- Mei-Ann Chen will conduct program including suite from Bizet’s Carmen, January 9, 10, and 12
- Conductor/violinist/countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky returns to lead program of Baroque music by Handel, Vivaldi, and more, January 16-19
Detroit, (January 6, 2020) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) returns to seven Metro Detroit venues as the 2020 William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series kicks off this week.
On two consecutive weekends, the symphony will appear at community venues in Southfield, Clinton Township, Beverly Hills, West Bloomfield, Plymouth, Bloomfield Hills, and Grosse Pointe, performing concert programs designed specifically for the series.
This week, conductor Mei-Ann Chen will return to the DSO in a program featuring the Suite No. 1 from Bizet’s beloved opera Carmen, Franck’s Symphony in D Minor, and Lalo’s Cello Concerto (featuring cellist Sterling Elliott, National Sphinx Competition Winner).
The concerts will take place:
- Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield
- Friday, January 10 at 8 p.m. at Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township
- Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center (on the campus of Detroit Country Day School) in Beverly Hills
The following weekend, triple threat conductor, violinist, and countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky returns to the series for a program of Baroque music by Handel, Vivaldi, and J.C. Bach. Sinkovsky became an instant fan favorite after his debut on the 2019 William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series, where he led a program including Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
The concerts will take place:
- Thursday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield
- Friday, January 17 at 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Plymouth
- Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills
- Sunday, January 19 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe
See below for complete program details.
The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. Renamed in 2014 in honor of philanthropist William Davidson, the series brings even more opportunities for Metro Detroiters to experience the DSO close to home. In October 2017 the William Davidson Foundation made a $15 million gift of support to the DSO—one of the orchestra’s largest ever—including continued sponsorship of the series. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the series.
Thanks to a generous grant from the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US, the DSO welcomes military veterans, active military, and their families to access discounted tickets for the performances on January 9, 10, and 17. See below for more information about the ticket discount. The FCA Foundation and the DSO thank our veterans and active military members for their service.
About Mei-Ann Chen
Conductor Mei-Ann Chen infuses orchestras with enthusiasm, passion, and high-level music making. Music director of the MacArthur Award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011, Chen was recently named principal guest conductor of Austria’s Recreation Grosses Orchester Graz and the first-ever artistic partner of Houston’s River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. She has served as artistic director and conductor of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival since 2016 and has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and others. Abroad, she has conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, and others.
Recent recordings include the acclaimed Project W – Works by Diverse Women Composers with the Chicago Sinfonietta and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s debut album ROCO: Visions Take Flight, featuring the world premiere recordings of five of the orchestra’s commissioned works. Chen was recognized as one of Musical America’s Top 30 Influencers in 2015. Her innovative leadership also earned the 2012 Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras.
Born in Taiwan, Chen came to the United States to study violin in 1989 and became the first student in New England Conservatory’s history to receive master’s degrees simultaneously in both violin and conducting. She later studied with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.
About Sterling Elliott
Cellist Sterling Elliott is the Sphinx Competition 2019 Senior Division 1st Place Laureate. He has appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and others. In 2015 and 2016 Elliott performed a seven-week national tour with the Sphinx Virtuosi, and in 2018 he was a featured soloist on tour including a performance at Carnegie Hall. Last season, he performed at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He has enjoyed the honor of performing for cellist Yo-Yo Ma and alongside pop artist Jennifer Hudson.
Elliott has performed at the Eastern Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival, and was selected to study alongside Itzhak Perlman and Ronald Leonard at the Summer Perlman Music Program. He began his cello studies at the age of three and made his solo debut at the age of seven, when he became the first-place Junior Division winner of the PYO Concerto Competition. Other notable accomplishments include 1st place in the 2019 Camerata Artists International Competition, grand prize in the First Presbyterian Young Artist Competition, and 1st place in the 2014 Richmond Symphony Concerto Competition.
Elliott is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in cello performance at The Juilliard School, where he studies with Joel Krosnick and is the recipient of a Kovner Fellowship.
