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THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.5

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:38:43 GMT

On May 1 & 2, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH.

Title : Symphony No.5 in C minor, op.67

Composer : Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1824)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed January 22, 2022 with Nathaniel Efthimiou conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: Perhaps the biggest challenge when listening to a live performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is to listen to it as if you’re hearing it for the first time. But the effort is worth it.

At its core, Beethoven’s Fifth is an experimental symphony. The opening is strange, with no clear harmony for quite some time. What key are we really in? But that question soon takes a back seat in the face of even more pressing matters. A revolutionary at heart, Beethoven eschews traditional melody to give this iconic work its distinctive sense of drama, but relies instead on visceral rhythm and imaginative structural details. In this way, he was a hundred years ahead of his time.

The famous four-note motif at the opening serves as the foundation for not just the first movement but, in fact, for the entire symphony. From it, the composer wrings every musical possibility imaginable, endowing the entire work with a stunning coherence. With the stroke of his pen, Beethoven gives history a new idea: even the most minute musical gesture can give rise to a masterpiece of enormous scope. Listen for the startling and lyrically expressive oboe cadenza (about four minutes in) that abruptly halts the torrent of rhythm. This delicious moment gives even greater meaning to the motif as it returns like a relentless hammer in the coda that follows.

In the second movement- Andante con moto – Beethoven elegantly spins a series of four variations on two main ideas. Violas and cellos start by venturing into an unexpected key (A-flat major), with one of the composer most memorable melodies. A contrasting, more assertive theme in an equally unexpected key (C major) is then offered by the clarinets, flute and bassoons. Beethoven masterfully weaves double variations on both of these ideas, while never losing sight of the underlying rhythmic energy of the motif from the first movemen t.

The third movement takes the (then) traditional idea of a dance movement and whips it up into an enigmatic scherzo . Opening with a mysterious arpeggio in the low strings, unison horns soon interrupt to remind us what this bold symphony is all about. Once the matter is settled, the cellos and double basses launch into a ferociously difficult bit of counterpoint with the tenacity of feral animal. Ultimately, a truncated version of the opening returns, but even softer now, setting the stage for a moment of true musical magic.

Beethoven bridges the transition into the last movement with a delicate solo passage in the first violins, supported by gently throbbing basses and timpani, and sustained pianissimo notes in the seconds and violas. Then, in one of the most unnerving and tension-building passages in all the literature, a snake-like melody slithers and builds until, in a moment of unbridled joy, the trombones, contra-bassoon, and piccolo (instruments usually reserved only for the military or operas back in the day) finally make their long-awaited entrance. Echoes of “La Liberté” - a French revolutionary hymn that Beethoven certainly knew – cry out, and the whole orchestra responds with familiar music that is now made new by its context. All hints of darkness are expelled. At the end, 54 measures of emphatic C major chords mark the completion of the journey from strife to triumph.

Recommended Recordings:

There are well over 100 recordings of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, beginning with Francois Ruhlman in 1910 followed by the legendary Arthur Nikisch in 1913, a fascinating historical document with the Berlin Philharmonic now a couple years closer to the work’s 1808 premiere than to our own time. Every major conductor has set it down, likely more than once. The “go to” recording is Carlos Kleiber’s titanic account with the Vienna Philharmonic from 1975 (Deutsche Grammophon) that to this day astonishes. Glenn Gould (Sony) recorded Franz Liszt’s blistering transcription for piano. And several recordings have been made on instruments of Beethoven’s time by Roger Norrington (EMI), John-Elliott Gardner (Deutsche Grammophon), Christopher Hogwood (Decca) and the conductor-less Hanover Band (Nimbus.) All are interesting, still it’s Carlos Kleiber that arguably towers above all others.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: R. Strauss's "Tod und Verklärung"

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:06:19 GMT

On May 1 & 2, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH.

Title : Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration)

Composer : Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed May 2, 1992 with Eleazar de Carvalho conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps and strings.

The Story: When Strauss introduced his youthful Don Juan to the world, he had almost completed his next symphonic poem, Death and Transfiguration . Its literary connection was the outline of a poem by the composer’s friend, Alexander Ritter, in which Death is conceived as both destroyer and liberator. In the poem, the dying man, racked by pain, has fitful glimpses of his childhood and youth. The ambitions and ideals of his younger years pass before him. Death, when it comes, marks the beginning of that for which he had hoped all along. Death, having delivered him from mortality and its sufferings, turns out to be nothing less than a transfiguration – a realization, fulfillment and culmination of all those dreams and longings he had striven for in his earthly life. Stemming from Biblical sources, his personal apocalyptic visions are a part of the Judeo-Christian heritage firing Strauss’s youthful imagination.

His approach to actual composition, however, was cool and detached. Claude Debussy wrote rather disparagingly of Strauss’s self-admitted dependence on literary programs for his symphonic poems: “To make a symphonic poem he (Strauss) takes any idea that occurs to him, thus proving himself to be an extraordinary illusionist who could give points to the most adept of Fakirs…the frequent misunderstandings that occur between composer and listener will certainly not be dissipated by reading those little guide-books in which the letters of the alphabet represent parts of picture puzzles which you try to solve during the performance.”

Debussy was right, of course. Strauss, the self-assured tone painter, joked that the discerning listener might be able to distinguish which of Don Juan’s victims was a redhead or which glass of beer was a Pilsner! But the reason why his symphonic poems remain popular is not because of any graphic musical rendering of objects, character, plot or story, but because the music itself retains its own vibrancy and dramatic strength above and beyond the narrative which inspired it. There is no doubt that in the tone poems, the musical images are extraordinarily rich, colorful and evocative, with the composer revealing himself as absolute master of the resources of the post-Wagnerian romantic orchestra. In doing so, Strauss stretched symphonic form to the extent that it was malleable for his own expressive and dramatic needs, without extending or bending it so far that his tone poems become shapeless.

Debussy felt that the program behind Death and Transfiguration was superfluous with its “ever recurring temptation for verbose explanations. Music simple and unadorned suffices.” Yet he himself could not entirely avoid a descriptive thrust when writing that the opening suggested “the atmosphere of the sepulcher in which alarming larvae appear to move,” and in which “the soul engages in terrible struggles, endeavoring to free itself from the vile body which still holds it to the earth.”

This opening is in fact Strauss’s “De Profundis,” with the first of his two principal themes emerging lugubriously from the nether regions. This later will become forceful, surging and aggressive as it wages unremitting warfare with the romantic, tenderly lyrical second theme first heard so hauntingly on the oboe. Incredible tension is generated as Strauss stretches and contrasts these themes. To be sure, there are moments of respite when the conflict is temporarily postponed. But the combat has to reach feverish depths of dissipation and dissolution before the “transfiguration” theme is finally announced. Even Debussy, ever critical of musical storytelling, here speaks of “the Transfiguration taking place before the eyes of the public, without any trickery beyond the great chords of C major. It is the key which most perfectly conveys the impression of eternity.”

The conclusion does indeed have a magisterial serenity to it, as the music modulates and broadens into the final image of transfiguration, then softens to a warm glow full of peace and contentment.

Recommended Recordings:

Richard Strauss himself recorded Death and Transfiguration with Vienna Philharmonic in 1944. Sonics are vintage and this composer-led performance is curious, but cool. For great sonics and definitive interpretation, turn to George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra (Sony 1957), Fritz Reiner and the Vienna Philharmonic (RCA/Sony 1959) and Rudolf Kempe with the Dresden Staatskapelle (Warner/EMI 1970). And that's just three. There are so many fine versions: Bernard Haitink, Jascha Horenstein, Pierre Monteux, the list goes on.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Carlos Simon's "Fate Now Conquers"

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:00:25 GMT

On May 1 & 2, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH.

Title : Fate Now Conquers

Composer : Carlos Simon (1986- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed November 12, 2022 with Kensho Watanabe conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Carlos Simon was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Atlanta, GA, as the son of an African-American preacher. Gospel music was a pervasive influence in his formation as an American composer. Gospel music’s improvisational aspect was especially important to him. At the age of ten, Simon began to play keyboard accompaniments in his father’s church, thus formally entering into the world of gospel music. As he grew older and developed his style as a composer, classical music masters, such as Beethoven and Brahms, became definite influences as well.

Simon attended Morehouse College as well as Georgia State University, earning degrees before embarking on doctoral studies at the University of Michigan. Along the way, he attained professional experience as keyboardist and musical director for rhythm and blues artists Angie Stone and Jennifer Holliday. In 2019, with doctoral degree in hand, Simon was appointed assistant professor in Georgetown University’s Department of Performing Arts. This position became a springboard for several commissions, awards and honors, notably Composer-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2021. Many honors and commissions for music have followed.

Simon introduces us to his Fate Now Conquers in the following words:

This piece was inspired by a journal entry from Ludwig van Beethoven’s notebook, written in 1815:
Iliad. The Twenty-Second Book:

But Fate now conquers; I am hers; and yet not she shall share In my renown; that life is left to every noble spirit.
And that some great deed shall beget that all lives shall inherit.

Using the beautifully fluid harmonic structure of the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, I have composed musical gestures that are representative of the unpredictable ways of fate. Jolting stabs, coupled with an agitated groove with every persona. Frenzied arpeggios in the strings that morph into an ambiguous cloud of free-flowing running passages depict the uncertainty of life that hovers over us.

We know that Beethoven strived to overcome many obstacles in his life and documented his aspirations to prevail despite his ailments. Whatever the specific reason for including this particularly profound passage from the Iliad , in the end, it seems that Beethoven relinquished himself to fate. Fate now conquers.

Recommended Recordings:

At the moment, there does not appear to be a commercial recording of Carlos Simon's Fate Now Conquers available, though there are several performances to compare on YouTube.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: José Luis Gomez

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:59:45 GMT

José Luis Gomez conducts BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH!
May 1 at 6:30PM & May 2 at 7:30PM

Background: The Venezuelan-born, Spanish conductor José Luis Gomez was catapulted to international attention when he won First Prize at the International Sir Georg Solti Conductors' Competition in 2010 in Frankfurt. Gomez’s electrifying presence, talent, creativity, and energy quickly earned him admiration among the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra’s musicians and their music director Paavo Jarvi, immediately launching his conducting career.

Music Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra since 2016, Gomez has consistently crafted compelling programs, many of which are juxtaposed with lesser-known composers from South America whom he champions, expanding and enriching the orchestra’s repertoire. He’s worked diligently to provide innovative and engaging outreach activities and education projects, as well as new commissions.

Recent and upcoming highlights include appearances with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), conducting a new piece by Paquito D’Rivera performed by Yo-Yo Ma, which resulted in an immediate re-invitation, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Houston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Omaha Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Symphony San Jose, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Puerto Rico Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Perú. Among past and future engagements in Europe are the RTVE National Symphony Orchestra, in Madrid, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra (HR), Weimar Staatskapelle, Royal Scottish National, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, George Enescu Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, Estonian National Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y Leon, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Región de Murcia, Orchestra Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Sinfonia Varsovia, SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart, orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife.

Equally at home in operatic repertoire, Gómez has led performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni and Puccini’s La bohème at the Frankfurt Opera, Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Stuttgart Opera, Verdi’s La Forza del Destino in Tokyo at the New National Theatre, Don Carlo and Norma at The State Opera in Tbilisi, Georgia, La Traviata in concert with Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cavalleria Rusticana with the Teatro Sociale di Como and a special Zarzuela Gala at Opera de Tenerife, where he returns for Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet in 2025/26. In 2023/24 he conducted La bohème at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Teatro di Coccia in Novara, where he will return for La Traviata this summer. This summer he also returns to the Wolf Trap for a production of Bizet’s Carmen .

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart's Symphony No.38 (Prague)

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:21:07 GMT

On April 11, conductor Ken-David Masur and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ALL MOZART with pianist Robert Levin.

Title: Symphony No.38 in D major, K.504 (Prague)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 15, 2003 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Looking to distance himself from the snobbishness and political intrigues of Vienna in 1786, Mozart decided to hit the road and take The Marriage of Figaro to Prague. The opera caught on like wildfire, and the people of this intensely musical city never looked back. Even today, nearly a quarter of the concerts that take place daily in the Czech capital include something written by Mozart. It’s almost a law.

Even before he and his wife first entered the city gates, Mozart’s reputation preceded him. The customs officer on duty, after looking at the composer’s passport, asked if he was the genius behind Figaro .

The opera was such a success that the opera manager, Pasquale Bondini, commissioned a new opera from him, which was to become Don Giovanni . He returned to Prague less than a year later, with not one but two new scores under his arm: the nearly completed new opera, and a fully completed new symphony, nicknamed the “Prague.” He took up lodgings in a residence where today a plaque proclaiming “V tomto domě bydlel Mozart v roce 1787” (“In this house lived Mozart in the year 1787”) proudly hangs. He also spent fruitful time finishing up Don Giovanni as a guest in a charming villa known as Bertramka, where he would, in fact, spend many happy days in the coming years. Betramka is now a cherished museum dedicated to the composer’s memory. Don Giovanni premiered to wild acclaim in October of that year, and went on to be such a success that he lived on income from its performances for the rest of his days (though it never quite solved all of his considerable financial woes).

Like the piano concerto, the “Prague” symphony is in three movements (rather than four, which had become the vogue for symphonies in that day). During his time there, Mozart had discovered that the people of Prague preferred them that way, and so he took pains to give the good people what they wanted. This symphony is also one of the few that feature a slow introduction to the first movement, a common practice for Haydn but rare for Mozart. From a stately and dignified Adagio that gives due deference to the city’s leaders, Mozart moves to an Allegro that sparkles with all the fun that Czech audiences had come to expect from their idol.

In the Andante second movement, listen again for the masterful treatment Mozart gives the woodwinds. In his hands (and ears) the winds no longer simply provide color to the orchestra, but are now a crucial part of its beating heart. Slipping deftly between moments of sweetness and melancholy, repose and urgency, Mozart achieves an almost incomprehensible balance between delicacy and depth.

Then, in a nod to the Bohemian craze for all things Figaro , Mozart opens the Finale of the symphony with a clever echo from one of its popular arias, and uses it as a springboard from which to launch the entire movement. Mozart keeps things delightfully off kilter with insistent syncopations and a relentless invention that foreshadows Beethoven. In the words of one contemporary concertgoer, “ the very soul is carried to sublime heights. ”

Recommended Recordings:

Some very fine recordings offer different approaches: Karl Böhm with the Berlin Philharmonic (full-bodied on Deutsche Grammophon), Sir Colin Davis (polished elegance on Phillips), Pablo Casals (highly individualistic on Sony), Josef Krips and the Concertgebouw (a complete survey of the Symphonies on Phillips with exquisite transparency) and Bruno Walter (beautifully phrased on Sony.) Most of these include Mozart's five other final symphonies. Having a full set of them is certain to delight.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mvt. I of M. Haydn's Symphony No.25

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:45:21 GMT

On April 11, conductor Ken-David Masur and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ALL MOZART with pianist Robert Levin.

Title : Symphony No.25 in G major, K. 183 (with an introduction by Mozart) - I. Adagio maestoso - Allegro con spirito

Composer : Michael Haydn (1737-1806)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two horns and strings.

The Story: While Johann Michael Haydn was cutting his teeth as a composer, the symphony, as a form, was developing from mere instrumental interludes for opera and theater to the grand form we know and love today. Five years younger than his brother Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann Michael was not only an eyewitness to this bit of genre bending, he contributed to it. A gifted young musician, he started contributing to the family coffers at the age of 12 as a substitute organist at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where occasional performances of his original preludes and fantasies became the talk of the town. At the age of 23 he was named music director of the Großwardein Orchestra, and proceeded to compose prolifically - both sacred and secular music – producing a body of work that was largely regarded as every bit as good as that of his more famous brother. After a notable performance of his music at Mirabell Castle in Salzburg, he was quickly engaged as the music director at the Salzburg court, a position he occupied until his death. It was there that he met, and impressed, Mozart.

Of Michael Haydn’s almost 150 instrumental works (not to mention hundreds of other choral and liturgical works), 41 of them were symphonies. Haydn’s 25 ^th symphony was, for a time, mistakenly attributed to Mozart because the latter had (in a nod of respect) added an introduction to the symphony and included it in a concert of his own music in Linz in 1783. It was not until 1907 that the mistake was discovered, and the work was reattributed to its rightful composer. But Mozart’s introduction - an Adagio maestoso in triple time that ends on a lingering, unresolved chord - added such a compelling touch of grace and pathos to the work that it is rarely performed without it today.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:11:58 GMT

On April 11, conductor Ken-David Masur and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ALL MOZART with pianist Robert Levin.

Title : Piano Concerto No.23 in A major, K.488

Composer : Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed February 26, 2005 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Alon Goldstein. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings.

The Story: Mozart’s frivolous spending habits consistently placed him in financial difficulties, and he often found himself in desperate need of opportunities to concertize for wealthy patrons. Fortunately, he possessed a genius and a talent that allowed him to do so and, in the process, pen some of the most significant piano concertos in history.

All 27 of Mozart’s piano concerti are justifiably deemed masterpieces, but Nos. 23 and 24 (which Mozart most likely imagined that no one but himself would ever perform) are considered by many to be his best. It is our good luck that publishers recognized their worth after his untimely death and had the good sense to publish them for future generations to enjoy.

Mozart took full advantage of the relatively recent advent of the piano to catapult the form of the solo concerto to new heights of expressive possibilities. The sonority and tonal weight of the piano make for an equal partner to the orchestra, thus allowing Mozart (and others) to fully develop a sense of dramatic interplay between soloist and orchestra.

Dramatic interplay was, by now, second nature to Mozart. He had written quite a number of operas, the most recent of which – The Marriage of Figaro – enjoyed riotous success. Mozart’s innovative decision to omit trumpets and timpani, and to replace oboes with clarinets, adds to this concerto’s unique sense of drama. Despite the bright key choice of A major, the overall mood is both dark and intimate. But the key of A major has some singular acoustic properties as well, which Mozart well understood and exploited. After hearing the graceful lyricism of the concerto’s opening themes played by the orchestra, listen for the subtle sympathetic vibrations drawn from the open strings as the soloist restates them.

The second movement, Adagio , is the only music Mozart ever wrote in the key of F#-minor, and it is some of the most poignant and pensive music Mozart would ever compose. Listen for the deeply expressive wind writing, pregnant pauses, an arching second theme that evokes a prolonged sigh, and a delicate interplay between the soloist and orchestra.

In the final movement Mozart decides that we’ve looked inward long enough, and it’s time to enjoy a good romp. Here, all the musicians on stage engage in a game of harmonic “tag,” taking the listener through unexpected key changes as themes race from one section to the other. Finally, an exciting bass drone fuels our anticipation for a satisfying ending, while the piano soars and plummets in exuberant cries of joy.

