Philadelphia Orchestra April-May 2015 Calendar
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin Leads Theatrical Concerts of
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Leonard Bernstein’s MASS
Principal Viola Choong-Jin Chang Performs Carl Stamitz’s Viola Concerto in D major, April 10-11
Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève Returns for Two-Week Residency,
April 16-18 for Peter and the Wolf, and April 23-25 for Romeo and Juliet
Perfect Harmony Fundraiser Returns for a Night at the Ballpark, April 17
Cello PlayIN Rescheduled for May 2, 6 PM in Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza
Ticket Information
All Philadelphia Orchestra concerts listed in this calendar are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased in the following ways:
In person: At the Kimmel Center Box Office; Broad and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia (open daily, 10 AM to 6 PM, or until one-half hour after the beginning of the latest performance)
By phone: Call Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1999 (daily, 9 AM to 8 PM)
By fax: Fax Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1833
Online: Visit the Orchestra’s website at philorch.org
For information on subscription ticket packages, please call Subscriber Services at 215.893.1955.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Community Ticket Program: The Philadelphia Orchestra makes a limited number of community rush seats available for $10 at the Kimmel Center Box Office between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM the day of most subscription concerts (11:30 AM-12:30 PM for 2 PM performances). Seating will be throughout the hall and is subject to availability. Please note that the number of available tickets varies by performance and there is a limit of one ticket per person for each purchase.
For College Students: For a one-time $25 membership fee, students can join the eZseatU program presented by PNC Arts Alive and reserve tickets to subscription concerts without paying any additional cost per ticket. eZseatU membership is valid from September 2014 through May 2015 and only for Philadelphia Orchestra concerts at the Kimmel Center. Participants must be full-time college students and have a valid student ID to participate. Students may redeem one ticket per membership per concert. Students with a valid student I.D. may also purchase student rush tickets for $8 before each subscription music concert. Tickets may be purchased at the Box Office on the day of the concert from 6:30 PM to 7:50 PM for 8 PM performances and from 12:30 PM to 1:50 PM for 2 PM performances, or at philorch.org/ezseatu. Handling fees apply to all website purchases. Only one ticket may be purchased per I.D., and tickets are subject to availability. All student tickets issued are general admission. Seating location is dependent on availability. The eZseatU program is presented by PNC Arts Alive with additional support from the Neubauer Family Foundation and the Amy P. Goldman Foundation.
A $6 service fee applies to all telephone, fax, and online orders. Each ticket price over $10 includes a $4 Kimmel Center, Inc., surcharge for facility maintenance. American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards accepted.
St. Matthew Passion
April 1 at 8 PM – Wednesday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 4 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion premiered on Good Friday in 1727. Nearly 300 years later, Philadelphia audiences can experience the groundbreaking creation much as the original 18th-century audience did that Easter weekend. Recounting the New Testament story of Jesus Christ’s final days—from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion—Bach calls for large-scale forces and a divided orchestra. Renowned stage director James Alexander’s brilliant minimalist staging enhances the storytelling. Audiences were mesmerized when The Philadelphia Orchestra performed the work in 2013 for the first time in 30 years. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this grand event.
This is a Symphony V.0 Production.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Carolyn Sampson Soprano – Philadelphia Orchestra Debut
Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano
Andrew Staples Tenor (Evangelist)
Andrew Foster-Williams Bass-baritone (Jesus)
Philippe Sly Bass-baritone
Westminster Symphonic Choir (Joe Miller, director)
The American Boychoir (Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, music director)
James Alexander Stage Director
Jon H. Weir Lighting Designer
Bach The Passion According to St. Matthew
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
PlayIN for Brass
April 8 at 5:30 PM – Wednesday evening — Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Over 100 brass musicians of varying skill levels will join trumpet, trombone, and horn players of The Philadelphia Orchestra in a free Brass PlayIN. The PlayIN is led by Orchestra trumpet player Anthony Prisk. PlayINs, free for participants and audiences, continue the Orchestra’s expansion of community offerings that take its musicians offstage, on the road, and into the lives of music lovers throughout the Philadelphia region.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s PlayINs are funded by generous donations from Board member John H. McFadden and Lisa Kabnick, longtime supporters of The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Raynier Institute & Foundation, and an anonymous donor.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, or to register, please visit philorch.org/playin.
