Music Director Jader Bignamini leads star-studded schedule of concerts including Opening Night Gala with Yo-Yo Ma on September 30
Renowned guest artists include pianist Yuja Wang, violinist Gil Shaham, cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, pipa player Wu Man, saxophonist Steven Banks, conductors Osmo Vänskä, Joana Carneiro, Nic McGegan, Shiyeon Sung, Eric Jacobsen, and many others
DSO commissions by Billy Childs, Du Yun, James Lee III, Jessie Montgomery, Arlene Sierra, and Shelley Washington highlight 15 works by women and people of color
Subscriptions on sale now at dso.org/subscribe
Detroit, (February 22, 2023) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced the 2023-2024 season of its PVS Classical Series, PNC Pops Series, and Young People’s Family Concert Series. The new season begins in September and will mark the DSO’s third year led by DSO Music Director Jader Bignamini. He will conduct 10 of the season’s 19 classical weeks, including the opening week of the 2023-2024 season.
On Saturday, September 30, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, brings his impeccable artistry to Orchestra Hall for a one-night-only Opening Night Gala with the DSO performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, part of an all-star opening week that also features two concerts with acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (Sept. 28-29).
Throughout the year, Bignamini will welcome many more incredible guest soloists to Orchestra Hall, including pianists Yuja Wang, Simon Trpčeski, and Sergei Babayan; cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, soprano Meghan Picerno, and violinists Nemanja Radulović and Robyn Bollinger (DSO Concertmaster, Katherine Tuck Chair).
Bignamini will conduct a variety of programs on the PVS Classical Series, including works for piano and orchestra by Rachmaninoff during the worldwide celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday year: the First Concerto with Trpčeski and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Babayan. He will conduct other major orchestral works by Beethoven (Symphony No. 5), Brahms (Symphony No. 1), Mahler (Symphony No. 9), Wynton Marsalis (Blues Symphony), Mozart (Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”), Ravel (La valse and Daphnís et Chloé Suite No. 2), Strauss (An Alpine Symphony), and Tchaikovsky (Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”), and lesser heard symphonic gems by Louise Farrenc (Overture No. 1), Margaret Bonds (Montgomery Variations), Julia Perry (A Short Piece for Orchestra), and Mieczysław Weinberg (Cello Concerto). Bignamini will also conduct the Detroit premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Snapshots, one of the DSO’s six commissioned new works during the 2023-2024 season, including music by Billy Childs, Du Yun, James Lee III, Arlene Sierra, and Shelley Washington.
In February 2024, the DSO will embark on its first tour with Bignamini, performing throughout the state of Florida with cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Tour repertoire will include Wynton Marsalis’s Herald, Holler & Hallelujah!, Elgar’s Cello Concerto (with Weilerstein), Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.” Complete tour details including cities and dates will be announced later this spring.
“We craft each season with thoughtful consideration to the creative ways we can merge the power and depth of music with the spirit of exploration that elevates great performance art,” said DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. “Our musicians create lasting impressions that audiences feel in their hearts as they experience the remarkable. There is nothing else quite like this in Detroit, and that’s true whether you are joining us at Orchestra Hall, in the community, or next season on tour in Florida.”
“Music provides us with opportunities to feel powerful emotions, and live concerts connect us all in pursuit of these moments of transcendence,” said Music Director Jader Bignamini. “If music is food for the soul, then we’ve assembled a great menu for the 2023-2024 season, full of great masterpieces, new works by some of today’s most talented composers, and symphonic gems that should be heard more often. I look forward to conducting these programs with the incredible musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for our audiences in Detroit and Florida next season.”
In the 2023-2024 season, the DSO will present works by ten living composers including DSO co-commissions by Jessie Montgomery and Shelley Washington as part of the Amplifying Voices project, which supports racial and gender equity in classical music. Amplifying Voices is a New Music USA initiative, which is powered by the Sphinx Ventures Fund, with additional support from ASCAP and the Sorel Organization. The work by Washington will be performed at the 46th annual Classical Roots concerts in March, conducted by DSO Assistant Conductor Na’Zir McFadden, alongside another new DSO-commissioned work, Billy Childs’s Saxophone Concerto with soloist Steven Banks.
