DSO announces 2020-2021 Classical and PNC Pops series; Jader Bignamini named DSO Music Director

- Bignamini succeeds Leonard Slatkin as DSO music director; will conduct three programs in 2020-2021, including Beethoven’s Ninth and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Midori

- Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will perform at annual Classical Roots concert and on the Paradise Jazz Series

- Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 to be performed at Detroit Institute of Arts on 80th anniversary of its premiere and later in season at Orchestra Hall

- Classical Series includes favorites from the repertoire as well as contemporary music by Veronika Krausas, Hannah Lash, Andrew Norman, Tyshawn Sorey, and more

- Subscriptions on sale now at dso.org and the DSO Box Office

Detroit, (January 22, 2020) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced the 2020-2021 season of its Classical Series and PNC Pops Series and shared the exciting news that Italian conductor Jader Bignamini will be the orchestra’s next Music Director.

Jader will conduct three programs on the 2020-2021 Classical Series. The first, in December 2020, includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and composer Hannah Lash’s contemporary companion to it, In Hopes of Finding the Sun. He returns for two weeks in May 2021: the first features the world premiere of a new work by Veronika Krausas (winner of the DSO’s Lebenbom Award for Female Composers), Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Midori, and Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome; the second includes Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Orli Shaham and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6.

Also this season: a special performance of pioneering African American composer Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3, originally commissioned by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Music Project during the height of the Great Depression. In a special partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), the DSO will perform the work on November 6, 2020 – the 80th anniversary of its premiere – at the DIA, where it was first performed by the Detroit Civic Orchestra in 1940. The DSO will also perform the work at Orchestra Hall later in the season during its annual Classical Roots weekend in March 2021.

Jazz icon Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra return to Detroit to perform Marsalis’s Swing Symphony at Classical Roots, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will also be featured on the DSO’s Paradise Jazz Series. Complete details of the 2020-2021 Paradise Jazz Series will be announced at a later date.

The DSO will perform several contemporary works and world premieres. These include the works by Hannah Lash and Veronika Krausas mentioned above as well as the world premieres of Samuel Adler’s Mirror Images and Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, as well as Helen Grime’s Fanfares, Texu Kim’s Dub-Sanjo, Andrew Norman’s Violin Concerto, Lachlan Skipworth’s Hinterland, and Tyshawn Sorey’s Violin Concerto. The Krausas and Adler works are DSO commissions.

Other major works in the new season include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” Tchaikovsky’s Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, Brahms’s Violin Concerto, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Copland’s Suite from Appalachian Spring, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 7. Lesser-heard masterpieces scheduled for 2020-2021 include John Adams’s The Chairman Dances, Bernstein’s Facsimile: Choreographic Essay for Orchestra, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, Messiaen’s Le tombeau resplendissant, and Chausson’s Symphony in B-flat Major.

See below for a list of notable repertoire as well as complete program listings.

Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin will return to Detroit to conduct two programs, and DSO Principal Cello Wei Yu (James C. Gordon Chair) will be featured soloist in the orchestra’s Opening Weekend program. Other top talent traveling to Detroit to perform with the DSO includes conductors Kent Nagano, Karina Canellakis, James Conlon, Donald Runnicles, and Han-Na Chang; pianists Stephen Hough, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Inon Barnatan, and Louis Lortie; violinists James Ehnes, Jennifer Koh, Leila Josefowicz, and Baiba Skride; and many more. Conductor/violinist/countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky, a Baroque-music specialist, will also make his Orchestra Hall debut after two thrilling appearances on the DSO’s William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in 2019 and 2020.

The DSO also announced its 2020-2021 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: Cirque Carnaval with circus/aerialist group Troupe Vertigo; Positively Patriotic, a concert of star-spangled favorites by John Philip Sousa, Irving Berlin, and more; A Salute to the Oscars, including music from Academy Award-winning films; and Soul Men, a symphonic celebration of soul and R&B icons like Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, and Al Green. 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, and more. The beloved Home for the Holidays program and the DSO Presents favorite Home Alone in Concert, a holiday favorite that sells out year after year, also will return.

