknikkojen Orkesteri; PO) is a symphony orchestra based in Otaniemi, Espoo.
It was founded in 1922 and is thus the oldest Finnish academic student orchestra. The orchestra has around 100 active musicians, most of whom are students from Aalto University and other universities and schools within the greater Helsinki area.
The orchestra has performed abroad in Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Baltic States, Sweden and Scotland. The PO concert program is complemented by various charity and subscription concerts, such as the Printempo Concert at the Aalto University's alongside other music communities (Dominante, The Polytech Choir, Retreat WBK, Boston Promenade, Polirytmi, Humpsvakar, the Helsinki Academic Male Choir KYL and the Helsinki Academic Female Choir KYN). The orchestra includes as well several smaller bands, such as their string quartets, the horn quartet Cornostar and the Polytechnic's Salon Orchestra."
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JAMES S. KAHANE INVITED TO CONDUCT THE BALTIC ACADEMIES ORCHESTRA IN BERLIN ALONGSIDE KRISTJAN JÄRVI.
10.02.2018
In February 2018, James S. Kahane has been invited by Kristjan Järvi to conduct the Baltic Academies Orchestra in Berlin on 18.02.2018, as part of their first International Tour.
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"Baltic Academies Orchestra (BAO) is a new and innovative educational project initiated by La Nota and embracing the music academies of the three Baltic States: Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Following the educational week in Tartu, Estonia in February 2018, the orchestra will make a tour through cities of all Baltic States, to Gdansk in Poland and Berlin in Germany, celebrating 100 years of independence of the three Baltic States. BAO will gather under the baton of Kristjan Järvi (EE), Guntis Kuzma (LV) and Modestas Barkauskas (LT) presenting the greatest Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian compositions and worlds classics in 7 concerts."
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JAMES S. KAHANE SELECTED FOR THE DEUTSCHE DIRIGENTENPREIS 2017 (GERMAN CONDUCTORS' AWARD)
14.06.2017
​James S. Kahane has been one of the twelve candidates selected to enter the Deutsche Dirigentenpreis (German Conductors’ Award) in September 2017, in Köln.
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"The German Conductors’ Award is an international competition for young conductors jointly organised in a partnership by the German Music Council (Deutscher Musikrat), the orchestras of Kölner Philharmonie, Oper Köln, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln and the WDR Sinfonieorchester.
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The German Conductors’ Award will set standards with this unique feature; to be held every other year, it will serve as a stepping-stone for great careers. Agents, artistic directors and concert organisers will witness in the competition event and see to it that the awardees will be celebrated in future on the international stage.
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By putting forth top-class young international conductors for the German music market, the German Conductors’ Award sustainably contributes to securing the quality of the German orchestra and theatre landscape, which was even awarded by the UNESCO Commission as an immaterial World Cultural Heritage."
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JAMES S. KAHANE APPOINTED ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR AT THE HELSINKI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
05.06.2017
In Spring 2017, James S. Kahane has been appointed Assistant Conductor at the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, where he will serve at the side of its Chief Conductor Susanna Mälkki for the coming season.
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"The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (Finnish: Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Helsingfors stadsorkester) is one of the main Finnish orchestra based in Helsinki. Its primary concert venue is the Helsinki Music Centre. Leif Segerstam was chief conductor of the orchestra from 1995 to 2007, and is now its chief conductor emeritus. John Storgårds became principal guest conductor of the orchestra in 2003, and took up the chief conductorship of the orchestra in the autumn of 2008, with an initial contract of 4 years. In September 2014, the orchestra announced the appointment of Susanna Mälkki as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2016-2017 season, with an initial contract of 3 years."
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JAMES S. KAHANE SELECTED FOR 2017 TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER CONDUCTING SEMINAR
20.03.2017
James S. Kahane has been selected, with 5 other Conductors from around the world, to participate in the 2017 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Seminar, taking place in August 2017. In addition to attending rehearsals of the BSO and TMCO, he will also participate in classes under the instruction of Stefan Asbury.
The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The Center operates as a part of the Tanglewood Music Festival, an outdoor concert series and the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), and held conductors such as Charles Münch, Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Franco Ferrara, and James Levine within its teaching staff.
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JAMES S. KAHANE INVITED TO THE LUCERNE FESTIVAL CONDUCTING MASTERCLASS
30.01.2017
James S. Kahane has been invited, out of 360 candidates, to the Lucerne Festival Conducting Masterclass in Switzerland, where he will benefit from the teaching of Bernard Haitink, in April 2017.
The Lucerne Festival is a series of classical music festivals based in Lucerne, Switzerland. Founded in 1938, it currently produces three festivals per year, attracting some 110,000 visitors annually taking place since 2004 primarily at the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre (KKL) designed by Jean Nouvel. Each festival features resident orchestras and soloists alongside guest performances from international ensembles and artists, in 2017 including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Emanuel Ax, Martha Argerich and Maxim Vengerov.
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The Easter Festival (Lucerne Festival zu Ostern) was founded in 1988 and takes place each spring two weeks before Easter and runs through Palm Sunday, with a special focus given to sacred music. Performances take place in churches throughout Lucerne, as well as a masterclass for young conductors at the KKL with Bernard Haitink and Lucerne Festival Strings and annual guest performances from Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
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