Other contemporary music highlights include the world premieres of two major new works commissioned by the DSO: James Lee III’s Shades of Unbroken Dreams Concerto for Piano and Orchestra conducted by Fabien Gabel with soloist Alexandra Dariescu, marking the 60th anniversary of Detroit’s 1963 Walk to Freedom with Martin Luther King Jr.; and Arlene Sierra’s Kiskadee (commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, with generous support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation) conducted by Kevin John Edusei. The DSO will also perform Du Yun’s Pipa Concerto conducted by Eric Jacobsen with soloist Wu Man, another co-commissioned work. This season highlights 15 works by women and people of color.
Additional highlights of the 2023-2024 PVS Classical Series: Joana Carneiro conducts Mason Bates’s Cello Concerto with Joshua Roman and Stravinsky’s Petrushka; Nic McGegan conducts works by Bach, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and Haydn featuring DSO Associate Concertmaster Kimberly Kaloyanides-Kennedy and Principal Oboe Alex Kinmonth as soloists; Osmo Vänskä conducts Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 with pianist Paul Lewis, a work by Michigan-based composer and Michigan State University doctoral candidate Henry Dorn, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2; Juanjo Mena conducts Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Inon Barnatan and Elgar’s Enigma Variations; Shiyeon Sung conducts Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme with DSO Principal Cello Wei Yu and Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony; and David Afkham conducts Brahms’s Violin Concerto with soloist Veronika Eberle and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.
The DSO also announced its 2023-2024 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 four programs: Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound, a concert featuring the defining sounds of Detroit’s Motown classics facing off with essential Philly Sound hits; Red Carpet Film Scores, highlighting the most memorable scores in cinema by Academy Award-winning composers; Country Hits: Songs from Nashville, a Nashville recording session brought to life featuring award-winning sounds of the Grand Ole Opry Artists; and Back To The ‘80s, a program featuring superstar vocalists belting hits from one of the world’s most iconic musical decades.
Other PNC Pops Series highlights include Latin Fire, a passion-filled celebration of Latin-American orchestral hits with conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez, trumpeter José Sibaja, and soprano Mónica Abrego; a performance with pop and film music icon Vanessa Williams; Go Now! The Music of the Moody Blues conducted by Michael Krajewski; Lush Life: Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn with DSO Assistant Conductor Na’Zir McFadden and vocalist Denzal Sinclaire; a program of Disco Fever hits conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez and featuring vocalists Maiya Sykes and B.Slade; and Disney & Broadway Favorites: The Magic of Menken with conductor Steven Reineke and featuring Broadway singers. The beloved Home for the Holidays program, a holiday favorite that sells out year after year, will also return with conductor Jason Seber.
In addition to the PVS Classical Series and the PNC Pops Series, the DSO announced its 2023-2024 Young People’s Family Concert Series, which will bring fun and interactive concert opportunities for the whole family to the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center. Highlights will include Dr. FREAKuency’s Major Monster Bash on Halloween weekend conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez; Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman Film in Concert presented live on Orchestra Hall stage; a performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with storyteller Michael Boudewyns; and When Instruments Roamed the Earth, an exploration of the ancient history of the instruments conducted by DSO Assistant Conductor Na’Zir McFadden. Tiny Tots concerts, with programming for children aged 2-6, will also resume in the Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube (The Cube) prior to each Young People’s Family Concert.
See below for a notable repertoire list, guest artist list, and complete program listings.
The DSO will also continue its Paradise Jazz Series (Terence Blanchard, Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair) and William Davidson Neighborhood Concerts Series. More details on these series will be announced as they are confirmed. Programming in the Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube (The Cube), the DSO’s venue for curated arts programming that spans musical and artistic genres, will also continue in the new season.
The DSO, an industry leader in digital programming, will continue its Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series with live streams of every PVS Classical Series and select Paradise Jazz Series, Educational Concert Series, and Civic Youth Ensembles programs in the 2023-2024 season, available on dso.org.
Subscriptions are on sale now for the 2023-2024 PVS Classical Series, PNC Pops Series, and Young People’s Family Concert 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 title sponsor of the DSO’s PVS Classical Series is PVS Chemicals, Inc. The title sponsor of the DSO’s PNC Pops Series is PNC Bank. DSO Live is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Digital programming is produced from the Al Glancy Control Room.