Recommended Recordings:

Listeners have many choices for the Mozart Piano Concerto No.23. Stephen Bishop Kovacevich (also with Colin Davis on Phillips), Alfred Brendel (Phillips), Robert Casadesus (Sony), Richard Goode (with the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on Nonesuch), Vladimir Horowitz (his only Mozart concerto recording on Deutsche Grammophon), Murray Perahia (Sony), Arthur Rubinstein (RCA), Rudolf Serkin (Deutsche Grammophon), Mitsuko Uchida (Decca), the list goes on. Several of the above are available in collections with other Mozart Piano Concertos.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart's Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro"

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:55:06 GMT

On April 11, conductor Ken-David Masur and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ALL MOZART with pianist Robert Levin.

Title : The Marriage of Figaro : Overture

Composer : Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed March 11, 1995 with Zuohuang Chen conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: When Mozart conspired with his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte to make an opera out of Beaumarchais’ racy and irreverent play The Marriage of Figaro , the two had to work furiously over a six-week period to have it ready for opening night on May 1, 1786. The overture, in fact, was completed only two days prior.

That same sense of urgency is reflected in the overture’s opening notes. Frenetic (and famously difficult) melodic figures seem to scurry this way and that in the strings and bassoons until, somehow, they come together to create a playful and boisterous theme which romps happily throughout the overture. The original title to Beaumarchais’ play, “La Folle Journée” (“the crazy day”), is a perfect description of the music here. Moods shift like quicksilver, a comedic helter-skelter atmosphere prevails, and there is no rest. At one point, Mozart had considered adding a contrasting slow tune for oboe but deleted the idea, preferring instead a seemingly unstructured outpouring of nervous energy. Listen for the prominence and independence of the winds, a particularly unusual compositional choice for the late 18 ^th century, as the overture races to a rollicking finish.

Recommended Recordings:

There is a joyous collection of Mozart Overtures conducted by Sir Colin Davis with the great Dresden Staatskapelle (RCA).

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Robert Levin

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:55:36 GMT

Pianist Robert Levin performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23

April 11 at 7:30PM

Background: Robert Levin has performed throughout the world, appearing with the orchestras of Atlanta, the BBC, Berlin, Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, La Scala, Los Angeles, Montreal, Philadelphia, Toronto and Vienna on the Steinway, and with the Academy of Ancient Music, La Chambre Philharmonique, the English Baroque Soloists, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique on early keyboards. Renowned for his improvised cadenzas in Classical period repertoire, Robert Levin has made recordings of a wide range of repertoire for AAM, Archiv, Bridge, CRI, Decca/Oiseau-Lyre, Deutsche Grammophon, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, ECM, Hänssler Classic, Hyperion, Klavierfestival Ruhr, New York Philomusica, Philips and SONY Classical, including Bach’s complete harpsichord concertos with Helmuth Rilling, the six English Suites and both books of the Well-Tempered Clavier (Hänssler Edition Bachakademie ); a Mozart concerto cycle with Christopher Hogwood, Richard Egarr, Bojan Čičić, Laurence Cummings, and the Academy of Ancient Music (Decca/Oiseau Lyre and AAM); the Beethoven concertos with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (Archiv); the complete piano music of Dutilleux (ECM; Bernard Rands’ Preludes and Impromptu (Bridge); and the complete Beethoven sonatas and variations for fortepiano and ’cello with Steven Isserlis (Hyperion). Recent releases include the six Bach Partitas ( Grand Prix International du Disque )(Le Palais des Dégustateurs), the complete Schubert piano trios with Noah Bendix-Balgley and Peter Wiley (Le Palais des Dégustateurs), and the complete Mozart sonatas on Mozart’s Walter piano (ECM) ( Diapason d’Or de l’Année ).

A passionate advocate of new music, Robert Levin has commissioned and premiered numerous works, among them Denissov’s Paysage au clair de lune , Joshua Feinberg’s Veils (2001), the Second Piano Sonata of John Harbison (2003), the Piano Concerto Chiavi in mano of Yehudi Wyner (2005, Pulitzer-Prize 2006), the Préludes of Bernard Rands (2007), the Piano Concerto by Thomas Oboe Lee (2007) and Träume by Hans Peter Türk (2014).

He has a long partnership with violist Kim Kashkashian and appears frequently with his wife, pianist Ya-Fei Chuang, in duo recitals and with orchestra, and with cellist Steven Isserlis. A noted Mozart scholar, Mr. Levin’s completions of Mozart’s Requiem, C-minor Mass, and other unfinished works have been recorded and performed throughout the world. From 2002 to 2024 he was President of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany). He was awarded the Bach Medal of the City of Leipzig in 2018 and the Golden Mozart Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum in Salzburg in 2024. From 1993 to 2013 he was Dwight P. Robinson, Jr. Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University and is presently Visiting Professor at The Juilliard School and the Sibelius Academy, and International Chair at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. From 2007 to 2016 he was Artistic Director of the Sarasota Music Festival. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Ken-David Masur

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:38:22 GMT

Ken-David Masur conducts ALL MOZART
April 11 at 7:30PM

Background: Hailed as “fearless, bold, and a life-force” ( San Diego Union-Tribune ) and “a brilliant and commanding conductor with unmistakable charisma” ( Leipzig Volkszeitung ), Ken-David Masur is celebrating his seventh season as Music Director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Chicago Symphony’s Civic Orchestra, and newly announced Artistic Partner of the Oregon Bach Festival.

Masur’s tenure in Milwaukee has been notable for innovative thematic programming and bridge-building, including a festival celebrating the music of the 1930s, when the Bradley Symphony Center was built; the Water Festival, which highlighted local community partners whose work centers on water conservation and education; a new annual city-wide Bach Festival, celebrating the abiding appeal of J.S. Bach’s music in an ever-changing world. He has also instituted a multi-season artist-in-residence program, and has led highly-acclaimed performances of major choral works, including a semi-staged production of Peer Gynt .

In 2025-2026, Masur will lead celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, featuring performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Missa Solemnis , as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as part of the third annual Bach Festival. Ken-David Masur and the MSO will reunite with longtime collaborators such as Augustin Hadalich, Orion Weiss, Stewart Goodyear, Nancy Zhou as well as a special project with Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a program interweaving the music of Aaron Copland with the words of Mark Twain. In Chicago, Masur leads the Civic Orchestra, the premiere training ensemble of the Chicago Symphony, in a wide range of programs, including its annual Bach Marathon.

Masur has conducted distinguished orchestras around the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Baltimore, Detroit, and San Francisco Symphonies, l’Orchestre National de France, Minnesota Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Norway’s Kristiansand Symphony and Tokyo’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony. He has also made regular appearances at Ravinia, Tanglewood, the Hollywood Bowl, Grant Park, and international festivals including Verbier. Recent highlights include subscription debuts with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the National Symphony as well as a triumphant return to the Oregon Bach Festival featuring a staged Carmina Burana.

Masur is passionate about contemporary music and has conducted and commissioned numerous new works over the years. Some notable pieces include Wynton Marsalis’ Herald, Holler and Hallelujah , Augusta Read Thomas’ Bebop Kaleidoscope — Homage to Duke Ellington with the New York Philharmonic, Mannequin by Unsuk Chin with the Boston Symphony, Rounds by Jessie Montgomery, and Alan Fletcher’s Piano Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Additional U.S. premieres under his baton include works by James B. Wilson, Dobrinka Tabakova, Christopher Cerrone, Edmund Finnis, Eric Nathan, and Jacob Beranek among others.

Masur has made recordings with the English Chamber Orchestra and violinist Fanny Clamagirand, and with the Stavanger Symphony, the latter of which was named by WQXR, New York’s classical music radio station, as a “Best New Classical Release.” Masur also received a Grammy nomination from the Latin Recording Academy for Best Classical Album of the Year for his work as a producer of the album Salon Buenos Aires .

Masur and his wife, pianist Melinda Lee Masur are founders and Artistic Directors of the Chelsea Music Festival, an annual summer festival in New York City, with programs ranging from baroque and classical to contemporary and jazz, with a special emphasis of intersecting with the culinary and visual arts. The Festival celebrated its 16th Anniversary in 2025, has been praised by The New York Times as a “gem of a series” and by TimeOutNY as an “impressive addition to New York’s cultural ecosystem.” With Chelsea Music Festival Records Masur recorded “Dancing with J.S. Bach,” and “200° Due Clara”, and Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben with Naxos Records.

Born and raised in Leipzig, Germany, Masur was trained at the Mendelssohn Academy in Leipzig, the Gewandhaus Children‘s Choir, the Detmold Academy and the „Hanns Eisler“ Conservatory in Berlin. While an undergraduate at Columbia University in New York, Masur became the first music director of the Bach Society Orchestra & Chorus with which he toured to Germany and recorded the music of J.S.Bach and his sons.

Music education and working with the next generation of young artists are of major importance to Masur. In addition to his work with Civic Orchestra of Chicago, he has conducted orchestras and led masterclasses at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Boston University, Boston Conservatory, Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan Chamber Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and The Juilliard School.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.4

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:10:32 GMT

On March 13 and 14, conductor Marcelo Lehninger and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title : Symphony No.4 in F minor, op.36

Composer : Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed January 19, 2018 with Ken-David Masur conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: “I adore terribly this child of mine; it is one of only a few works with which I have not experienced disappointment…this is my best symphonic work.”

-Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Between 1877–1878, while writing his Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky wrote in his diary: “There is no doubt that for some months I was insane, and only now, when I am completely recovered, have I learned to relate objectively to everything which I did during my brief insanity. That man, who in May took it into his head to marry Antonina Ivanovna, who during June wrote a whole opera as though nothing had happened, who in July married, who in September fled from his wife, who in November railed at Rome and so on [including an attempted suicide] —that man wasn’t I, but another Pyotr Ilyich.”

But it was the mysterious figure of Nadezda von Meck, widow of a railway magnate, that helped pull the composer out of his darkest hours and start writing again. Providing both much-needed financial and emotional support, with the understanding that the two would never meet in person, von Meck was the one bright spot in the terrible year of 1877. He acknowledged her support by dedicating the Fourth Symphony to her, calling her only “my best friend” to ensure her privacy, and noted, “I thought of you in every bar.”

Of the first movement, Tchaikovsky wrote “The introduction… is the kernel, the quintessence, the chief thought of the whole symphony. This is Fate, the fatal power that hinders one in the pursuit of happiness from gaining the goal, which jealously provides that peace and comfort do not prevail, that the sky is not free from clouds—a might that swings, like the sword of Damocles, constantly over the head that poisons the soul. There is nothing to do but to submit and vainly to complain.” Heady words, but easy to hear as horn and bassoon fanfares herald a recurring motif that circles ominously throughout the movement. Listen for unabashed reliance on the brass for a sense of rampant anxiety, a trippy waltz for solo clarinet, and some particularly deft timpani writing.

By the second movement, in Tchaikovsky’s words, “life has you tired out. Many things flit through the memory…there were happy moments when young blood pulsed warm and life was gratifying. There were also moments of grief and of irreparable loss. It is all-remote in the past. It is both sad and somehow sweet to lose oneself in the past. And yet, we are weary of existence.” Oboe takes the lead here, with the support of pizzicato strings, in painting a picture of such melancholy that it seems to hang like a cloud in the air.

The third movement is full of music one might hear “after one has begun to drink a little wine, and is beginning to experience the first phase of intoxication” (a condition Tchaikovsky himself knew well). Listen for a lively Russian dance and quixotic oboe duet, as the gaiety rolls on, almost incoherently. To hear Tchaikovsky tell it, “The imagination is completely free and for some reason has begun to paint curious pictures…disconcerted images pass through our heads as we begin to fall asleep.”

In the finale, we are exhorted to “Go among the people. See how they understand how to be happy…If you cannot discover the reasons for happiness in yourself, look at others. Upbraid yourself and do not say that the entire world is sad…Take happiness from the joys of others. Life is bearable after all.” In this virtuosic showcase for the orchestra, listen for a musical quote from the charming Russian folksong “In the Fields There Stands a Birch Tree”, an exuberant and majestic march, a persistent return of the Fate motif (lest we forget it is always there), and a frenetic race to a crashing – and cathartic - conclusion.

Recommended Recordings:

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony has many recommendable versions. Both Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic left multiple recordings of the Fourth on multiple labels. The playing is sumptuous and passionate. Worth seeking out is a 1929 recording with Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, very different in style and gives a sense of how this music was performed at the turn of the last century.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:31:51 GMT

On March 13 and 14, conductor Marcelo Lehninger and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title : Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.15

Composer : Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1824)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed May 10, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Alon Goldstein. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Beethoven Piano Concerto in C major was the first of his piano concertos to be published, but the third to be written. He had written two others while he was in his teens. But it is here, at the mature age of 25, that Beethoven begins to display his trademark original touches of color, drama, rhythmic intrigue, and unusual shifts of key.

Compared to other concerti of the time, this is a long work (precisely how long depends on the cadenza), but it boasts such a rich mix of poise and humor that one barely notices the time passing. Mozart had long been Beethoven’s idol, the young musician having heard and performed many of Mozart’s works while still living in his native city of Bonn and playing viola in the Court Orchestra of neighboring Cologne. And there are unmistakable signs of Mozart’s influence here. But Beethoven was spreading his wings, and strove for something bolder and more expansive than his model. Offbeat accents were one way of distinguishing himself from his idol, but even stronger evidence of this boldness lies in his penchant for slyly shifting to remote keys, and the way in which he revels in exploring the darker subtext of even the most cheerful of melodies.

All of this is in evidence during the lengthy orchestral opening of the concerto, with its contrast of marches and lyrical melodies. When the soloist finally enters, Beethoven soon draws us into a dramatic and mysterious development section that sets the stage for a breathless cadenza (which Beethoven himself most likely improvised at its premiere performance).

The second movement, Largo , is set in the unexpected and remote key of A-flat major, and begins with a lovely eight-measure song played by the soloist with only the gentlest of accompaniment from the strings. The winds then take over, creating a restrained backdrop that allows the principal clarinet ample opportunity to shine. While the overall structure of the movement is a simple ABA, one gets the sense, not that beautiful melodies are simply repeating, but that a story is unfolding.

The finale, a seven-section Rondo , is a high-spirited affair. Each time we hear it, the rondo theme is delivered at high voltage by the piano, then repeated, forte, by the whole orchestra. Listen for woodwind fanfares, delightful harmonic shifts and changes in orchestration, and thoughtful uses of the minor mode until the soloist launches into a tantalizingly brief cadenza. At the last appearance of the rondo theme, the piano gradually becomes quieter and slower, departing almost unnoticed, spinning new improvisations on the theme as it goes. The oboes then say a sad farewell before the whole orchestra closes the movement with a sudden, short blaze of color.

Recommended Recordings:

There are many fine recordings of the Beethoven Piano Concertos. Alfred Brendel (Philips/Decca), Rudolf Serkin (Sony), Claudio Arrau (Philips/Decca), Glenn Gould (Sony), Maurizio Pollini (Deutsche Gramophone) are all quite fine. The set of the five with Leon Fleisher, George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra (Sony), after more than 60 years, still stands as one of the great statements of the cycle. Though she never recorded all the concertos, Martha Argerich's recording of the First Concerto (Deutsche Gramophone) exhibits the poetry and fire of her playing.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Missy Mazzoli's "These Worlds In Us"

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:23:48 GMT

On March 13 and 14, conductor Marcelo Lehninger and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title : These Worlds In Us

Composer : Missy Mazzoli (1980- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Missy Mazzoli, a composer with bona fide New England roots, has been called “a post-millennial Mozart.” Among the most innovative and successful composers of her generation, she began her music studies with Charles Fussell and John Harbison at Boston University, and then went on to Yale, where she further developed her craft with Aaron Jay Kernis and David Lang. Her works, often integrating acoustic and electronic instruments to create startling soundscapes, have been performed by major artists and ensembles around the globe.

Her first large-scale orchestral piece, These Worlds In Us , was written for the Yale Philharmonia, and won her the ASCAP Young Composers Award. She takes the title from the poem The Lost Pilot by James Tate, a first-person reflection on the death of the poet’s father in World War II. Mazzoli’s own father, to whom the piece is dedicated, was a soldier in the Vietnam War, and it was through conversations with him that she began to reflect on the worlds of intense memory we accumulate within us as we grow older, and how grief is often not far from joy.

Continuing in the composer’s own words:

"I like the idea that music can reflect painful and blissful sentiments in a single note or gesture, and I sought to create a sound palette that I hope is at once completely new and strangely familiar to the listener.

The theme of this work, a mournful line first played by the violins, collapses into glissandos almost immediately after it appears, giving the impression that the piece has been submerged under water or played on a turntable that is grinding to a halt. The melodicas (mouth organs) played by the percussionists in the opening and final gestures mimic the wheeze of a broken accordion, lending a particular vulnerability to the bookends of the work. The rhythmic structures and cyclical nature of the piece are inspired by the unique tension and logic of Balinese music, and the march-like figures in the percussion bring to mind the militaristic inspiration for the work as well as the relentless energy of electronica drumbeats."

Recommended Recordings:

Missy Mazzoli's These Worlds In Us was released on the Bis label in 2023 with Tim Weiss conducting the Arctic Philharmonic, part of an album devoted to her works.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Sara Davis Buechner

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:13:23 GMT

Pianist Sara Davis Buechner performs Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1

March 13 at 6:30PM & March 14 at 7:30PM

Background: Pianist Sara Davis Buechner is a musician of “intelligence, integrity and all- encompassing technical prowess” ( The New York Times ), a performer of “fascinating and astounding virtuosity” ( Philippine Star ), renowned for her “thoughtful artistry in the full service of music” ( Washington Post ). Her performances around the globe are “never less than 100% committed and breathtaking” ( Pianoforte Magazine, London ).

Japan’s InTune magazine puts it simply. “When it comes to clarity, flawless tempo selection, phrasing and precise control of timbre, Buechner has no superior.”

In her twenties, Ms. Buechner was the winner of a bouquet of prizes at the world’s première piano competitions — Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Leeds, Salzburg, Sydney and Vienna. She won the Gold Medal at the 1984 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and was a Bronze Medalist of the 1986 Tschaikowsky International Piano Competition in Moscow.

Her breathtaking range of repertoire includes 125 piano concertos ranging from A (Albeníz) to Z (Zimbalist), which she has performed internationally with the world’s great orchestras. Her numerous recordings have received prominent critical appraisal.

The New York Times anointed her CD of piano music by Rudolf Friml a “revelation,” and devoted its Sunday Arts & Leisure section to her world première recording of Busoni’s version of Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations. Her traversals of American music by George Gershwin, Dana Suesse, Joseph Lamb, Florence Price and Hollywood film composers have all won recording prizes, and she is one of the only prominent concert pianists to perform and record original scores for silent motion pictures.

The broad sweep of Ms. Buechner’s artistry is presented in her autobiographical stage show “Of Pigs and Pianos,” which she wrote, produced and starred in to acclaim from The New York Times and other media in 2022. She continues to appear in the show yearly, with its première at the International Gilmore Festival in 2026.

