Walter Proost

CONDUCTOR

In March 1999 Maestro Walter Proost made a most successful debut with the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. The orchestra promptly appointed him regular guest conductor for the coming seasons. Maestro Proost meanwhile led a series of concerts in the U.K., e.g., at Royal Albert Hall in London, and he annually took the orchestra on tour to Belgium and The Netherlands. The cooperation with this renowned orchestra also includes various CD-recordings.

At his debut at the “ Großer Musikvereinssaal “ - the Golden Hall - in Vienna in March 1998, Maestro Proost experienced an overwhelming success conducting the “Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstler-Orchester “. This orchestra since then invited him back to Vienna for a yearly guest appearance, e.g. for the opening concert of the 2000-2001 season, for the Valentine concerts in February 2002, twice for a concert in the cycle “Musik der Meister” which took place on December 7, 2002 and April 19, 2004. The last invitation implied a series of 7 concerts which he recently conducted in April 2005.

From July 2000 until January 2005, he was appointed Chief Conductor with the “ Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Bari “ in Italy. Besides their vast annual concert season in Italy, the orchestra and its Maestro also toured Belgium and the Netherlands twice.

In July 2001 ánd 2002, Maestro Proost was invited by Maestro Giancarlo Menotti to conduct 2 concerts at his famous “Festival of Two Worlds” in Spoleto.

As from the 1999-2000 season Maestro Proost is working with the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovenian Radio & Television in Ljubljana (RTV Slovenija) as one of its regular guest conductors. On October 14, 2002 he had the pleasure to conduct this orchestra in a concert that was live broadcasted by the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) in 14 European countries, as well as in the U.S.A., Canada and Japan.

In November 2002, he led the “Teatro Lirico di Cagliari” in a live concert for the German radio station “Bayerische Rundfunk”. This unique and massive project took place in Munich and included about 300 performers. On the programme, the “Messa di Requiem in memoria di Pier Paolo Pasolini” by Roberto De Simone.

As from the beginning of the 1999-2000 season, Maestro Proost was also frequently performing with the “Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana” in Piacenza. On February 13, 2000 they gave a prestigious concert at the Vatican in Rome, on the occasion of the celebration of the Holy Year. He also conducted the orchestra on a tour through Belgium and The Netherlands in November 2000.

His brilliant international career is still expanding steadily and leads to him guest conducting various major European orchestras, e.g. in England, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Belgium.Tours with the San Remo Symphony Orchestra - of which he was appointed Music Director and Chief Conductor from 1994 until 1997 - have taken him throughout Italy, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.

Walter Proost’s guest appearances throughout the United States, e.g. in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Denver and many other cities were all received with great critical acclaim. He was also invited by a few symphonic orchestras in South America (Mexico and Brasil). In the Far East, he conducted the Seoul Philharmonic in Korea and the Nagoya Philharmonic in Japan.

From 1978 until 1989 he held the position of General and Artistic Director of The Flemish Chamber Opera in Antwerp (Belgium).

Maestro Proost has a set of 15 recordings to his credit. We only mention the most important ones: In collaboration with the Flemish Chamber Orchestra and the famous Dutch violinist Jaap van Zweden, a CD has been released on the “Sony Classical” label, featuring Leonard Bernstein’s “Serenade after Plato’s Symposium”, “Three Dance Episodes from ‘On the Town’” and the Overture to “Candide”, together with the “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” by Samuel Barber. For the Swiss label “Disques VDE-Gallo”, Walter Proost and the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra realized three CDs under the collective name “Classical Music around the World”.

In December 1999, he recorded this first CD in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring a selection of overtures by various composers.

Walter Proost was born in Beveren-Waas (Belgium). He first studied piano and percussion and took orchestra conducting courses at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Antwerp (Belgium). He continued his training by two years of private conducting study with Maestro Jan Stulen, principal conductor of the Orchestra of the Dutch Radio and Television Broadcasting System in Hilversum. In 1978 and 1979 he perfected himself in the United States - with Leonard Bernstein - and in Japan.

PRESS REVIEWS
Bari - Corriere della Sera
Conducted by a Walter Proost in true dazzling form…
It is definitely a merit of a conductor such as Proost, who makes the artistic discipline and the hermit-like conscientious attention to the particular timbres to his own essential creed.
The Firebird Suite. The waiting for this execution was finally rewarded by a most appreciable interpretation by the orchestra, led by Walter Proost in an optimal way up to the discovery of the magnificent colours of an extraordinary palette of timbres.