For more information, visit dso.org/subscribe.
Commissions, Premieres, and Contemporary Music
The DSO will perform 10 works by living composers during the 2023-2024 season, which include two world premieres and six DSO co-commissioned works (noted with *).
MICHAEL ABELS More Seasons
MASON BATES Cello Concerto
BILLY CHILDS Saxophone Concerto*
HENRY DORN Transitions
JAMES LEE III Shades of Unbroken Dreams: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (World Premiere)*
Wynton MARSALIS Blues Symphony
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Snapshots*
ARLENE SIERRA Kiskadee (World Premiere)* (Commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, with generous support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.)
SHELLEY WASHINGTON New Work*
DU YUN Pipa Concerto*
Major Orchestral Works
BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor
JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 in C minor
JOHANNES BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D major
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
EDWARD ELGAR Cello Concerto in E Minor
EDWARD ELGAR Enigma Variations, Op. 36
ARAM KHACHATURIAN Violin Concerto in D minor
GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 9
WYNTON MARSALIS Blues Symphony
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 41 in C major, “Jupiter”
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 1
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Variations on a Theme of Paganini
MAURICE RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2
MAURICE RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Op. 35
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3, (“Organ”)
JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
RICHARD STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64
IGOR STRAVINSKY Petrushka
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
Classical Series Guest Conductors and Soloists
Artists marked with an asterisk (*) will be making their DSO PVS Classical Series conducting or solo debut.
David Afkham, conductor*
Joana Carneiro, conductor
Kevin John Edusei, conductor*
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor
Nic McGegan, conductor
Juanjo Mena, conductor
Shiyeon Sung, conductor*
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello*
Joshua Roman, cello*
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Wei Yu, cello
Alex Kinmonth, oboe
Sergei Babayan, piano
Inon Barnatan, piano
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
Paul Lewis, piano
Simon Trpčeski, piano
Yuja Wang, piano
Wu Man, pipa*
Steven Banks, saxophone*
Meghan Picerno, soprano*
Robyn Bollinger, violin
Veronika Eberle, violin*
Clara-Jumi Kang, violin*
Kimberly Kaloyanides-Kennedy, violin
Nemanja Radulović, 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.
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 Trovatore and 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 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. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while Oscar-nominated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. 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 PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated 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 live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts, 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.
2023-2024 OPENING GALA WITH YO-YO MA
Saturday, September 30 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Program to include: ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 104
2023-2024 PVS CLASSICAL SERIES
Classical 1
OPENING: TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 PM
Friday, September 29 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
LOUISE FARRENC Overture No. 1 in E minor, Op. 23
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
MAURICE RAVEL La valse
MAURICE RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2
Music Director Jader Bignamini begins the 2023–2024 Season with the first overture by Louise Farrenc, a pioneering French Romantic composer. Gil Shaham, whose “mastery has only grown more profound,” (The San Francisco Chronicle) dives into the majesties of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Two mesmerizing dances by Maurice Ravel spiral in very different directions.
Classical 2
RACHMANINOFF & BRAHMS
Friday, October 13 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, October 14 at 8 PM
Sunday, October 15 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Simon Trpčeski, piano
CARL MARIA VON WEBER Overture to Der Freischütz
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 1
JOHANNES BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 in C minor
Simon Trpčeski brings a “fusion of mature interpretation and youthful passion” (The Telegraph, London) to a concerto Rachmaninoff started in his teens and revised later in life. It took Brahms over 20 years to complete his First Symphony, a genre-changing work of passion and unrelenting drive. Weber’s overture distils the drama of devilish pursuits down to a bright flash of orchestral fire.
Classical 3
KORNGOLD’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
Thursday, October 19 at 7:30 PM
Friday, October 20 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, October 21 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Kevin John Edusei, conductor
Clara-Jumi Kang, violin
ARLENE SIERRA Kiskadee (World Premiere)*
ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD Violin Concerto in D Major
ALEXANDER VON ZEMLINSKY The Mermaid
Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang is an artist “as ready to caress as to attack” (The Strad). In her DSO debut, she takes command in Korngold’s gorgeously cinematic concerto. We hear new “feisty, energy-packed” music (The Guardian) by composer Arlene Sierra, and Zemlinsky’s programmatic adventure takes us through the fairytale dramas of Hans Christian Andersen’s original Little Mermaid.
*Commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, with generous support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Classical 4
STRAVINSKY’S PETRUSHKA
Friday, November 3 at 8 PM
Saturday, November 4 at 8 PM
Sunday, November 5 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Joana Carneiro, conductor
Joshua Roman, cello
MANUEL DE FALLA Suite No. 2 from The Three-Cornered Hat
MASON BATES Cello Concerto
IGOR STRAVINSKY Petrushka
Petrushka instantly drops us into another world; Stravinsky’s orchestral classic is a wild torrent of vivid rhythms and charismatic vignettes, each more colorful than the last. Falla’s delightful Three-Cornered Hat, on the other hand, introduces us to a hilarious love triangle. Celebrated cellist Joshua Roman plays a new concerto by Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates, who describes Roman as “beloved by just about everyone who meets him.”
Classical 5
FRENCH PASSIONS & ENDURING DREAMS
Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 PM
Friday, November 10 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, November 11 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole
JAMES LEE III Shades of Unbroken Dreams: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (World Premiere)
PAUL DUKAS Fanfare to La Péri
PAUL DUKAS La Péri: Poèm dansé
ALBERT ROUSSEL Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 2
Celebrated French conductor Fabien Gabel leads orchestral showstoppers direct from France, plus a world premiere by Michigan-born composer James Lee III. Shades of Unbroken Dreams honors the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”—a speech he famously delivered in Washington, DC, in 1963, words that first rang out in Detroit, after a historic march down Woodward Ave.
Classical 6
MARSALIS’ BLUES SYMPHONY
Friday, December 1 at 8 PM
Saturday, December 2 at 8 PM
Sunday, December 3 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Meghan Picerno, soprano
GEORGE GERSHWIN Selected Works
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Selections from Candide and West Side Story
WYNTON MARSALIS Blues Symphony
“The blues helps you remember back before the troubles on hand,” says Pulitzer Prize–winning composer and multi-Grammy Award–winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. “They carry you on the wings of angels to a timeless higher ground.” Music Director Jader Bignamini leads Marsalis’s Second Symphony and works by Gershwin and Bernstein that further define the American Sound.
Classical 7
TCHAIKOVSKY’S SIXTH SYMPHONY
Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 PM
Friday, December 8 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, December 9 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Sergei Babayan, piano
MARGARET BONDS Montgomery Variations
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”
“I’ve put my whole soul into this,” Tchaikovsky said of his last symphony. Rachmaninoff put his genius, a famous theme, and allusions to a deal with the devil into his Rhapsody. Pianist Sergei Babayan plays it “full speed ahead to the very edge of a cliff” (BBC Music Magazine). From the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement, Margaret Bonds honors the inspiring work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Classical
BACH & BEYOND
Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Nic McGegan, conductor
Kimberly Kaloyanides-Kennedy, violin
Alex Kinmonth, oboe
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor
JOSEPH BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES Symphony No. 1 in G major, Op. 11, No. 1
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN Symphony No. 82, “The Bear”
The DSO delights with musical pairs. Two works by Bach, one featuring the famous Air, the other a concerto for two soloists featuring DSO Principal Oboe Alexander Kinmonth and Associate Concertmaster Kimberly Kaloyanides-Kennedy. Music from Paris completes the program—the First Symphony by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a star of his day, and a symphony by Haydn that the Chevalier helped bring to life.
Classical 8
BEETHOVEN & SIBELIUS
Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Friday, January 19, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, January 20, 2023 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano
HENRY DORN Transitions
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
Conductor Osmo Vänskä, recognized as one of the world’s greatest Sibelius interpreters, leads a path through the Nordic ice and soaring splendor of the composer’s Second Symphony. Michigan-based Henry Dorn’s Transitions takes another journey through the ravenous wildness of change. Renowned English soloist Paul Lewis explores Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto, with an “inwardness that is the pianist’s forte” (Chicago Tribune).
