- DSO renews mission of accessibility with expanded free live and archived digital programming
- Webcasts include all Classical Series programs and select PNC Pops concerts, plus Educational Concert Series and Civic Youth Ensemble performances
- Paradise Jazz Series to offer select programs as pay-per-view DSO Digital Concerts
- DSO Replay archive of past performances to remain free
Detroit, (September 29, 2021) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced the return of its free Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts at dso.org and on Facebook, beginning with its opening week Classical Series concert, Saturday, October 9 at 8 p.m. ET. Music Director Jader Bignamini will conduct the DSO in music by Respighi (Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome), Sibelius (the Violin Concerto with guest soloist Ray Chen), and Jessie Montgomery (Banner).
The DSO’s groundbreaking webcast series, launched in 2011, returns following last season’s DSO Digital Concerts programming, which was offered free to subscribers with single tickets available for purchase while Orchestra Hall was closed to in-person audiences. The orchestra will open its 2021-2022 season for full-capacity audiences, with updated safety policies that include proof of vaccine or negative Covid test and a mask requirement. At the same time, the DSO is proud to renew its commitment to accessibility by providing free webcasts of most programs.
This season’s Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts will include all 20 Classical and three PNC Pops Series programs, as well as two Educational Concert Series programs and three Civic Youth Ensemble showcase performances. The webcasts can be viewed at dso.org and via Facebook Live. On the Classical Series, Music Director Jader Bignamini’s first full season features major works from Beethoven’s Ninth to Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, acclaimed soloists, and music from a wide array of composers. On the PNC Pops Series, patrons may enjoy Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Carnaval, Home for the Holidays, and Summer Blockbusters. See the schedule below for full list of webcast dates and program titles.
"Live from Orchestra Hall is about conveying the stories of the music and finding the most captivating ways to present our musicians and guest artists,” said Executive Producer Marc Geelhoed. “As Executive Producer and frequently a director, I study the composer's score to capture the most dynamic parts of a performance. From seeing a musician start their solo after we've seen the conductor’s cue, to catching the swell of a big crescendo as we zoom in on the orchestra, we present a cohesive musical dialogue between sections, bringing the best of the DSO from Orchestra Hall straight to your screen, all shot in HD.”
DSO Replay—the DSO’s extensive webcast archive of Classical Series concerts and Educational Concert Series Classroom Edition performances—will remain free for all in the 2021-2022 season. The service includes archived Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts from past DSO seasons, as well as Classroom Edition webcasts of Educational Concert Series performances. DSO Replay may be accessed anywhere, anytime at dso.org/replay.
“We have gained many new viewers since March 2020 when we made DSO Replay available for free,” said Geelhoed. “We are enthusiastic to continue this momentum with more digitally accessible options than ever before.”
DSO Digital Concerts will return with select Paradise Jazz Series performances streamed live from Orchestra Hall featuring artists such as Erb Jazz Creative Chair Terence Blanchard, Lizz Wright, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and Robert Hurst III. Subscribers and donors over $125 receive access to all DSO Digital Concerts in the 2021-2022 season, with individual tickets available for purchase starting at $12. Concerts can be viewed both live and on-demand for two weeks following the original performance exclusively on dso.org or on the DSO app.
DSO Live is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Digital programming is produced from the Al Glancy Control Room. Classroom Edition is additionally supported by the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation. The title sponsor of the DSO’s Classical Series is PVS Chemicals. The title sponsor of the DSO’s PNC Pops Series is PNC Bank. The Paradise Jazz Series is made possible with support from Huntington and MGM Grand Detroit.
2021-2022 DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DIGITAL PROGRAMMING
Subject to change. Visit dso.org for full program information.
LIVE FROM ORCHESTRA HALL
Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 8 p.m.
JADER CONDUCTS FOUNTAINS & PINES OF ROME
Classical
Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 8 p.m.
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH
Classical
Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 8 p.m.
DVOŘÁK & LEE: NEW WORLDS
Classical
Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.
JADER CONDUCTS RACHMANINOFF
Classical
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 8 p.m.
BIGNAMINI & BRANFORD
Classical
Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 8 p.m.
JADER & HILARY HAHN
Classical
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 8 p.m.
DAWSON & BEETHOVEN
Classical
Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8 p.m.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
PNC Pops
Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Classical
Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 8 p.m.
RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO
Classical
Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 8 p.m.
TROUPE VERTIGO: CIRQUE CARNAVAL
PNC Pops
Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 8 p.m.
BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 7
Classical
Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 8 p.m.
MAHLER’S “TITAN”
Classical
Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 8 p.m.
CLASSICAL ROOTS
Classical
Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 8 p.m.
VOICES OF AMERICA
Classical
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8 p.m.
SCHUMANN & SIBELIUS
Classical
Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 8 p.m.
BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4
Classical
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8 p.m.
SALOME’S SEDUCTION
Classical
Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8 p.m.
BIGNAMINI CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9
Classical
Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.
THIBAUDET: RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G
Classical
Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 8 p.m.
SAINT-GEORGES & MOZART 39
Classical
Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 8 p.m.
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS
PNC Pops
Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 8 p.m.
GIL SHAHAM RETURNS
Classical
LIVE FROM ORCHESTRA HALL: CLASSROOM EDITION
Thursday, November 18, 2021
EDUCATIONAL CONCERT SERIES
THE PLANETS
Details to be announced
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
EDUCATIONAL CONCERT SERIES
Details to be announced
CIVIC YOUTH ENSEMBLES WEBCASTS
Friday, November 5, 2021
CIVIC YOUTH ENSEMBLES
Details to be announced
Sunday, January 30, 2022
CIVIC YOUTH ENSEMBLES
Details to be announced
Friday, April 29, 2022
CIVIC YOUTH ENSEMBLES
Details to be announced
DSO DIGITAL CONCERTS: PARADISE JAZZ SERIES
Friday, October 8, 2021 at 8 p.m.
LIZZ WRIGHT
Friday, November 19, 2021 at 8 p.m.
TERENCE BLANCHARD
Friday, March 4, 2022 at 8 p.m.
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 8 p.m.
PARADISE JAZZ SERIES BIG BAND
Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 8 p.m.
ROBERT HURST III AND BLACK CURRENT JAM
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 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 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 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 eight 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.