Ms. Buechner is Piano Chair of the Greenwich House Music School in New York City, Professor of Piano at Temple University in Philadelphia, and an Adjunct Professor at New York University. She has presented lectures and masterclasses worldwide, edited numerous books and scores during her tenure as principal music editor for Dover Publications International, and has made numerous internet pedagogy videos for the ToneBase platform. As the most prominent transgender musician of our time, Sara Davis Buechner appears often as a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community. Her love of both baseball and Japanese culture is well known, and in addition to appearances at the New York Mets Pride Night festivities, she is an honorary team member of the Hanshin Tigers of Osaka, Japan. In 2022 she was the first non-Japanese ever invited as guest entertainer at the New York Japan Society Annual Dinner, and returned to emcee that event in 2025. She has been a dedicated Yamaha Artist for nearly 40 years.

A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Ms. Buechner makes her home in beautiful Newark, New Jersey.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Marcelo Lehninger

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:04:13 GMT

Marcelo Lehninger conducts TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH
March 13 at 6:30PM & March 14 at 7:30PM

Background: Brazilian-born Marcelo Lehninger has been Music Director of the Grand Rapids Symphony since 2016 and was recently appointed Artistic Director of the Bellingham Festival of Music in Washington. Previously, he served as Music Director of the New West Symphony in Los Angeles, for which the League of American Orchestras awarded him the Helen H. Thompson Award for Emerging Music Directors. For five years, Lehninger was Assistant and then Associate Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a tenure that included many concerts in Boston, Tanglewood and a highly praised debut at Carnegie Hall in 2011.

Lehninger brought the Grand Rapids Symphony to Carnegie Hall in 2018 for its first performance at the famed venue in thirteen years and released the album “Strauss & Villa-Lobos," which has been internationally acclaimed. Following his commitment to education, he continues his annual Conducting Institute, which offers a one-month residency to promising young conductors as part of the Bellingham Festival of Music.

During the 2025-2026 season, Lehninger returns to the Rochester Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, and makes his debut with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. In addition, he maintains his close association with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, leading multiple engagements in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, he visited South Africa for the first time, conducting concerts with the Johannesburg and KwaZulu Natal Philharmonics.

Lehninger has led some of the world’s top orchestras, including the Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, National, Houston, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Colorado, New Jersey and Portland Symphonies, among many others. In Canada, he has appeared with the Toronto, Winnipeg, and Kitchener- Waterloo Symphonies, the Calgary and Hamilton Philharmonics, and Symphony Nova Scotia.

European highlights include engagements with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Lucerne Symphony, Prague Philharmonia, Budapest’s MAV Symphony, regular visits to the Slovenian Philharmonic, including on tour to Vienna’s Konzerthaus, and a tour with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra assisting Mariss Jansons.

He made his Australian debut with the Sydney and Melbourne Symphonies with his friend and mentor Nelson Freire as soloist. In Japan, he conducted the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo and the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra in Fukuoka.

Lehninger was Music Advisor of The Orchestra of the Americas for the 2007-2008 season. In summer of 2008, he toured with the orchestra in South America, conducting concerts in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. He has led all of the top orchestras in Brazil, and served as Associate Conductor of the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra, where he returns frequently as guest conductor. He also appears regularly at the Campos do Jordão Winter Festival in Brazil.

Chosen by Kurt Masur in 2008, Lehninger was awarded the First Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship sponsored by the American Friends of the Mendelssohn Foundation. He was Maestro Masur’s assistant with the Orchestre National de France (during their residency at the Musikverein in Vienna), Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, and the New York Philharmonic.

Before dedicating his career to conducting, Lehninger studied violin and piano. He holds a master's degree from the Conductors Institute at Bard College. A dual citizen of Brazil and Germany, Marcelo Lehninger is the son of Brazilian pianist Sônia Goulart and German violinist Erich Lehninger.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra Appoints Six New Musicians

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:06:30 GMT

Following auditions held this month, the RI Philharmonic Orchestra has awarded five violin positions and one trumpet position.

Francesca Anderegg, Chiung-Han Tsai and Sabine Gross.

Theo Ramsey, Sophia Anna Szokolay, Andrew Harms.

Francesca Anderegg is a violinist who has earned renown for her elegant and passionate performances, noted for her “astonishing assurance” ( Chicago Sun-Times ) and "virtuosic panache" ( The New York Times ). Her four albums have been featured on radio programs throughout the country and praised for their “stunning virtuosity” ( Fanfare Magazine ), “lustrous tone” ( The Strad Magazine ), and “riveting listening experience” ( Second Inversion ). Ms. Anderegg recently moved to the Boston area after serving as Associate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. While in Minnesota, she worked with many of the state’s top arts organizations: she frequently performed and toured with the Minnesota Orchestra, and won a one-year position after a successful audition. She also was a guest musician with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and received a fellowship from the McKnight Foundation. Since relocating to Boston, Ms. Anderegg has been in demand as an orchestral musician, regularly performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops. Last season, she was invited to appear as guest concertmaster by both the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Louisiana Philharmonic. Anderegg holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and master's and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, where her dissertation focused on cultural diplomacy during the Cold War. Her major teachers include Robert Mann, Ronald Copes, and Naoko Tanaka. An enthusiastic educator and mentor of young musicians, Anderegg has taught in the summers at Interlochen, Brevard, and the Sarasota Music Festival.

Chiung-Han Tsai received his bachelors degree from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Paul Biss. Mr. Tsai's musical journey began in Taipei under Hsiang-Yu Liu, followed by studies with Tuan-Cheng Chang at Guting Elementary School and later with Professors Yao-Tsu Lu and Chin-Hung Chen at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University. Mr. Tsai is currently working towards his masters degree at New England Conservatory under Ayano Ninomiya and Paul Biss. Mr. Tsai has garnered international recognition, receiving First Prize and the Artistic Director's Special Award at Italy's 30th "Città di Barletta" International Young Musicians Competition. His competitive achievements include Honorable Mention at the Summit Music Festival's Mary Smart Concerto Competition, First Prize in the 2020 Liszt Piano & Strings International Competition (Taiwan preliminary), and First Prize at the 2018 Hong Kong International Youth Performance Arts Festival. Mr. Tsai has appeared as a soloist in multiple recitals and prizewinner concerts throughout Taiwan. His artistic development has been enriched through participation in prestigious music festivals, including Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Summer School, Summit Festival, and Heifetz Festival, where he performed alongside distinguished artists such as Melissa Reardon of the Borromeo String Quartet. Mr. Tsai has benefited from masterclasses with renowned violinists, including Alexander Kirov, Yossif Ivanov, Dmitri Berlinsky, Reto Kuppel, Isaac Malkin, Oleh Krysa, Christina Khimm Rosand, Nai-Yuan Hu, Ilya Kaler, Nicholas Kitchen, Shumel Ashkenasi, Yoo Jin Jang, and Hagai Shaham, consistently receiving accolades for his performances. His chamber music prowess earned him First Prize in the National Student Music Competition's High School Quintet Division. His international appearances include performances at the Beverly Hills International Music Festival, Staunton Augusta Art Center in Virginia, and numerous prestigious venues across Taiwan and Boston.

Sabine Gross is a Boston-based freelance violinist and educator. She is excited to be joining the Rhode Island Philharmonic! A passionate orchestral violinist, Sabine frequently plays with orchestras such as the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and she also performs regularly at weddings and other events all across New England. Additionally, she has performed as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin in Symphony Hall for the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and has served in numerous other principal roles for the Boston University Symphony Orchestra, Boston University Chamber Orchestra, and Oberlin Orchestra. Sabine is also a dedicated teacher and enjoys working with students of all ages. She teaches violin at Kingsley Montessori in Back Bay, coaches chamber music for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, and teaches violin and music theory to a private studio of about 30 students. Previously, she was an Aural Skills instructor for undergraduate students at Boston University. Sabine is a graduate of Boston University's School of Music, where she earned a Performance Diploma and a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance. She also attended Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies. Sabine's principal violin teachers include Bayla Keyes, David Bowlin, Dennis O’Boyle, and Pablo Ardiles. She is also extremely grateful for the guidance of Lucia Lin and Isabel Trautwein. Sabine is from Pittsburgh, PA. In her spare time, she enjoys playing board games and hanging out with her cat, Tobi.

Theo Ramsey enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, orchestral violinist, and teacher. Their favorite musical activities include playing in a chamber orchestra and listening to very quiet sounds. Much of Theo’s career centers around premiering and recording new and experimental chamber music. Since 2018, they have played violin and viola with the Chicago-based new music ensemble Dal Niente. They have performed as principal second violin on the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW series and as a guest musician with International Contemporary Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, and other new music ensembles around the US. In 2025, they joined the Grossman Ensemble, in residence at the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition (University of Chicago). A dedicated orchestral player, Theo was co-concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and a frequent concertmaster during their fellowship with the New World Symphony. They are a first violinist with the New Bedford Symphony and also perform with the Knights, the Boston Lyric Opera, and other orchestras throughout the Northeast. Album releases during the 2025-26 season include a collaboration between the Knights and Jeffrey Kahane and an album of new works by Augusta Read Thomas with the Grossman Ensemble.

Canadian violinist Dr. Sophia Szokolay is celebrated for her “stirring and singing tone” ( Martha’s Vineyard Gazette ), captivating audiences across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Based in Boston, she combines a vibrant performance schedule with a deep commitment to pedagogy and musical scholarship, teaching violin and chamber music at Brandeis University. Sophia appears regularly with ensembles such as the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, Delirium Musicum, Palaver Strings, and A Far Cry. She is a passionate advocate for new music, having premiered works by György Kurtág, James Lee III, Shulamit Ran, and JörgWidmann. This season, Sophia will give the North American premiere of her grandfather Sándor Szokolay’s Violin Concerto with the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, and the debut of Collective Voices, a set of new commissions for violin and piano exploring cultural identity and migration, at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. Sophia earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The New England Conservatory where she served as Donald Weilerstein's teaching assistant and taught an undergraduate course on Bartók’s string quartets. She previously studied at The Juilliard School with Catherine Cho and with Miriam Fried. Beyond music, she enjoys distance running and cycling, and is training for the 2026 Boston Marathon.

Andrew Harms holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with a concentration in German Studies, as well as degrees from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and Missouri State University. Andy is an active performer, teacher, and researcher. Andy currently plays with the Vermont and the Bangor Symphony Orchestras. From Fall 2026, he will serve as Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Maine-Orono, and has been Artist Faculty of Trumpet at Colby College since 2022. Andy also enjoys writing and researching. He currently writes program notes for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, has published several pedagogical articles as well as articles on music in propaganda and musical life in West Germany for the ITG Journal.

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:26:37 GMT

On February 13 and 14, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC RACHMANINOFF with pianist Alessio Bax.

Title : Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18

Composer : Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed February 17, 2018 with Michael Christie conducting and soloist William Wolfram. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: One of the few serious composers of the early twentieth century that eschewed contemporary trends was the Russian great Sergei Rachmaninoff. Anachronistically, he retains a place in music history as one of the most romantic of all composers.

Spurred on by his hypnotherapist with mantras such as “You will begin to write your concerto,” “You will work with great facility,” and “Your concerto will be of excellent quality,” Rachmaninoff managed to pull himself out of the creative slump he’d experienced during the last three years of the 19 ^th century, and created a sumptuous, sonic wash of emotion that he, fittingly, dedicated to the encouraging doctor.

A performer of some acclaim already, Rachmaninoff premiered the new concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic in 1901. It quickly became a breakthrough showcase for the composer, catapulting him into the international spotlight, and providing memorable melodies for countless film scores and popular songs.

On the one hand, it’s a virtuoso showpiece. On the other hand, it is remarkably subtle and transparent, almost chamber-like in fact. At several points, the piano even melts into the orchestra, becoming just another textural ingredient in the main course.

The compact three movements demand from the soloist speed, dexterity, and endurance, as well as sensitivity to subtle dynamic and rhythmic shadings. The opening Moderato starts with the pianist chiming chords as if he were ringing a bell, calling the orchestra to join in the music making. Once all the forces are gathered, the piano leads everyone in a Russian folk–flavored motive until a solo horn ventures into unexpected harmonic terrain. But the errant horn is quickly reigned in as pianist and orchestra gallop together to a resounding finish.

The Adagio sostenuto, one of many passages to find themselves enshrined in pop culture, opens with a series of slow chords in the strings which modulate from the C minor of the previous movement to the E major of this movement. Bach-like arpeggios in the piano invite the flute and clarinet to introduce the main theme, who then respectfully pass it off to the piano and strings until the soloist uses it as fodder for a fearsome cadenza. Eventually, things calm back down, and the pianist begins to channel the spirit of Bach once more while the rest of the instruments, one by one, stop to listen. The Allegro scherzando opens with a short orchestral introduction that modulates from E major back to C minor, before a series of elaborate flourishes in the piano lead us to an agitated first theme. The oboe and violas then introduce the unforgettable melody that would eventually become known as “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” recorded by Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and many others. The melody continues to bloom and blossom with suspense and anticipation until the first theme returns as the basis for a stormy, almost improvisatory development. The movement closes with a kaleidoscopic play of light and dark that exposes as yet unexplored elements of all we’ve heard before with such grace that contemporary piano great Steven Hough once mused “It sounds as if it wrote itself, so naturally does the music flow".

Recommended Recordings:

Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto has been recor ded over 100 times, beginning with Rachmaninoff himself. His 1929 RCA account with Stokowski and The Philadelphia Orchestra holds up after almost a century; one hears the work in the composer's own voice. The American pianist William Kapell made a powerful recording in 1950 (RCA.) There are many fine stereo versions, and recommended are Vladimir Ashkenazy with Bernard Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra (Decca), Earl Wild with Jascha Horenstein and the Royal Philharmonic (Chandos), Sviatoslav Richter with the Warsaw National Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammophon), and most recently, Stephen Hough's dynamic account of all the concertos on Hyperion.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" - Prelude and Liebestod

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:13:57 GMT

On February 13 and 14, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC RACHMANINOFF with pianist Alessio Bax.

Title : Tristan and Isolde - Prelude and Liebestod

Composer : Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed February 15, 2020 with Alexander Mickelthwate conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet in A, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story: Standing at the beginning and end of Wagner’s sensual masterpiece Tristan und Isolde , the Prelude and Liebestod have enjoyed lives as independent concert pieces since even before the opera’s premiere in 1865. Taken together as one, their fusion remains today one of Wagner’s most beautiful and acclaimed works.

From the very outset of the Prelude, as celli and winds dovetail upon each other to build a series of shape-shifting chords, one can sense that Wagner is casting a new spell. In these first few measures, Wagner has been credited with nothing less than “reinventing the art of music.” Apparent dissonances do not “behave” as they should. Indeed, the entire concept of dissonance seems to be irrelevant as chords move with their own internal sense of gravity, each one leading inexorably to the next in a manner that sets the stage for an entire century of new ideas in music.

Traditional harmony is all about expectations. Certain progressions set up expectations for a particular conclusion, and it is the composer’s decision to fulfill that expectation or not. But the story of Tristan und Isolde is all about (in Wagner’s own words) “hopes and fears, laments and desires, bliss and torment.” These are not emotions that are easily resolved, so Wagner makes the deliberate choice to confound expectations in a way that is equal parts tantalizing and revolutionary. No longer does a chord have to move in a limited number of ways. It can simply exist as coloration or, in this case, the stress of insatiable longing. The effect of this new view of harmony was so shocking to its first audiences that people were said to have fainted on the spot. This is music of instability and danger – exactly what Wagner was hoping to achieve. Only music this extreme could adequately represent the angst and torture of unfilled love experienced by the opera’s title characters.

The orchestral Liebestod (“love-death”), begins with soft, tentative echoes of the Prelude. A bass clarinet moves in slow-moving waves with the horns, as trembling strings enhance a palpable sense of yearning, and beautifully written harp arpeggios herald a thickening of the orchestral texture. In time, the opening material is transformed into a passionate rhapsody, ultimately accelerating to a massive climax. At this point in the opera Tristan has died, and Isolde falls over his body. Bliss, for them, is only attainable through death. The Liebestod concludes with a musical acceptance of this reality, gradually fading into one final, glimmering chord.

Recommended Recordings:

In the orchestral version performed in these concerts, Wagner's Prelude and L iebestod from Tristan and Isolde can be heard from nearly all the great conductors: Furtwängler (EMI), Toscanini (RCA), George Szell (Sony), Bernard Haitink (Philips), Pierre Boulez (Sony) - the list goes on. Herbert von Karajan made a sumptuous recording with the Vienna Philharmonic and Jessye Norman singing the Liebestod (Deutsche Grammophon.) For those who would like to explore the complete opera, recommended recordings are by Wilhelm Furtwängler with Kirsten Flagstad from 1952 (Warner) and Karl Böhm with Birgit Nilsson and Wolfgang Windgassen at the 1966 Bayreuth Festival (Deutsche Grammophon.)

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Suk's "A Fairy Tale"

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:45:13 GMT

On February 13 and 14, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC RACHMANINOFF with pianist Alessio Bax.

Title : A Fairy Tale , op.16

Composer : Josef Suk (1874-1935)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Suk’s musical fairy tale is divided into 4 parts. Their titles are self-explanatory:

I. About the Constant Love of Raduz and Mahulena and Their Trials

II. Playing at Swans and Peacocks

III. Funeral Music

IV. Runa's Curse and How It was Broken by True Love

At its essence, one might say the work begins with love, moves to play, then to death, and finally back to the healing power of love. Its original source material is incidental music Suk had composed for a play that weaves classic fairy-tale motifs with mythology in a distinctly Bohemian way. He was so taken with what he wrote for the play that he immediately set out to distill the best of what he had written into an orchestral suite. For better or for worse the original play never gained more than local fame, but the suite continues to capture the hearts of audiences throughout the world. It is that suite that we hear tonight.

Much like the music of his mentor and father-in-law, Antonín Dvořák, Suk’s music tends to revel in the infinite color possibilities of the orchestra. Like other tone poets of his generation, Suk uses these colors to conjure the most vivid of images. And with a yarn about royal lovers from rival kingdoms, and their disastrous run-ins with an evil sorceress, there are plenty of rich images to go around. In the hands of a finely honed orchestra, such as the RI Philharmonic, this fantastical story not only comes to life, but fairly jumps off the stage.

Recommended Recordings:

Libor Pešek had deep affinity for Josef Suk's music, and his recording of A Fairy Tale (Warner) may be called definitive.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Alessio Bax

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:52:39 GMT

Pianist Alessio Bax performs Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2

February 13 at 6:30PM & February 14 at 7:30PM

Background: Combining exceptional lyricism and insight with consummate technique, Alessio Bax is without a doubt “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public” ( Gramophone ). He catapulted to prominence with First Prize wins at both the 2000 Leeds International Piano Competition and the 1997 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and is now a familiar face on five continents as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist. He has appeared with nearly 200 orchestras, including the New York, London, Royal, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestras, the Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, Cincinnati, Seattle, Sydney, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, and the Tokyo and NHK Symphony in Japan, collaborating with such eminent conductors as Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Hannu Lintu, Fabio Luisi, Sir Simon Rattle, Ruth Reinhardt, Yuri Temirkanov, and Jaap van Zweden.