Classical 9
ELGAR & SCHEHERAZADE
Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
EDWARD ELGAR Cello Concerto in E Minor
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade Op. 35
Mendelssohn’s overture starts with four captivating chords, then wham!—the strings take off. Alisa Weilerstein, “the most outstanding cellist to emerge in America since Yo-Yo Ma,” (Classical Voice North America) plays Elgar’s concerto, written in the aftermath of World War I. Rimsky-Korsakov’s showpiece inspired by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights whirls with colossal and dazzling orchestral forces.
Classical 10
CLASSICAL ROOTS
Friday, March 1, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Na'Zir McFadden, conductor
Steven Banks, saxophone
BILLY CHILDS Saxophone Concerto (Co-Commission)
SHELLEY WASHINGTON New Work (Co-Commission)*
Classical Roots has celebrated the contributions of African American composers and artists for nearly fifty years. This season, we hear new music from Shelley Washington, who focuses “on exploring emotions and intentions by finding their root cause.” Saxophonist Steven Banks, “one of the transformational musicians of the twenty-first century,” (Seen and Heard International) performs a new concerto written for him by Grammy Award–winner Billy Childs.
*Amplifying Voices is a New Music USA initiative, which is powered by the Sphinx Ventures Fund, with additional support from ASCAP and the Sorel Organization.
Classical 11
SCHUMANN & ELGAR’S ENIGMA
Friday, March 15, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Juanjo Mena, conductor
Inon Barnatan, piano
WILLIAM WALTON Scapino, A Comedy Overture
ROBERT SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
EDWARD ELGAR Enigma Variations, Op. 36
Pianist Inon Barnatan brings “uncommon sensitivity” (The New Yorker) to everything he plays, including Schumann’s only piano concerto, a work inspired and premiered by the composer’s wife, Clara. Elgar’s Enigma Variations is a series of heartfelt impressions of dear friends, each movement as breathtaking as the last. The program begins with William Walton’s exhilarating musical escapade.
Classical 12
YUJA WANG PLAYS BARTÓK
Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Friday, March 22, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
PAUL DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
BÉLA BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 2
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
“There is an ever-greater depth to [Yuja’s] musicianship, drawing you into the world of each composer with compelling immediacy” (Financial Times, London). The superstar pianist returns to Orchestra Hall for Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto. The organ in Saint-Saëns’s Third Symphony adds a thrilling dimension of sound, and the magic of Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice spins out of control, leaving you on the edge of your seat.
Classical 13
DEBUSSY & RACHMANINOFF
Friday, April 5, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Wu Man, pipa
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
DU YUN Pipa Concerto (Co-Commission)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
Known as the best in the world on her instrument, Wu Man plays new music by Pulitzer Prize–winner Du Yun, herself celebrated as a “groundbreaking artist” (The New York Times). Debussy’s Prelude, with its dreamy flute solo, evokes longing and desire. Our celebration of Rachmaninoff at 150 ends with his last work for orchestra, a powerful, heart-pounding ride.
Classical 14
TCHAIKOVSKY & DVOŘÁK
Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Friday, April 12, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Shiyeon Sung, conductor
Wei Yu, cello
LILI BOULANGER D’un soir triste
LILI BOULANGER D'un matin de printemps
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
ANTONIN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 6 in D major
Brilliant works by Lili Boulanger, the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome composition prize, leave a stunning first impression. DSO Principal Cellist Wei Yu stars in the elegance of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme and Dvořák’s signature talent for big, boisterous melodies shines throughout his Sixth Symphony. Leading the way, trailblazing South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung makes her Orchestra Hall debut.
Classical 15
MOZART & THE SEASONS
Friday, May 3, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Robyn Bollinger, violin
MICHAEL ABELS More Seasons
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA/arr. DESYATNIKOV Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 41 in C major, “Jupiter”
This spring, Music Director Jader Bignamini leads two works inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Piazzolla’s tango-infused tribute features newly appointed DSO Concertmaster Robyn Bollinger, and Michael Abels, known for scores to Oscar-winning films like Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, puts “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.” We then reap the ingenious rewards of Mozart’s brilliant last symphony.
Classical 16
MAHLER’S NINTH SYMPHONY
Friday, May 10, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 9
Mahler’s symphonic farewell explores the totality of life. True to his own words, Mahler once said, “A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.” It doesn’t take long before the music oscillates between titanic, vehement power and beauty on the scale of stars. Ultimately, he converges on a sound resting in shimmering, eternal wonder.
