- DSO set to celebrate 100th anniversary of its historic home Orchestra Hall, beginning with reprise of the first program from 1919
- DSO commissions new music from American composers Mohammed Fairouz, James Lee III, Nkeiru Okoye, and Julia Wolfe to be premiered during season
- Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct four programs on the Classical Series and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik conducts three programs on the PNC Pops Series
- Subscriptions are on sale now at dso.org or the DSO Box Office
Detroit, (January 25, 2019) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced the 2019-2020 season of its Classical Series and PNC Pops Series, as well as initial plans for a season-long centennial celebration of its historic home Orchestra Hall—one of the world’s premier concert halls—which first opened its doors on October 23, 1919.
To kick off the Orchestra Hall centennial, the opening weekend of the 2019-2020 Classical Series (Oct 4-6) will replicate the first program ever presented on its stage: Weber’s Overture to Oberon, Mozart’s E-flat Concerto for Two Pianos, Bach’s Concerto No. 2 for Three Pianos, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Michael Francis conducts and pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton and Keun-A Lee are the guest soloists on a program the Detroit Free Press called a “striking opening event of a colossal nature” in its 1919 review.
Throughout the centennial season, many DSO programs will feature other works performed during Orchestra Hall’s first season in 1919-1920, including Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, and Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto.
“The DSO is excited to invite our broad and diverse communities to celebrate Detroit’s legendary Orchestra Hall next season, with its warmth, beauty, intimacy, and above all outstanding acoustics,” said DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons. “Through publications, exhibits, special programs, and the digital space, we’ll share stories of the artists, organizations, and patrons who have called Orchestra Hall their own for the past one hundred years, as well as reveal new and innovative ways this spectacular space will continue to serve and engage new audiences for decades to come.”
In addition to plans for the 2019-2020 Classical Series and more activities to be announced in the coming months, the centennial celebration will pay tribute to Orchestra Hall’s ten-year history as the Paradise Theatre (1941–1951), a top Midwest tour destination for the finest jazz, bebop, and blues artists. The Duke Ellington Orchestra will perform in December 2019, as part of the DSO’s Paradise Jazz Series, which will celebrate its own 20th anniversary in 2019-2020. Duke Ellington headlined the first-ever concert at the Paradise Theatre, on Christmas Eve 1941. The full 20th anniversary Paradise Jazz Series will be announced in March.
For the new season, the DSO has also commissioned new music by the American composers Mohammed Fairouz, James Lee III, Nkeiru Okoye, and Julia Wolfe. The works by Fairouz, Lee, and Okoye will each have their world premieres in Detroit by the DSO, while the piece by Wolfe is a co-commission and will receive its local premiere. Additionally, the DSO has commissioned a new brass fanfare from composers and spouses Kristin Kuster and William Lucas (a member of the DSO trumpet section) to mark the occasion of the Orchestra Hall centennial. The 2019-2020 Classical Series features other contemporary works by DSO cellist Jeremy Crosmer, Sebastian Fagerlund, Gabriel Kahane, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Outi Tarkiainen, and Alex Temple.
“Orchestra Hall’s centennial gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the DSO’s vibrant history while also remaining committed to our vision of all an orchestra can be in the 21st century,” said DSO Vice President and General Manager Erik Rönmark. “Past and present will often meet in striking ways, with contemporary music allowing for fresh understanding of classic works, and standard repertoire providing additional context for new music.”
DSO Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin will return to Detroit to conduct the DSO on four programs, including two back-to-back weeks in May 2020. Highlights of Slatkin’s programs include concerts with violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Garrick Ohlsson and a performance of Orff’s powerful choral work Carmina Burana. In celebration of Slatkin’s 75th birthday later this year, the DSO and other orchestras with strong connections to the conductor have commissioned new variations on Paganini’s famous theme, Caprice No. 24, by five composers, which will performed along with an earlier set of variations from 1996.
“In the 2019-2020 Season, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will continue to explore new paths while honoring the traditions of the symphonic repertoire,” said Slatkin. “With the welcome return of soloists Joshua Bell and Garrick Ohlsson, as well as the introduction of new artists, Orchestra Hall will be alive with music and invention. I look forward to sharing this special year and celebrating my 75th birthday with both the orchestra and audience.”
