- Music Director Jader Bignamini’s first full season features major works from Beethoven’s Ninth to Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, acclaimed soloists, and music from a wide array of composers
- Music of William Dawson, James Lee III, Florence Price, Clara Schumann, Jeff Scott, Joel Thompson, and Joan Tower highlight 20+ works by Black & women composers
- Renowned guest conductors and soloists include Hilary Hahn, Eun Sun Kim, Paul Lewis, Branford Marsalis, Gil Shaham, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Alisa Weilerstein, Thomas Wilkins, Xian Zhang, and many more
- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performs with DSO at annual Classical Roots Celebration for second consecutive year
- Subscriptions on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (February 11, 2021) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced the 2021-2022 season of its Classical Series and PNC Pops Series. The season marks the first full season for DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini, who was named to his post in January 2020 and will conduct ten of the season’s 20 Classical Series weeks in 2021-2022.
Music Director Jader Bignamini’s ten programs include major symphonies by Beethoven (Seventh and Ninth), Brahms (Second), Mahler (First), Wynton Marsalis (Blues Symphony), and Florence Price (Third); orchestral favorites by Gershwin (Porgy and Bess), Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition), Respighi (Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome); violin concertos by Barber (with Gil Shaham), Dvořák (with Hilary Hahn), Mozart (No. 5 with Randall Goosby), and Sibelius (with Ray Chen); piano concertos by Rachmaninoff (No. 3 with Sergei Babayan) and Ravel (G major with Jean-Yves Thibaudet); Dvořák’s Cello Concerto (with Alisa Weilerstein); and contemporary music by John Adams (the Saxophone Concerto with Branford Marsalis), Hannah Lash, Jessie Montgomery, Jeff Scott, and Carlos Simon. Jader also conducts a pair of works featuring DSO musicians as soloists: Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto with Principal Trumpet Hunter Eberly and Strauss’s Don Quixote with Principal Viola Eric Nowlin and Principal Cello Wei Yu.
In 2020, the DSO capitalized on early investments and institutional expertise in streaming, offering fans access to archival content through Facebook Watch Parties and DSO Replay, and beginning in the fall, new live performances through its DSO Digital Concerts series. The orchestra successfully navigated this format shift by implementing best-practice health and safety protocols for musicians and staff. The DSO will leverage its track record of success as it moves forward with plans for live audiences to return to the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
“It has been a true joy for us to resume live music with the Digital Concert series,” said DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini. “The innovation and resilience shown by the entire organization—musicians, staff, and board leadership—to keep the music playing during this year of uncertainty has been inspiring and energizing. But now, more than ever before, we must play music for our audiences live in Orchestra Hall. They are the missing part of the recipe for all of us to experience something very special together. We cannot wait to welcome them back as we look forward to the next era of making music in Detroit.”
New safety measures at Orchestra Hall and the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center will include electronic ticketing, contactless points of entry, new UV-C light emitting sanitizers throughout the ventilation system, and regular sanitizing of surfaces, among additional best-practice protocols and policies. Subscribers will be able to plan their season risk-free. Should there be a cancellation or circumstances that impact in-person attendance, the DSO will provide options to view performances digitally or adjust subscription packages for the season.
“The past year was one of challenge, adaptation, determination, and innovation,” said DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons. “Thanks to our community of supporters and creative, tireless work from our staff and musicians, our DSO family grew stronger—protecting one another while recognizing in brand new ways the power of music in our lives. Now we begin to look forward to a brighter future where we can once again enjoy world-class musical performances by Jader and our DSO musicians from our favorite seats in Orchestra Hall. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and performers, so we will remain vigilant and flexible with our plans to reopen to audiences.”
“The pandemic has given us an opportunity to show what we can do as an organization to stay connected to our audience and our community,” said Úna O’Riordan, DSO Cello and Chair of the musicians’ Artistic Advisory Committee. “It also has made it obvious just how much the energy from our audience fuels our performances: from exchanging pre-concert waves and smiles as we warm up onstage, to sharing that beautiful moment after the last note—right before the applause. These moments are just as precious to us as the notes we play.”