As a renowned chamber musician, Bax has collaborated with Lisa Batiashvili, Joshua Bell, Ian Bostridge, Lucille Chung, James Ehnes, Vilde Frang, Steven Isserlis, Daishin Kashimoto, François Leleux, Sergei Nakariakov, Emmanuel Pahud, Lawrence Power, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Paul Watkins, and Tabea Zimmermann, among many others.

In March 2026, Bax will be named founding Artistic Director of the London Chamber Music Festival at Sinfonia Smith Square. Since 2017, he has been the Artistic Director of the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival, a Summer Music Festival in the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany. Bax appears regularly in festivals such as Seattle, Bravo Vail, Salon-de-Provence, Le Pont in Japan, Great Lakes, Verbier, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Aspen and Tanglewood.

Bax’s most recent album releases are Forgotten Dances and Debussy & Ravel for Two with Lucille Chung. His celebrated Signum Classics discography also includes Italian Inspirations , Beethoven’s Hammerklavier and Moonlight Sonatas (a Gramophone Editor’s Choice), Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Bax & Chung , a duo disc with Lucille Chung, Alessio Bax plays Mozart , recorded with London’s Southbank Sinfonia, Alessio Bax: Scriabin & Mussorgsky (named “Recording of the Month ... and quite possibly ... of the year” by MusicWeb International ), Alessio Bax plays Brahms (a Gramophone Critics’ Choice), Bach Transcribed , and Rachmaninov: Preludes & Melodies (an American Record Guide Critics’ Choice).

At the age of 14, Bax graduated with top honors from the conservatory of Bari, his hometown in Italy, and after further studies in Europe, he moved to the United States in 1994. He has been on the piano faculty of Boston’s New England Conservatory since the fall of 2019 and serves as co-artistic director of the Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation for emerging pianists.

Bax lives in New York City with pianist Lucille Chung and their daughter, Mila.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Prokofiev's Symphony No.5

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:32:09 GMT

On January 24, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE BLUE DANUBE with violinist Charles Dimmick.

Title : Symphony No.5 in B-flat major, op.100

Composer : Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed September 20, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: From the time Sergei Prokofiev left Russia after the 1917 revolution to well into the 1930s, the highly prolific composer had created dozens of popular works for stage and for chamber and orchestral ensembles. His music had found acceptance far beyond Russia’s borders, and he was in great demand as a performer and conductor throughout Europe and the United States. Hoping to bolster its cultural standing in the world, the newly formed USSR encouraged Prokofiev to return to his homeland, promising greater opportunities for him and his fellow musicians. Cautiously optimistic, Prokofiev agreed, and while initially things seemed promising, the rise of Stalin meant that artists of all sorts were soon subjected to extreme oversight, sent away to work camps, executed, or simply disappeared. Prokofiev himself was never again allowed to leave Russia, and he tread with great care when considering what to compose and how to present it.

In a rare act of generosity, Stalin invited Prokofiev and his colleagues Glière, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Kabalevsky to spend the summer of 1944 at a retreat in Ivanovo, about 150 miles outside of Moscow, so they could compose in an environment free of city bombings and wartime shortages. It was there that Prokofiev penned the first draft of his fifth symphony. In language that sounds like an attempt to appease the censors, Prokofiev described it as “glorifying the human spirit. I wanted to sing of a mankind free and happy - his strength, his generosity, and the purity of his soul. I cannot say that I chose this theme. It was innate in me and had to be expressed.” His PR strategy worked, and even enjoyed a serendipitous boost when, while conducting the work’s 1945 premiere in Moscow Conservatory’s Great Hall, the composer had to pause before his first downbeat, as he was interrupted by celebratory gunfire signaling the victorious advance of the Red Army across the Vistula River into German territory.

Rather than opening in a customarily fast tempo, Prokofiev’s fifth symphony begins with a noble Andante . This allows Prokofiev to infuse the music with some of his most colorful writing, especially for the wind and brass sections. Listen for the elegant lyricism shared by flute and bassoon in the relatively calm first theme, and for tremolo strings that propel an elaborate development towards an electrifying coda. We also hear plenty of his trademark harmonic “side-slips” that frequently take the music – seemingly inevitably - into wildly unexpected places.

The second movement is a scherzo (the musical term for “joke”) in all but name. Adding to his already rich orchestral color palette, Prokofiev calls upon percussion and trumpet to lead us on an exhilarating ride, while clarinets dazzle us with virtuosity. Folksy tunes with ever-shifting rhythm patterns, played mostly by oboe and clarinet, provide an exotic respite in the middle section, followed by a breathless accelerando that leads us back to the movement’s opening material.

The dreamy Adagio movement forms the center of gravity for the entire symphony. A haunting ambiguity pervades this movement, wafting somewhere in between major and minor modalities. Above this uncertainty, one of Prokofiev’s most beautiful melodies soars in the violins. Also of note is a refrain of special poignancy, always played by the oboe and bassoon, that eventually builds to a tortured climax before receding to a quiet end.

The finale begins in almost whimsical fashion, with a cello choir playing a slow introduction that recalls the first theme of the first movement. The violas then usher in a new mood, inviting the high-spirited clarinet to give us another dazzling display of virtuosity. Then, just as the movement is striving to end on a victorious note, the music degenerates into a frenzy, which is stripped down to a string quartet playing staccato "wrong notes" with rude interjections from low trumpets. Color and irony dance in unbridled splendor here, making for a wild and brilliant conclusion to what is arguably the greatest symphonic masterpiece of the mid-20 ^th century.

Recommended Recordings:

Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra cultivated their own sonic patina. That special luster, when applied to Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony (1957 on Sony), delivered one of the work's finest recordings. Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic (1968 on Deutsche Grammophon), with their astonishing virtuosic polish, also deliver a thrilling account.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: J. Strauss' "The Beautiful Blue Danube"

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:46:00 GMT

On January 24, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE BLUE DANUBE with violinist Charles Dimmick.

Title : The Beautiful Blue Danube , op.314

Composer : Johann Strauss (1825-1899)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed January 26, 2019 with Tania Miller conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: While Johann Strauss, the elder, may have played an instrumental role in building - and capitalizing upon – the insatiable appetite for waltzes in 19 ^th century Austria, it was his son, Johann Strauss II, who provided us with most of the waltzes we still know and love today. With an unparalleled gift for melodic invention, harmonic grace, and rhythmic verve, Strauss II garnered the sincere praise of no less a figure than Brahms, who once wrote of The Beautiful Blue Danube that it was “unfortunately, not by Brahms.”

This unmistakable symbol of joy and celebration begins with shimmering strings and a foreshadowing horn call, followed by a pensive response in the winds, all invoking a sense of “sunrise on the river,” before the first melody emerges in its entirety. There are, in fact, a total of five separate melodies that make up The Beautiful Blue Danube . Some more romantic, some more joyous; some major, some minor; some featuring the harp, some featuring crashing cymbals. But as they gracefully move from one to the next, they unified by such a subtle and logical connection of stylistic elements that each change of tune goes by almost imperceptibly.

One of the most tantalizing features of any waltz performance is the einschliefen , or a slowing down of the tempo that makes the music appear to hover in space for a moment before continuing on. One might think that this effect could work only when an orchestra performs without dancers, but it was actually a natural and highly anticipated part of any Viennese ball, as if the revelers took this moment to catch their collective breaths.

Recommended Recordings:

The Blue Danube has been recorded by many, and there are two supple recordings by the great but elusive maestro Carlos Kleiber, recorded live by Sony at Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day concerts in 1989 and 1992.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Chausson's "Poème"

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:59:01 GMT

On January 24, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE BLUE DANUBE with violinist Charles Dimmick.

Title : Poème

Composer : Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed December 8, 1953 with Francis Madeira conducting and soloist Julian Olevsky. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, harp and strings.

The Story: When Ernest Chausson died at the young age of 44, from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident, so ended the promise of the most distinctive voice in French music of his generation. His music forms a bridge between Cesar Franck's lush, Wagnerian Romanticism and the sensuous Impressionism of Claude Debussy. In fact, it was a performance of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde that inspired Chausson to leave a comfortable life as a lawyer and study composition at the Paris Conservatory. Despite his gentle, unassuming character, Chausson’s creative and generous spirit was infectious, and his salon soon became a hub for the Parisian musical community.

Among his friends was the renowned violinist, Eugène Ysaÿe, who asked him to write a new concerto. Chausson was daunted, calling concerto writing “the devil's own task,” but he did agree to write a free-form shorter work that would allow his friend to provide audiences with an unforgettable, indeed immersive, musical experience.

The result, simply titled Poème , is a work of seamless form and supple structure, with a deeply emotional core. It so impressed the composer Isaac Albéniz (another friend), that the latter paid for it to be published out of his own pocket. The music is inspired by the steamy tale of a love triangle with mystical overtones found in Ivan Turgenev’s short story “Le Chant de l'amour triomphant." Specifically, Poème evokes a scene in which one of the suitors begins to play a violin (with a diamond-tipped bow) that he had procured from far India: “when Muzio began the final song, the very sound suddenly grew stronger and quivered resonantly and powerfully; a passionate melody poured out from beneath the broad sweeps of the bow, poured out in beautiful sinuous coils like that very snake whose skin covered the top of the violin; and the melody burned with such fire, was radiant with such triumphant joy, that both Fabio and Valeria were pierced to their very hearts and tears came into their eyes. Muzio, with his head bent forward, pressed over the violin, his cheeks grown pale and his brows drawn together in one straight line, seemed even more concentrated and solemn—and the diamond on the end of the violin bow shed sparkling rays as it moved, as if it had also been ignited by the fire of the wondrous song...”

It's unsurprising, then, that tone and expression are probably the holy grail for violinists who approach this piece. Technical challenges, such as an onslaught of double-stops, perfecting the intonation in the instrument’s highest register, and mastering quick shifts in vibrato speed, certainly abound. But they are just the beginning, a foundation from which to build the actual music. From its dark and intimate first notes to the freewheeling pyrotechnics of the last, Poème , at its best, is a sensually gripping experience, for player and listener alike.

Recommended Recordings:

Chausson's Poème has been recorded by every major violinist, and all of them will please. The 1946 recording on Warner with the young Ginette Neveu stands out for her simultaneous lyricism and fire. These were defining characteristics of her artistry that ended tragically in 1949, age 30.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Dvořák's "Three Slavonic Dances"

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:59:48 GMT

On January 24, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE BLUE DANUBE with violinist Charles Dimmick.

Title : Three Slavonic Dances

Composer : Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Dances Number 1 and 2 are RI Philharmonic Orchestra premieres. Dance Number 8 was last performed November 11, 1972 with Francis Madeira conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: Channeling the infectious energy and enthusiasm of a deeply musical culture in communal celebration, Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances provide an ideal vehicle for bringing experienced and aspiring musicians together for a side-by-side performance. These sparkling gems fairly overflow with rhythmic drive, pulsating percussion, and vibrant brass and woodwind melodies. They are also the catalyst that propelled a young and struggling Bohemian musician into the international spotlight.

Throughout his 20s and early 30s, Dvořák had submitted piece after piece to the Austrian State Prize for composition, hoping to gain some success and recognition. His persistence finally paid off when panelist Johannes Brahms gave him the nod, and convinced his own publisher, Fritz Simrock, to take a chance on the young unknown from Prague.

Taking a page from the Brahms playbook, Dvořák leveraged the wild success of his mentor’s Hungarian Dances and penned his own set of Slavonic Dances , opus 46, for two pianos. This turned out to be a brilliant move, as they flew off the retailers’ shelves, and Simrock soon requested that the composer write arrangements of the dances for orchestra as well. Happy to oblige, Dvořák had these ready in short order, and they quickly became beloved and enduring hallmarks of the romantic repertoire.

Unlike Brahms’ Hungarian ones, the Slavonic Dances do not incorporate actual folk melodies—all the tunes are of the composer’s own invention, but the character is authentic enough to give the impression of good times on the village green. Dvořák emulates several different dance types from across the Slavic world. From the bold and brash furiant (opus 46, no.1), to the more melancholy and reflective Ukrainian dumka (opus 72, no. 2) and back, Dvořák moves seamlessly between major and minor modes, with invigorating rhythms and catchy melodic figures. These pieces are lyrical and danceable all at once.

Recommended Recordings:

Dvořák's Slavonic Dances were owned by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. They recorded them multiple times, but the stereo version on Sony is the one to hear.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Charles Dimmick

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:15:14 GMT

Violinist Charles Dimmick performs Chausson's Poème

January 24 at 7:30PM

Background: Grammy- Award winning violinist Charles Dimmick enjoys a varied and distinguished career as concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician. Praised by the Boston Globe for his “cool clarity of expression,” Charles is one of New England’s most sought-after orchestral musicians. He is co-concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade, and concertmaster of both the Portland Symphony and the Rhode Island Philharmonic. In the summers, Charles can be found serving as the concertmaster of the New Hampshire Music Festival. Charles has appeared as guest concertmaster for the Arizona Music Fest and the Winston-Salem Symphony. A frequent soloist, Charles has garnered praise, packed houses, and received standing ovations for what the Portland Press Herald has called his “luxurious and stellar performances” and his “technical and artistic virtuosity.” Recent concerto engagements have included performances with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Portland Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Arizona Musicfest, Chamber Orchestra of Boston, and the Boston Civic Symphony. As a chamber musician, Charles can be heard collaborating with the Sebago Long Lake Chamber Festival, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble, Radius Ensemble, and Monadnock Music. He is featured as concertmaster on many recordings with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Odyssey Opera, including the Grammy-Award winning opera The Fantastic Mr. Fox , by Tobias Picker. His debut recording as concerto soloist in Elliot Schwartz’s Chamber Concerto and his debut solo violin recording of Lisa Bielawa’s Synopsis #7 can be found at bmop.org.

Charles is a dedicated and experienced teacher and he maintains a private violin studio in the Boston area. In the summers Charles can be found coaching and teaching ambitious violinists at the Greenwood Music Camp (junior division). Charles is the former interim Lecturer in Violin at the University of Southern Maine, Gorham campus.

Charles lives with his wife, the flutist Rachel Braude, and their young daughter, Chloe, an aspiring violinist. He performs on a 1784 Joseph Gagliano violin.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Weston Hurt

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:00:47 GMT

Baritone Weston Hurt performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: Having appeared at many of North America’s most significant houses, baritone Weston Hurt made his critically-acclaimed UK debut last season as the titular Rigoletto with English National Opera. In the 2025-2026 season, Mr. Hurt returns to two favorite roles: he brings his interpretation of Germont in La traviata to Utah Opera and Opera Colorado, and sings Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Fort Worth Opera. On the concert stage he makes debuts with the Reno Philharmonic for Orff’s Carmina Burana , and both the North Carolina Symphony and Rhode Island Philharmonic for Handel’s Messiah .

In addition to Rigoletto at ENO, the 2024-25 season brought the baritone’s house and role debut as Tonio in Pagliacci with Pensacola Opera as well as performances of Germont in La traviata with the Berkshire Opera Festival. Mr. Hurt joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera in the 2023-2024 season, covering Alvaro in Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas . Additionally, he returned to Houston Grand Opera as Sharpless in their Miller Outdoor Theatre performances of Madama Butterfly , and bowed with Madison Opera for their annual Opera in the Park concert.

During the 2022-23 season, Mr. Hurt made several returns to signature roles, including Germont with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in La traviata , Scarpia with Arizona Opera in Tosca , and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera. On the concert stage, he joined Opera Roanoke for Britten’s War Requiem and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra for Verdi’s Requiem .

He has sung Schaunard in La bohème at the Dallas Opera, Peter in Hansel and Gretel at the Portland Opera; Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor at Portland Opera, the Arizona Opera and Austin Lyric Opera; the Count in Le nozze di Figaro at Michigan Opera Theater, Frank in Die tote Stadt at the Dallas Opera and the New York City Opera, and a performance of Der ferne Klang with the American Symphony Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall.

A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, Mr. Hurt has received many notable vocal awards, including 1st place and the People’s Choice Award from the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, the Vienna Prize from the George London Foundation, and 1st Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition, as well as various awards A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, Mr. Hurt has received many notable vocal awards, including 1st place and the People’s Choice Award from the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, the Vienna Prize from the George London Foundation, and 1st Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition, as well as various awards from the Liederkranz Foundation, Metropolitan Opera National Council, and Palm Beach Opera Competition, and two career grants from The Santa Fe Opera.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's "Messiah"

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:18:46 GMT

On December 14, conductor Christine Noel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present HANDEL'S MESSIAH with Providence Singers, soprano Teresa Wakim, mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle, tenor Lawrence Jones and bass David Soar.

Title: Messiah , HWV 56

Composer: George Frideric Handel ( 1685-1759 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 15, 2024 with Christine Noel conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Eleonore Cockerham, Tamara Mumford, Thomas Cooley and Douglas Williams. In addition to a chorus and solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, continuo and strings.

The Story: When Handel made a visit from his native Germany to England in 1710, he had no intention of settling there. But he did have reason to believe that the visit would be profitable. Recent attempts by local composers to establish an appetite for Italian Opera in London seemed to be bearing fruit. But no one on the planet could hold a candle to Handel when it came to writing Italian-style opera in the early 1700s. Within four months of setting foot on British soil, he successfully mounted a production of his new work Rinaldo , which proved to be such a success that Queen Anne herself let him know that, were he to return on a more permanent basis, he would enjoy guaranteed patronage from both the crown and the aristocracy.

Handel gladly accepted the offer and, for many years, rode wave after wave of success in his newly adopted country. But public taste is a fickle thing, and society was changing. Patronage of the arts was gradually shifting from the aristocracy to the middle classes. And the middle classes, accustomed to the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, clamored for on-stage action and English language texts that they could understand. Opera at the time, where most of the real action happened off stage and soloists merely sang about it (in Italian, no less), was a hard sell to the 18th century ticket buying public. The playwright Samuel Johnson succinctly summed up the general British opinion of opera as an “exotic and irrational entertainment.”

So, reading the writing on the wall, Handel took it upon himself to invent an entirely new form – the English oratorio – a completely different animal from the Italian oratorios he had written earlier in his career. Where the choruses in his early work were subordinate and simple, this new invention took advantage of a burgeoning tradition of choral music in England and featured the grandest of choruses that would not only command center stage but ring through the ages as well.

His first foray into this new form was called Esther , a dramatic spin on an Old Testament story about a Persian Queen who devises a clever plan to save all the Jews in her country from imminent slaughter. Despite its lack of sets and acting, the music was so new and compelling that audiences clamored for more. Esther enjoyed many successful revisions in subsequent London seasons, and its memorable grand chorus at the end foretold even greater things on the horizon.