Dmitry Sinkovsky
Dmitry Sinkovsky possesses a rare combination of Russian virtuosity and Italian cantabilità. A conductor, violinist, and countertenor, he weaves these three disciplines together with a profound musical awareness, boundless energy, and astonishing technique, resulting in electrifying performances that captivate audiences across the globe.
A winner of several awards at major European competitions, Sinkovsky began his celebrated career working with prestigious early music ensembles such as Il Giardino Armonico, Il Complesso Barocco, Musica Petropolitana, and Accademia Bizantina. As an associated artist, he is closely tied to the Belgian ensemble B´Rock. Complementing his achievements in Baroque music, Sinkovsky maintains an active profile as a classical violinist and conductor with a diverse repertoire.
Sinkovsky’s international conducting career was launched in 2012 when he was a featured guest on Joyce DiDonato’s acclaimed Drama Queens tour. Today, he remains in high demand, performing extensively across Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, and North America. In 2018 he served as resident conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. In Europe, he has led the Spanish National Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, MusicaAeterna, Kremerata Baltica, Orchestra Casa da Música Porto, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, among others.
In 2011 Sinkovsky founded his own period instrument ensemble, La Voce Strumentale. They perform at major international festivals and concert halls throughout Europe and have released two recordings on Naïve: Vivaldi´s Four Seasons (2015) and Bach in Black (2017).
Sinkovsky’s many recordings include Vivaldi´s Concerti per violino V Per Pisendel under Naïve´s Vivaldi Edition, Telemann’s Trio Sonatas on Berlin Classics, and Schumann’s Fantasies and Fairy Tales on Naxos, among others. In October 2019, Naïve released Il Virtuosissimo, an album featuring Sinkovsky on virtuoso Baroque violin concertos with Il Pomo d´Oro, which was awarded a Diapason d´Or.
Sinkovsky is a professor at the Moscow State Conservatory and artistic director of the Orlando Furioso Festival in Dubrovnik. He plays a violin by Francesco Ruggeri (1675) loaned by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation.
Ticket Information
Single tickets for William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series performances start at $25 for adults and $10 for children and students, and can be purchased online at dso.org/neighborhood.
Tickets can also be purchased by calling (313) 576-5111 or in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit).
Please note: tickets will not be sold online past 8 p.m. the night prior to each performance, but will still be available for purchase at each venue on the days of the concerts.
Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30% on the price of a single ticket for most DSO concerts. For more information, contact Group Sales Manager Jim Sabatella at (313) 576-5130 or jsabatella@dso.org.
Veterans, active military, and their families may use the code HEROES1920 to unlock $10 tickets for the performances on January 9 (Southfield), 10 (Clinton Township), and 17 (Plymouth). The code can be used at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111.
Performance Details
Bizet’s Carmen
Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m.
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek (Southfield, MI)
Friday, January 10 at 8 p.m.
at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts (Clinton Township, MI)
Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m.
at Seligman Performing Arts Center (on the campus of the Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, MI)
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
Sterling Elliott, cello
BIZET: Suite No. 1 from Carmen
LALO: Cello Concerto in D Minor (Sterling Elliott, cello)
FRANCK: Symphony in D Minor
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Handel’s “Water Music”
Thursday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m.
at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts (West Bloomfield, MI)
Friday, January 17 at 8 p.m.
at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church (Plymouth, MI)
Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m.
at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Sunday, January 19 at 3 p.m.
at Our Lady Star of the Sea (Grosse Pointe, MI)
Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor/violin/countertenor
HANDEL: Suite No. 1 in F Major from Water Music
HANDEL: “Cara Sposa” from Rinaldo (Dmitry Sinkovsky, countertenor)
HANDEL: “Va tacito e nascoto” from Julius Caesar (Dmitry Sinkovsky, countertenor)
J.C. BACH: Sinfonia in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 6
VIVALDI: Concerto con molti strumenti, “per la solennità di San Lorenzo,” RV562a (Dmitry Sinkovsky, violin)
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. 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 will celebrate 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.