Additional highlights of the 2021-2022 season: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis returns for a second consecutive year, performing Marsalis’s Symphony No. 3 (“Swing Symphony”) with the DSO at the 44th annual Classical Roots Celebration; Eric Jacobsen conducts piano concertos by Enescu and Clara Schumann with soloist Alexandra Dariescu plus Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” paired with the premiere of Amer’ican, a new work by James Lee III written in response to the “New World” Symphony and Dvořák’s call for American composers to incorporate music of Native and African American sources; and conductor Eun Sun Kim leads a program of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with guitar soloist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas and Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony.
Three conductors with DSO connections return to Orchestra Hall in the coming season. DSO Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin leads world premieres by Samuel Adler and Joseph Schwantner and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Former Resident Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads a program pairing William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with Vadim Gluzman; and former Principal Guest Conductor Peter Oundjian conducts an all-American program of music by William Grant Still, Joan Tower, and Samuel Barber, plus a new work by Joel Thompson inspired by James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son.
Other guest artists appearing on the DSO’s 2020-2021 Classical Series include conductors William Eddins, Fabien Gabel, Kazushi Ono, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Xian Zhang; pianist Paul Lewis; violinists Isabelle Faust and Karen Gomyo; and cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. See below for a notable repertoire list, guest artist list, and complete program listings.
“Music, and the arts in general, provides hope for people,” said DSO Vice President and General Manager Erik Rönmark. “That is how we approached programming the 20-21 season with our Digital Concerts, and that’s how we are now approaching the 21-22 season. The DSO has strived to present a diverse and eclectic season for many years now, but we are particularly excited to present such a wide-ranging season for Jader’s first full year. Detroit audiences are very open to experiencing new music––not only recently composed works but also many wonderful works throughout the centuries which we have not heard enough. These include works by African American composers who have been ignored by our industry for decades. Highlighting great music of all eras by all composers is something that serves our organization, industry, and community well.”
The DSO also announced its 2021-2022 PNC Pops Series, which will bring favorites from Broadway, film and TV, rock, pop, and more to the Orchestra Hall stage. DSO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will lead three programs: The Envelope Please, an evening of Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award winning songs performed by vocalists Susan Egan, Doug LaBrecque, and Lisa Vroman; Cirque Carnaval with circus/aerialist group Troupe Vertigo; and Kings of Soul, featuring music of Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, James Brown, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Al Green, and more. Other PNC Pops Series highlights include tributes to Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel (with vocalists Ann Hampton Callaway and Michael Cavanaugh, respectively), a special 30th anniversary edition of the popular Bugs Bunny @ The Symphony, The Best of Rodgers & Hammerstein with conductor Steven Reineke, and more. The beloved Home for the Holidays program, a holiday favorite that sells out year after year, also will return.
Subscriptions are on sale now for the 2021-2022 Classical and PNC Pops series. Patrons can purchase subscriptions at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111. Single tickets will be available for purchase later this year.
The DSO Classical Series is generously sponsored by PVS Chemicals, Inc. The title sponsor of the DSO’s PNC Pops Series is PNC Bank.
For more information, visit: dso.org/classical and dso.org/pops. The 2021-2022 Paradise Jazz Series, family programming, and the 2022 William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series will be announced in the coming months.
Commissions, Premieres, and Contemporary Music
The DSO will perform 17 works by living composers during the 2021-2022 season, which include four world premieres and five DSO-commissioned works (noted with *).