Classical 17
BRAHMS & BARTÓK
Friday, May 24, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
David Afkham, conductor
Veronika Eberle, violin
JOHANNES BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D major
BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
German conductor David Afkham makes his DSO debut with works that show virtuosity on different scales. Violinist Veronika Eberle, “a star performer” (LA Times), shines in Brahms’s monumental Violin Concerto (and on a Stradivarius made in 1693). Every musician on stage shines in Bartók’s Concerto, right through to one of the most exciting last movements in orchestral music.
Classical 18
STRAUSS’ ALPINE SYMPHONY
Friday, May 31, 2024 8 PM
Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Nemanja Radulović, violin
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Snapshots (Co-Commission)*
ARAM KHACHATURIAN Violin Concerto in D minor
RICHARD STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64
Strauss’s last and largest orchestral work has all the powers needed for an experience of awe—music for an ascent to the height of the world. Rockstar violinist Nemanja Radulović makes his DSO debut, and we hear new music by Jessie Montgomery that is “wildly colorful and exploding with life” (Washington Post).
*Amplifying Voices is a New Music USA initiative, which is powered by the Sphinx Ventures Fund, with additional support from ASCAP and the Sorel Organization.
Classical 19
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY
Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Friday, June 7, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
JULIA PERRY A Short Piece for Orchestra
MIECZYSŁAW WEINBERG Cello Concerto, Op. 43
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has established himself as “nothing less than the future of classical music” (NPR). We celebrate the centennial of Julia Perry’s birth with a brilliant piece by the prolific Kentucky-born composer, and we end the 2023–2024 Season with the fateful theme and inevitable glories of Beethoven’s timeless Fifth Symphony.
2023-2024 PNC POPS SERIES
Pops 1
LET’S GROOVE TONIGHT: MOTOWN & THE PHILLY SOUND
Friday, October 6 at 10:45 AM
Friday, October 6 at 8 PM
Saturday, October 7 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Chester Gregory, vocalist
Detroit’s Motown defined an era. Not to be outdone, Philadelphia created its own essential listening. Philly Sound hits, like Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, and You Make Me Feel Brand New, face off with Motown classics, including What’s Going On, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, I’m Coming Out, and more.
Pops 2
LATIN FIRE
Friday, October 27 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, October 28 at 8 PM
Sunday, October 29 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
José Sibaja, trumpet
Mónica Abrego, soprano
Latin Fire is a passion-filled celebration of Latin-American orchestral hits, matched with the firework virtuosity of acclaimed Costa Rican trumpeter José Sibaja and Mexican vocalist Mónica Abrego. Enjoy a sizzling-hot program, featuring Tico-Tico no Fuba, Bésame Mucho, Granada, Carmen Suite, and Brasil.
Pops 3
VANESSA WILLIAMS
Saturday, November 18 at 8 PM
Sunday, November 19 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Vanessa Williams, vocalist
Pop and film music icon Vanessa Williams joins the DSO for Broadway hits, pop-star ballads, and movie score classics, including Sweetest Days, Colors of the Wind, Love Is, Dreamin’, and Save the Best for Last.
Pops 4
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Friday, December 15 at 10:45 AM
Friday, December 15 at 8 PM
Saturday, December 16 at 3 PM
Saturday, December 16 at 8 PM
Sunday, December 17 at 3 PM
Sunday, December 17 at 7 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jason Seber, conductor
It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year! Gather friends and family, one and all, for a celebration of the season featuring your DSO, holiday favorites, and quite possibly, an appearance by Santa Claus.
Pops 5
GO NOW! THE MUSIC OF THE MOODY BLUES
Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Michael Krajewski, conductor
The Moody Blues, “the Sistine Chapel of popular music” (Rolling Stone), built a career out of pristine hits. Drummer Gordy Marshall, who toured with band for 25 years, and Mick Wilson, former lead singer of fellow English band 10cc, join the DSO for a tribute to pop music perfection, including jewels such as Nights in White Satin, Tuesday Afternoon, Go Now, and Isn’t Life Strange.
