To celebrate the Lunar New Year—the Year of the Snake, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will play the world premiere of a new work by Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong. Music director Jonathon Heyward conducts this Jan. 22 program, the third such Lunar New Year program given by the orchestra, making it an anticipated annual tradition. https://my.bsomusic.org/19151/19157
At this season’s second Sonic Spectrum concert by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, two works will be given their New York premieres: a new work for mezzo-soprano (Jamie Barton), viola, and piano by Joel Thompson and Perry Boldstein’s Birding by Ear, featuring baritone Roandall Scarlata. Also on the Jan. 23 program are two pieces […]
On Jan. 24-25 the Cincinnati Symphony will play a new CSO commission by Jimmy López Bellido. The work was inspired by guest conductor Christian Reif’s boundless love for his son Lukas and deep affection for Michael Ende’s beloved novel The Neverending Story. CSO principal cello Ilya Finkelshteyn will take the solo in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 […]
The San Diego Symphony welcomes two debut artists on their Jan. 24-26 program: conductor Daniele Rustioni and violinist Francesca Dego. Dego will solo in Busoni’s Violin Concerto in D major. Rustioni will also lead Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, Tchaikovsky’s symphonic fantasy Francesca da Rimini, and Respighi’s Roman Festivals. https://www.sandiegosymphony.org/performances/busonis-violin-concerto/
Although “Fin de siècle” most commonly refers to the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, any century mark can be construed as important in music history. The Austin Chamber Music Center explores this line of thinking on its Jan. 24-25 program, featuring works of Beethoven, Anton Arensky, and Kevin Puts. https://austinchambermusic.org/event/fin-de-siecle/
Two orchestral works by Black composers will be the focus of the Arkansas Symphony’s Jan. 25-26 program, conducted by Joseph Young. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A minor opens the program, while William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony (from 1934) closes it. Between those two works, pianist Zee Zee will solo in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. […]
The Harrisburg Symphony will present a “Shostakovich Celebration” Jan. 25-26. Music director Stuart Malina will conduct the composer’s Festive Overture as well as his Symphony No. 7, Leningrad. https://harrisburg-symphony-orchestra.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0S6T0000170vYgUAI
The Kansas City Symphony presents the world premiere of a new work by (and featuring) pianist Conrad Tao, who will also play Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto. The Jan. 25-26 program, conducted by Matthias Pintscher, concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. https://tickets.kcsymphony.org/22168
Viktor Ullmann’s rarely performed opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis is a powerful allegory exploring the themes of power, mortality, and the human spirit. Teddy Abrams conducts the Louisville Orchestra in a concert performance of the work on Jan. 25. https://louisvilleorchestra.org/concert/teddy-conducts-der-kaiser-von-atlantis/
It’s double the party on Jan. 25 when the Calgary Philharmonic celebrates the birthdays of both Mozart and music director Rune Bergmann (who will conduct). The music for this fête will be Mozart’s Mass in C major, featuring Mireille Asselin, Lillian Brooks, John Tessier, and Stephen Hegedus, along with the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus. https://calgaryphil.com/events/mozarts-birthday-party-2025-01-25-730-pm/