JOHN ADAMS Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra
SAMUEL ADLER Mirror Images (World Premiere)*
ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK Fanfare on “Amazing Grace”
ANDERS HILLBORG Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (US Premiere)*
TEXU KIM Dub-Sanjo
HANNAH LASH In Hopes of Finding the Sun
JAMES LEE III Amer’ican (World Premiere)*
WYNTON MARSALIS Blues Symphony
WYNTON MARSALIS Fanfare
WYNTON MARSALIS Symphony No. 3, “Swing Symphony”
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Banner
ELIZABETH OGONEK In Silence
JOSEPH SCHWANTNER Violin Concerto (World Premiere)*
JEFF SCOTT Paradise Valley Serenade (World Premiere)*
CARLOS SIMON Fate Now Conquers
JOEL THOMPSON New work, inspired by James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son
JOAN TOWER Music for Cello and Orchestra
Additional Major Orchestral Works
ALEXANDER ARUTIUNIAN Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
SAMUEL BARBER Violin Concerto, Op. 14
SAMUEL BARBER Symphony No. 1, Op. 9
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 61
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Symphonic Variations on an African Air, Op. 63
WILLIAM DAWSON Negro Folk Symphony
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
GEORGE GERSHWIN/orch. BENNETT Porgy and Bess: Symphonic Picture
GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543
MODEST MUSSORGSKY/orch. MAURICE RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition
FLORENCE PRICE Symphony No. 3 in C minor
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
MAURICE RAVEL Concerto in G major for Piano and Orchestra
OTTORINO RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome
OTTORINO RESPIGHI Pines of Rome
JOAQUÍN RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra
CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 5
FLORENT SCHMITT La Tragedie de Salomé, Op. 50
CLARA SCHUMANN Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 7
ROBERT SCHUMANN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor
JEAN SIBELIUS Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47
JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
BEDŘICH SMETANA The Moldau
WILLIAM GRANT STILL Poem
RICHARD STRAUSS Don Quixote, Op. 35
RICHARD STRAUSS “Salome's Dance” from Salome, Op. 54
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Classical Series Guest Conductors and Soloists
Artists marked with an asterisk (*) will be making their DSO Classical Series conducting or solo debut.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
William Eddins, conductor
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Eric Jacobsen, conductor*
Eun Sun Kim, conductor*
Kazushi Ono, conductor*
Peter Oundjian, conductor
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Xian Zhang, conductor
Nicolas Altstaedt, cello
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Wei Yu, cello
Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, guitar*
Sergei Babayan, piano*
Alexandra Dariescu, piano*
Paul Lewis, piano*
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Branford Marsalis, saxophone
Hunter Eberly, trumpet
Eric Nowlin, viola
Ray Chen, violin
Isabelle Faust, violin*
Vadim Gluzman, violin
Karen Gomyo, violin
Randall Goosby, violin*
Hilary Hahn, violin
Yevgeny Kutik, violin*
Gil Shaham, violin
About Jader Bignamini
Jader Bignamini was introduced as the 18th music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January 2020, commencing with the 2020-2021 season. He kicked off his tenure as DSO Music Director with the launch of DSO Digital Concerts in September 2020, conducting works by Copland, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Georges. His infectious passion and artistic excellence set the tone for the season ahead, creating extraordinary music and establishing a close relationship with the orchestra. A jazz aficionado, he has immersed himself in Detroit’s rich jazz culture and the influences of American music.
In December, Jader returned to Detroit to lead a triumphant performance of Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst, Strauss’s Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”. He will return in May 2021 to conduct four programs including performances with violinist Midori and pianist Orli Shaham.
A native of Crema, Italy, Jader studied at the Piacenza Music Conservatory and began his career as a musician (clarinet) with Orchestra Sinfonica La Verdi in Milan, later serving as the group’s resident conductor. Captivated by the operatic arias of legends like Mahler and Tchaikovsky, Jader explored their complexity and power, puzzling out the role that each instrument played in creating a larger-than-life sound. When he conducted his first professional concert at the age of 28, it didn’t feel like a departure, but an arrival.
In the years since, Jader has conducted some of the world’s most acclaimed orchestras and opera companies in venues across the globe including working with Riccardo Chailly on concerts of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony in 2013 and his concert debut at La Scala in 2015 for the opening season of La Verdi Orchestra. Recent highlights include debuts with the Houston, Dallas, and Minnesota symphonies; Osaka Philharmonic and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo; with the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Dutch National Opera (Madama Butterfly); Bayerische Staatsoper (La Traviata); I Puritani in Montpellier for the Festival of Radio France; Traviata in Tokyo directed by Sofia Coppola; return engagements with Oper Frankfurt (La forza del destino) and Santa Fe Opera (La Bohème); Manon Lescaut at the Bolshoi; Traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot at Arena of Verona; Il Trovatoreand Aida at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera; Madama Butterfly, I Puritani, and Manon Lescaut at Teatro Massimo in Palermo; Simon Boccanegra and La Forza del Destino at the Verdi Festival in Parma; Ciro in Babilonia at Rossini Opera Festival and La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Elisir d’amore at La Fenice in Venice.
When Jader leads an orchestra in symphonic repertoire, he conducts without a score, preferring to make direct eye contact with the musicians. He conducts from the heart, forging a profound connection with his musicians that shines through both onstage and off. He both embodies and exudes the excellence and enthusiasm that has long distinguished the DSO’s artistry.
