Program highlights music from around the world, including works by John Williams, Duke Ellington, Ary Barroso, Li Huanzhi, Claude Debussy, Gioachino Rossini, Antonín Dvořák, Johann Strauss Sr., and Leonard Bernstein
Family-friendly pre-concert activities include instrument try-outs, crafts, and musician meet-and-greets
Ticket reservations available now at dso.org/DTEpowersDSO
Detroit, (August 25, 2023) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will celebrate the start of its 2023–2024 season with four free community concerts this fall at venues across Southeast Michigan, presented by the DTE Energy Foundation.
The concerts will be conducted by DSO Assistant Conductor and Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador Na’Zir McFadden, who also serves as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra.
McFadden will lead the orchestra in a global celebration of music from around the world including works by John Williams, Duke Ellington, Ary Barroso, Li Huanzhi, Claude Debussy, Gioachino Rossini, Antonín Dvořák, Johann Strauss Sr., and Leonard Bernstein
The events will also feature family-friendly pre-concert activities including instrument try-outs, crafts, musician meet-and-greets, and more to be announced.
2023 DTE Foundation Community Concerts:
- DETROIT on Friday September 22 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Greater Grace Temple
- FARMINGTON HILLS on Saturday, September 23 at 8 p.m. at The Hawk - Farmington Hills Community Center
- CLAIR SHORES on Sunday, September 24 at 3 p.m. at Lakeview High School
For more than 50 years the DTE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, has supported the DSO and its cultural programs. The DSO is proud to once again partner with the organization to bring music to diverse communities throughout Southeast Michigan.
“Music, creativity and the arts have a way of bringing individuals from all backgrounds together for a unique, shared experience,” said Rodney Cole, DTE Foundation president. “That’s one of the many reasons we treasure our partnership with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra—what the group brings to the community not only impacts everyone today but also inspires future generations on what can be accomplished through the arts for years to come.”
“We are so pleased to once again partner with our friends at the DTE Foundation to bring outstanding musical experiences to the people in our community,” said DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. “With family-friendly activities before the concerts, we invite music lovers of all ages from Detroit, Farmington Hills, and St. Clair Shores to enjoy a performance by our world-class orchestra.”
All four concerts are free and open to the public, yet reservations are required for entry. Tickets can be reserved now at dso.org. All concerts are general admission (no seats will be assigned), and all seating is first-come, first-served. All concert venues are handicap accessible.
Concert Schedule
Friday September 22 at 10:45 a.m.
Greater Grace Temple
23500 W Seven Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 48219
Friday September 22 at 8 p.m.
Greater Grace Temple
23500 W Seven Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 48219
Saturday, September 23 at 8 p.m.
The Hawk - Farmington Hills Community Center
29995 W 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Sunday, September 24 at 3 p.m.
Lakeview High School
21100 E Eleven Mile Rd, St Clair Shores, MI 48081
Program Details
Na'Zir McFadden, conductor
JOHN WILLIAMS Olympic Fanfare and Theme
EDWARD KENNEDY “DUKE” ELLINGTON ARR. RALPH HERMANN Duke Ellington Fantasy
ARY BARROSO ARR. JOHN WASSON Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolor of Brazil)
LI HUANZHI Overture to Spring Festival Suite
CLAUDE DEBUSSY ARR. ARTHUR LUCK Clair de Lune
GIOACHINO ROSSINI Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) [German edition]
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8 in G major
JOHANN STRAUSS SR. Radetzky March, Op. 228
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide
Available at the Box Office table during all concerts, the DSO offers sensory toolkits to use free of charge, courtesy of the Mid-Michigan Autism Association. The kits contain items that can help calm or stimulate a person with a sensory processing difference, including noise-reducing headphones and fidget toys.
About the DTE Energy Foundation
The DTE Energy Foundation (“Foundation”) is the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy (“DTE”) and supports initiatives focused on arts and culture, community transformation, economic progress, education and employment, environment, and human needs. For more than 20 years, the Foundation has invested in communities where DTE has a business presence. In 2022, the Foundation provided more than $15 million in grant support to over 300 nonprofits. Visit DTEFoundation.com to learn more.
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.