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News | Grant Gershon signs four-year contract extension

Grant Gershon, music director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, has signed a four-year contract extension to continue his association with the choir through the 2008-2009 concert season, it was announced by Chorale Board Chairman Mark Foster. Gershon, who joined the Chorale in 2001, is currently celebrating his fourth year, which itself is in its 41st season.

“We are pleased to be assured of Grant’s dynamic leadership for another four years,” said Foster. “Under his guidance the Chorale has been elevated to a new artistic level. He has greatly expanded the choir’s repertoire, diversified its programming and made our transition to the Walt Disney Concert Hall an unqualified success.”

"I am delighted to continue as Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale,” said Gershon. “Given the tremendous artistry of our singers, the strong committment of our Board, and the great enthusiasm of our audience, there is simply no place I would rather be. The LA Master Chorale is moving in the right direction and redefining what a major choral organization can acheive."

Gershon’s future plans include commissioning more new works for Chorale. To date he has conducted eight world-premiere performances with the Chorale, including, most recently, the acclaimed premiere of Steve Reich’s You Are (Variations). He will also continue forging new partnerships with other arts organizations. Previously, Gershon and the Chorale have collaborated with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Luckman Jazz Orchestra, the Los Angeles Library, and a team of all-star Latin Jazz artists.

Gershon, appointed music director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in July 2001 and described as “visionary,” has garnered tremendous critical acclaim during his tenure with the renowned chorus. The Los Angeles Times proclaims that the Chorale “has become the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon.” The acclaimed conductor, pianist and vocalist is only the fourth music director to lead the Los Angeles Master Chorale, which was founded in 1964.

Since joining the Chorale, Gershon has expanded the Chorale’s repertoire considerably by conducting a number of world premieres, including ten-time Grammy Award-winning artist Bobby McFerrin’s Brief Eternity and Messages, Donald Crockett’s Broken Charms, Tania León’s Rezos (Prayers), and Sharon Farber’s “Mother’s Lament,” as well as the U.S. premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund.

In 2002, Gershon made his first recording with the Master Chorale, featuring the world premiere recording of Salonen’s piece as well as Philip Glass’s Itaipú. Released in September 2002 and entitled Glass•Salonen (RCM 12004), it is the Chorale’s fourth recording on RCM. Billboard states, “The singing and direction are first-rate.” The Los Angeles Times said the recording “manages a balance of forces both ethereal and impelling.” It also earned a coveted four-star rating from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In addition to his duties with the Chorale, Gershon frequently guest conducts. In December 2004, he conducted performances of Messiah with the San Antonio Symphony. Gershon made his Ravinia festival conducting debut in August 2002 and has also guest conducted the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Juilliard Opera Theatre, the Gustav Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Finnish chamber orchestra Avanti!, among others, and has conducted performances at the Edinburgh, Vienna and Helsinki Festivals, the Roma-Europa Festival and the Festival Otonno in Madrid. As an educator, for the past two summers he has served as Music Director of the Idyllwild Arts Festival Chorus.

An ardent champion of new music, Gershon conducted the world premiere performances of John Adams’ opera/theatre piece I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, directed by Peter Sellars, and was the vocal director on its Nonesuch recording. Gershon is also in demand as a pianist for such leading vocalists as Kiri Te Kanawa, Peter Schreier, Rodney Gilfry and Audra McDonald.

In March 2003, he and pianist Gloria Cheng made a special appearance at Lincloln Center, under the auspices of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, reprising their acclaimed performance of John Adams’ Hallelujah Junction, a piano duo written for them, which they debuted at the Getty Museum in 1998.

In addition to his recording with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Gershon has made a number of other recordings as a conductor, pianist and chorus master, and served as chorus master on two Grammy Award-nominated recordings, Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) and Ligeti’s Grand Macabre (Sony Classical).

Prior to joining the Chorale, Gershon served as assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1994-97, during which time he led performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Hollywood Bowl. Gershon also served as Assistant Conductor/Principal Pianist with the Los Angeles Opera, where he participated in over 40 productions and garnered a reputation as one of the country’s exceptional vocal coaches.

Born and raised in Alhambra, California, Gershon received his Bachelor of Music degree cum laude in piano performance from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1985 and was named “Thornton School of Music Outstanding Alumnus of the Year” in May 2002. Gershon and his wife, soprano Elissa Johnston, and their children, Claire and Samuel, reside in Eagle Rock, California.