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 organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who concluded a decade-long tenure at the helm in 2018, 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 the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrates 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.
2021-2022 CLASSICAL AND PNC POPS SERIES
CLASSICAL
CLASSICAL 1
SEASON OPENING: JADER CONDUCTS FOUNTAINS & PINES OF ROME
Thursday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 9 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 10 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Ray Chen, violin
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Banner
JEAN SIBELIUS Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47
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OTTORINO RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome
OTTORINO RESPIGHI Pines of Rome
A historic season opens with a celebration of the unparalleled sound of Orchestra Hall. Jader Bignamini kicks off his first full season as Music Director showcasing the majesty of Detroit’s acoustic gem with two audience favorites: Respighi’s symphonic poems describing the stunning fountains and graceful pines of his beloved Rome.
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CLASSICAL 2
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH
Friday, October 15 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, October 15 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 16 at 8 p.m.
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Yevgeny Kutik, violin
SAMUEL ADLER Mirror Images (World Premiere)
JOSEPH SCHWANTNER Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (World Premiere)
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PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns to Orchestra Hall to conduct world premieres by two friends, Samuel Adler and Joseph Schwantner, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, a work he called “a complete resignation before Fate.”
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CLASSICAL 3
DVOŘÁK & LEE: NEW WORLDS
Friday, October 29 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 30 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 31 at 3 p.m.
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
GEORGE ENESCU Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
CLARA SCHUMANN Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 7
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JAMES LEE III Amer’ican (World Premiere)
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, “From the New World,” blends the traditional folk sounds of the composer’s Czech homeland with melodies discovered in African American and Native American music of the United States. A world premiere commission by James Lee III, Amer’ican is, in the composer’s words, a “21st century response to Dvořák’s charge to American composers to incorporate the music of Native and Negro American music melodies.”
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CLASSICAL 4
JADER CONDUCTS RACHMANINOFF
Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 5 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Sergei Babayan, piano
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
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JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Wise pianists fear Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, one of the most fiendishly difficult pieces ever composed for piano. Sergei Babayan, hailed as “one of those chosen few artists capable of transporting us to their universe, of taking us to a different world,” summons Rachmaninoff's fireworks. Jader Bignamini also leads the DSO in Brahms’s beloved Second Symphony, a picturesque masterpiece from its sunlit first moments to its rousing finale.
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CLASSICAL 5
BIGNAMINI & BRANFORD
Friday, November 12 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 13 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 14 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Branford Marsalis, saxophone
AARON COPLAND El Salón México
JOHN ADAMS Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra
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JEFF SCOTT Paradise Valley Serenade (World Premiere)
GEORGE GERSHWIN/orch. BENNETT Porgy and Bess: Symphonic Picture
DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini welcomes three-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, for a program exploring American music. The 1930s saw composers such as George Gershwin giving their take on folk music in works such as Porgy and Bess. Meanwhile, the Paradise Valley thrived as the entertainment center of the Black Bottom neighborhood. This era in Detroit’s history serves as the inspiration for a world premiere from composer Jeff Scott.
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CLASSICAL 6
JADER & HILARY HAHN
Thursday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 3 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, December 4 at 8 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Hilary Hahn, violin
BEDŘICH SMETANA Overture to The Bartered Bride
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53
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BEDŘICH SMETANA The Moldau
FLORENCE PRICE Symphony No. 3 in C minor
Jader Bignamini welcomes renowned violinist Hilary Hahn back to Orchestra Hall to perform Dvořák’s violin concerto. Also, Smetana’s two audience favorites, The Moldau and the Overture to The Bartered Bride, and the third symphony of African American orchestral pioneer Florence Price, which had its world premiere in Detroit at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
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CLASSICAL 7
DAWSON & BEETHOVEN
Friday, December 10 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, December 11 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 12 at 3 p.m.
