Week of Events
Carlos Simon Work Gets Canadian Premiere
In the Toronto Symphony season opener, Gustavo Gimeno conducts the Canadian premiere of Carlos Simon’s Concerto for Orchestra, Wake Up! Then pianist Jan Lisiecki joins concertmaster Jonathan Crow and principal cellist Joseph Johnson for Beethoven’s captivating Triple Concerto. This Sept. 25-28 program concludes with the Gorchakov orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. https://www.tso.ca/concerts-and-events/events/pictures-at-an-exhibition/
New Mazzoli Opera in Philadelphia
The U.S. premiere of The Listeners, by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, will be presented by Opera Philadelphia Sept. 25-29. The Listeners examines the lengths to which we, as Americans, are willing to go to find a sense of place and purpose. Lileana Blain-Cruz directs this production. https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/in-theaters-2024-2025/the-listeners/
Tania León World Premiere in Boston
Music director Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony in an all-American program opening with a world premiere by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tania León and closing with Wake Up: A Concerto for Orchestra by BSO Composer Chair Carlos Simon. BSO principal clarinet William R. Hudgins is the soloist in Aaron Copland’s delightful Clarinet Concerto, contrasting with […]
Marking 50 Years of Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall
It’s been 50 years since the Minnesota Orchestra inaugurated Orchestra Hall. To mark that milestone, conductor Thomas Søndergård will lead two Ravel works played in that inaugural performance: Valse nobles et sentimentales and a movement from Miroirs. Two Thomas Adés works will also be on offer in this Sept. 26-28 season opener: The Exterminating Angel Symphony […]
Bruce Liu Debuts in Cincinnati Season Opener
The Cincinnati Symphony opens the 2024-25 season Sept. 27-28 with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Titan, led by guest conductor Dalia Stasevska. The program also includes Alberto Ginastera’s “Malambo” from Four Dances from Estancia and Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring Chopin Piano Competition winner Bruce Liu in his CSO debut. https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/tickets-and-events/buy-tickets/cso/2425-cso-season/mahler-symphony-no.-1/
Seattle Premiere Tells of Ancient Tree
On Sept. 27, members of the Seattle Symphony present the world premiere of Majel Connery’s Elderflora, a profound life portrait of an ancient tree, as part of the Octave 9 series. The composer will appear on voice and synthesizers, joined by electric cellist Felix Fan. The performance will also feature photos by Noah Kalina. https://www.seattlesymphony.org/en/concerttickets/calendar/2024-2025/24octave1
Organist Makes Alabama Symphony Debut
Organist Patrick Scott will make his debut with the Alabama Symphony on Sept. 27-28, playing Saint-Saëns’s Organ Sympony No. 3. The program, conducted by music director Carlos Izcaray, opens with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, and Amaryn Olmeda solos in Barber’s Violin Concerto. https://alabamasymphony.org/events/barber-saint-saens/
Muhly Baroque-Inspired Concerto Premieres in SF
Esa-Pekka Salonen is joined by pianist Alexandre Tharaud in his San Francisco Symphony debut Sept. 27–28, performing the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Baroque-inspired Piano Concerto. The program features three additional works that draw inspiration from an earlier time: Paul Hindemith’s raucous Ragtime (Well-Tempered), Edward Elgar’s transcription of Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV […]
New Clara Schumann Orchestration in Grand Rapids
On Sept. 27-28 the Grand Rapids Symphony will present the world premiere of a new orchestration of Clara Schumann’s Three Romances for Violin and Piano. Music director Marcelo Lehninger conducts this program, which opens with the Brahms Violin Concerto (featuring Alexandra Soumm) and closes with Robert Schumann’s Fourth Symphony. https://www.grsymphony.org/brahms
Simon’s ‘Black American Dances’ Opens NSO Season
The National Symphony Orchestra’s composer-in-residence for the 2024-25 season is Carlos Simon. Appropriately, the orchestra, under Gianandrea Noseda, will present Simon’s Four Black American Dances in their opening program Sept. 28. Cliburn Competition winner Yunchan Lim makes his NSO debut as soloist for Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, and the evening concludes with Ravel’s La Valse. […]
Orpheus Commissions Billy Childs Premiere
A new work by jazz/classical composer Billy Childs will open the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall program on Sept. 28. Garrick Ohlsson will solo on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat, and Michael Stephen Brown’s orchestration of Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel closes the program. https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2024/09/28/Orpheus-Chamber-Orchestra-Garrick-Ohlsson-Piano-0800PM
Diehl Plays Gershwin in Arkansas Opener
Arkansas Symphony opens its season Sept. 28-29 by featuring two Gershwin works and two from the 21st century. The recent compositions are Anna Clyne’s Masquerade and Carlos Simon’s Graffiti. Gershwin is represented by his Piano Concerto in F, featuring Aaron Diehl, and the Cuban Overture. Geoffrey Robson conducts. https://www.arkansassymphony.org/events/aaron-diehl-gershwin/