In August of 1741, Handel received an invitation to present a concert for the benefit of Dublin’s charities. In a head-spinningly short period of 24 days (although one might make the argument that this piece had been percolating within him for a decade or so), Handel produced what we now know as Messiah . Powerful puritanical elements in England, who couldn’t abide the thought of something called “Messiah” being defiled by a presentation in such a sinful venue as a theater, forced its first appearances to be billed as simply “a new sacred oratorio,” But its timeless and universal message of redemption, faith, and hope, brimming with majestic choral passages and poignant arias, soon began resonating with audiences not just as a religious text but also as a celebration of the human condition.

Throughout, Handel blends dramatic choral movements with delicate solo arias, creating an emotional journey for the listener, and his expert use of the orchestra creates a vibrant sound that evokes the joy and reverence of the text. But pay attention, if you will, to the way in which he achieves crystal clarity in even the most complex of musical moments. This bit of sublime magic on the part of the composer means that there is always something for everyone, from the most ardent music enthusiast to the casual listener. And even in the grandest moment, there is always something ineffable that strikes us on a deeply personal level.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: David Soar

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:41:55 GMT

Bass David Soar performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: Bass David Soar was born in Nottinghamshire, England, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio.

During the 2025-2026 season, the bass makes exciting returns to houses in the US. First, he joins the San Francisco Opera as Titurel in Wagner’s Parsifal and then travels to Utah Opera to sing the role of Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio . On the concert stage he appears as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.

The 2024-2025 season began with a house debut with Utah Opera, reprising the role of Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd . He debuted with San Francisco Opera (Zuniga in a performance of Bizet's Carmen ), and Lyric Opera of Kansas City (Timur in Turandot ). He performed two productions of Wagner’s Das Rheingold , appearing as Fasolt with Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and Fafner with Pacific Symphony. On the concert stage, he joined the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Saint Thomas Church in New York for Handel’s Messiah .

Highlights in his 2023-24 season included Fasolt in Das Rheingold and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd for Opernhaus Zürich, Hobson in Peter Grimes for the English National Opera, and Osmin in Die entführung aus dem Serail with Festival Napa Valley. Mr. Soar also made his San Francisco Symphony debut under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen as the bass soloist in Stravinksy’s Les Noces , with additional season performances at the Philharmonie de Paris.

David Soar’s recent and career highlights on the opera stage have included Capulet in a new production of Roméo et Juliette for Opernhaus Zürich; Colline in La bohème and Lodovico in Otello for the Royal Opera House; Masetto in Don Giovanni and Colline for The Metropolitan Opera; Mr. Flint in Billy Budd for the Royal Opera House, the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Madrid’s Teatro Real; Sir Walter Raleigh in Gloriana for Teatro Real and English National Opera; Animal Trainer/Athlete in Lulu for the English National Opera; Escamillo in Carmen for the Glyndebourne Festival and the Welsh National Opera; Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro , Leporello in Don Giovanni , Sparafucile in Rigoletto , and the Doctor in Wozzeck for the Welsh National Opera; and Somnus in Handel’s Semele with Garsington Opera.

Equally in demand on the concert platform, David’s recent engagements have included Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge with both the London Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra led by Sir Simon Rattle; Harapha in Handel’s Samson at the Edinburgh Festival; Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España; Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium with Royal Northern Sinfonia; Méphistophélès in Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust with the Orchestra of Opera North; Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins with Hallé Orchestra; Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; and Bauer in Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder with The Philharmonia.

Recordings for the bass include Havergal Brian’s Faust (Orchestra of English National Opera/Martyn Brabbins); The Dream of Gerontius and Roméo et Juliette for Chandos (BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Andrew Davis); Stanford’s Stabat Mater for Naxos (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Hill); Stravinsky’s Threni (Royal Flemish Philharmonic/Phillippe Herreweghe) and Adriana Lecouvreur on DVD for Opus Arte with Angela Gheorghiu and Jonas Kaufmann (Royal Opera House Orchestra/Sir Mark Elder).

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Lawrence Jones

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:42:01 GMT

Tenor Lawrence Jones performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: Tenor Lawrence Jones has established an active presence on the concert and operatic stages. He has received praise for his portrayals of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake's Progress at the Princeton and Aldeburgh Festivals. The New York Times wrote, “Tenor Lawrence Jones brought a light, sweet voice and lyricism to Tom.” Opera News praised him for his “clean, ringing tenor,” and The Guardian described him as “a smooth-voiced Tom….his first-act aria, lamenting the loss of love, is especially affecting”.

Mr. Jones has performed roles with companies such as New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, Amarillo Opera. On the concert stage, he has sung as a soloist with Musica Sacra, Boston Baroque, Boston Pops, Albany Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Utah Symphony, with whom he made his company debut in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella .

Most recently, Lawrence sang as a soloist in performances of Messiah at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York, and at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue with the Saint Thomas Choir, for which the New York Times called him “an impressive tenor”. In 2016, Lawrence sang the role of Consigliere in Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista with Haymarket Opera of Chicago, and this past season he reprised his role in performances at the Valletta International Baroque Festival in Malta. His concert engagements last season include the role of the Evangelist in C.P.E. Bach’s St. John Passion with the Saint Thomas Choir and New York Baroque Incorporated, and a program of Bach Cantatas with American Classical Orchestra. He made his debut at Alice Tully Hall in Schubert’s Mass in E-Flat with the Riverside Choral Society. This season he sings in Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Christus with the Back Bay Chorale and Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with Voices of Ascension.

Active in the performance of contemporary works, he made his company debut in Oliver Knussen’s Where the Wild Things Are at New York City Opera, and sang in the American Stage Premiere of Elliott Carter’s opera What Next? at Tanglewood. Concert engagements have included the American Premiere of Nico Muhly’s My Days viol consort Fretwork , Arvo Pärt’s Passio with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and a tribute concert for Elliott Carter at Juilliard, in Mad Regales .

As a frequent performer of the works of Bach, Lawrence’s credits include the Evangelist in the Christmas Oratorio with the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, and tenor soloist in the St. John Passion with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, Bach Society of St. Louis, and the New Mexico Philharmonic. In New York he sang as tenor soloist in the St. Matthew Passion with the Saint Thomas Choir and as the Evangelist in the St. John Passion with the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra of St. John the Divine.

Lawrence has sung as a member of many professional chamber and vocal ensembles, including the Clarion Music Society, Ensemble Origo, TENET, and the renaissance vocal ensemble, Cut Circle. With the latter, he has toured across Europe, including performances in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. With the Clarion Choir, he participated in the Grammy nominated recording of Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week , as well as in the accompanying tour which premiered the work in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and London.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Meg Bragle

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:29:36 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: Praised for her musical intelligence and “expressive virtuosity” ( San Francisco Chronicle ), Meg Bragle is an internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano known for the beauty of her voice and the depth of connection she brings to every performance. Her work—whether on stage, in the studio, or on air—is rooted in the belief that music is a living dialogue that bridges time, geography, and experience.

A sought-after interpreter of Baroque and Classical repertoire, Meg has appeared with leading ensembles across North America and Europe, including the English Baroque Soloists, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Netherlands Bach Society, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik, Les Violons du Roy, Apollo’s Fire, and the St. Paul and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. She has also performed with major symphony orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, and those of Seattle, Toronto, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, and Cincinnati.

Celebrated for her clarity, emotional insight, and communicative power, Meg brings a rare immediacy to her performances, whether in centuries-old works or contemporary premieres. Her discography includes more than twenty recordings spanning nearly a millennium of repertoire. Highlights include four acclaimed albums with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists, multiple projects with Apollo’s Fire, and interpretations of works by Copland, Handel, Pergolesi, Monteverdi, and Cozzolani. Her recent ventures into contemporary music include The Art of Song by Daron Hagen (2023), with a new recording of Copland’s In the Beginning forthcoming.

In addition to her performing career, Meg is deeply committed to education and advocacy. She is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park National Oratorio Competition, a platform dedicated to fostering excellence and opportunity for emerging artists interested in oratorio repertoire. As Artist in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania, she directs the Collegium Musicum and Opera & Musical Theater Workshop, while mentoring student ensembles with a focus on both artistic excellence and collaborative growth. In demand as a masterclass clinician, she regularly offers workshops across the United States and internationally. Her teaching reflects the same values as her artistry: thoughtful engagement, interpretive depth, and meaningful connection.

Meg also brings her deep musical knowledge to the airwaves as afternoon host on WRTI 90.1 FM (Philadelphia), where she curates and contextualizes classical music with warmth and insight—making the repertoire fresh, relevant, and welcoming to a wide audience.

With a career defined by artistic versatility and a deep sense of purpose, Meg Bragle is a vital and inspiring presence in today’s classical music landscape.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Teresa Wakim

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:30:54 GMT

Soprano Teresa Wakim performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: With a voice of “extraordinary suppleness and beauty” ( The New York Times ), GRAMMY-nominated soprano Teresa Wakim is “a marvel of perfect intonation and pure tone” ( New York Arts ), and perhaps known best for her “perfect early music voice” ( Cleveland Classical ). First Place Winner of the International Competition for Early Music in Brunnenthal, Austria, she was also honored as a Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow at Emmanuel Music Boston. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, she maintains a busy career as a concert soloist spanning the medieval to new music, and on the baroque opera stage.

She played the role of La Musique in Charpentier’s Les Plaisirs de Versailles with the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) nominated for a GRAMMY in the 2020 awards. Also with BEMF she sang the role of Flore in their 2015 GRAMMY-Award Winning album of Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphee aux Enfers album. Other solo recordings include BEMF’s Acis & Galatea in a title role, Handel’s Almira , Charpentier’s Acteon , Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and Coronation Mass with the Handel and Haydn Society, and the GRAMMY-Nominated recording of Brahms’ German Requiem with Miami’s premiere choral ensemble Seraphic Fire. Acclaimed concert performances include Bach’s wedding cantata Weichet nur and Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer with the Cleveland Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Houston, San Antonio, Charlotte, Alabama, and Tucson Symphonies, Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Brahms’ German Requiem with the Omaha Symphony, and Orff’s Carmina Burana with Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

Passionate about period performance and scholarship, she has performed concerts and toured with many of the world’s best period instrument ensembles, including the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, BEMF, Wiener Akademie, Apollo’s Fire: The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Mercury Baroque, Dallas Bach Society, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Pacific MusicWorks, Tragicomedia, The Dryden Ensemble, Bourbon Baroque, Three Notch’d Road, the Musicians of the Old Post Road, Les Bostonades, New York Baroque Inc, and Blue Heron.

When not performing, Tess can be found caring for her young daughter, and discussing all things blue whales, gene therapy, and space exploration with her scientist husband in Boston, MA.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Christine Noel

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:02:36 GMT

Christine Noel conducts HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 14 at 3PM

Background: Christine Noel, Artistic Director of the Providence Singers, has conducted several annual performances of Messiah at The VETS. For 20 years, she has treasured a rich partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and, especially, collaborations with the late conductors Bramwell Tovey and Larry Rachleff. As Artistic Director of the Providence Singers, she has led the chorus through world premieres, commissions, and the organization’s fourth commercial recording – Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living . Praised for her “thoughtful leadership,” “elegant conducting,” and “attention to musical detail,” Dr. Noel’s work has impacted and influenced emerging musicians, many of whom have pursued advanced careers in music.

In demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and master teacher, Dr. Noel has conducted choral/orchestral works in the United States and abroad. She holds a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Howard Jones and David Hoose. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education from Rhode Island College, where she was the recipient of a Ridgway Shinn Fellowship for a year of study at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. Passionate about language study, she resided in Florence, Italy for two years, where she completed the superior level of Italian studies at the University of Florence and served as Assistant Conductor for two Italian choral ensembles .

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Sibelius' Symphony No.2

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:00:13 GMT

On November 22, conductor Earl Lee and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Elena Urioste.

Title : Symphony No.2 in D major, op.43

Composer : Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed September 16, 2017 with James Sommerville conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story: At the beginning of 1901, a few months after the first European concert tour of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Sibelius, who had just lost his youngest daughter, brought his remaining family to Italy for some time to reflect and relax. Sitting in the study of a mountain villa near Venice, a literary reference suddenly came to mind, and he wrote on a sheet of paper the following vision: “Don Juan. Sitting in the twilight in my castle, a guest enters. I ask many times who he is.—No answer. I make an effort to entertain him. He remains mute. Eventually he starts singing. At this time, Don Juan notices who he is—Death.” On the reverse side of the sheet, Sibelius sketched the melody that would become the D-minor bassoon theme of the second movement of his magnificent Second Symphony. Two months later, after coming face to face with some of Christianity’s most iconic images in Florence, he drafted another theme above which he wrote the word “Christus.” This theme also made its way into the same movement of the same piece. While we’ll never know if it was his intention, these contrasting musical symbols of death and resurrection form the pillars of this beloved work. Immediately after its premiere on March 8, 1902, the symphony was appropriated as an emblem of national liberation in Finland during a particularly dark period of Russian oppression. Robert Kajanus, founder and conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, put it this way: “The Andante strikes one as the most broken-hearted protest against all the injustice that threatens at the present time to deprive the sun of its light and our flowers of their scent.… The scherzo gives a picture of frenetic preparation. Everyone piles his straw on the haystack, all fibers are strained and every second seems to last an hour. One senses in the contrasting trio section with its oboe motive in G-flat major what is at stake. The finale develops towards a triumphant conclusion intended to rouse in the listener a picture of lighter and confident prospects for the future.”

Sibelius himself, however, was not prone to such programmatic interpretations of his music. He was a firm believer in the power of pure, absolute music, and insisted that his music be appreciated on those terms. But he was also a Romanticist whose aesthetic favored the sense-impressions of Symbolism and the integration of thematic material. An avid nature lover, he regularly drew inspiration from the world around him. Fjords and icy lakes seem to flow, and cold winds seem to blow, throughout his second symphony. While this may seem contradictory at first, both truths rest easily in the music of Sibelius. Though timeless, it is endowed with a mystical and organic character that sings of the Finnish landscape and its epic folklore.

The first of four movements to this symphony opens with a repeated ascending figure in the strings, based upon a three-pitch motif that will form the nucleus for several themes throughout the Symphony. It is fascinating to hear how those three simple pitches blossom into one melody after the other – each distinct yet rooted together.

The second movement ( Tempo, Andante, ma rubato ), which incorporates the music Sibelius sketched while in Italy, begins in a more somber manner than the first. The mood’s intensity increases as strings and horns join in, until the inevitable climax peaks with a profound pause. The strings, then - richly divided into ten(!) parts - guide the listener to a brief and highly dramatic coda, where dark, thematic fragments are interspersed by savage trills in the winds.

Angry and restless, the perpetually moving Scherzo contrasts a startlingly and insistently chromatic bass line, machine-gun figures in the strings, and trumpet blasts with lyrical oboe melodies in the Trio. Both serve to foreshadow the triumph of the finale, which blazes, unselfconsciously, to a thrilling ending.

Recommended Recordings:

Sibelius' Second Symphony has many fine recordings, but standouts are: Sir Colin Davis with the Boston Symphony (1976 on Phillips), Sir John Barbirolli with the Hallé Orchestra (Warner in 1966), and Osmo Vänskä with the Lahti Orchestra (1996 on Bis.) Splurge a little and you can upgrade to all seven Sibelius symphonies with any of these forces and have a near definitive set of the symphonies.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Violin Concerto

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:55:45 GMT

On November 22, conductor Earl Lee and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Elena Urioste.

Title : Violin Concerto in D major, op.61

Composer : Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1824)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed March 16, 2019 with Francisco Noya conducting and soloist Jennifer Frautschi. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: The years leading up to 1806 had not been good to Beethoven. He grappled with one challenge after another, each seriously affecting his creative life. But 1806 saw a new period of inspiration and productivity for the composer. Significant works - now central to his legacy - stemmed from his sense of renewal that year: the “Rasumovsky” quartets, the “Appassionata” piano sonata, the Fourth Symphony, and the Violin Concerto.

The concerto was written for Franz Clement, a prominent young violinist for whom Beethoven had great respect. Regardless (and true to form), Beethoven was so late in delivering the score to Clement, that the soloist practically sight-read the première performance. Ever the showman, Clement apparently further entertained the audience between movements by playing some impromptu variations - with his fiddle held upside down!

Yet despite these inauspicious beginnings, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto has come to be one of the most beloved examples of the form – by both performers and audiences alike. The first movement - longer than any other he had composed to date - begins curiously with five little taps in the timpani. Like the four notes that ring throughout Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, this rhythm becomes the connective tissue of the entire concerto. The winds then offer us both the playful main theme in rich, full harmony, and (after some rising scales in the strings) a more dramatic second theme. At this point, the solo violin finally takes up the mantel and enters with a brief flourish, followed by an exploration of both ideas with a kaleidoscopic palette of figurations. A now-familiar tapping of the timpani signals the start of a grand recapitulation, which in turn sets us up for the much-anticipated cadenza. Always a moment of excitement (as audiences rarely know what the soloist will play on any given night), cadenzas provide us with a chance to hear what the soloist - unfiltered and unbound – can do with the material Beethoven has given her. After this display of virtuosity, the soloist will eventually settle back into a recognizable version of the second theme, finally closing the movement with lyricism and dignity.

In the second movement, Beethoven draws on his mastery of orchestral textures and timbres to make a straightforward theme and variations structure shimmer with ever-changing colors. In the process, the soloist waxes poetically above the fray, savoring the unique beaty of the violin’s upper register, until a short cadenza leads us straight into the third movement.

The concerto’s finale features a decidedly cheerful and danceable refrain with aspects of a rustic, hunting party (listen for the rousingly scored horns). It is a pastoral celebration firmly rooted in the earth, bursting with arpeggios, double stops, rapid-fire scale runs, and even a few plucked notes – a delightful and satisfying contrast to the more ethereal preceding movements.

Recommended Recordings:

There are many recordings of B eethoven's Violin Concerto, and almost as many different approaches. Jascha Heifetz with the Boston Symphony and Charles Munch (1959 on RCA) is coiled and strict. Nigel Kennedy's fascinating recording with Klaus Tennstedt (1992 on Warner) is the anthesis, free and wild. Frank Peter Zimmerman's recording is lyrical and poetic. For a historical perspective, Yehudi Menuhin's version with Wilhelm Furtwängler from 1953 (Warner) towers above most others. Also of interest are recordings by Daniel Barenboim (DG) and Peter Serkin (RCA) of Beethoven's fascinating transcription of the concerto for piano.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Jessie Montgomery's "Overture"

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:51:03 GMT

On November 22, conductor Earl Lee and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Elena Urioste.

Title : Overture

Composer : Jessie Montgomery (1981- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: This concert opens with 2024 Grammy® award-winner Jessie Montgomery's Overture , a one-movement work showcasing a fusion of styles from jazz harmonies to Baroque polyphony. Born and raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Montgomery found her calling early and has devoted her career to not only composition, but also to performance (in groups such as the Providence Quartet), advocacy for broader representation of Black and Latinx musicians in classical music, and to teaching for organizations such as Rhode Island’s own Community MusicWorks.

Written during her tenure as Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Overture opens with striking tension. Unison strings coax a theme from their instruments, conveying a sense of command rather than melody. Montgomery then examines the ensemble's resonance from multiple perspectives, from one end of the stage to the other, in a way that The Washington Post has aptly described as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life.”