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Vadim Gluzman, violin
ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK Fanfare on “Amazing Grace”
WILLIAM DAWSON Negro Folk Symphony
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 61
William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony features three themes taken from melodies he had heard since childhood, having learned them at his mother's knee. Premiered in 1934 at Carnegie Hall, it was met with audience ovations and critical acclaim. Thomas Wilkins returns to lead a program including Dawson’s often overlooked masterpiece, and Beethoven’s only violin concerto
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CLASSICAL 8
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Thursday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
GIOACHINO ROSSINI Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell)
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104
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MODEST MUSSORGSKY/orch. MAURICE RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition
Mussorgsky, blindsided by the sudden passing of his close friend Victor Hartmann, turned his pain into art: he composed a suite of musical paintings for piano, inspired by Hartmann’s sketches. Maurice Ravel later brightened this imagined gallery with the colorful orchestral arrangement most recognizable today. Jader Bignamini leads this picturesque work and welcomes cellist Alisa Weilerstein for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
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CLASSICAL 9
RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO
Thursday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 4 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 5 at 8 p.m.
Eun Sun Kim, conductor
Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, guitar
TEXU KIM Dub-Sanjo
JOAQUÍN RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra
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SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas performs Rodrigo’s quintessential showpiece for Spanish guitar, a fragrant gem that evokes birds, flowers, and fountains in the gardens of Aranjuez. Eun Sun Kim conducts Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, a moody work that hints at the exiled composer’s homesickness for Russia.
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CLASSICAL 10
BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 7
Friday, February 18 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, February 19 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 20 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Hunter Eberly, trumpet
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Symphonic Variations on an African Air, Op. 63
ALEXANDER ARUTUNIAN Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Beethoven regarded his Seventh Symphony as one of his best works. Its first audience enthusiastically welcomed its rhythmic energy and spontaneity. They also instantly demanded an encore of the second movement, a march-like procession among his most recognizable works. British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Symphonic Variations on an African Air showcases his vast sense of harmony, color, and scope of instrumentation in his largest purely orchestral work.
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CLASSICAL 11
MAHLER’S “TITAN”
Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 25 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 26 at 8 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin
GUSTAV MAHLER “Blumine” Movement from Symphony No. 1 in D major
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219
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GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”
Gustav Mahler carried the symphony from its line of Romantic composers such as Beethoven, Berlioz, and Brahms. His first symphony, aptly named “Titan,” set in motion his legacy as a symphonist with visions of nature, and a finale of thunderbolts and lightning. Speaking of titans, violinist Randall Goosby makes his DSO debut performing Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto. The New York Times raved that in Goosby’s Carnegie Hall debut he “exerted a masterly level of control and lavished an exquisite tone…his performance won him a deserved standing ovation for its sheer virtuosity.”
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CLASSICAL 12
CLASSICAL ROOTS
Friday, March 4 at 10:45 a.m.*
Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m.**
William Eddins, conductor
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (**Saturday only)
Saturday program to include:
WYNTON MARSALIS Symphony No. 3, “Swing Symphony”
*Friday program and artists are to be announced
Classical Roots honors and celebrates African American composers, musicians, educators, and cultural and civic leaders. This 44th celebration features the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis who take the stage to perform Marsalis’s own Swing Symphony.
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CLASSICAL 13
VOICES OF AMERICA
Friday, March 11 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, March 12 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m.
Peter Oundjian, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
WILLIAM GRANT STILL Poem
JOAN TOWER Music for Cello and Orchestra
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SAMUEL BARBER Symphony No. 1, Op. 9
JOEL THOMPSON New work
Peter Oundjian returns to lead a program highlighting a diverse set of voices, including Joan Tower, celebrated as "one of the most successful woman composers of all time,” to William Grant Still, known as the “dean” of African American composers, and a new work by Joel Thompson inspired by James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son, a collection of essays tackling issues of race in America and Europe.
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CLASSICAL 14
SCHUMANN & SIBELIUS
Friday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 2 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 3 at 3 p.m.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor
Isabelle Faust, violin
ROBERT SCHUMANN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor
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JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
The strength of the Finnish spirit is alive in a program led by Jukka-Pekka Saraste, including Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, commissioned by the government of Finland for the composer’s 50th birthday. Sibelius’s Fifth is perhaps best known for its “swan call” motif, influencing musicians from Leonard Bernstein to John Coltrane and songs on the Billboard charts.
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CLASSICAL 15
BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4
Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 8 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m.
Kazushi Ono, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano
FRANZ SCHUBERT Overture to Die Zauberharfe, D. 644, “Rosamunde”
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
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ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
Paul Lewis joins the DSO for Beethoven’s serene Fourth Concerto, today a staple of the piano repertoire. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony was written in a flurry of Czech nationalism – “God grant that this Czech music will move the world!” the composer wrote.
