March 9-12: Dmitry Sinkovsky conducts music by Schnittke and Tchaikovsky, plus Bach's Violin Concerto in G minor with the conductor as soloist
March 16-17 & 19: Michael Balke conducts Dvořák’s Carnival Overture and Violin Concerto in A minor with soloist Tai Murray, Skoryk’s Melody, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major
Subscriptions and tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (February 15, 2023) – This March, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will continue its William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series with two weekends of concerts at community venues across Metro Detroit conducted by Dmitry Sinkovsky and Michael Balke, respectively.
On March 9-12, Sinkovsky will lead the DSO in a program including beloved works by Tchaikovsky (Serenade for Strings in C major), Alfred Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style, and Bach’s Violin Concerto in G minor, with the conductor as the violin soloist. The concerts will take place on March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, March 10 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, March 11 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, and March 12 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe.
On March 16, 17, and 19, Balke will lead the DSO in a program of Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, Skoryk’s Melody, which pays tribute to the composer’s native Ukraine, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, and Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor featuring soloist Tai Murray, whom The New York Times has described as “superb.” The concerts will take place on March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, March 17 at 8 p.m. at the Meyer Theater in Monroe, and March 19 at 3 p.m. at the Seligman Performing Arts Center in Beverly Hills.
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series subscriptions and single tickets (beginning at $30, with $10 tickets available for students) are on sale now and can be purchased at dso.org/neighborhood or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Currently in its twelfth year, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series brings world-class DSO performances to seven Metro Detroit communities. Featuring repertoire curated especially for intimate venues, the series creates musical impact by connecting with audiences in their communities. DSO Chamber Recitals feature DSO musicians in a variety of settings in Detroit and across the entire metro area. In addition, DSO musicians regularly perform at schools, hospitals, senior living facilities, places of worship, parks, and other community gathering spaces.
The William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series is made possible by a generous grant from the William Davidson Foundation. WRCJ 90.9 FM also supports the series. Renamed in 2014 in honor of philanthropist William Davidson, the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert 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.
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SINKOVSKY PLAYS BACH
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series
Thursday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts (6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield Township, MI)
Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. at NorthRidge Church (49555 N Territorial Rd, Plymouth, MI)
Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (1340 W. Long Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church (467 Fairford Rd., Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)
Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor and violin
The multi-talented Dmitry Sinkovsky is the conductor and violin soloist in works by Bach and Schnittke, both of which employ lively dance forms. Tchaikovsky’s beloved work for string orchestra is both stately and spirited, and wraps the listener in lush sound.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Violin Concerto in G minor
ALFRED SCHNITTKE Suite in the Old Style
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings in C major
DVOŘÁK’S VIOLIN CONCERTO
William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series
Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek (27375 Bell Rd, Southfield, MI)
Friday, March 17 at 8 p.m. at La-Z-Boy Center – Meyer Theater on the Monroe County Community College campus (1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe, MI)
Sunday, March 19 at 3 p.m. at the Seligman Performing Arts Center on the Detroit Country Day School campus (22305 W. 13 Mile Rd., Beverly Hills, MI)
Michael Balke, conductor
Tai Murray, violin
The concert opens with Dvořák’s celebratory, even rowdy, carnival atmosphere, and continues with his Violin Concerto, which employs traditional Czech dances. Tai Murray, whom The New York Times has described as “superb,” is the soloist. Skoryk’s Melody is a moving evocation of his native Ukraine, while Beethoven’s second symphony evokes pastoral themes at the culmination of his early era.
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto in A minor
MYROSLAV SKORYK Melody
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony no. 2 in D Major
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About 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 awards at major European competitions, Sinkovsky enjoys a brilliant career working with the most prestigious ensembles and artists worldwide, maintaining an active profile as a conductor and violinist conductor, with a repertoire ranging from Mozart to Bartók.
Sinkovsky’s international conducting career was launched in 2012 as a featured guest on Joyce DiDonato’s acclaimed Drama Queens tour. In 2018, he served as resident conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, where he has been a regular guest since the 2015-2016 season. Additional appearances in the US include his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which resulted in an immediate re-engagement as conductor and violinist. In Europe, he has led the Spanish National Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, MusicAeterna, Kremerata Baltica, Orchestra Casa da Música Porto, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, among others.
In April 2021, Sinkovsky conducted Il Pomo D’Oro for Handel’s pasticcio Oreste in Moscow and opened the Stockholm Early Music Festival.
Together with his ensemble, La Voce Strumentale, Sinkovsky released for naïve Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach in Black. Other naïve recordings include Vivaldi’s Concerti per violino V “Per Pisendel” and Il Virtuosissimo, both with Il Pomo d´Oro and both awarded a Diapason d’Or. An album with Dorothee Oberlinger titled The Discovery of Passion (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) was issued in 2020.