Recommended Recordings:

There seems to be no commercial recordings of Jessie Montgomery's Overture at the time of this writing, though performances are available on YouTube.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Elena Urioste

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:39:54 GMT

Violinist Elena Urioste performs Beethoven's Violin Concerto

November 22 at 7:30PM

Background: Elena Urioste is a musician, yogi, writer and entrepreneur, whose musical passion and honesty communicates to audiences across both solo and chamber music repertoire. As a soloist, she has performed with major orchestras across the US, including the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Minnesota Orchestras, as well as ensembles such as the London Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Urioste has performed concertos at prestigious venues across the world, including Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw and Royal Albert Hall, and given recitals at Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Konzerthaus Berlin, Sage Gateshead and Bayerischer Rudfunk Munich. She receives regular invitations to festivals including Marlboro, Ravinia, La Jolla, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, and the BBC Proms. In the 2025–26 season she performs with Academy of St Martin in the Fields, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and Baltimore Symphony.

Her broad discography includes many studio albums with pianist Tom Poster: Le Temps retrouvé (2024), From Brighton to Brooklyn (2022) and THE JUKEBOX ALBUM (2021). She features as soloist on Max Richter’s The New Four Seasons: Vivaldi Recomposed , recorded on period instruments; and in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto and Romance , on Chineke! Records.

An avid chamber musician, Urioste is founder and Artistic Director of Chamber Music by the Sea, an annual festival on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She is co-director of Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, appointed Associate Ensemble at Wigmore Hall in 2020. The group recorded Transfigured , a disc of Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Webern and Alma Mahler, in 2023, followed by the piano quartets of Brahms and Le Beau in 2024, both for Chandos.

Urioste is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Juilliard School and is a former BBC New Generation Artist (2012–14). She is the co-founder of Intermission, a programme that combines music, movement and mindfulness, and received her RYT-200 hour yoga teaching certification from the Kripalu Center in 2019. She plays a c.1706 Alessandro Gagliano violin with a Nicolas Kittel bow, both on generous extended loan from the private collection of Dr Charles E. King, through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Earl Lee

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:51:09 GMT

Earl Lee conducts BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO
November 22 at 7:30PM

Background: Winner of the 2022 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, Earl Lee is a renowned Korean-Canadian conductor who has captivated audiences worldwide. Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra since 2022, he recently finished a successful three-year tenure as Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to a full season of concerts with the Ann Arbor Symphony, Earl’s 2025/26 season includes his subscription debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and several return engagements with the Boston Symphony. Further guest conducting includes returns to the Calgary Philharmonic, the Colburn Orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the orchestras of the Royal Conservatory Toronto and the San Francisco Conservatory, as well as debuts with the Omaha Symphony and Rhode Island Philharmonic. Lee starts his season in his native Korea with appearances at the Seoul Arts Center and the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) with the TIMF Festival Orchestra.

Previous seasons included subscription concerts with the Boston Symphony in Boston and at Tanglewood and guest conducting engagements with the Atlanta, San Francisco, Colorado, Saratoga, and Vancouver Symphonies, Seoul Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Orchestra, and the Sejong Soloists at Carnegie Hall and in Seoul.

Lee previously held positions as Associate Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and as the Resident Conductor of the Toronto Symphony. In 2022, he appeared with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam as a participant in the Ammodo masterclasses led by Fabio Luisi. He studied cello at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School and conducting at Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory. He lives in New York City with his wife and their daughter.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Smetana's "The Moldau" & "Šárka" from "Má Vlast"

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:58:35 GMT

On October 18, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE MOLDAU & MORE with cellist Andrei Ioniță.

Title : "The Moldau" & "Šárka" from Má Vlast

Composer : Bedřich Smetana ( 1824-1884)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : “ The Moldau ” was last performed September 27, 2008 with Larry Rachleff conducting. “ Šárka ” is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. These pieces are scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Smetana could not hear a single sound for the last decade of his life. Tragically, this led to intermittent dementia (in the margin of score of the 1882 D minor Quartet he scrawled, “Composed in a state of disordered nerves — the outcome of my deafness.” He would die two years later). But things had not yet progressed to such a grim degree when he began work on one of the greatest collections of tone poems ever written. Má Vlast (“My Country”), inspired by the land and lore of his native Bohemia, is the main reason that today we think of Smetana as “the father of Czech music,” but there are many others. In 1861, when Smetana became active in the newly formed National Theater in Prague, he created a prolific and vivacious repertoire of Czech operas rooted in native folklore (the enduring masterpiece, The Bartered Bride among them). Such a show of pride in Czech culture bordered on the revolutionary in those days, when the lands of Bohemia and Moravia were ruled by the Austrian empire and anything not Austrian or German was considered decidedly low-brow.

The second of Má Vlast ’s tone poems, “The Moldau” (or “Vltava” in the original Czech), is an ode to the river that flows across northern Bohemia and through Prague. In his preface to the score, Smetana wrote “Two springs pour forth in the shade of the Bohemian Forest, one warm and gushing, the other cold and peaceful. The forest brook, hastening on, becomes the river Moldau. Through thick woods it flows, as the gay sounds of the hunt and the notes of the hunter’s horn are heard ever nearer. It flows through grass-grown pastures and lowlands where a wedding feast is celebrated with song and dance. At night, wood and water nymphs revel in its sparkling waves. Reflected on its surface are fortresses and castles — witnesses of bygone days of knightly splendor and the vanished glory of fighting times. At the St. John Rapids, the stream races ahead, winding through the cataracts, hewing out a path with its foaming waves through the rocky chasm into the broad riverbed — finally, flowing on in majestic peace toward Prague and welcomed by the time-honored castle Vyšehrad. Then it vanishes far beyond the poet’s gaze.”

Of the third movement of Má Vlast , the composer noted, “This poem depicts the story of Šárka [a daughter of the founding family of Bohemia], swearing vengeance on the whole male race for the infidelity of her lover. From afar is heard the arrival of armed men led by Ctirad, who has come to punish Šárka and her rebellious maidens. In the distance, Ctirad hears the feigned cries of a girl (Šárka) bound to a tree. On seeing her, he is overcome by her beauty and so inflamed with love that he frees her. By means of a previously prepared potion, she intoxicates Ctirad and his men, who fall asleep. As she sounds her horn (a pre-arranged signal), the rebel maidens, hidden in nearby rocks, rush to commit the bloody dead. The horror of general slaughter and the passion and fury of Šárka’s fulfilled revenge form the end of the composition.” Moving from one scene to the next with the pace of modern cinema, “Šárka” provides a dramatic apex to a work that, for Smetana, seems to have transformed his maddening prison of silence into a torrent of fervor for his country and his people.

Recommended Recordings:

Rafael Kubelik recorded Smetana's Má Vlast no less than five times. His final version from 1990, coaxed out of retirement for his triumphant return to the Czech Philharmonic after years of exile, is the most poignant.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Jaëll's Cello Concerto

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:38:19 GMT

On October 18, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE MOLDAU & MORE with cellist Andrei Ioniță.

Title : Cello Concerto, F major

Composer : Marie Jaëll ( 1846-1925)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo cello, this piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: The only real way to judge a piece of music is by listening to it. Although music lovers with an interest in out-of-print scores may have been able to get hold of some of Marie Jaëll’s piano music, her orchestral music has not been heard since its first performance. Her major orchestral works provide an unexpected study of a composer whose instrument of choice might not have been, as was commonly believed, the piano – on which the virtuoso excelled in her first period of activity from 1855 to 1870 – but that ‘king of instruments, the orchestra. Indeed, she had every right to be proud of her experiments in orchestration, her sense of drama, her subtle instrumentation and at times truly Impressionist textures.

“How insipid they are, these young women pianists who always play the same pieces by Liszt. But speak to me of La Jaëll! Here is an intelligent, witty woman: she produces her own works for the piano, which are just as bad as those by Liszt.” It is hard to know how to take this strange tribute paid by Johannes Brahms to ‘La Jaëll’ in a letter of 1888 to Richard Heuberger, when he compared her compositions ironically – or cruelly – to those by Liszt. Brahms was a longstanding friend of the virtuoso pianist, Alfred Jaëll, who first performed and promoted many of the German master’s works, so he would have known Marie Trautmann, who became Marie Jaëll in 1866. But whether Brahms was really familiar with the Alsatian prodigy’s music is another matter. Were her pieces so widely distributed, played in the salons, published, discussed and reviewed in her day that it was amusing to ridicule them by comparing them disparagingly to works composed by that obscure pianist, Franz Liszt? There may well be parallels, on a different scale, between Liszt and the woman who later became his confidante and secretary: Liszt’s talents as a composer seem to have gone unrecognized, and were even derided, for many years, unlike his genius as a pianist and improviser, a performer whose keyboard feats won him standing ovations throughout Europe. Was Brahms, in this letter, espousing a similar prejudice against virtuosi impudent enough to aspire to the noble art of composition? Whatever the case, it is difficult not to find him guilty of the widely shared misogyny which Marie Jaëll, along with other creatively active women, would have had to endure to some extent or other.

Marie Jaëll’s body of works, however, although not prolific, does shed some light on the interest her music might have aroused at the time she was writing it, as well as on the unusual artistic path taken by a young piano prodigy who decided, in her twenties, to turn her back on an established career as a renowned performer. These works also show glimpses of the complicated concerns and enquiries of a certain Romantic strain of French music in the second half of the 19th century, a period influenced equally by a strong Italian heritage, a fascination for German and Austro-Hungarian models and a quest for a unique French identity. In 1878, she confided to her friend, Anna Sandherr: “Learning to compose is an abiding passion, I wake up with it in the morning, I go to sleep with it in the evening. I have such an elevated idea of my art that my only delight is to devote my life to it without hoping for anything else but to live through it and for it.”

The Cello Concerto in F major (1882) was also highly successful, since its dedicatee, the famous cellist, Jules Delsart, worked hard to promote it. The Belgian cellist, Adolphe Fischer, another renowned performer and the dedicatee of Lalo’s Cello Concerto, seems to have asked Jaëll for permission to perform the work at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Unlike certain other concertos in which the soloist tends to get swallowed up by the orchestral texturing (Dvořák’s masterpiece, for example, composed in 1896), the subtle scoring of Jaëll’s Cello Concerto shows a close attention to the material and a light touch which brings out the melodic line of the cello. It might also be worth noting that these two concertos – by Dvořák and Jaëll – share a surprisingly similarity (particularly in their respective first movements) in that they both have a resolutely ‘American’ inspiration: Marie Jaëll’s sister was the first wife of Conrad Diehl, a German doctor later elected mayor of the city of Buffalo. The Alsatian composer was very fond of her American nieces and nephews, whom she made her legatees after her death. After a spirited Allegro moderato, which transports the listener into the midst of vast unexplored spaces, the composer hits a particularly rich vein of inspiration in the slow movement, a delicate Andantino sostenuto in the strings, alternating pizzicati and bowed notes each time the melody recurs; the short central section of the movement, with its unusual 9/16 time signature – a sort of triple beat within what is already a triple beat – emphasizes the poignant push and pull of the expressive musical writing, and greatly enhances the impact of the floating cello line. The impassioned tarantella-style finale concludes this extremely condensed work, barely fifteen minutes long, which is attractive for its simplicity, energy and brilliance. The restricted instrumental forces invite the cello to take center stage in the musical discourse, surrounding and arraying the soloist with carefully worked colors and textures.

A career woman and artist who had earned her place in a male-dominated world, Marie Jaëll strove to gain recognition from her peers and become, in a manner of speaking, the Frenchest of French composers. She actively opted for France after Alsace-Lorraine was annexed and chose to study under Camille Saint-Saëns, a true national treasure. In 1879, she was the first woman to be admitted to the Société Nationale de Compositeurs de Musique; her works were frequently performed at concerts organized by the Société Nationale de Musique.

But how should her sometimes enigmatic musical output be categorized? Was she a typically French composer? A composer of German inspiration? Although Marie Jaëll protested throughout her life against a Wagnerism she was reluctant to acknowledge, it should be remembered, nevertheless, that her early piano training was dominated by the German and Austrian repertory, which left its indelible stamp on her work; later, her extensive acquaintance with Liszt’s works, as well as the series of sensational concerts during which she performed not only the complete Beethoven sonatas, but also Chopin’s complete piano music, only strengthened the impression that this woman, in her heart and soul, looked to Germany, and beyond.

However, in the midst of this unresolvable conflict of loyalties, she attempted to go her own way and we can identify several hallmarks of her idiosyncratic approach: her emphasis on colorful, imagistic writing and an exploration of the natural and inner worlds; her fusion of all the instruments together – soloists or not – so that their complex individual lines work together to create a unique discourse, a single orchestral voice; her realization of a type of minimalism in which the initial material is not varied, developed and enriched in the classical style, but remains unembellished to the end. Focusing on an unexpected instrument, the orchestra, she produced groundbreaking work, becoming a pioneer on her own terms. She invented a free art of orchestration in which the material was governed, shaped and crafted entirely by the poetic aim.

Sébastien Troester

Reproduced in edited form by permission.

From the BruZane release Marie Jaëll: A Portrait available HERE and available through Amazon.

Recommended Recordings:

Marie Jaëll Cello Concerto only recently received its first and only recording on the Bru Zane label, a set of three discs of her music.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's Symphony No.88

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:15:03 GMT

On October 18, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE MOLDAU & MORE with cellist Andrei Ioniță.

Title : Symphony No.88, G major

Composer : Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed February 2, 1974 with Francis Madeira conducting. This piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: In 1788, Johann Peter Tost, leader of the second violin section in Haydn's Esterháza orchestra, trundled off to Paris with a devious scheme. Hoping to capitalize on the current wave of popularity Haydn was enjoying in Paris as a result of his half dozen “Paris” Symphonies, Tost presented a noted publisher with two new Haydn symphonies (including No.88), as well as some string quartets and other music. But not all of the music was, in fact, Haydn’s. When the publisher realized he had been duped, he confronted Haydn directly, hoping to renegotiate. But Haydn, ever one to appreciate a good joke, replied simply "Thus Herr Tost has swindled you."

And while Symphony No.88 was indeed penned entirely by the master himself, a similar sleight of hand, albeit of a musical nature, is achieved here: what sounds like an accompaniment turns out to be a theme, recapitulations turn out to be false, melodies disappear into the background only to reappear unexpectedly, and offbeat patterns abruptly shift to the downbeat. All of this makes the listener feel a bit like they’re in the middle of a high-wire act, hoping to find their balance with each new musical phrase.

After a slow introduction, the first movement transitions to a lively Allegro, where Haydn creatively manipulates sonata form conventions to create an air of spontaneity. Listen for the way in which the second theme magically emerges from the first, and for the charming flute solo that lures the first theme back.

Cellos and oboes announce the arrival of the second movement – a set of variations on the theme they present that wafts from the sweet to the melancholy, from the diaphanous to the boisterous, often in the space of a single bar. Usually held in reserve for faster movements, the trumpets and timpani make their first appearance here, adding to its pathos. It was, in fact, Haydn’s ability to achieve such a wide range of emotion by such deceptively simple means here that inspired Brahms to remark “I want my Ninth Symphony to sound like this.” (Brahms never wrote a ninth symphony).

In order to give the third movement a truly rustic air, the master decides to break a few well-established rules. After a chorus or two of what sounds like a well-loved drinking song, the bassoon and violas seem to have enjoyed themselves a bit too much, and stumble together from note to note in parallel 5ths – a move that would give any first-year harmony student a failing grade. But in Haydn’s hands, such an effect adds a touch of humor and drama before throwing us headlong into the high-spirited finale. Once there, offset rhythms – simultaneously buoyant and unsettling - keep the listener on their toes, until Haydn delights us with a perpetual-motion canon that, while fiendishly complicated, is considered one of the most cheerful Haydn ever wrote.

Recommended Recordings:

Haydn's Symphony No.88 is among the most popular of the 104. George Szell was a supreme Haydn conductor. His Sony recording of this symphony came early in his Cleveland Orchestra tenure but suffers from muddy mono sound. Some spirited stereo recordings include Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic (1963 on Sony), Karl Böhm with the Vienna Philharmonic (1970's on Deutsche Grammophon), and Antal Dorati with the Philharmonia Hungarica in their landmark 1970's survey of all the Haydn symphonies on Decca, a set that delivers hours of discovery and joy.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Boulanger's "D'un matin de printemps"

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:40:30 GMT

On October 18, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE MOLDAU & MORE with cellist Andrei Ioniță.

Title : D'un matin de printemps

Composer : Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: Though Lili Boulanger died in 1918 at the age of 24,” wrote musicologist David Noakes, “hers was a creative life of more than mere promise; it was a life, at least, of partial fulfillment.” Her older sister, Nadia found fulfillment as mentor to many of the 20 ^th century’s greatest composers (Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, Roy Harris, Quincy Jones, and Astor Piazzolla, to name a scant few), and cemented a reputation during her long life as one of the most influential musical minds of the century. But Nadia herself was not much of a composer (“not bad, but useless” is how she described her own work). It was her sister, Lili, who had inherited that particular gene and, had she not died prematurely of Crohn’s Disease at the age of 24, would undoubtedly have left a mark every bit as important as her sister’s.

Tagging along at the age of five to sit in on her sister’s classes at the Paris Conservatoire, Lili managed to learn harp, piano, cello and violin with some of the city’s best teachers. But lingering health issues from a near-fatal attack of pneumonia when she was three, left her too weak to master any of those instruments, so she turned to composition. Her talent was clear to all, but chronic illness continued to prevent her from fulfilling her potential. Finally, at the age of 20, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome with her cantata Faust et Hélène . Other awards and distinctions soon followed. But the trip to Rome itself took its toll on her fragile system, and she was unable to compose for at least a month after her arrival. Then, while visiting home for what was supposed to be a short break, World War I broke out, causing yet further obstacles.

Despite her early death and the debilitating state of her health, Lili Boulanger completed a substantial number of compositions in which she demonstrated a highly developed creative personality. “Lili Boulanger brought to music a keen and prodigiously human sensibility,” wrote one contemporary reviewer, “served in its expression by the full range of natural gifts, from grace, color, charm and subtlety to winged lyricism and obvious power, easy and profound. Such virtues, so rarely brought together for the benefit of one single creative temperament, are to be found in her works.”

The complementary works D’un matin de printemps (“Of a Spring Morning”) and D’un soir triste (“Of a Sad Evening”), of 1918, were the last scores Lili Boulanger wrote with her own hand, and both demonstrate a clear mastery of the new harmonic language of Impressionism. But unlike its somber companion piece, D’un matin de printemps invokes the bright and festive tones of a carefree spring morning. Arabesque-like melodies playfully twist and turn, revealing rhythmic surprises and poetic lyricism, until the harsh reality of time brings us to an abrupt conclusion with a final chord that seems to shimmer with the rays of the sun.