Subscriptions are on sale now for the 2020-2021 Classical and PNC Pops series. Patrons can 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 its tenth full season, offering free, 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. Additional support for the series is provided by Masco Corporation Foundation. The Paradise Jazz Series is presented by Cadillac with additional support from MGM Grand Detroit and TCF Bank.

For more information, visit: dso.org/classical and dso.org/pops.

The complete Paradise Jazz Series and the DSO’s 2020-2021 family programming will be announced in the coming weeks. The 2021 William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series will be announced in the summer.

About Jader Bignamini

When Jader Bignamini (Yah-dur Bee-nyah-mee-nee) was nine years old, he became fascinated by the cover of one of his brother’s books. It was a photo of a boy playing what he thought to be a flute, and Jader became determined to play the same instrument. The only problem was that the photo featured a boy playing a clarinet. Jader may not have recognized all the instruments, but that image was the spark that ignited a lifelong love of music and a passion for performing, first as a musician with Orchestra Sinfonica La Verdi in Milan (clarinet, not flute), and later as the group’s resident conductor.

Jader studied at the Piacenza Music Conservatory. He was drawn to operatic arias, captivated by the power and complexity of ­symphonic music in masterpieces by legends like Mahler and Tchaikovsky. For the Crema, Italy native, it was thrilling to explore that complexity, and to puzzle out the role that each instrument played in making that larger-than-life sound. Even as a young musician, the seeds of a future conductor were present. As a teenager, he would “practice” conducting in room at night with a chopstick from a Chinese restaurant. 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 in venues across the globe. His 2019-2020 season includes debuts with the Toronto, Houston, and Dallas symphonies; Minnesota Orchestra; Canadian Opera Company conducting Aida; Bayerische Staatsoper conducting La Traviata; and a return engagement with Stadttheater Klagenfurt conducting Eugene Onegin. He continues to tour with soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Yusif Eyvasov.

Other recent engagements include debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Dutch National Opera conducting Madama Butterfly; La Traviata in Tokyo directed by Sofia Coppola; return engagements with Oper Frankfurt conducting La forza del destino and Santa Fe Opera conducting La Bohème; Manon Lescaut at the Bolshoi; Turandot at Teatro Filharmonica; Il Trovatore and Aida at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera; and La Forza del Destino at the Verdi Festival in Parma. Memorable engagements for Jader have included 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. 

Jader’s passion and enthusiasm are infectious. And his warmth and joyful spirit animate an engaging personality as prodigious as his musical talent. 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.

A jazz aficionado and amateur chef, Jader is excited to immerse himself in Detroit’s rich jazz scene and to explore his new second city. But above all, he can’t wait to make more extraordinary music with the DSO musicians he has already established close relationships with. It’s an opportunity that, like the picture on the cover of a book that once caught his attention as a boy, was love at first sight.

For more, visit dso.org/jader and jaderbignamini.it.

Commissions, Premieres, and Contemporary Music

The DSO will perform eleven works by living composers during the 2020-2021 season, which includes three world premieres of DSO-commissioned works.

Samuel Adler: Mirror Images (World Premiere) — Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin conducts the world premiere of a new work by his friend Samuel Adler, the American composer well known for founding and conducting the Seventh Army Symphony.

John Adams: The Chairman Dances — Described by the composer as an “outtake” from his opera Nixon in China, The Chairman Dances is an off-kilter foxtrot depicting a come-to-life portrait of Chairman Mao dancing with his wife.

Tyshawn Sorey: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra — Commissioned by the DSO, Tyshawn Sorey’s Violin Concerto is written for featured soloist Jennifer Koh as part of her longstanding commissioning project aiming to reflect the diversity of American music.