Guest conductors scheduled to appear with the DSO next season include Jader Bignamini (on two programs), who memorably stepped in to lead the season-closing performances of Puccini’s Turandot last June, as well as Lionel Bringuier, Fabien Gabel, James Gaffigan, Eric Jacobsen,Hannu Lintu, Juanjo Mena, Ruth Reinhardt, Dalia Stasevska, Thomas Søndergård, Markus Stenz, John Storgårds, and Juraj Valčua.
Former DSO Resident Conductor Thomas Wilkins returns to Detroit to lead the orchestra’s 42nd annual Classical Roots concerts, celebrating African-American contributions to classical music, next year featuring the world premiere of Nkeiru Okoye’s Black Bottom and a performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto by André Watts.
The DSO will mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in 2020 with a trio of major works on the second half of the season: Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” conducted by John Storgårds, the “Emperor” Concerto with Watts and Wilkins, and a season-closing performance of the Violin Concerto with violinist Vadim Gluzman and conductor Hannu Lintu.
Other top soloists appearing next season include mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who makes her DSO debut performing Ravel’s Shéhérazade and Alex Temple’s Liebeslied; cellist Alisa Weilerstein(Barber’s Cello Concerto); violinists James Ehnes, Karen Gomyo, Augustin Hadelich, and Julian Rachlin; and pianists Bertrand Chamayou, Alexandra Dariescu, and Simon Trpčeski, among others. DSO Concertmaster Yoonshin Song (Katherine Tuck Chair) will be featured as soloist in Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G minor on the second program of the season.
The DSO also announced its 2019-2020 PNC Pops Series, which will bring favorites from Broadway, film and TV, rock, jazz, and more to the Orchestra Hall stage. DSO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will lead three programs: Queens of Soul, featuring a tribute to Aretha Franklin, plus music by Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, and other soul and R&B divas; Legends: The Paul Simon Songbook; and Prohibition, a celebration of the 1920s inspired by the cabarets and speakeasies of New York, Paris, and Atlantic City. Other PNC Pops Series highlights include an evening with Broadway and television star Jason Alexander, a performance blending music and live magic with Masters of Illusion star Michael Grandinetti, and the ever-popular Home for the Holidays program. The DSO Presents program of Home Alone in Concert, a holiday favorite that sells out year after year, also will return.
See below for more details and full schedules for both the Classical and PNC Pops Series.
Subscriptions are on sale now for the 2019-2020 Classical and PNC Pops Series. Patrons may purchase subscriptions at dso.org, by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111, or in person at the Max. M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (3711 Woodward Avenue, Detroit). See below for more information about subscription options and prices. Single tickets will be available for purchase at a later date.
The DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series will return for the ninth full season, offering free, live HD broadcasts of every Classical Series program at dso.org/live and via Facebook Live. See the schedule below for which concert dates will be webcast.
The DSO Classical Series is generously sponsored by PVS Chemicals, Inc. The title sponsor of the DSO’s PNC Pops Series is PNC Bank, and the series is presented by Masco Corporation Foundation with additional support from Greektown Casino-Hotel. The Paradise Jazz Series is sponsored by General Motors with additional support from MGM Grand Detroit
For more information, visit: dso.org/classical and dso.org/pops.
The complete Paradise Jazz Series and the DSO’s Young People’s Family Concerts will be announced in the coming weeks. The 2020 William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series will be announced in the summer.
Orchestra Hall 100: A Centennial Season
One of the world’s premier concert halls, Orchestra Hall was built in a swift four months and 23 days over the summer of 1919, designed by architect C. Howard Crane as the DSO’s first permanent venue at the request of then music director Ossip Gabrilowitsch.
A hidden gem with magnificent acoustics, Orchestra Hall for its first twenty years hosted some of the leading classical music artists of the era. Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, and George Gershwin all paid visits. Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Heifetz, Casals, Marian Anderson, Enrico Caruso, and more performed with the DSO, setting a standard of excellence that continues to this day.
When the DSO departed Orchestra Hall in 1939 for the Masonic Temple and later Ford Auditorium, the building stood dark for two years before finding a second life as the Paradise Theatre, presenting the finest jazz, bebop, and blues. Opened by Duke Ellington on Christmas Eve 1941, the Paradise was a major Midwest tour stop for such artists as Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Sammy Davis Jr., and Lena Horne, among others.
After being saved from the wrecking ball in the 1970s by a community alliance of musicians, architects, and concerned citizens, Orchestra Hall was renovated and once more became a beacon for the finest performers of all musical genres. The DSO played select weeks at Orchestra Hall during the ‘70s and ‘80s before permanently moving back to its historic home in 1989. The DSO launched the Paradise Jazz Series in 1999 in tribute to its past, and to this day has the distinction of being one of few major American orchestras with an annual jazz series presented on its mainstage.