Recommended Recordings:

Lili Boulanger lived just 24 years, passing away in 1918. D'un matin de printemps was orchestrated in her final weeks. And yet her thin catalog is only now beginning to be appreciated. Recordings lag behind her resurgence. There are a couple on CD, however YouTube yields a trove of videos of this and other works from her tragically tiny output.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Andrei Ioniță

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:12:07 GMT

Cellist Andrei Ioniță performs Jaëll's Cello Concerto

October 18 at 7:30PM

Background: Gold Medalist of the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, Andrei Ioniță has become one of the most compelling and expressive cellists of his generation. Celebrated for his passionate performances and distinctive artistry, he has been described by The Times of London as “one of the most exciting cellists to have emerged for a decade.” His debut album on Orchid Classics earned accolades from Gramophone for its “superb skill, musical imagination and a commitment to music of our time.”

He has performed as soloist with leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Münchner Philharmoniker, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony. He has given recitals at major venues and festivals such as the Elbphilharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Zurich Tonhalle, Verbier Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, and the Martha Argerich Festival. A versatile and collaborative artist, Ioniță is a sought-after chamber musician, having performed with celebrated ensembles and instrumentalists across Europe and North America. In the 2025-26 season, he appears with the Utah Chamber Music Festival, the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Richardson Symphony.

A native of Bucharest, Ioniță studied with Ani-Marie Paladi and later with Jens Peter Maintz at the University of the Arts in Berlin. He previously earned top honors at the Khachaturian, ARD, and Emanuel Feuermann competitions and served as a BBC New Generation Artist and artist-in-residence with the Hamburg Symphony. He performs on a cello by Filippo Fasser of Brescia.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' Symphony No.4

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:29:45 GMT

On September 19 & 20, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RUTH REINHARDT INAUGURAL with saxophonist Steven Banks.

Title : Symphony No.4 in E minor, op.98

Composer : Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed September 18, 2021 with Bramwell Tovey conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: The essence of symphonic music, in the words of Leonard Bernstein (and many others), is development. And although that term can technically refer to a specific section of the classical sonata form, its broader meaning is far more important. In the work of Brahms, it is everything.

It is easy to understand how a composer might start with a compelling melody and then build upon it - adding new variations, complexities, colors and textures - until we appreciate the original in a whole new light. But when Brahms creates one of the 19 ^th century’s greatest masterpieces out of nothing more than a pair of falling notes, the result is breathtaking.

The opening 2-note theme, played by the violins, is, in fact, a bit breathless itself - a sigh, if you will. Every time it appears, it seems to change direction, compounding its inherent sense of unease. But there is also something passionate about it, a passion which is enhanced by surging waves of arpeggios in the low strings. Eventually, the woodwinds offer a new idea that transitions us to a rhythmic tango presented by the cellos and horns. From there, the themes continuously unfold into an emotional build-up that seems unstoppable, until finally erupting with both power and resolve.

Unison horns, solemn and powerful, usher in the second movement with a reverberant sound that evokes ancient cathedrals and grand processions, largely due to its use of a scale similar to the Medieval Phrygian mode, which Brahms thought expressed “profound need and remorse.” Not to be outdone, the clarinets take up their own version of the theme, accompanied by pizzicato strings, until a warm and flowing second theme seems to conjure memories of a bittersweet past.

A vigorous scherzo follows, full of movement and fury, featuring one of the rare instances in the repertoire where the triangle plays a significant role. A contemporary of Brahms’s aptly noted its “hastening, restless rhythms,” and its “suddenly pulsing energy.” Set in the brightest of keys - C major - and allowing ample time for the wind players to revel in their highest registers, this movement can be a jolt to the senses in the immediate aftermath of the preceding movement.

As in the second movement, Brahms draws upon an important element from music history – this time the chaconne - to give shape to his ingenious Finale. Simply put, a chaconne takes a bass line (or sequence of harmonies) and repeats it multiple times, each with a new variation crafted above, around, or under it. With reverence, Brahms used the bass line from Bach’s Partita in D minor for solo violin as the foundation for his own chaconne . And while the tempo marking - Allegro energico e passionate – may suggest something joyous and flamboyant, this is music that reflects deep emotional struggle.

At the outset, the main theme is loudly proclaimed by the brass. From there, Brahms’s vast imagination is on full display as he reshapes and recontextualizes the theme in a dizzying myriad ways. There are moments of light and dark, spirited dances, and solemn chorales. It’s a virtuoso demonstration of why Brahms stands in the highest ranks of composers—beauty, profundity, and technique wedded together seamlessly.

Recommended Recordings:

For Brahms' Fourth Symphony, there are many fine choices. Charles Munch with the Boston Symphony (1958 on RCA) has an autumnal warmth. Carlos Kleiber's Vienna Philharmonic account (1980 on DG) is hyper-focused on fidelity to Brahms' score and delivers intensity and excitement. Then there are the virtuosic performances by The Cleveland Orchestra with George Szell (1966 on Sony) and later with Christoph von Dohnányi (1987 on Teldec.) Earlier, historical performances are also in abundance. Two of the most fascinating and complementary are Toscanini (NBC Symphony on RCA in 1950) and a quasi-improvisational live account with Wilhelm Furtwängler (Berlin Philharmonic in 1943 in various issues.)

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Billy Childs' "Diaspora: Concerto for Saxophone"

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:28:56 GMT

On September 19 & 20, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RUTH REINHARDT INAUGURAL with saxophonist Steven Banks.

Title : Diaspora : Concerto for Saxophone

Composer : Billy Childs (1957- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo saxophone, this piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, alto flute, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, bassoon, contrabassoon, three horns, two trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, celesta and strings.

The Story: Excerpts from Composer’s note by Billy Childs:

Diaspora is a symphonic poem which strives to chronicle the paradigm of the forced Black American diaspora, as sifted through the prism of my own experience as a Black man in America. When Steven Banks approached me about the piece, we decided that, much in the same way that Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit illustrates three poems by Aloysius Bertrand in three separate movements, so would this concerto do with poems by Black poets. But then I started thinking of the elegantly succinct and fluent structure of Barber’s Symphony No. 1, where in one multi-sectioned suite, he brilliantly ties together a handful of thematic materials into a seamless and organic whole. So I used the poems Steven and I settled on ( Africa’s Lament by Nayyirah Waheed, If We Must Die by Claude McKay and And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou) as guideposts for a three-part storyline.

Movement I: MOTHERLAND

The program of the composition starts out on a positive note. The first theme played, by the soprano saxophone, and later joined by an uplifting scherzo accompaniment from the orchestra, is meant to evoke a sense of well-being and security. But it’s not a utopia I’m trying to illustrate here; rather, a sense of purity. After a 16th-note pattern in the strings that signals trouble on the horizon, the soprano saxophone takes on a more urgent tone, playing short bursts of melodic fragments. Then a battle ensues, a battle between the slave traders and the future slaves, as signaled by the triplet figures in the soprano sax accompanied by triplet patterns in the orchestra, and climaxing in an orchestral tutti section bolstered by a brass fanfare. After a dissonant orchestral hit, the soprano sax utters a melancholy theme as the slaves are being led to the slave ship. This takes us to the first saxophone cadenza which, to my mind, represents a moment of painful reflection about being captured like a wild animal and led to a ship, the destination of which is to a future hell.

Movement II: IF WE MUST DIE

Part two of the journey begins with the first vision of the slave ship. This is illustrated by a loud tutti blast in the orchestra, following a slow six-measure buildup. The alto saxophone is now the voice of the piece, introducing a rapid 12-tone theme which turns out to be a constant phrase weaving in and out of the entire piece at various moments. Sweeping rapid scales in the lower strings, woodwinds and harp describe the back-and-forth movement of the waves. This section develops and reaches a high point with a jarring saxophone multiphonic pair of notes followed by a forearm piano cluster; we now see America for the first time, from the point of view of the slaves. Confusion, rage and terror are followed by resistance, anger, and rebellion, after which the alto saxophone plays a short and tender cadenza which signifies the resilience of Black Americans and the introduction of the idea of self love, self worth and self determination.

Movement III: AND STILL I RISE

This final section is about Black empowerment. The church has always been a cultural focal point in the Black community, a sanctuary providing psychological and emotional relief from the particular hardships of Black life in America. So, this final chapter of the piece starts out with a hymn-like passage, a plaintive reading orchestrated for just alto saxophone and piano, as though the solo saxophonist were a singer accompanied by a piano during a Sunday church service. Soon the melodic theme in the alto sax is treated with a lush accompaniment, as a healing self-awareness and love becomes more palpable. This is followed by a march-like ostinato which symbolizes steely determination. As the alto sax plays rapidly above the orchestral momentum, we finally reach the victorious fanfare at the conclusion of the piece. Maya Angelou’s shining poem reminds us (and America) that Black people cannot and will not be held to a position of second-class citizenship—we will still rise.

Recommended Recordings:

The Billy Childs Saxophone Concerto has not yet been recorded, but there are excerpts and detailed explanations available on YouTube.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's "Cuban Overture"

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:50:12 GMT

On September 19 & 20, Music Director Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RUTH REINHARDT INAUGURAL with saxophonist Steven Banks.

Title : Cuban Overture

Composer : George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed October 20, 2018 with Bramwell Tovey conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: During his lifetime, George Gershwin was arguably the most successful and talented of America's composers of popular music. But he had cut his teeth as a young performer on the works of Chopin, Liszt and Debussy, and looked to France as the beating heart of classical music in the 20th century. So it was that, in 1928, he journeyed to Paris to study with the famed teacher of composition, Nadia Boulanger, as well as with Maurice Ravel. But neither would take him. Both potential mentors recognized the power of Gershwin’s unique voice and were afraid that their influence might taint it. And they were right. Less than 4 years later, Gershwin would achieve unparalleled successes with his Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris , and the Concerto in F. Gershwin had an uncanny ability to absorb the sounds and energy around him and distill them into music that immediately connected with audiences.

The 1930s also saw the rise of the rumba craze in America. Gershwin, ever eager to immerse himself in new musical experiences, was keen to go to the source. So, in February of 1932, he escaped a particularly brutal New York winter, and sailed with a handful of friends to Havana, Cuba (a popular, booze-friendly tourist destination during prohibition).

In almost every bar he visited in Havana, he heard strains of the hit song “Échale Salsita”, so it’s unsurprising that this catchy tune would find its way weaving in and out of a new piece Gershwin had decided to write, as well as brief echoes of another popular song called “La Paloma.” Also included in the new work were some authentic Cuban percussion instruments he brought home as souvenirs: a bongo drum, claves, maracas, and a gourd shaker. These latter instruments were of such importance to the piece that he insisted in the score that the percussionists be placed in front of the orchestra, rather than their traditional position in the back.

Within a few months, the premiere of what was then called Rumba took place during an all-Gershwin program by the New York Philharmonic in Lewisohn stadium, to a sold-out audience of 18,000. Three months after that, the composer himself conducted its second performance at a benefit concert in the new Metropolitan Opera House, but now with the new title Cuban Overture . As toe-tapping as it is, there are elements of musical sophistication in the work that reflect Gershwin’s desire to be seen as something more than merely popular. Odd-measured phrases, polytonal harmonies, canons and counterpoint, and ostinato-based climaxes all add a sense of the high-brow to this joyous romp.

Recommended Recordings:

Arthur Fiedler's 1961 recording (RCA) of Gershwin's Cuban Overture with the Boston Pops is one of his finest and qualifies as the definitive account. The rhythms are consistent, the cross-rhythms dizzying, and there's a relentless momentum that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Steven Banks

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 18:22:34 GMT

Saxophonist Steven Banks performs Billy Childs's Diaspora: Concerto for Saxophone

September 19 at 6:30PM & September 20 at 7:30PM

Background: Hailed by The Washington Post as “the saxophone’s best friend, fiercest advocate and primary virtuoso in the classical realm,” performer and composer Steven Banks strives to bring his instrument to the heart of the classical world. He commissions and writes music that expands the repertoire for saxophone, introducing audiences to new possibilities for artistic expression. Banks is a devoted and intentional supporter of diverse voices in the future of classical music. His work on stage and on the page prompted Seen and Heard International to write, “Banks has the potential to be one of the transformational musicians of the 21st century.”

This season, Banks will bring his “charismatic confidence, technical flawlessness, adventurous phrasing, [and] unbelievably sweet tones’’ ( Seen and Heard ) to debut performances with the St. Louis, Indianapolis, Oregon, and Montréal symphony orchestras. In Europe, he makes debut appearances with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, BBC Symphony at the Barbican, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Banks is committed to establishing the saxophone as a vital voice in classical music by commissioning works that showcase its expressive capabilities. This season, he premieres Joan Tower’s poignant new concerto Love Returns at the Colorado Music Festival, with additional consortium performances by the National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Toronto Symphony among others. Billy Childs’ Diaspora , written for Banks and commissioned by Young Concert Artists and ten orchestras—the largest consortium ever for a saxophone work—marks a major milestone in his mission.

In recital, Banks appears with pianist Xak Bjerken at prestigious series including Cal Performances, Chamber Music Northwest, Davies Hall, Merkin Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Kravis Center, Festival Napa Valley and Chamber Music Sedona. As a chamber musician, he enjoys deep collaborations with the Miró Quartet and Verona Quartet, joining both ensembles for tours of newly co-created programs. Banks is a founding member of the award-winning all-saxophone ensemble Kenari Quartet.

Described as “colorful and continuously fascinating” ( The Boston Musical Intelligencer ), Steven Banks’ compositions are increasingly in demand, reflecting his rising profile as a composer. He has been commissioned by Young Concert Artists and the chamber music festivals of Tulsa, Tucson, Bridgehampton, and Chamber Music North West. His recent works include Reflections and Exaltations , Come What May , and Cries, Sighs and Dreams all scored for saxophone and string quartet, and Begin Again for baritone saxophone, cello, piano, and meditation guide.

Banks is proud to be the first saxophonist to receive a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and earn First Prize at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Banks serves as Saxophone and Chamber Music Faculty and Artist-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has previously held teaching positions at Ithaca College, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, and the University of Hartford. Banks studied with Taimur Sullivan, Otis Murphy Jr., and Galvin Crisp, earning degrees from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Banks is an endorsing artist for Conn-Selmer instruments and D’Addario Woodwinds.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE MUSIC DIRECTOR: Ruth Reinhardt

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:32:22 GMT

RI Phil Music Director Ruth Reinhardt conducts ROMANTIC RACHMANINOFF

February 13 at 6:30PM & February 14 at 7:30PM

Background: German conductor Ruth Reinhardt is building a reputation for her keen musical intelligence, programmatic imagination, and elegant performances.

The 2025-26 season marks the beginning of Reinhardt’s term as Music Director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, leading seven programs across the season. In the summer of 2025, she debuted with the Seoul Philharmonic and the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra. Other significant debuts in 25/26 include the Staatskapelle Dresden, Philharmonia Orchestra in London, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Bruckner Orchester Linz, SWR Symphonieorchester, the Folkwang Kammerorchester in Essen and the

Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen in Switzerland. She also has return engagements with the Warsaw Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic (FL) and the Orlando Philharmonic.

Programmatically, Reinhardt’s interests have led her toward contemporary repertoire, with significant emphasis on women composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Her programs often introduce new names and fresh faces to many orchestras, including Grażyna Bacewicz, Kaija Saariaho, and Dai Fujikura, to name some of the more familiar ones, and pairs them with stylistically contrasting or complementary pieces, whether core masterworks by Brahms, Rachmaninoff, or Dvořák, or with “classic moderns” such as works by Bartók, Stravinsky, Lutowslawski, Martinů, and Hindemith. Ruth is a frequent collaborator of many of today’s foremost instrumentalists spanning several generations. Among them are pianists Emanuel Ax, Daniil Trifonov, and Eva Gevorgyan, violinists Augustin Hadelich and Vadim Gluzman, cellists Andrei Ioniță and Jean-Guihen Queyras, horn player Stefan Dohr, and saxophonist Steven Banks.

In past seasons, Reinhardt has appeared with many of the major North American Orchestras and as recently as last season has made debuts with the St. Louis and Charlotte Symphony Orchestras. Previously, she has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra (on four occasions), National Symphony Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Seattle, and Baltimore. In Europe, she has appeared with Hague Residentie Orkestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic in Amsterdam, Orchestre National de France, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, RSO Berlin, Stockholm Philharmonic, and Tonkünstler Orchestra Wien, among many others.

Ruth Reinhardt served as Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony for the final two seasons of Jaap Van Zweden’s tenure as Music Director (2018-2020). She received her master’s degree in conducting from the Juilliard School of Music in New York in 2017. She was a Dudamel Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (2017-2018), conducting fellow at both the Seattle Symphony (2015-2016) and Tanglewood Music Center (2015), and Taki Concordia associate conducting fellow (2015-2017). She currently makes her home in Switzerland.

Tickets start at $25! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: The 2025 Annual Gala Concert with Yo-Yo Ma

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:00:28 GMT

On May 31, conductor Robert Spano, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the 2025 ANNUAL GALA CONCERT WITH YO-YO MA.

Title : Rainbow Body

Composer : Christopher Theofanidis (1967- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

Title : Appalachian Spring : Suite

Composer : Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed February 15, 2020, with Alexander Mickelthwate conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

Title : Cello Concerto, op.104, B.191, B minor

Composer : Antonin Dvořăk (1841-1904)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed September 27, 2008, with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Alban Gerhardt. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, three horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

A Rich and Varied Tapestry of American Music

Rhode Island Philharmonic Principal Conductor Robert Spano has described the first two pieces on this Gala Concert program as “A rich metaphor for the varied tapestry of American music,” but this description could easily be broadened to include the third piece. As surprising as it may sound, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto has bona fide American roots as well.

Spano has long been a champion of the work of the American composer Christopher Theofanidis. After conducting the premiere of Rainbow Body with the Houston Symphony in 2000, Spano went on to make a celebrated recording of the piece on the Telarc label with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2003. Spano uses both that recording and this Gala program as an opportunity to frame the younger work in a rich and meaningful context by pairing it with Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring : Suite.

Theofanidis himself is a firm advocate of this kind of pairing: “It helps you hear both repertories with a certain kind of open ear and freshness,” he says. “They really help each other. It’s not just a one-way thing where new music benefits from being paired with the old. It really goes both ways.”

The sound world created by Aaron Copland in Appalachian Spring : Suite (and the original ballet from which it was adapted), is one of panoramic landscapes, fertile fields and broad prairies. It has, in fact, become a sound symbol of America itself. Its spacious harmonies, delicate suspensions and inescapable tunefulness never cease to resonate with audiences. And while the ballet tells the story of a young couple living on a farm in rural Pennsylvania in the early 1800s, the orchestral suite transcends any specific plotline, invoking a shimmering spirit of hope for an unknowable future. Looking at their vastly different sources of inspiration, it may then seem surprising that the same can be said for Theofanidis’s Rainbow Body .

Unlike Copland, who drew on American folklore and the seemingly limitless possibilities of the American experiment, Theofanidis has drawn from the deep wells of Medieval chant and Buddhist philosophy for the raw materials of this concert opener.