Beethoven and Mozart
April 10 at 2 PM – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 11 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Our Beethoven cycle continues with his Symphony No. 4. Classically inspired, this witty and brilliant work shows the composer’s mastery of the symphony. Mozart’s Symphony in D major is drawn from movements of his “Posthorn” Serenade, which derived its title from a posthorn solo—a predecessor to the modern French horn. Beethoven’s Consecration of the House Overture, written for the opening of a theater in Vienna, was inspired by Beethoven’s studies of Bach and Handel and shows clears signs of their influence. Our principal viola, Choong-Jin Chang, is front and center for Carl Stamitz’s Concerto in D major. Chang says it’s a challenging piece, with many exposed passages demanding a pristine technique. He compares soloing with the Orchestra to performing for your own family: a lot of warmth and support, coupled with the pressure to be worthy. Not familiar with Stamitz, a prolific 18th-century composer of the Mannheim School? Chang advises, think Mozart and Haydn.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Paul Goodwin Conductor – Philadelphia Orchestra Subscription Debut
Choong-Jin Chang Viola
Mozart Symphony in D major, K. 320, after the Serenade in D major (“Posthorn”) – 40/40
C. Stamitz Viola Concerto in D major – 40/40
Beethoven Overture, The Consecration of the House
Beethoven Symphony No. 4
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Peter and the Wolf
April 16 at 8 PM – Thursday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 17 at 2 PM – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 18 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Rediscover your youth with this collection of grown-up fairy tales. You’ll remember Peter and the Wolf from your first concert experiences, joined with Peter and the Wolf Live, 2008 Oscar® winner—Best Animated Short Film, directed by Suzie Templeton. The claymation presentation is set in modern times, with a new and edgy interpretation, including a dark wolf who will surprise the big kid in all of us. Even big kids will fear this threatening wolf. Roussel’s Spider’s Feast comes from a ballet with a grim plot: Insects are trapped in a spider’s web, but before it can eat them, a praying mantis comes along and eats the spider. A funeral procession follows. Poulenc’s Les Animaux modèles, also a ballet score, seems light and humorous on the surface, and the music is bursting with Poulencian delights. The plot involves surreal happenings in a French farmyard: A cicada plays the violin, a lion falls in love. But the story is also an allegory for France’s suffering under Nazi occupation. Saint-Saëns, and the incredible piano artistry of the Curtis-trained Naughton twins, bring the Carnival of the Animals to vivid life.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Christina and Michelle Naughton Pianos
Peter and the Wolf Live
2008 Oscar® winner—Best Animated Short Film
Roussel The Spider’s Feast
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf (with film) – 40/40
Poulenc Selections from Les Animaux modeles – 40/40
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals – 40/40
The April 16 concert is sponsored by the Hassel Foundation.
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Postlude Chamber Performance
April 17 – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Poulenc Flute Sonata
Jeffrey Khaner Flute
Stéphane Denève Piano
Prokofiev Quintet, Op. 39, for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and double bass
Elina Kalendarova Violin
Samuel Caviezel Clarinet
Jonathan Blumenfeld Oboe
Kerri Ryan Viola
Robert Kesselman Bass
The Postlude performance is free for concert ticketholders.
Perfect Harmony
April 17 at 6 PM – Friday evening — Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park
While the Phillies are away, the Volunteers and Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra will play in Perfect Harmony! Join us for a fun-filled event when our fabulous volunteers join forces with the Fabulous Philadelphians in support of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Enjoy cocktails, dinner, a spectacular silent and live auction, and socializing with members of the Orchestra, all while looking over home plate at the Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park.
Tickets to the event begin at $250 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. To purchase tickets, please visit philorch.org. For more information, please contact the Volunteer Relations Office by calling 215.893.1956 or e-mailing kklaverkamp@philorch.org.
Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf
April 18 at 11:30 AM – Saturday morning — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève leads a program featuring Peter and the Wolf, Sergei Prokofiev’s musical tale that has entertained and educated audiences for nearly 80 years. The enchanting Michael Boudewyns returns to breathe life into the beloved characters of this children’s classic. You’ll hear the instruments of the orchestra transformed into the spirited young Peter, his grumbling grandfather, and the menacing wolf. A great introduction to the Orchestra!
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Michael Boudewyns Narrator
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
The Family Concert series is presented by US Airways.
Tickets start at $19, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
LiveNote Nights: Denève
April 22 at 6:30 PM – Wednesday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Grab some friends and come to the Kimmel Center for LiveNote™ Nights. Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève leads the third LiveNote™ Nights concert on Wednesday, April 22, in a program of excerpts from Prokofiev’s indelible 20th-century interpretation of the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet.
LiveNote Nights concert presentations offer a program of core repertoire and feature the conductor talking about the music and the Orchestra demonstrating the music that will be performed. Following the concerts the musicians step off the stage to meet and mingle with audience members.
LiveNote Nights concerts are shorter and more informative concert presentations that start at 6:30 PM and offer audience members the chance to use the recently-introduced LiveNote app.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Prokofiev Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet
LiveNote Nights is funded in part by the generous support of the Raynier Institute & Foundation. The LiveNote app is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
All tickets are $25, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Romeo and Juliet
April 23 at 8 PM – Thursday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 24 at 2 PM – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
April 25 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
This concert explores the unknown worlds of distant stars, buried ruins of a past civilization beneath our feet, and the depths of our inner souls and passions. Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève is a strong proponent of John Williams, the most prolifically heard 20th-century composer but performed here for the first time on a subscription concert. His Close Encounters of the Third Kind ranges from the avant-garde to the Disney theme “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Graffiti heads underground, to the buried ruins at Pompeii. The Latin text sung by the Philadelphia Singers Chorale comes from actual wall writing discovered at the ancient site. And the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet was centuries old when Shakespeare produced his version in the late 16th century. Here, we have Prokofiev’s indelible 20th-century translation of the tragedy into music. This is truly a concert for the ages.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Stéphane Denève Conductor
The Philadelphia Singers Chorale (David Hayes, music director)
John Williams Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 40/40
Magnus Lindberg Graffiti, for chorus and orchestra – 40/40
Prokofiev Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Bernstein’s MASS
April 30 at 8 PM – Thursday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 1 at 8 PM – Friday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 2 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 3 at 2 PM – Sunday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Having stirred audiences with the requiems of Mozart, Brahms, Verdi, and Fauré, the Orchestra presents Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, sure to be the theatrical highlight of our season and featuring collaborations with community performers. The legendary composer and conductor conceived this sacred work as a Mass for John F. Kennedy, in conjunction with the dedication of the Kennedy Center in 1971. While he employed many of the elements of a traditional Mass, Bernstein also drew upon his Broadway experience, as well as other religious and popular genres. He deployed a battalion of musical forces to realize his vision, including two orchestras, a rock band, a marching band, a cast of Broadway vocalists, and multiple choirs. Yannick says this presentation builds on the Orchestra’s experience with the St. Matthew Passion, adding theatrical elements to help bring Bernstein’s vision alive, and fill Verizon Hall with a spiritual, ecumenical experience.
The underlying themes of MASS may be even more relevant today than at the premiere: religious community vs. individual identity; challenging authority vs. conforming to communal beliefs; war vs. coming together. What better way to spread that message than with performances by singers and instrumentalists from throughout our own community. The spiritual center of MASS is the Celebrant, sung for us by Kevin Vortmann. The Celebrant, disillusioned by the doubts of his community, goes through a crisis of faith en route to eventual reconciliation and peace. A Catholic Mass seen through the eyes of a Jewish composer, Bernstein’s MASS offers an opportunity for multi-denominational dialogue. Rarely performed due to the large forces required, this is truly a destination concert for audiences and participants alike.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Kevin Vortmann Tenor
Westminster Symphonic Choir (Joe Miller, director)
Kevin Newbury Stage Director
Bernstein MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers – 40/40
The Bernstein MASS performances are made possible in part by the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Presser Foundation.