The DSO celebrates Orchestra Hall’s centennial throughout 2019-2020 season with special programming on both the Classical Series and 20th anniversary Paradise Jazz Series, plus additional events and activities to be announced.
Commissions, Premieres, and Contemporary Music
The DSO will perform eleven works by living composers during the 2019-2020 season, which includes three world premieres of DSO-commissioned works.
Mohammed Fairouz: An Affirming Flame (World Premiere) – Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin conducts this DSO commission. Slatkin has previously led the DSO in two works by Fairouz: Desert Sorrows, a cello concerto with Maya Beiser in 2016 (also a DSO commission) and Pax Universalis in 2017. Nov 15-17, 2019
James Lee III: Amer’ican (World Premiere) – Commissioned by the DSO, Lee’s work is a response to Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and the issues of appropriation that this classic piece of orchestral repertoire raises. Eric Jacobsen will conduct the world premiere in Detroit, preceding Dvořák’s symphony all on the first half, as well Gabriel Kahane’s emergency shelter intake form (see below) after intermission. Apr 2-4, 2020
Nkeiru Okoye: Black Bottom (World Premiere) – Inspired by the historic African-American Detroit neighborhoods of Black Bottom and the Paradise Valley (adjacent to Orchestra Hall) that were destroyed by highway construction projects of the mid-20th century, this DSO-commissioned work will be conducted by Thomas Wilkins at the 42nd annual Classical Roots concerts. The commission is supported with a grant from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Mar 6-7, 2020
Julia Wolfe: new work – The DSO has co-commissioned a new work from 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner (for Anthracite Fields) and co-founder of new music collective Bang on a Can. The Detroit performance will be conducted by Dalia Stasevska. Nov. 7-9, 2019
Various: Yet Another Set of Variations on a Theme by Paganini – In celebration of Leonard Slatkin’s 75th birthday in 2019, the DSO and four other orchestras with strong connections to the conductor (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra National de Lyon, and Nashville Symphony Orchestra) have commissioned new variations on Paganini’s famous theme (Caprice No. 24) by composers Mason Bates, Guillaume Connesson, John Corigliano, Rob Mathes, and Cindy McTee. Slatkin will conduct the new pieces paired with earlier variations on the same theme from 1996 by Claude Baker, William Bolcom, Donald Erb, Joseph Schwanter, Leonard Slatkin, and Joan Tower. The program also features Orff’s classic choral work Carmina Burana. Mar 12-14, 2020
Jeremy Crosmer: Ozark Traveler – A member of the DSO cello section for the past two seasons, Crosmer is also an outstanding composer, and the orchestra is proud to present one of his recent works on its Classical Series. Inspired by the Ozark Mountains near where Crosmer grew up in Arkansas, Ozark Traveler was originally commissioned and premiered by the Grand Rapids Symphony. Leonard Slatkin conducts. May 21-23, 2020
Sebastian Fagerlund: Drifts – Conductor Hannu Lintu leads a performance of this work by the Finnish composer who was recently composer-in-residence for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. June 4-6, 2020
Gabriel Kahane: emergency shelter intake form – Originally commissioned and premiered in 2018 by the Oregon Symphony, this orchestral song cycle addresses issues of homelessness and systemic inequality. For this performance in Detroit, the DSO will work with a small chorus made up of clients and staff of a community organization that works to overcome homelessness alongside mezzo-soprano Alicia Hall Moran and vocalists Holland Andrews and Holcombe Waller (who, with Kahane, bill themselves the chorus of inconvenient statistics). Eric Jacobsenconducts this and the premiere of James Lee III’s Amer’ican, plus Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony (see above). Apr 2-4, 2020
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Helix – Conductor Lionel Bringuier leads a performance of this 2005 work by the Finnish composer, conductor, and newly announced music director of the San Francisco Symphony. May 8-10, 2020
Outi Tarkiainen: Midnight Sun Variations – A new work from this rising, young Finnish composer conducted by John Storgårds. Feb 21-23, 2020
Alex Temple: Liebeslied – Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard makes her DSO debut performing Ravel’s Shéhérazade and this 2011 work for chamber orchestra and live electronics inspired by love songs of the mid-20th century. Alex Ross in The New Yorker wrote Liebeslied is “like a Buñuel film in miniature, and it achieves perfection.” Also, the DSO performs Strauss’s Salome’s Dance and Schumann’s Symphony No. 4. Jan 30-Feb 1, 2020
Major Symphonic Works
The DSO will play several major works from the symphonic repertoire.
