A symphonic synthesis of Radiohead's classic album Ok Computer and Brahms's Symphony No. 1
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (December 18, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will present Brahms X Radiohead led by conductor Steve Hackman on Wednesday, January 8. This one-night-only concert event will showcase the symphonic symbiosis between seemingly unrelated musical works by Radiohead, the English alternative rock band, and Johannes Brahms, the German composer of the Romantic era. By setting the individual tracks of Radiohead’s third studio album Ok Computer in direct relation to each section of Brahms’s First Symphony, similarities in texture, emotion, and theme begin to emerge. Featuring some of Radiohead’s most popular songs, including “Karma Police” and “No Surprises,” these formative hits are seamlessly interwoven with Brahms’s signature sound performed by the DSO.
Conductor and creator of this performance, Steve Hackman, created Brahms X Radiohead for his production concept “SYMPHONYFUSE,” which synthesizes classical and popular masterworks. Hackman recognizes similarities in structure, melody, texture, innovation, and emotion between works that are separated by time and circumstance. In the case of Brahms X Radiohead, over 120 years separate the premiere of the two works, but this performance will prove that musical expression in response to the shared human experience has not changed as much as one would expect.
Brahms X Radiohead will take place on Wednesday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Orchestra Hall. Tickets for this performance start at $29 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Wednesday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Steve Hackman, conductor
Experience a symphonic synthesis of Radiohead's album Ok Computer and Brahms's Symphony No. 1. The performance offers a re-imagined experience of each work through the lens of the other, exploring the explosive tension and deep pathos they have in common.
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About Steve Hackman
A multi-hyphenate music powerhouse and visionary producer, Steve Hackman is a daring voice leading the charge among a new generation of classical musicians's intent on redefining the genre.
Equally adept in classical and popular styles, he is the creator of a production concept called “FUSE,” which synthesizes classical and popular masterworks. He has conducted these productions, like Brahms X. Radiohead and The Resurrection Mixtape (Mahler X Notorious BIG X Tupac Shakur), all over the world, including with the Philadelphia, Richmond, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Colorado, Phoenix, and Grand Rapids symphonies; the Pittsburgh and Nashville symphony orchestras; the Colorado Music Festival; and the Boston Pops.
Hackman has teamed up with some of the biggest pop superstars of today to add a signature virtuosic and classical dimension to their work, including Kanye West, Doja Cat, and Andrew Bird. He was trained at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School.
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. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as 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.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.