Tickets start at $39, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
PlayIN for Cello
May 2 at 6 PM – Saturday evening — Commonwealth Plaza at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Participating cellists of varying skill levels will join the entire cello section of the Orchestra for a PlayIN. The PlayIN, rescheduled from the March 5 cancellation due to weather, is led by Orchestra cellists Gloria dePasquale and Richard Harlow. Free for participants and audiences, PlayINs continue the Orchestra’s expansion of community offerings that take its musicians offstage, on the road, and into the lives of music lovers throughout the Philadelphia region.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s PlayINs are funded by generous donations from Board member John H. McFadden and Lisa Kabnick, longtime supporters of The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Raynier Institute & Foundation, and an anonymous donor.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, or to register, please visit philorch.org/playin
Sound All Around: Ensemble
May 2 at 10 AM & 11:15 AM – Saturday morning — Academy of Music Ballroom, Philadelphia
May 4 at 10 AM & 11:15 AM – Monday morning — Academy of Music Ballroom, Philadelphia
Nurture your child’s passion for music! Sound All Around concerts are interactive programs with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra and award-winning storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston for children three though five. Sound All Around was named Philadelphia magazine’s Best in Philly® 2014—Best Music for Kids.
Charlotte Blake Alston Host and Storyteller
Amy Oshiro-Morales Violin
Samuel Caviezel Clarinet
Jeffry Kirschen Horn
Angela Zator Nelson Percussion
Lio Kuokman Piano
Tickets are $10, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Beethoven’s First
May 7 at 8 PM – Thursday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 8 at 2 PM – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 9 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia-born violinist Sarah Chang highlights this concert. A child prodigy, she made her debut with the Orchestra in 1991, when she was just 10 years old. One critic declared: “The ancients would certainly have had Ms. Chang emerging fully formed from some Botticellian scallop shell.” She’ll be performing Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. The Concerto is just one element in a largely Eastern-European-themed concert. We’ll also hear Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, Ligeti’s Romanian Concerto, and Beethoven’s First Symphony. While clearly influenced by Mozart and Haydn, this Symphony is just as clearly Beethoven’s own, the announcement of an epochal arrival in the world of the symphony.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru Conductor
Sarah Chang Violin
Ligeti Romanian Concerto – 40/40
Beethoven Symphony No. 1
Dvořák Violin Concerto
Enescu Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 – 40/40
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Yannick Conducts Rachmaninoff
May 13 at 8 PM – Wednesday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 15 at 2 PM – Friday afternoon — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
May 16 at 8 PM – Saturday evening — Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Explore the breadth of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s repertoire, from the treasures of the past to the cutting edge works of the future. Rachmaninoff wrote his Symphony No. 3 for the Philadelphians and their resplendent strings. It had its world premiere performance in 1936 with Leopold Stokowski on the podium and its first recording three years later with the composer conducting. The beloved and expressive work is paired with Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, written during the oppressive regime of the Soviet Union when the composer’s work was being denounced. The piece receives masterful treatment in the hands of Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili. The program begins with a world premiere—the latest from the in-demand American composer Nico Muhly and a Philadelphia Orchestra commission.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Lisa Batiashvili Violin
Muhly Mixed Messages – Philadelphia Orchestra Commission – World Premiere, 40/40
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3
Tickets start at $35, 215.893.1999 or philorch.org
Treasures Past and Present
May 14 at 8 PM – Thursday evening — Carnegie Hall, New York
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s long personal connection with Rachmaninoff includes the premiere of his Third Symphony, music of soulful melody and percussive rhythms. Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto has its roots in the Classical era and its heart in the Romantic. The first movement storms, the finale dances, and the central Largo’s quintessentially Romantic solo writing is sublime. Of soloist Emanuel Ax, the Guardian said his playing is “always marvelously articulate and totally unfussy.”
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Emanuel Ax Piano
Muhly Mixed Messages – Philadelphia Orchestra Commission – New York Premiere
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3
Tickets start at $20.50, 212.247.7800 or carnegiehall.org
All artists, dates, programs, and prices are subject to change. Tickets are subject to availability.
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