Pieces marked with a 100 (100) were performed during the first DSO season in Orchestra Hall, 1919-1920, and have been programmed for the 2019-2020 Centennial.
Bach: Concerto No. 2 in C major for Three Pianos 100
Barber: Concerto for Cello
Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” 100
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 100
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” 100
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture 100
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique 100
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Bruch: Violin Concerto 100
Debussy: La Mer
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” 100
Dvořák: Violin Concerto
Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla 100
Handel: Messiah
Haydn: Symphony No. 44
Korngold: Sinfonietta
Mahler: Symphony No. 4
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto 100
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21
Mozart: Concerto in E-flat major for Two Pianos and Orchestra 100
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Orff: Carmina Burana
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 100
Ravel: Piano Concerto for Left Hand
Ravel: Shéhérazade
Schubert: Symphony No. 9, “The Great” 100
Schumann: Symphony No. 4 100
Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
R. Strauss: Death and Transfiguration 100
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 100
Weber: Overture to Oberon 100
Classical Series Guest Conductors and Soloists
The DSO continues to attract top artistic talent from around the world. The following guest conductors and soloists will appear with the orchestra in the 2019-2020 Season.
Artists marked with an asterisk (*) will be making their DSO Classical Series conducting or solo debut.
Conductor Jader Bignamini
Conductor Lionel Bringuier *
Conductor Michael Francis *
Conductor Fabien Gabel
Conductor James Gaffigan
Conductor Eric Jacobsen *
Conductor Hannu Lintu
Conductor Juanjo Mena *
Conductor Ruth Reinhardt *
Conductor Thomas Søndergård *
Conductor Dalia Stasevska *
Conductor Markus Stenz *
Conductor John Storgårds
Conductor Juraj Valčua
Conductor Thomas Wilkins
Violinist Joshua Bell
Violinist James Ehnes
Violinist Karen Gomyo
Violinist Vadim Gluzman
Violinist Augustin Hadelich
Violinist Julian Rachlin
Pianist Bertrand Chamayou
Pianist Alexandra Dariescu *
Pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk *
Pianist Keun-A Lee *
Pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton
Pianist Garrick Ohlsson
Pianist Simon Trpčeski
Pianist André Watts
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein
Soprano Deanna Breiwick *
Soprano Janai Brugger *
Soprano Isabel Leonard *
Soprano Lauren Snouffer *
Mezzo-Soprano Eve Gigliotti *
Mezzo-Soprano Alicia Hall Moran *
Tenor Miles Mykkanen *
Tenor Taylor Stayton *
Baritone Norman Garrett *
Bass-Baritone Davóne Tines *
DSO Concertmaster Yoonshin Song (Katherine Tuck Chair) will also perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto as a featured soloist.
Subscription Options and Prices
Subscription packages for the Classical and PNC Pops Series are on sale now. The deadline to renew for all existing subscribers is March 18. Classical subscriptions are sold in groups of 9, 17, and 21 concerts, beginning at just $90. For more information visit dso.org/classical.
PNC Pops Series subscriptions are sold in groups of 8 concerts, beginning at just $133. For more information visit dso.org/pops.
Learn about DSO NextGen, a DSO ticket membership program and volunteer committee for young professionals, at dso.org/nextgen. NextGen members pay $40 annually to unlock $10 tickets to more than 100 concerts throughout the season, as well as access to exclusive pre- and post-concert events.
Students of any age can attend unlimited Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and William Davidson Neighborhood Series concerts by purchasing a Soundcard for $25 annually. Learn more at dso.org/soundcard. (Some restrictions apply.)
Subscriptions can be purchased at dso.org, by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111, or in person at the Max. M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (3711 Woodward Avenue, Detroit).
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the institution. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who recently concluded an acclaimed decade-long tenure at the helm, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate, endowed by the Kresge Foundation. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall will celebrate its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.
CLASSICAL SERIES: COMPLETE CONCERT LISTINGS
Programs and artists subject to change.
Programs marked with an asterisk (*) will be webcast for free at dso.org/live via the Live from Orchestra Hall series and on Facebook Live.
Pieces marked with a 100 (100) were performed during the first DSO season in Orchestra Hall, 1919-1920, and have been programmed for the 2019-2020 Season.
