Brad Lubman

Conductor

Contact

Xenia Groh-Hu
xh@karstenwitt.com
+49 30 214 594 -224

Maria Dubinets
md@karstenwitt.com
+49 30 214 594 -225

General Management

IN THE MAGAZINE

In the magazine

New in New York: Brad Lubman and his Reich Richter Pärt project

Biography

Each of his appearances proves that he is one of the best conductors, with a particular passion for spreading contemporary music. (Resmusica)

Brad Lubman, American conductor and composer, has gained widespread recognition for his versatility, commanding technique and insightful interpretations over the course of more than two decades. He is much in demand with major orchestras in Europe and the US and has been successful in building regular partnerships with several well-known orchestras and ensembles, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Alongside his busy schedule in Germany, he is also frequently asked to conduct some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, he has worked with some of the most important European and American ensembles for contemporary music, including the Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble MusikFabrik, Ensemble Resonanz, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, and Steve Reich and Musicians.

After conducting major international orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin last season, for the 2020/21 season Brad Lubman will be appearing with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern and the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Brad Lubman is founding Co-Artistic and Music Director of the NY-based Ensemble Signal. Their recording of Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians on harmonia mundi was awarded a Diapason d’or in June 2015 and appeared on the Billboard Classical Crossover charts. In Spring 2019, he led the ensemble in the premiere of Steve Reich’s Reich/Richter as part of the Reich Richter Pärt project at the opening of New York art space The Shed.

He is also Associate Professor of Conducting and Ensembles at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, as well as on the faculty at the Bang-on-a-Can Summer Institute.

Brad Lubman has recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Nonesuch, AEON, BMG/RCA, Kairos, Mode, NEOS, and Cantaloupe. In 2017, he was Composer in Residence at the Grafenegg Festival; his compositions have been performed by acclaimed orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Tonkünstler Orchester Austria. 2020 featured the premiere of a new piece written for Rudolf Buchbinder.

Season 2020/21

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References

Full credit to conductor Brad Lubman, warmly applauded by the instrumentalists, for making it all seem effortless, and of course to the London Sinfonietta for commissioning the work alongside Southbank Centre and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

The Arts Desk, David Nice, 6 December 2019

With extraordinarily expressive body language and precise rhythmic ideas, Brad Lubman guided the Radio Philharmonie through the framing orchestral works assuredly and laudably: Leonard Bernstein‘s overture to Candide became a lively tour de force, a brilliant instrumental feat. … The orchestra and its conductor were finally the star of the evening. The standing ovations clamoured for an encore: “Mambo: Presto“. Just brilliant!

Saarbrücker Zeitung, 16 April 2019

Adams's pounding opening chords [of the Harmonielehre] were crisp and decisive. Lubman's brisk tempo, clear beat and precise cuing made every instrumental stand clear. (...) Drawing high-powered playing from the large instrumental complement, Lubman generated a genuine sense of excitement.

South Florida Classical Review, 9 december 2018 (On the concert with New World Symphony.)

Lubman was also able to show himself as a conductor: The first symphony by Johannes Brahms succeeded the intermission in a soulful and intensive way, never striking and very finely played out in the details. The musicians played in top form for this - they were excellently prepared and in the best playing mood. They followed Lubman's impulsively athletic instructions with noticeably great joy until the radiant finale, which caused great audience jubilation in the Grafenegg auditorium.

Kronen Zeitung, Stefan Musil, 4 September 2017

When the lights were on, Brad Lubman conducted with invaluable clarity: sudden moments of silence were electric, his sense of pace impeccable. In light and dark alike, however, the orchestra maintained an astonishing intensity of communication. (…) An enthralling performance.

The Guardian, Flora Willson, April 2017

It is a rare CD that casts a spell over the listener with just the first two chords, as this one does. (…) Under the spirited fingers of piano duo Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher, and with the razor-sharp attack of the orchestra under Brad Lubman, the piece [Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra] was lively, witty and cheeky.

BR-Klassik CD-Tipp, Thorsten Preuß, March 2017

One despairs that we so rarely get the chance to see Brad Lubman in France. Each of his appearances proves that he is one of the best conductors, with a particular passion for spreading contemporary music.

ResMusica, Thomas Vergracht, November 2016

Director Stanley Kubrick's space-age masterpiece 2001 was always notable for its brilliant cinematic use of music, and hearing the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus perform the score, conducted by Brad Lubman, was sublime.

The Bay Area Reporter, Roberto Friedman, October 2016

On this evening we had the chance to see [Brad Lubman] with the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto. Conducting without a baton, his gestures were expansive, expressive and clear. He succeeded in accentuating and phrasing the piece as well as in creating a good sound balance. He brought the best out of the ensemble and each individual performer and knew how to make the piece sing and breathe as well as how to bring the orchestra to its highest standard.

musicologie.org, Eusebius, September 2016

The Concertgebouw Orchestra performed rousing and rhythmic numbers, such as Honegger's Pacific 231 and Le Métro by Ibert (...) Conductor Brad Lubman kept things together with panache.

NRC, Joep Stapel, April 2016

It was astounding the way Lubman precisely carved out the different instrumental features in the second part. (…) One can hardly imagine a more intensive live experience of Grisey’s music.

klassik.com, Dr. Stefan Drees, 7 November 2015

Lubman immediately made an impression, leading a powerful rendition of an excerpt from Ligeti's "Atmospheres" prior to the film's opening sequence. And one has to admit, the "Sunrise" opening has never sounded so thrilling as when heard by a live orchestra outdoors with the unforgettable corresponding images on the big screens, validating Kubrick's original vision. (…) Lubman led it [Strauss Jr.’s “Blue Danube”] with considerable sway and grace, syncing with the footsteps of a flight attendant in the film. Same with the Adagio from Khachaturian's "Gayane," given a lovely, patient rendition, and Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna”.

Los Angeles Times, Richard S. Ginell, August 2015 (on the performance of 2001 Space Odyssee with the Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Even if more recordings are released next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this work, Steve Reich’s instant classic, none will likely be more sensational than this.

The New York Times, David Allen, May 2015

The superb German Radio Philharmonic had at its helm not just an expert in Brad Lubman but also an excellent conductor for newer music. Where conventional conducting techniques are bound to fail, his conducting accompanied by rational empathy was simply perfect. Bravo.

Saarbrücker Zeitung, Helmut Fackler, May 2015

He [Brad Lubman] is, in many ways, the electric Georg Solti of new music. The performance sizzled. Lubman conducted with insistent gusto and an impressive rhythmic dexterity.

Los Angeles Times, Mark Swed, January 2014