Pops 6
LUSH LIFE: DUKE ELLINGTON & BILLY STRAYHORN
Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor
Denzal Sinclaire, vocalist
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, musical companions for nearly 30 years, wrote some of the most beloved jazz standards of all time—Take the A Train, Satin Doll, Caravan, an adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and more. Hear their works, and experience their prolific collaborative genius, live at Orchestra Hall.
Pops 7
RED CARPET FILM SCORES
Friday, March 8, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Friday, March 8, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Lights, camera, action—music! Films depend on the depth of the orchestra to turn images on a screen into moments that stay with us forever. Experience some of the most memorable scores in cinema, by Academy Award-winning composers, through the unforgettable sound of the DSO.
Pops 8
COUNTRY HITS: SONGS FROM NASHVILLE
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 8 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Emily West, vocalist
Rick Brantley, vocalist
Like a Nashville recording session brought to life, experience a who’s who of the Grand Ole Opry, featuring the songs of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Kacey Musgraves, and more. Watch out for spontaneous line dancing!
Pops 9
BACK TO THE ‘80S
Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Brie Cassil, vocalist
Colin Smith, vocalist
Paul Loren, vocalist
It’s The Power of Love—and superstar vocalists with the DSO. Break out the hairspray and Members Only jackets for the #1 hits of the 80s, including Time After Time, Material Girl, Another One Bites the Dust, Footloose, Addicted to Love, and more. This is gonna be totally rad!
Pops 10
DISCO FEVER
Friday, May 17, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Maiya Sykes, vocalist
B.Slade, vocalist
Get to Orchestra Hall and get down with the DSO, featuring an onstage dance off and non-stop hits, including That's the Way (I Like It), It's Raining Men, We Are Family, I Will Survive, Stayin' Alive, The Hustle, Hot Stuff, and more. It’s time to boogie with the best.
Pops 11
DISNEY & BROADWAY FAVORITES: THE MAGIC OF MENKEN
Friday, June 21, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Friday, June 21, 2024 at 8 PM
Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 8 PM
Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 3 PM
Orchestra Hall
Steven Reineke, conductor
From Disney classics including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules, to Broadway smashes like Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act, and Newsies, the music of eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken has become part of our world.
YOUNG PEOPLE’S FAMILY CONCERT SERIES
YPFC1
DR. FREAKUENCY’S MAJOR MONSTER BASH
Saturday, October 28 at 11 AM
Orchestra Hall
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Eeek! Mad scientist Dr. FREAKuency is busy in his laboratory trying to scare off his Halloween visitors. With the help of his assistant Griegor, Dr. FREAKuency concocts his electrifying monster and sets out to thrill the trick-or-treaters. But his monster has some surprises up its sleeve and helps throw a spooktacular Halloween Bash for the entire neighborhood!
Dr. FREAKuency's Major Monster Bash features classic and modern orchestral favorites plus an audience sing-along. Audiences will explore how music conveys emotions by experimenting with Major and Minor Modes, and help Dr. FREAKuency learn that life is more fun with friends!
YPFC 2
THE SNOWMAN
Saturday, December 9 at 11 AM
Orchestra Hall
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor
Based on the award-winning children’s book by Raymond Briggs, The Snowman comes to life on the big screen! The DSO performs Howard Blake’s memorable soundtrack while the animated classic plays above the orchestra. Kick off your holiday season with this family-favorite film and a collection of other holiday melodies.
YPFC 3
PETER AND THE WOLF
Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 11 AM
Orchestra Hall
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor
Michael Boudewyns, storyteller
“Boys like Peter are not afraid of wolves...” Prokofiev's timeless tale of boy vs. wolf comes to life in Really Inventive Stuff's signature performance. A vaudeville-inspired solo performance hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "immensely like-able" and "using simplicity as a form of genius." Guaranteed to engage and inspire imaginations of all ages.
YPFC 4
WHEN INSTRUMENTS ROAMED THE EARTH
Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 11 AM
Orchestra Hall
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor
In prehistoric times, strange creatures walked the planet. These were the ancient ancestors of musical instruments that inspired the instruments we see in the orchestra today. Join the DSO for this all-ages introduction to the exciting sounds, people, and experience of a symphony orchestra concert.