OPENING WEEKEND: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION – BEETHOVEN 5
Friday, October 4, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 3 p.m. *
Michael Francis, conductor
Christina and Michelle Naughton, piano
Keun-A Lee, piano
WEBER
Overture to Oberon 100
MOZART
Concerto in E-flat major for Two Pianos, K. 365/316a 100
BACH
Concerto No. 2 in C major for Three Pianos, BWV 1064 100
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 100
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 4
Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 18, 2019 at 8 p.m. *
Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Yoonshin Song, violin
Janai Brugger, soprano
GLINKA
Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla 100
BRUCH
Violin Concerto in G minor
MAHLER
Symphony No. 4 in G major
STRAUSS: DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 3 p.m. *
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Julian Rachlin, violin
PROKOFIEV
Suite from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33bis
PROKOFIEV
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor
R. STRAUSS
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24 (Death and Transfiguration) 100
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIRST CONCERTO
Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 8, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. *
Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
Simon Trpčeski, piano
JULIA WOLFE
New Work (TBA)
TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 100
SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Friday, November 15, 2019 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 3 p.m. *
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
BERLIOZ
Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 100
MOHAMMED FAIROUZ
An Affirming Flame (World Premiere)
MUSSORGSKY (arr. Ravel)
Pictures at an Exhibition
MENDELSSOHN VIOLIN CONCERTO
Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 6, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. *
Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Juanjo Mena, conductor
James Ehnes, violin
HAYDN
Symphony No. 44 in E minor, “Trauersinfonie”
MENDELSSOHN
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 100
SCHUBERT
Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, “The Great” 100
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Friday, December 13, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 8 p.m. *
Ruth Reinhardt, conductor
Deanna Breiwick, soprano
Eve Gigliotti, mezzo-soprano
Miles Mykkanen, tenor
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone
HANDEL
Messiah
HADELICH PLAYS PAGANINI
Friday, January 24, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
PAGANINI
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 6
BERLIOZ
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 100
RAVEL’S SHÉHÉRAZADE
Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 31, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
James Gaffigan, conductor
Isabel Leonard, soprano
R. STRAUSS
Salome’s Dance
ALEX TEMPLE
Liebeslied
RAVEL
Shéhérazade
SCHUMANN
Symphony No. 4
DEBUSSY AND RAVEL
Friday, February 14, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, February 15, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 3 p.m. *
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Bertrand Chamayou, piano
RAVEL
Piano Concerto for Left Hand in D major
POULENC
Les animaux modèles, Op. 111
DEBUSSY
La Mer
BEETHOVEN’S SIXTH
Friday, February 21, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3 p.m. *
John Storgårds, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
OUTI TARKIAINEN
Midnight Sun Variations
BARBER
Concerto for Cello, Op. 22
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, “Pastoral” 100
CLASSICAL ROOTS: ANDRÉ WATTS PLAYS BEETHOVEN
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
André Watts, piano
JOHNSON
Lift Every Voice and Sing
NKEIRU OKOYE
Black Bottom (World Premiere)
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, “Emperor” 100
CARMINA BURANA
Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 13, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Taylor Stayton, tenor
Norman Garrett, baritone
UMS Choral Union
VARIOUS
Yet Another Set of Variations (on a Theme of Paganini)
ORFF
Carmina Burana
DVOŘÁK’S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 3, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Alicia Hall Moran, mezzo-soprano
Gabriel Kahane, Holland Andrews, and Holcombe Waller, chorus of inconvenient statistics
JAMES LEE III
Amer'ican (World Premiere)
DVOŘÁK
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World” 100
GABRIEL KAHANE
emergency shelter intake form
RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3
Friday, April 17, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 3 p.m. *
Markus Stenz, conductor
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
RACHMANINOFF
Concerto for Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 100
BUSONI
Berceuse élégiaque, Op. 42
SCRIABIN
Le Poème de l'extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), Op. 54
STRAUSS WALTZES AND MOZART PIANO CONCERTO NO. 21
Friday, April 24, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
J. STRAUSS II
Emperor Waltzes, Op. 437 (Kaiser Walzer)
MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, “Elvira Madigan”
KORNGOLD
Sinfonietta, Op. 5
MOZART AND PROKOFIEV
Friday, May 8, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 3 p.m. *
Lionel Bringuier, conductor
Karen Gomyo, violin
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
Helix
MOZART
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216
PROKOFIEV
Symphony No. 4 in C major, Op. 47
JOSHUA BELL RETURNS
Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 22, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
JEREMY CROSMER
Ozark Traveler
HINDEMITH
Mathis der Maler
DVOŘÁK
Slavonic Dances No. 7 and No. 8, Op. 46
DVOŘÁK
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53
SLATKIN CONDUCTS STRAVINSKY AND BARTÓK
Friday, May 29, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 30, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 3 p.m. *
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
STRAVINSKY
Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 revision)
BARTÓK
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, BB 114
BRAHMS
Concerto for Piano No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 5, 2020 at 8 p.m. *
Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Vadim Gluzman, violin
SEBASTIAN FAGERLUND
Drifts
BEETHOVEN
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
BRAHMS
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
PNC POPS SERIES: COMPLETE CONCERT LISTINGS
All concerts at Orchestra Hall within the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
Programs and artists subject to change.
