Bio
"...the evening belonged to conductor Marc Taddei who steered the orchestra, chorus and soloists through with quiet, (not a term used often about Taddei) authority. His intensity, commitment and attention to detail gave the performance true gravitas. He is very quick to give generous accolades to his performers but on this occasion he deserved every bit of the audience’s enthusiastic response."
Garth Wilshire, Capital Times, 17 Sept 08
"...an evening of fantastic music and an astonishing level of achievement.
“This was a sensational performance… the orchestra was magnificent.
“Marc Taddei conducted with tremendous authority – who will ever forget the sheer impact of the opening of the Fifth Door, with full orchestra and organ?”
JOHN BUTTON, Dominion Post, 8 Sep 2008
US-born New Zealand conductor Marc Taddei has been widely acclaimed for connecting with audiences through the passion and energy he brings to performances. He is sought after by every professional orchestra in New Zealand and is a frequent guest conductor of the major Australian orchestras. After success as music director of the Christchurch Symphony, in 2007 he was appointed music director of the Wellington Orchestra in New Zealand's capital city. Previous appointments included Principal Guest Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia, and Director of Orchestral Studies at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.
Marc won critical praise from every quarter for Christchurch Symphony's extraordinary artistic gains over his six year tenure there, and he was singled out repeatedly for innovative programming that captured the imagination and support of the Christchurch public. That orchestra's profile and reputation increased throughout the country, with large attendance figures to match. His success has continued in Wellington where audience numbers were up over 60% in his first year as music director.
Marc Taddei has conducted the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony, the Adelaide Symphony, the Queensland Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Symphony, the Tasmania Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and the Silesian State Opera in the Czech Republic. Marc has conducted for Opera New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and has been a frequent guest at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. His performance with the Louisiana Philharmonic was nominated for best Contemporary Classical Performance of the year at the 12th annual Tribute to the Classical Arts in New Orleans.
He has worked with such diverse artists as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Angela Brown, Julian Lloyd Webber, Horacio Gutiérrez, Simon O’Neill, Joanna MacGregor, Jonathan Lemalu, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Sir Howard Morrison, Michael Houstoun, Gregg Baker, Dame Malvina Major, Helen Callus, Csaba Erdélyi, Joshua Redman, Pedro Carneiro, Diana Krall, Bobby Shew, Art Garfunkel and even Kenny Rogers.
Marc's impressive discography includes over twenty recordings on the Sony, BMG, Koch, Columbia, Trust, ASV, Universal, Rattle, Concordance and Kiwi Pacific labels, and many of his discs are featured in streaming audio on the Naxos music library web site.
Marc’s successes as a recording artist are informed by his work in the industry as a conductor, soloist, orchestral musician and as a producer. His release of British viola concertos with Helen Callus and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra received rave reviews in Gramophone, Classic FM, and Strad magazines and the CD was listed as recording of the month by Music Web International and Classic FM. The American Record guide said of his Berlioz Harold in Italy/Bartok Viola Concerto CD that “this is one of the best Harolds you'll find anywhere, and the Bartok will appeal to anyone dissatisfied by previous editions of the score.” His Rattle CD, “View From Olympus” was awarded Classical Album of the Year in 2007 at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards and spent an unprecedented nine months at #1 in the classical music charts. It was specially featured by Jim Svejda on KUSC-FM in the United States, and on his nationally syndicated programme, The Record Shelf. Marc’s SONY recording with the Christchurch Symphony went double platinum in 2004.
Marc also conducted the soundtrack to Britain's Channel 4 film based on Wagner's Ring Cycle, which won the prestigious Prix de Basle Special Jury Award for the "most outstanding contribution to European culture in television". He has conducted for television producers such as C4 productions in the UK and New Zealand, Fox Television, TVNZ and TV3 in New Zealand. Marc’s appearances on television have included live performances with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Young Musician of the Year, Last Night of the Proms, and a children’s television special entitled “Baby Proms” which introduces preschool childern and their care givers to the joys of the orchestra. A special televised performance of Vaughn Williams Symphony Antartica featuring Sir Edmund Hillary as narrator was broadcast live via satellite to Scott Base in the Antarctic in a world first in 2005.
An advocate of new media in performance, and extra-musical collaboration as a means of enriching the artistic experience, Marc has worked with many of New Zealand’s finest composers and visual artists in groundbreaking orchestral and visual collaborations that have energized audiences. One such collaboration, entitled Southern Journeys, was released by Natural History New Zealand as a DVD in 2002.
Marc is a graduate of the Julliard School in Manhattan, where he received both bachelors and masters degrees before moving to New Zealand.
Bio updated 12 November 2008. Please destroy any previous or undated bios.
"[Bouquet for Marc Taddei]… whose energy, exuberance, drive and vision proved beyond all doubt that music is an essential feature of daily life in a 21st century city."
The Press
"Marc Taddei skilfully took the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra to new heights with an outstanding concert that was nothing short of brilliant in all aspects."
The Press
"The hero was Marc Taddei. His was a real interpretation. His tempi were swiftish but apt, rhythms were beautifully sprung - never sagging and dynamics were scrupulously observed."
The Dominion Post
Marc Taddei
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