Bari - La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno
What a joy in the orchestra of Proost!
Proost, once again, has received admirable results from the orchestra, to remark, as the ensemble is capable of standing up with resolution to a repertoire which goes from the romantic to the modern, without any moment of falling down and never being weakened by the temptation of routine.
The whole with an absolute rhythmic precision an a concern for details, the composer’s original intentions worthy.

Bari - La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno
Brahm’s creativity raised by Douglas and Proost.
On stage Walter Proost, a conductor who has led the orchestra many times before, always yielding a more than favourable outcome…
And Proost has got the maximum out of the orchestra, confirming his skill with an interpretation of Brahm’s second symphony in which heroism and poetry merged into a fruitful result. The phrasing, also in the passionate exciting moments, always remained clear, transparent and distinctly conducted. once more, I wish to emphasize that the Bari orchestra works very well when being led by a good conductor. It is no coincidence that Proost who immediately invited the orchestra to put up a tremendous performance, achieved this result in the symphony: the satisfied condcutor underlined herewith that everyone’s élan and diligent collaboration have contributed to a large extent to turn the evening into a success.

Bari - La Gazetta del Mezzogiorno
After his unforgettable conducting of last year, Maestro Proost confirmed his first impression. He is possibly the only conductor who can draw such a response from this orchestra and, after several years of experience with the Bari Symphony, I can tell…

Turin - La Stampa
The final part of the programme consisted of Mozart’s Symphony KV 504 “The Prague”, a demonic masterpiece which Walter Proost interpreted with a remarkable tension, carrying the Turin Philharmonic Orchestra to a high sound-quality and organizing the complicated wheels of the counterpoint in the first movement with precision and energy. In that way, equally spreading the monumental seriousness of the first movement, the calm, unlike reassurance, of the second and the twinkling witty lightness of the third movement towards a miraculous marriage of expression and dark powers. When the Prague Symphony is well being executed, then its effect becomes impressive. And such was the case last evening, to great satisfaction and enjoyment of all those present who cheered the orchestra and its conductor.

Vienna - Zur Zeit
The Fourth Symphony by Robert Schumann was the highlight of the concert…
This exquisite symphony was executed with broad gestures and moderate tempi which let the music the necessary time for long breathing spaces. Karajan sent his regards from the distance and the audience was exuberantly delighted with it.
One has to thank conductor Walter Proost, soloist Kurt Franz Schmid and the orchestra (Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstler-Orchester) for having enabled this meeting with beautiful, however rarely being executed works from the Classic-Romantic period.

Baden - Badener Zeitung
… Here as well conductor Walter Proost knew how to lead the orchestra (“Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstler- Orchester”)with the biggest possible intensity and musicality, hereby building up a field of tension full of dramatics.

Amstetten – NÖN Amstettner Zeitung
The “Tonkünstler-Orchester” conducted by Walter Proost delighted with a basket full of presents and charming surprises. An evening full of musical enjoyment.

Gießen - Gießener Allgemeine
Walter Proost, being a guest at the music stand, was celebrated.
Walter Proost and the orchestra of Gießen presented a well-defined classic (Beethoven’s Symphony n° 3 “Eroïca”) in vivid colours. Proost’s facial expression, gestures and his whole body moving à la Bernstein told a lot about his musicality which was entirely being passed on to the orchestra. The Maestro took special care over the violins. The stormy and passionate sensing introduction was followed by a solemn, in tempo gradually attracting Adagio. Ominous pathos, pianissimo of the strings, contrasting tutti and shrill accents of the timpani were stricking. After that, a model of precision, the Scherzo with its fine polished hunting motifs (briljant horns) and the ending of which referring to the final part, let Proost make music, significant and with a lively Coda. The audience’s enthusiasm gave rise to many “curtain calls” and a warm applause which Proost intercepted with a spirited performance of Mozart’s “Figaro”-overture.

Flensburg – Kieler Nachrichten
The Belgian guest at the stand, Walter Proost, clearly met with the colourful fantasy turns of the Háry János Suite, with a true mastery he guided his orchestra (Schleswig-Holsteinisches Sinfonieorchester) through the fairy-like parts, and let it play unreserved.