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CLASSICAL 16
SALOME’S SEDUCTION
Friday, April 22 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Nicolas Altstaedt, cello
MEL BONIS Salomé, Op. 100
ANDERS HILLBORG Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (US Premiere)
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RICHARD STRAUSS “Salome's Dance” from Salome, Op. 54
FLORENT SCHMITT La Tragedie de Salomé, Op. 50
Seductive and persuading, Salome’s dance before Herod appears in depictions across all art forms, ranging from medieval artists to Rita Hayworth. Conductor Fabien Gabel returns to lead the DSO in a program of musical gems inspired by an original femme fatale, evoking the French-infused programs of the DSO’s former Music Director Paul Paray.
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CLASSICAL 17
BIGNAMINI CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9
Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Performers from Opera MODO & Audivi, choir
HANNAH LASH In Hopes of Finding the Sun
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
Perhaps the most iconic piece of classical music ever written – especially its heart-swelling “Ode to Joy” – Beethoven’s influential Ninth Symphony celebrates brotherhood, forgiveness, and the quest for peace. Jader Bignamini conducts this bucket list symphony, a sheer joy to experience in a live orchestral setting.
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CLASSICAL 18
THIBAUDET: RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G
Friday, May 20 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 21 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 22 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Eric Nowlin, viola
Wei Yu, cello
CARLOS SIMON Fate Now Conquers
MAURICE RAVEL Concerto in G major for Piano and Orchestra
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RICHARD STRAUSS Don Quixote, Op. 35
Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins Jader Bignamini to perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, inspired by the composer’s tour of North America, where he first became smitten with the sounds of jazz. DSO Principals Eric Nowlin and Wei Yu take the spotlight in Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote, a tone poem portraying the adventures of the "ingenious” man from La Mancha.
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CLASSICAL 19
SAINT-GEORGES & MOZART 39
Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 27 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m.
Xian Zhang, conductor
Karen Gomyo, violin
ELIZABETH OGONEK In Silence
CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 5
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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543
In a program highlighting composers of the Classical era, violinist Karen Gomyo returns to the DSO to perform the First Violin Concerto of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Known as both a champion fencer and violinist, his concertos offered a way to demonstrate both his expressiveness and virtuosity. We also hear one of the famed late symphonies of another eccentric personality, Mozart’s majestic Symphony No. 39.
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CLASSICAL 20
GIL SHAHAM RETURNS
Friday, June 10 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 11 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m.
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
WYNTON MARSALIS Fanfare
SAMUEL BARBER Violin Concerto, Op. 14
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WYNTON MARSALIS Blues Symphony
Beloved by audiences across the globe, violinist Gil Shaham returns to Detroit to join DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini to perform Barber’s Violin Concerto on a program also featuring two works by internationally acclaimed musician, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis: his Fanfare and Blues Symphony.
PNC POPS
PNC POPS 1
THE ENVELOPE PLEASE
Friday, September 24 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, September 24 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Susan Egan, vocalist
Lisa Vroman, vocalist
Doug LaBrecque, vocalist
Join Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik for a return to Orchestra Hall! He opens the envelope on a can’t-miss PNC Pops season with an evening of Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award winning favorites performed by three of Broadway’s best! Vocalist Susan Egan, the original Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Phantom of The Opera stars Doug LaBrecque and Lisa Vroman share hits from the worlds of Broadway, pop, and American film.
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PNC POPS 2
BUGS BUNNY @ THE SYMPHONY 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Friday, October 22 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 24 at 3 p.m.
George Daugherty, conductor
“Bugs Bunny at the Symphony” returns to the DSO, in a sparkling new edition celebrating the 30th Anniversary of this critically acclaimed concert, as well as the 80th birthday of its star, Bugs Bunny himself. See beloved Looney Tunes projected on the big screen with original scores played live. Conductor and co-creator George Daugherty leads the DSO in iconic classics like “What's Opera, Doc?” and “The Rabbit of Seville,” plus newly produced Warner Bros. animated shorts, including “Dynamite Dance” and the 3D “Fur of Flying.”