His first CD with the label Glossa, Idylle heroïque presenting Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Triple Concerto was issued in 2020 (ICMA nomination) and was followed in fall 2021 by Songs & Poems, featuring contemporary music for Baroque instruments.
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.
Recent and future engagements include invitations as a conductor and soloist by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He also leads the B’Rock Orchestra, the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, and La Voce Strumentale, and will reunite with Dorothee Oberlinger and Luca Pianca. This season, Sinkovsky conducts Porpora’s Orfeo at the Theater an der Wien and makes his debut at the Zurich Opera House with Cavalli’s Eliogabalo staged by Calixto Bieito.
About Michael Balke
Equally at home in the symphonic and opera repertoire, the young German conductor Michael Balke has gained international attention for his performances. He regularly follows invitations to many European countries as well as Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the US.
Between 2018 and 2021, Balke was Principal Guest Conductor at the St. Gallen Theatre and Symphony Orchestra (Switzerland), recent invitations include his debuts at the Semperoper in Dresden and concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Recent engagements include his return to Japan for Madama Butterfly (Tokyo, Osaka) as well as symphony concerts in Tokyo, gala concerts with Marina Rebeka and the Croatian National Radio Orchestra (Zagreb) and the Munich Radio Orchestra, concerts at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Sarasota Orchestra in Florida, at the Tongyeong Music Festival with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, his US debut with the Sarasota Orchestra in Florida featuring Midori, and a new production of Die Gezeichneten (Schreker) and Notre Dame (Franz Schmidt) in St. Gallen (Switzerland).
He led the new production of Salome in Verona, Tosca at the St. Gallen Theatre, L’heure Espagnol/Gianni Schicchi at Opéra national de Lorraine, La bohème with the Danish National Opera, Merry Widow at the Metropolitan Theatre in Tokyo, Der Fliegende Holländer in Sweden, Roméo et Juliette at Teatro Grande in Brescia, and La Traviata at the Mannheim National Theatre.
Important engagements of the recent past also include concerts at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Alte Oper Frankfurt, KKL Luzern, and with the Latvian National Orchestra in Riga.
From 2011 to 2016, Balke was Principal Conductor at Magdeburg Opera where he has conducted a broad repertoire of new productions from Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti to Verdi, Stravinsky, Korngold, and Strauss, as well as numerous symphony concerts.
He regularly works with orchestras including Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), Osaka Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orchestre national Montpellier, Orchestre de Nancy, Orchestra Siciliana Palermo, and Budapest Symphony Orchestra.
CD productions include a solo album with Marina Rebeka (French opera arias) and a full production of Verdi's La Traviata (nomination as Opus Klassik "Conductor of the Year").
Balke was born in Braunschweig, Germany and studied conducting under Christopher Zimmerman and piano under James Tocco and Frank Weinstock at the Cincinnati Conservatory (US). His chamber music studies include work with the Tokyo String Quartet, LaSalle Quartet, and Menahem Pressler.
About Tai Murray
Described as “superb” by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray has established herself a musical voice of a generation. “Technically flawless…vivacious and scintillating…It is without doubt that Murray’s style of playing is more mature than that of many seasoned players…”
(Muso Magazine)
Appreciated for her elegance and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners through her personal phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and choice of vibrato remind us of her musical background and influences: principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold & Heifetz) and Franco Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Murray was named a BBC New Generation Artist (2008 through 2010). As a chamber musician, she was a member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006).
She has performed as guest soloist on the main stages worldwide, performing with leading ensembles including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra, and all the BBC symphony orchestras. She is also a dedicated advocate of contemporary works (written for the violin). Among others, she performed the world premiere of Malcolm Hayes’s violin concerto at the BBC Proms, in the Royal Albert Hall.
As a recitalist, Murray has visited many of the world’s capitals having appeared in Berlin, Chicago, Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris, and Washington DC, among many others.
Murray’s critically acclaimed debut recording for harmonia mundi of Ysaye’s six sonatas for solo violin was released in February 2012. Her second recording with works by American composers of the 20th century was released by the Berlin-based label eaSonus, and her third disc with the Bernstein Serenade on the French label mirare.
Murray plays a violin by Tomaso Balestrieri fecit Mantua ca. 1765, on generous loan from a private collection.
Murray is an Assistant Professor of Violin at the Yale School of Music, where she teaches applied violin and coaches chamber music. She earned artist diplomas from Indiana University’s Jacobs School 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. 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.