Week of Events
Radiohead Meets Brahms in Detroit
On Jan. 8, the Detroit Symphony explores the potential symphonic grandeur of Radiohead’s 1997 album OK Computer with an orchestration of those celebrated tracks. With Steve Hackman at the podium, that imaginative genre crossover is paired with the acknowledged grandeur of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. https://www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/events/24-25-winter/brahms-x-radiohead
Nelsons Begins Beethoven Cycle in Boston
To mark his 10th anniversary as music director of the Boston Symphony, Andris Nelsons will lead the orchestra in all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies. The cycle starts Jan. 9-11 in a program that includes Symphonies Nos. 1-3, works in which the early influence of Haydn and Mozart is still clearly heard. https://www.bso.org/events/beethoven-symphonies-1-2-3?performance=2025-01-09-19:30
Of Rats and Men and Ravel in NJ
The New Jersey Symphony will perform the imaginative chamber work Of Rats and Men by Korean composer Donghoon Shin. This Jan. 9-12 program continues with Jean-Yves Thibaudet playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G and Kevin John Edusei conducting Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2. https://www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/jean-yves-thibaudet-plays-ravel
Mahler Ninth Meets Heggie’s Atwood Settings
As part of its 2024-25 Mahler cycle, the Philadelphia Orchestra will play the Ninth Symphony on Jan. 9-11, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting. The program will open with Jake Heggie’s setting of Margaret Atwood’s Songs for Murdered Sisters, a collection of poems inspired by the violent death of the sister of baritone Joshua Hopkins, who will […]
NYC: Opera Explores Anti-War Activism and Its Consequences
The world premiere of Eat the Document, by John Glover and Kelley Rourke, will be performed at New York’s Prototype Festival on Jan. 9-12. The plot, based on Dana Spiotta’s novel, explores the connection between the Vietnam era and the 1990s—in language, technology, music, and activism. Kristin Marting directs. https://prototypefestival.org/shows/eat-the-document/
‘Eat the Document’ Premieres at Prototype in NYC
The world premiere Eat the Document, by John Glover and Kelley Rourke, will be performed at New York’s Prototype Festival on Jan. 9-12. The plot, based on Dana Spiotta’s novel, explores the connection between the Vietnam era and the 1990s—in language, technology, music, and activism. Kristin Marting directs. https://prototypefestival.org/shows/eat-the-document/
Minneapolis Awash in Nordic Sounds
As part of its Nordic Soundscapes Festival, the Minnesota Orchestra will play works by Iceland’s Daníel Bjarnason and Denmark’s Bent Sørensen, alongside an overture from the last century by Sweden’s Elfrida Andrée and Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. Principal clarinet Gabriel Campos Zamora will solo in Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concert; Thomas Søndergård conducts. (Jan. 10-11) https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/tickets/calendar/classical/nordic-landscapes-and-portraits/
St. Louis Pairs New Work with ‘New World’ Symphony
Hanzhi Wang will be the soloist for the world premiere of Nina Shekhar’s Accordion Concerto with the St. Louis Symphony Jan. 10. Daniela Candillari conducts this program, which opens with the overture to Samuel Barber’s The School for Scandal and closes with Dvořák’s New World Symphony No. 9. https://shop.slso.org/8092
Colorado: ‘Mozart & Now’ Blends Wolfgang with New Works
There’s a whole lot of Mozart in the Colorado Symphony’s Mozart & Now program Jan. 10-12 (three different programs). Principal conductor Peter Oundjian leads a total of six Mozart works, including the 36th Symphony, alongside contemporary compositions by Samuel Adams, Anna Clyne, and John Adams. https://tickets.coloradosymphony.org/7014?_gl=1*jh1gke*_gcl_au*MTU2MjYzNDA3NC4xNzE4ODkzNjIz*_ga*MTk0ODY4MjQ2My4xNzE4ODkzNjIz*_ga_V099ZPM1LL*MTcxOTQxMTY3OS4yLjEuMTcxOTQxMTk4Ni42MC4wLjA
Grand Rapids Premieres López Commission
A new work by Marina López, commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, will receive its world premiere on Jan. 10-11 with the Grand Rapids Symphony under the direction of Lidiya Yankovskaya. Saxophonist Timothy McAllister will play Corigliano’s Triathlon, a work he originally premiered. Also on this all-American program are Copland’s Quiet City and Bernstein’s […]
Houston Says Happy 200th, Bruckner!
Envision yourself on an epic quest as the Houston Symphony performs Bruckner’s sweeping and expansive Symphony No. 4, Romantic. Christoph Eschenbach leads this Jan. 11-12 program in celebration of Bruckner’s 200th birthday. https://houstonsymphony.org/tickets/concerts/bruckners-romantic-symphony/
Americans Matched with Beethoven in Oregon
In a Jan. 11-13 program titled “Leaders and Pathbreakers,” the Oregon Symphony will set works by Americans Joan Tower (Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman) and Duke Ellington (Three Black Kings) against two pieces by Beethoven. David Danzmayr leads Beethoven’s King Stephen Overture, followed by his Emperor Piano Concerto, featuring Yefim Bronfman. https://www.orsymphony.org/concerts-tickets/2425/beethovens-emperor-leaders-pathbreakers/?performanceId=5865
Atlanta Concertmaster Conducts and Solos in Vivaldi
Atlanta Symphony concertmaster David Coucheron gets the solo spotlight on Jan. 12 when the orchestra performs Vivaldi’s effervescent masterpiece, The Four Seasons, which Coucheron will both play and conduct. The first half of the concert is Dvořák's Serenade for Strings in E Major. https://www.aso.org/events/detail/coucheron-the-four-seasons
Rebecca Clarke Featured by Trio in Calgary
The Horszowski Trio and clarinettist Todd Palmer will feature composer Rebecca Clarke’s Trio from 1921 in their Calgary Pro Music appearance on Jan. 12-13. Also on the program are Moravec’s Tempest Fantasy and Smetana’s Trio, Op. 15. https://calgarypromusica.ca/master-series-3/