Texu Kim: Dub-Sanjo Dub-Sanjo (meaning “being performed together”) mixes Korean and European ideas with the composer’s idiosyncratic style.

Hannah Lash: In Hopes of Finding the Sun In the Hopes of Finding the Sun is a musical response to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and like the Ninth is written for orchestra and chorus. Hannah Lash borrows motifs from Beethoven and writes new text inspired by the original “Ode to Joy” poem by Friedrich Schiller.

Andrew Norman: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra — Written for featured soloist Leila Josefowicz, Andrew Norman’s Violin Concerto pairs one of contemporary music’s most notable composers with one of its most ardent violinists.

Wynton Marsalis: Swing Symphony — Premiered in 2010, Wynton Marsalis’s Swing Symphony is inspired by composers like Ives, Gershwin, Copland, and Ellington, and taps into the spirit of American diversity and optimism.

Lachlan Skipworth: Hinterland — A work premiered by guest conductor Asher Fisch with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in 2018, inspired by the western Australian landscape.

Joseph Schwantner: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (World Premiere) — Written for featured soloist Yevgeny Kutik, Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto joins the composer’s concerto work for percussion, horn, flute, and electric guitar.

Veronika Krausas: New Work (World Premiere) — Veronika Krausas received the DSO’s 10th annual Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award, the only annual orchestra-sponsored award granted annually to a living female composer. As part of the prize, Krausas will premiere this newly commissioned work with the DSO. 

Helen Grime: Fanfares Fanfares is the first movement of a larger orchestral piece, Woven Space. It was commissioned by the Barbican and premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle in 2017.

Major Orchestral Works

The DSO will play several major works from the symphonic repertoire.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” 
Bartók: Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Chausson: Symphony in B-flat major
Copland: Suite from Appalachian Spring
Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun 
Dvořák: Cello Concerto
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4
Messiaen: Le tombeau resplendissant
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Mozart: Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
Price: Symphony No. 3
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3
Rebel: Selections from Les élémens
Respighi: Fountains of Rome
Respighi: Pines of Rome
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra
Rossini: Overture to William Tell
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5
Schubert: Symphony No. 1 
Schumann: Symphony No. 2
Schumann: Symphony No. 3
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6
Sibelius: Pohjola’s Daughter
R. Strauss: Four Last Songs
R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Stravinsky: Le chant du rossignol
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture 
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Vivaldi: Lute Concerto in D major
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in D Major

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 2020-2021 Season.

Artists marked with an asterisk (*) will be making their DSO Classical Series conducting or solo debut.

Conductor Jader Bignamini
Conductor Karina Canellakis
Conductor Han-Na Chang*
Conductor James Conlon
Conductor William Eddins
Conductor Asher Fisch*
Conductor Domingo Hindoyan*
Conductor Eun Sun Kim*
Conductor Hannu Lintu
Conductor Enrique Mazzola*
Conductor Kent Nagano
Conductor Matthias Pintscher*
Conductor Christian Reif*
Conductor Donald Runnicles
Conductor, violinist, and countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky*
Conductor Leonard Slatkin
Conductor John Storgårds

Pianist Inon Barnatan*
Pianist Till Fellner*
Pianist Stephen Hough
Pianist Louis Lortie
Pianist Orli Shaham
Pianist Cédric Tiberghien*
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Violinist James Ehnes
Violinist Leila Josefowicz
Violinist Jennifer Koh
Violinist Yevgeny Kutik*
Violinist Midori
Violinist Baiba Skride

Cellist Wei Yu

Guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas*

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 16. Classical subscriptions are sold in groups of 9, 17, and 21 concerts, beginning at just $105. 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 Concert 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. Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s new music director in January 2020 and will conduct his first full season in the role in 2021-22. 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 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.

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CLASSICAL SERIES: COMPLETE CONCERT LISTINGS

All concerts at Orchestra Hall within the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.

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.