Oldenburg – Nordwest Zeitung
Walter Proost had studied the work (Symphony nr. 6) of Ravel’s pupil Vaughan-Williams with extreme precision and raised it, with an unyielding élan, to superior effect.

Yverdon-les-Bains - Journal du Nord Vaudois
The audience applauded both soloists before getting carried away by the infectuous enthusiasm of Walter Proost, guest conductor of international renown, who interprets with an exceptional energy Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, a blissful and descriptive piece of music written after a long journey in Rome in 1833. The Belgian conductor sets ablaze the orchestra (the “Sinfonietta de Lausanne”), he leads it with such authority as a result of which the musicians excel themselves and bring a passionate performance of this very classical early symphony, exception made for a beautiful Andante, melodious as to one’s liking. Finally in the “encore” we see an excited Walter Proost offering his audience a short piece for strings only, “Rodeo” by Aaron Copland, in a whirl of rhythms expressing miraculous vitality, a joyful grand finale of a perfectly well-balanced concert. More than ever, the absentees were wrong to miss such valuable opportunity to discover extraordinary ways in music, but also served by first-rate performers.

Antwerp – De Nieuwe Gazet
Walter Proost knew how to put this score (Cosi fan tutte) - sparkling with passion but also overwhelmed with wittiness and tenderness - into a true dazzling aura, perfectly balancing the sound levels and never drowning the singers’ voices.
The audience spontaneously cheered several arias that were sung in an exemplary Mozartian style and the evening ended in a small triumph, amply merited.

Antwerp – De Nieuwe Gazet
…The music (Yuzuro) marvellously matches the western rhythms. This fine alliance was well brought forward by an orchestra that was led Walter Proost, who accompanied in a splendid way the developments of the protagonists of this beautiful spectacle.

Antwerp – De Nieuwe Gazet
Once again, Walter Proost demonstrated his other ability: the art of accompanying a soloist in a precise, sensitive manner…

Roosendaal – Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant
Walter Proost, whom we already saw at work some times before in this concert hall conducting the Sanremo symphony orchestra in a complete different repertoire, also showed towards the chamber music and the smaller ensemble (Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt am Main) a very calm conductor, who gets every nuance out of the music score.
The Mozart Symphony in A major was feinitely a showpiece of the orchestra. In short, a charming concert with a ditto conductor.

Paris - Le Figaro
The orchestra was electrified by the enthusiasm of its conductor, Walter Proost…

The Times (Northwest Indiana’s Newspaper)
Guest conductor Proost pulls right strings with Symphony.
Belgian-born conductor Walter Proost connected well with the string players from the symphony… He capitalized on their strengths and seemed to know how far he could challenge them to achieve his clear-cut goals. Proost is welcome back anytime.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Guest conductor spices up Chamber performance.
The Knoxville Chamber Orchestra had a ball…. Most of the reason was the guest conductor, Walter Proost, who obviously enjoyed leading the local musicians through some rollicking works. His pleasure was contagious.
At the end, the audience gave Proost a standing ovation. He was called back for additional bows, then gave the audience an extra. … When the audience burst into applause again, he turned indicating the orchestra should also take a bow, but they remained seated, insisting that this bow was for Proost alone. Bravo, maestro.

The Sacramento Union
Ebullient Proost guides orchestra.
Sacramento Symphony guest conductor Walter Proost,…, has made some fans in Sacramento.That proved, at least, to be the case from the cheers and bravos tossed to him…
A playful, smiling Proost pulled a marvelous suppleness and buoyancy from the orchestra…
Proost takes the academic edge off music by making it fun.

The Sacramento Bee Final
Guest conductor Walter Proost gave a performance that turned this concert into an unforgettable event. The orchestra rose to new heights of expression under his baton. The concert ended in wildly enthusiastic applause and “bravos” that culminated in a standing ovation.

San Francisco Chronicle
When ever has a guest conductor drawn such a response from this orchestra? Proost led the orchestra with sensitivity and an obvious command of the material.
The orchestra paid him back with a first-rate performance.
A great musician, winning confidence immediately and accompishing musically cogent, well-thought-out performances.

San Francisco Examinor
Guest conductor Walter Proost and the orchestra created such a delicious rendition of the Haydn Symphony that Haydn’s humor and creativity sparkled like so many diamonds on black velvet.

Jornal Diario de Sorocaba
Maestro Proost is impressive by the qualities inherent to his task: sensibility, determination and dramatization. In short, all exhibited the most briljant behavior.

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