QUEENS OF SOUL
Friday, October 11, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Shayna Steele, vocalist
Featuring a special musical and video tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin! A celebration of the reigning divas of soul and R&B, including Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, and Adele.
JASON ALEXANDER
Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 3 p.m.
Jason Alexander
Robert Bernhardt, conductor
Long before becoming the iconic George Costanza on Seinfeld, Jason Alexander was a Tony Award-winning Broadway star. Hear the hilarious re-telling of his journey to and on the Broadway stage through a program of show tunes, comedy, and audience interaction.
LEGENDS: THE PAUL SIMON SONGBOOK
Friday, November 22, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Paul Loren, vocalist
From Simon and Garfunkel to solo albums Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon has distinguished himself as a unique songwriter, crafting songs that have become themes for love, family, and social commentary. Hear hits like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” fully orchestrated for the DSO by Jeff Tyzik.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Friday, December 20, 2019 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Dee Donasco, vocalist
Share Detroit's favorite holiday musical tradition with family and friends and thrill to the spectacle of the season. Stuart Chafetz leads a sparkling celebration with carols and classics that sells out year after year—and yes, Virginia, there will be a Santa Claus!
SONGS OF JOURNEY, THE EAGLES, AND FLEETWOOD MAC
Friday, January 17, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Michael Krajewski, conductor
Lori Zabka, vocalist
Shem von Schroeck, vocalist
Micah Wilshire, vocalist
Classic rock’s biggest hits come alive in this symphonic tribute to the music of Journey, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and more. The distinct voices of Lori Zabka, Shem von Schroeck, and Micah Wilshire shine in these full symphonic takes on “Desperado,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop Believin,’” and many others.
POSITIVELY PIANO
Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
Kevin Cole, piano and vocals
Join pianist Kevin Cole, hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “the best Gershwin pianist in America today” as he shares piano favorites, such as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and I Got Rhythm Variations, along with hit songs from the golden age of Broadway.
FROM BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD
Friday, February 28, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Robert Bernhardt, conductor
Carole J. Bufford, vocalist
Blaine Krauss, vocalist
Musicals like West Side Story, The Sound of Music, and Les Misérables became hits both on Broadway and in Hollywood. Enjoy a program of music that has thrilled audiences of the stage and screen, including beloved songs like “My Favorite Things,” “I Dreamed A Dream,” and “All That Jazz.”
MUSIC AND MAGIC
Friday, March 27, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Michael Grandinetti, illusionist
Michael Grandinetti, star of TV’s Masters of Illusion and one of today’s leading pioneers of live magic, combines his art of illusion with the DSO’s magical melodies. Get ready to be on the edge of your seat, but don’t worry—only one lucky audience member will be cut in half!
PROHIBITION: FROM MOULIN ROUGE TO BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Friday, May 15, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Travel through the dark cabarets and speakeasies of New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Chicago and Atlantic City! Featuring vintage imagery and video, this program celebrates the music of the 1920s in all its decadence.
THE DOO WOP PROJECT
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Damon Gupton, conductor
Returning to Orchestra Hall for one performance only, The Doo Wop Project follows the evolution of doo wop from the 1950s to today’s biggest hits. Stars of Broadway’s Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical harmonize classics from The Crests, The Flamingos, and The Temptations all the way to Michael Jackson and Adele.
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS
Friday, June 12, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Damon Gupton, conductor
The arrival of summer brings with it blockbuster movies that capture everyone’s attention—and turn film composers like John Williams, James Horner, and Hans Zimmer into household names. Enter the summer with the best music from some of the top grossing summer movies of all time, including Aladdin, Gladiator, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Pirates of the Caribbean.