OPENING WEEKEND: DVOŘÁK CELLO CONCERTO 

Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, September 25, 2020 at 8 p.m.*
Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 8 p.m.

Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Wei Yu, cello   

STRAVINSKY: Le chant du rossignol 
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 
DVOŘÁK: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 

TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH 

Friday, October 2, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. 
Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 4, 2020 at 3 p.m.*

Leonard Slatkin, conductor 
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano 

Samuel ADLER: Mirror Images (World Premiere) 
SAINT-SAËNS: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 

BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY 

Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.*
Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 8 p.m. 

Han-Na Chang, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano 

TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture 
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55, “Eroica” 

RUNNICLES CONDUCTS BRAHMS 

Friday, October 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 3 p.m.*

Donald Runnicles, conductor  

BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90
R. STRAUSS: Four Last Songs 
R. STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28  

DVOŘÁK’S SYMPHONY NO. 7 

Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, November 8, 2020 at 3 p.m.*

Christian Reif, conductor 
Jennifer Koh, violin 

John ADAMS: The Chairman Dances
Tyshawn SOREY: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 

RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO 

Friday, November 13, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. 
Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 8 p.m.*
Sunday, November 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.

Eun Sun Kim, conductor  
Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar 

Texu KIM: Dub-Sanjo
RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra 
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44 

BEETHOVEN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 

Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, December 4, 2020 at 8 p.m.*
Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 8 p.m.  

Enrique Mazzola, conductor 
Inon Barnatan, piano 

ROSSINI: Overture to William Tell 
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97

BIGNAMINI CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9 

Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, December 11, 2020 at 8 p.m.*
Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 3 p.m. 

Jader Bignamini, conductor 
Opera MODO 
Audivi 

Hannah LASH: In Hopes of Finding the Sun 
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 

VIRTUOSIC VIVALDI & MOZART 38 

Friday, January 22, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. 
Friday, January 22, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 8 p.m.*

Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor, violin, and countertenor 

REBEL: Selections from Les élémens 
VIVALDI: Violin Concerto in D major, RV 562a 
VIVALDI: Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93 
PORPORA: “Alto Giove” from Polifemo 
VIVALDI: “Agitata infido flatu” from Juditha Triumphans, RV 644 
MOZART: Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504, “Prague” 

SCHUBERT & BARTÓK 

Friday, February 5, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.*

Hannu Lintu, conductor 
Leila Josefowicz, violin 

SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 1 in D major, D. 82 
Andrew NORMAN: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra 
BARTÓK: Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19 

RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G 

Friday, February 12, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. 
Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 3 p.m.*

John Storgårds, conductor 
Cédric Tiberghien, piano 

MESSIAEN: Le tombeau resplendissant 
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G major 
CHAUSSON: Symphony in B-flat major, Op. 20 

JAMES EHNES PLAYS BRAHMS 

Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 8 p.m.*
Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 8 p.m. 

Karina Canellakis, conductor 
James Ehnes, violin  

SIBELIUS: Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49 
BRAHMS: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 
LUTOSŁAWSKI: Concerto for Orchestra  

CLASSICAL ROOTS 

Friday, March 5, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. 
Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.*

William Eddins, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis  

Program to include:
BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor
PRICE: Symphony No. 3 in C minor 
Wynton MARSALIS: Swing Symphony 

TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE” SYMPHONY 

Friday, March 12, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 3 p.m.* 

Domingo Hindoyan, conductor 
Baiba Skride, violin 

DEBUSSY: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun 
KORNGOLD: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique” 

RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO 

Friday, April 9, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. 
Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, April 11, 2021 at 3 p.m.*

Asher Fisch, conductor 
Louis Lortie, piano  

Lachlan SKIPWORTH: Hinterland 
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61 

SLATKIN CONDUCTS COPLAND, BARBER & BERNSTEIN 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, April 16, 2021 at 10:45 a.m.*
Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 8 p.m. 

Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Yevgeny Kutik, violin

BARBER: Medea’s Dance of Vengeance, Op. 23a 
Joseph SCHWANTNER: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (World Premiere)
BERNSTEIN: Facsimile: Choreographic Essay for Orchestra 
COPLAND: Suite from Appalachian Spring 

MAHLER’S SEVENTH 

Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 3 p.m.*

James Conlon, conductor 

MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 

MIDORI PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY 

Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, May 7, 2021 at 10:45 a.m.*
Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 3 p.m. 

Jader Bignamini, conductor 
Midori, violin  

Veronika KRAUSAS: New Work (World Premiere) 
TCHAIKOVSKY: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 35 
RESPIGHI: Fountains of Rome 
RESPIGHI: Pines of Rome 

JADER CONDUCTS BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH 

Friday, May 21, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 8 p.m.*
Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 3 p.m.  

Jader Bignamini, conductor 
Orli Shaham, piano 

BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 54 

KENT NAGANO: THE RITE OF SPRING 

Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. 
Friday, June 4, 2021 at 8 p.m. 
Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 8 p.m.*

Kent Nagano, conductor 
Till Fellner, piano 

Helen GRIME: Fanfares 
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503 
STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring

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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.

FRANK & ELLA

Friday, October 9, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 3 p.m.

Steven Reineke, conductor
Capathia Jenkins, vocals
Tony DeSare, piano & vocals

Few vocalists straddled jazz and pop music with greater success than Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, two beloved icons who forever changed the musical landscape. Capathia Jenkins and Tony DeSare beautifully recreate Frank and Ella’s friendship in a performance of classic standards immortalized by the Queen of Jazz and Ol’ Blue Eyes, including “Night & Day,” “My Way,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”

TROUPE VERTIGO: CIRQUE CARNAVAL

Friday, October 30, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 1, 2020 at 3 p.m.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Troupe Vertigo

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!

THE STREISAND SONGBOOK featuring ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY

Friday, November 20, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 8 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.”

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Thomas Wilkins, conductor 

Share Detroit's favorite holiday musical tradition with family and friends and thrill to the spectacle of the season. Thomas Wilkins 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!

A NEW YEAR IN VIENNA

Friday, January 8, 2021 at 10:45 a.m.

Mela Dailey, soprano

Start the new year off in Viennese style with favorite arias, polkas, and waltzes, including The Merry Widow, music from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Johann Strauss II’s On the Beautiful Blue Danube.

IN THE AIR TONIGHT: THE MUSIC OF GENESIS AND PHIL COLLINS

Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 3 p.m.

Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Aaron Finley, vocalist
Brook Wood, vocalist

Guest conductor Stuart Chafetz and the DSO pay tribute to an 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.”

POSITIVELY PATRIOTIC

Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 3 p.m.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor
Doug LaBrecque, vocalist

Jeff Tyzik leads a star-spangled celebration of music that rings red, white, and blue! Enjoy patriotic favorites from John Philip Sousa, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, John Williams, and more!

A SALUTE TO THE OSCARS

Friday, February 26, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 3 p.m.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor

What’s a movie without great music? Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik and the DSO perform cherished scores of Academy Award-winning films, including Fiddler on the Roof, Casablanca, and The Godfather.

BROADWAY THEN & NOW

Friday, March 26, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 3 p.m.

Andy Einhorn, conductor
Andrea Ross, vocalist
Ryan Vona, vocalist

For over a century, Broadway has been the place to be for the latest showstoppers and hit musicals. Hear a mix of Broadway’s “then” and “now” in a program of music from timeless hit shows, including Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, The Music Man, and Hamilton.

BUGS BUNNY @ THE SYMPHONY 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Friday, May 14, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 16, 2021 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.”

LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

TOM AND JERRY and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Turner Entertainment Co. (s18)

THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL featuring MICHAEL CAVANAUGH

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 7:30 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.”

SOUL MEN

Friday, June 11, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 3 p.m.

Jeff Tyzik, conductor

Principal Pops Conductor 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.”