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PNC POPS 3
THE STREISAND SONGBOOK
Featuring Ann Hampton Callaway
Friday, November 19 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, November 20 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 21 at 3 p.m.
Michael Krajewski, conductor
Ann Hampton Callaway, vocalist
Platinum Award-winning singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway celebrates the music of one of America’s most powerful and enduring musical artists. Singing timeless classics from five decades of Barbra Streisand’s multi-faceted career, Callaway crafts a loving musical portrait of the icon who began as a role model for her and evolved as a mentor, recording Ann’s songs on six of her recent CDs, including "I’ve Dreamed Of You," the song that Streisand sang on her wedding day. In a night of soaring songs and stories, Callaway promises us a performance that not only celebrates the extraordinary career of Barbra Streisand, but also reminds us of “the way we were.”
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PNC POPS 4
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Friday, December 17 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, December 17 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 18 at 3 p.m.
Saturday, December 18 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m.
Sunday, December 19 at 7 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Michael Preacely, vocalist
Share Detroit's favorite holiday musical tradition with family and friends and thrill to the spectacle of the season. Stuart Chafetz returns to lead a sparkling celebration with carols and classics that sells out year after year – and yes, Virginia, there will be a Santa Claus!
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PNC POPS 5
THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL
Featuring Michael Cavanaugh
Friday, January 7 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, January 8 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 9 at 3 p.m.
Michael Cavanaugh, vocals and piano
Handpicked by Billy Joel to star in the hit Broadway musical Movin’ Out, Michael Cavanaugh received both Tony and Grammy nominations for the role. Named “the new voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook” by Billboard, Cavanaugh’s show features hits like “My Life,” “Movin’ Out,” “Just The Way You Are,” and “River Of Dreams.”
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PNC POPS 6
TROUPE VERTIGO: CIRQUE CARNAVAL
Friday, February 11 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, February 11 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 12 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 13 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Troupe Vertigo, acrobats
Drawing on classical favorites and circus artistry, Troupe Vertigo leads us on a breathtaking experience featuring dizzying aerial acts, acrobatic perfection, contortionism, feats of strength, and more. They will lift your spirit and leave you in awe!
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PNC POPS 7
THE BEST OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN
Friday, March 25 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, March 25 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 26 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 27 at 3 p.m.
Steven Reineke, conductor
Josh Young, vocalist
Emily Padgett-Young, vocalist
Showstopper after showstopper, it’s more than a few of your “favorite things” as the DSO performs the very best of Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway. Hear “sweet, silver songs” from Carousel, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Cinderella, South Pacific, and more. You’ll be “whistling a happy tune” well before intermission!
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PNC POPS 8
IN THE AIR TONIGHT: THE MUSIC OF GENESIS & PHIL COLLINS
Sunday, April 24 at 3 p.m.
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Aaron Finley, vocalist
Brook Wood, vocalist
Guest conductor Stuart Chafetz and the DSO pay tribute to pop icon Phil Collins. His unforgettable drum crescendos with the megaband Genesis made an indelible mark on the ‘70s, while his solo work defined the ’80s. Relive hits including “Follow You Follow Me,” “No Reply at All,” “One More Night,” “Two Hearts,” “Another Day in Paradise,” and the unforgettable “In the Air Tonight.”
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PNC POPS 9
KINGS OF SOUL
Friday, May 6 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, May 7 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 8 at 3 p.m.
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Chester Gregory, vocalist
Darren Lorenzo, vocalist
Michael Lynche, vocalist
Jeff Tyzik showcases legendary artists Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, James Brown, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Al Green, and others in an evening of soulful rhythms. Relive hits such as “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Try A Little Tenderness,” “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
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PNC POPS 10
THE DOO WOP PROJECT
Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m.
The Doo Wop Project
Follow the evolution of Doo Wop from the classic sound of five guys singing tight harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits on the radio today. Stars of Broadway’s Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical harmonize classics from The Crests, The Flamingos, and The Four Seasons all the way to Jason Mraz and Maroon 5.
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PNC POPS 11
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS
Friday, June 3 at 10:45 a.m.
Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 4 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 5 at 3 p.m.
Damon Gupton, conductor
Large budgets, epic storylines, and record crowds. The arrival of summer brings with it blockbuster movies that capture everyone’s attention, and turn film composers—such as John Williams 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, Mission Impossible, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.