“I have been listening a great deal to the music of the 12th-century German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer and mystic Hildegard von Bingen, and, as simple and direct as her music is, I am constantly amazed by its staying power,” says Theofanidis. “Hildegard’s melodies have memorable contours which set them apart from other chants of the period. They are very sensual and intimate, a kind of communication with the divine. Rainbow Body is based on one of her chants, Ave Maria, O auctrix vite (‘Hail Mary, source of life’). “ Rainbow Body begins in an understated, mysterious manner, calling attention to some of the key intervals and motives of the piece. When the primary melody enters for the first time about a minute into the work, I present it very directly in the strings without accompaniment. In the orchestration, I try to capture a halo around this melody, creating a ‘wet’ acoustic by emphasizing the lingering reverberations one might hear in an old cathedral.”

The specific technique Theofanidis uses for this effect is worth a bit of exploration. “He creates resonance,” notes Spano, “by having some instruments prolong a note after the tune has moved on to the next, and the next, and the next note.” The result is a unique acoustic experience achievable only with a symphony orchestra.

The title, Rainbow Body , comes from the Tibetan Buddhist concept of enlightenment, wherein a dead body is absorbed as light and energy back into the universe, at which point it is known as a “rainbow body”, meaning there is no decay or atrophy of any existing substance, merely a recycling of positive energy.

It was positive energy too, and of a distinctly American vein, that helped give birth to the final masterpiece on this program: Dvořák’s exquisite Cello Concerto.

When he came to the US in 1891 to become the head of the American Conservatory of Music in New York, Antonín Dvořák’s patron, Mrs. Jeannet Thurber, intended him to be the founder of not only the first conservatory in the US but also the founder of a national musical identity. It was this outsider from Bohemia that made American composers stop looking toward Europe for inspiration and look closer to home, at the negro spirituals and other native music sources that were to form the inspiration for so much American music in the 20th century.

Within a year of his appointment to this post, Dvořák began writing four new works: Symphony in E-Minor ( From the New World ,) his “American” String Quartet No. 12, the fantastic String Quintet No. 3, Op. 97, and lastly his Cello Concerto.

Initially, Dvořák wasn’t entirely keen on the idea of the cello as a solo instrument. “The cello is a beautiful instrument,” he wrote, “but its place is in the orchestra and in chamber music. As a solo instrument it isn’t much good because the upper voice squeals and the lower growls.”

This opinion notwithstanding, Dvořák’s friend and colleague cellist Hanuš Wihan had long pleaded for a concerto to be written for him. But it took a pair of essentially American experiences for the Bohemian to start seeing the potential of such an endeavor.

The first was a concert in Brooklyn, where Dvořák heard a cello concerto by Victor Herbert (best known today for the operetta Babes in Toyland ), that opened his eyes and ears to ways of navigating some of the technical challenges to writing a cello concerto. The second was a visit to Niagara Falls, which engaged the rest of his senses and reportedly inspired Dvořák to exclaim out loud, “My word, that is going to be a symphony in B minor!” Though he never ended up writing a symphony in B minor, his resulting Cello Concerto in B minor is certainly symphonic in scope.

Dvořák began work on the concerto in the spring of 1894, while on a brief visit home to Bohemia, completing it in February the following year when back in New York. While composing the concerto, he received a letter that his sister-in-law, Josefina Čermáková, was dying. Before Dvořák married her sister, Anna, he had been hopelessly in love with Josefina, but this love was unrequited. They had stayed close friends, however, and he was devastated upon receiving the letter. In an act of dedication, he quotes Josefina’s favorite song of his, “Lass mich allein in meinen Träumen geh’n” (“Leave me to walk alone in my dreams”), in the Adagio second movement. The Adagio also contains a discreet funeral march with a triplet figure in the horns under the cantabile theme. The contemplative mood of the ending, too, is in reverence to her memory. One month after Dvořák returned home, Josefina died.

But despite the sad circumstances surrounding much of its creation (or perhaps owing to the depth of the emotions experienced during that time), the premiere of the work in London in 1896, with the composer at the podium, was a huge success. Much like Dvořák’s experience with the Herbert concerto in Brooklyn, Johannes Brahms himself (not usually one to give high praise to other composers), was genuinely impressed; writing in a congratulatory letter to Dvořák, “How could I not have known that one can write a cello concerto like this? If I had known, I would have written one long ago!”

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

Yo-Yo Ma has made two recordings of the Dvořák Cello Concerto. Lorin Maazel conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in his first, released in 1986. Kurt Masur conducted the New York Philharmonic in the 1995 recording, which also features the rarely heard Second Cello Concerto of Victor Herbert, thus pairing two cello concertos composed in America. Both recordings are on Sony Classical, and both communicate the joy in Yo-Yo Ma's performance heard at this concert.

Rainbow Body by Christopher Theofanidis and Appalachian Spring by Copland have both been recorded by Robert Spano with the Atlanta Symphony and are coupled together on the same disc released by Telarc.

Only a few seats remain! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Yo-Yo Ma

Tue, 20 May 2025 13:29:43 GMT

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs Dvořák's Cello Concerto

May 31 at 5:00PM

Background: Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.

Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.

Yo-Yo is an advocate for a future guided by humanity, trust, and understanding. Among his many roles, Yo-Yo is a United Nations Messenger of Peace, the first artist ever appointed to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees, a member of the board of Nia Tero, the US-based nonprofit working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and movements worldwide, and the founder of the global music collective Silkroad.

His discography of more than 120 albums (including 19 Grammy Award winners) ranges from iconic renditions of the Western classical canon to recordings that defy categorization, such as “Hush” with Bobby McFerrin and the “Goat Rodeo Sessions” with Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile. Yo-Yo’s recent releases include “Six Evolutions,” his third recording of Bach’s cello suites, and “Beethoven for Three: Symphony No. 4 and Op. 97 ‘Archduke,’” the third in a new series of Beethoven recordings with pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Leonidas Kavakos. Yo-Yo’s latest album, “Merci,” with pianist Kathryn Stott, features the music of Gabriel Fauré, following the arcs of Fauré’s inspiration and influence in a deeply personal expression of gratitude for the relationships that make music magic.

Yo-Yo was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age four and three years later moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies at the Juilliard School before pursuing a liberal arts education at Harvard. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Kennedy Center Honors (2011), the Polar Music Prize (2012), and the Birgit Nilsson Prize (2022). He has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration.

Yo-Yo and his wife have two children. He plays three instruments: a 2003 instrument made by Moes & Moes, a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice, and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

Only a few seats left! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Robert Spano

Mon, 19 May 2025 14:00:08 GMT

Principal Conductor Robert Spano conducts 2025 ANNUAL GALA CONCERT WITH YO-YO MA

May 31 at 5:00PM

Background: Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. Spano has been Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since August 2022 and will continue there through July 2031; this follows his tenure as Principal Guest Conductor with FWSO, which began in 2019. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912. In February 2024, Spano was appointed Music Director of the Washington National Opera, beginning in the 2025–2026 season, for a three-year term; he is currently the WNO's Music Director Designate. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students and young performers; he also directs the Aspen Conducting Academy, which offers participants unparalleled training and valuable podium experience. After twenty seasons as Music Director with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he now serves as Music Director Laureate. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School in 2024, and will transition to Principal Guest Conductor in 2025-2026 following the appointment of their new Music Director.

During the 2024–2025 season — Spano’s third as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony — he leads six weeks of symphonic programming, conducting works including Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman in concert, and a world premiere by Jake Heggie, in addition to shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. In the Fall of 2024, Spano led his first performances as WNO’s Music Director Designate, including a new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio . Additional highlights of the 2024–2025 season included a two-week residency with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, his first appearances as Principal Conductor with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and engagements with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony.

Spano made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019, leading the US premiere of Marnie by American composer Nico Muhly. Recent concert highlights have included several world-premiere performances, including The Sacrifice of Isaac by Jonathan Leshnoff with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Steven Mackey’s Aluminum Flowers and James Ra’s Te Deum with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland by Brian Raphael Nabors with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Voy a Dormir by Bryce Dessner at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor.

With a discography of critically acclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy™ Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is a recipient of the Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities and is one of two classical musicians inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Tickets start at $60! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' "A German Requiem"

Tue, 06 May 2025 13:26:10 GMT

On May 10, conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SPANO CONDUCTS BRAHMS' REQUIEM with Providence Singers, soprano Jessica Rivera and baritone Will Liverman.

Title : A German Requiem , op.45

Composer : Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed May 5, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Elizabeth Weigle and Randall Scarlata. In addition to a chorus, a solo soprano and a solo baritone, this piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story: When Brahms was 21 years old, he attempted to write his first symphony. It was a disaster. He suffered from extreme insecurity and a fear that nothing he could ever write would be a worthy successor to the symphonies of Beethoven. So he shelved the work until, a few years later, he decided to use parts of it in his First Piano Concerto. But this concerto was such a flop with contemporary audiences that he gave up writing largescale orchestra works altogether.

It took the death of both Brahms’ mother, Christiane, and his beloved mentor, Robert Schumann, to shake Brahms out of his self-doubt. He was determined to write a requiem for chorus and orchestra that would adequately reflect the magnitude of emotions he felt at the time. From the outset, it was to be a work of grand proportions and unprecedented originality. The title "A German Requiem" signals right away that this is a different sort of piece. This is not the requiem of Roman Catholic tradition, sung in Latin. Rather it is a requiem that draws from an assemblage of biblical texts focused on spiritual healing, sung in colloquial German. In this way, Brahms offers us a requiem designed to give comfort to the living, instead of a prescribed prayer for the departed. At its premiere in 1868, Brahms finally found the triumph he sought. His Requiem not only achieved great international success, but also triggered a shift in maturity that was to mark Brahms’ work and career from then on.

Neither a mass nor strictly an oratorio, Brahms’ Requiem is a unique creation divided into seven movements. Over the course of these movements, the listener is taken on a search for enlightenment, beginning with the mourning process and ending with an ultimate promise of eternal peace. But it is the journey that fulfills us, not its destination.

The score includes prominent roles for soprano and baritone soloists as well as chorus. Robert Spano, whose long career has been deeply steeped in opera, is known for imbuing his interpretations of this watershed work with great drama and a wide-ranging sound. He takes care to illuminate all of its beautiful textures, from the intensely introspective (such as “All is flesh is as the Grass” in movement two) to the gloriously radiant (such as the soprano solo in movement five) until finally the music dies away on its opening word, “ selig ” (“blessed”), meaning that the dead are blessed, not in Paradise, but in the hearts of the living.

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

If there can be a definitive recording of Brahms' German Requiem, that distinction might go to Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Orchestra in their classic 1961 recording (linked below.) Herbert von Karajan recorded it no less than four times. All are beautiful, but his mid-1970's recording (EMI/Warner) has the finest singing by Jose van Dam and Anna Tomowa-Sintow.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915"

Tue, 06 May 2025 13:25:59 GMT

Title : Knoxville: Summer of 1915 , op.24

Composer : Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed May 9, 1998 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Diane Alexander. In addition to a solo soprano, this piece is scored for piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, trumpet, harp and strings.

The Story: Samuel Barber’s homage to a simpler time in America is well known to both Robert Spano and Jessica Rivera. Last performed by them both together for Maestro Spano’s final concert as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony, Barber’s dreamy and nostalgic Knoxville: Summer of 1915 recounts the sights, sounds, and musings of a young boy as he lays on the grass on a lazy summer evening, surrounded by family. Ms. Rivera’s warm, full-bodied voice, coupled with her expressively subtle facial expressions, perfectly capture the sense of a child’s wonderment, as well as the depth of meaning of James Agee’s original text.

In the lingering Tennessee light, the boy observes stars, sparks on a streetcar (achieved by the unusual effect of pizzicati glissando in the lower strings), “people in pairs” walking down the sidewalk, and subdued talk about “nothing in particular.” The music’s structure, described by Barber as a “lyric rhapsody,” closely follows the free flow of Agee’s prose. A rocking triple meter invites us into the dreamlike world of the piece, as instrumental lines emerge and converse, from the pastorale serenity of the oboe to the plaintive call of the horn. At times the music shimmers with an Americana reminiscent of the opening chords of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring . A central section follows the inherent drama of the musings to a stirring climax, before settling back into a reprise of the opening. But rather than end with a rosy sense of contentment, the young narrator leaves us with an unsettling, unexplained observation: his family “will not ever tell me who I am.”

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

Barber's Knoxville was sung with great tenderness by Eleanor Steber in her classic recording of the 1950's (linked below.)

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis"

Thu, 01 May 2025 13:20:11 GMT

Title : Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Composer : Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed May 21, 2022 with Bramwell Tovey conducting. This piece is scored for string quartet and double string orchestra.
The Story: Arguably Britain’s most prolific and influential composer of the first half of the 20th century, Vaughan Williams was at home in most musical genres. He composed dozens of works that are part of the core repertory of British music of the last century, including nine symphonies.

From his earliest days as a rising composer, Vaughan Williams surrounded himself with great musicians, including Maurice Ravel, Leopold Stokowski, and Gustav Holst. It was with Holst that Vaughan Williams loved to explore the English countryside, tracking down whatever bits of folksong they could find, so as to transcribe them and preserve them for posterity (if you’ve ever been a high school band student in America, you’ve most certainly played his English Folksong Suite ). Vaughan Williams also loved the rich tradition of sacred music in England, particularly anything from the Renaissance. This is what led him, early in his career, to pen what would become one of his most beloved compositions: the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis . Tallis, one of the most important of English composers of the Tudor era, served under English monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. It was the latter who, in 1567, gave Tallis permission to publish a collection of polyphonic settings of Psalm tunes.

Three and a half centuries later, Vaughan Williams chose the third one of these settings as the basis for his own composition. The tune’s original title is simply “Third Mode Melody,” which refers to it being in the Phrygian church mode. Not major, and not minor, but somewhere mysteriously in between. Written for strings, alone, the composer divides the orchestra into three groups of varying sizes, thus providing some interesting textural changes. The main tune is heard several times, but Vaughan Williams freely develops various elements of the melody to create a “fantasy,” which was, in fact, a very common practice in the Renaissance. The resulting blend of Renaissance melodies and harmonies with a 20th-century aesthetic is intriguingly timeless.

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

Robert Spano has recorded this piece on Telarc (linked below), and there are also notable recordings with Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Adrian Boult, and Leopold Stokowski (all on EMI/Warner.)

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Will Liverman

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:29:25 GMT

Baritone Will Liverman performs BRAHMS' REQUIEM
May 10, 2025 at 7:30PM

Background: Called “a voice for this historic moment” ( Washington Post ), GRAMMY Award-winning baritone Will Liverman is the recipient of the 2022 Beverly Sills Artist Award and the co-creator of The Factotum – “mic-drop fabulous good” ( Opera News ) – which premiered at the Lyric Opera Chicago in 2023.

Following summer 2024 appearances at the BBC Proms in Britten’s War Requiem , Sibelius’s The Origin of Fire and Scriabian's Prometheus, Poem of Fire led by Andris Nelsons at Tanglewood, and Aspen Music Festival’s Opera Benefit, Liverman reprised the iconic role of Papageno in the Metropolitan Opera’s holiday presentation of The Magic Flute , returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Marcello in La bohème , and joined Dutch National Opera for another season, this time as Ned Keene in Peter Grimes . He makes his house debut during the 2024/2025 season at San Francisco Opera also portraying Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème .

Concert engagements include Kaija Saariaho’s Sombre at Carnegie Hall with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Carmina Burana with the San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra led by Sir Antonio Pappano, works by Burleigh, Vaughan Williams, and Still at The Concertgebouw, works by Schubert, Burleigh, and Larsen with the Oxford International Song Festival, Brahms’ Requiem with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Shawn Okpebholo’s Two Black Churches and Orff’s Carmina Burana with Oakland Symphony, a song cycle of his own compositions at National Sawdust, New York Festival of Song at Kaufman Music Center, and String Theory at the Hunter.

Recording projects include Liverman’s Show Me The Way (Cedille Records, 2024), a celebration of American song, nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers (Cedille Records, 2021), nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, The Dunbar/Moore Sessions - Volume I (Lexicon Classics, 2023), a collection of original art song composed, played, and sung by Liverman himself, and Whither Must I Wander (Odradek Records, 2020), named one of the Chicago Tribune ’s “best classical recordings of 2020.”

Liverman is an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and was a Glimmerglass Festival Young Artist. He holds degrees from The Juilliard School (M.M.) and Wheaton College in Illinois (B.M.).

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Jessica Rivera

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:51:50 GMT

Soprano Jessica Rivera performs BRAHMS' REQUIEM
May 10, 2025 at 7:30PM

Background: GRAMMY® Award-winning soprano Jessica Rivera “has established herself as a singer of uncommon vocal luster and musical intelligence” ( San Francisco Classical Review ). The dimension and spirituality with which she infuses her performances on international concert and opera stages has garnered Ms. Rivera unique artistic collaborations with many of today’s most celebrated composers, including John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jonathan Leshnoff, Nico Muhly, and Paola Prestini, and has brought her together with such esteemed conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, James Conlon, Robert Spano, Markus Stenz, Bernard Haitink, Teddy Abrams, and Michael Tilson Thomas.

A champion of new music, Rivera recently gave the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s The Right of Your Senses alongside the National Children’s Chorus and the American Youth Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall. A major voice in the rich culture of Latin American music and composers, Rivera recently performed in Antonio Lysy’s Te Amo Argentina at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica in May 2023. She has also sung Gabriela Lena Frank’s Conquest Requiem in its premiere with the Houston Symphony, and later with the Nashville Symphony and Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Recent orchestral highlights include Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos with the Minnesota Orchestra, Gabriela Lena Frank’s La Centinela y la Paloma with the Aspen Philharmonic, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 at the Grand Teton Music Festival and with the Detroit Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Louisville Orchestra and the San Diego Symphony. She has sung Mahler’s Fourth with Colombia’s Orquestra Filarmónica de Bogotá, Strauss’s Orchesterlieder with Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, the role of Eileen in Bernstein’s Wonderful Town with Seattle Symphony, and Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Rivera has worked closely with John Adams throughout her career and received international praise portraying Kumudha in the world premiere of A Flowering Tree directed by Peter Sellars at Vienna’s New Crowned Hope Festival. Rivera made her European operatic debut as Kitty Oppenheimer in Sellars’s production of Adams’s Doctor Atomic with the Netherlands Opera and joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for its production of Doctor Atomic under the direction of Alan Gilbert.

Ms. Rivera made her Santa Fe Opera debut in the summer of 2005 as Nuria in the world premiere of the revised edition of Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar . She reprised the role for the 2007 GRAMMY® Award-winning Deutsche Grammophon recording of the work with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano.

Rivera’s extensive discography includes releases on the Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch, Naxos, Telarc, Urtext, VIA Records, Opus Arte, CSO Resound, and ASO Media labels. Ms. Rivera serves on the vocal faculty at Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Robert Spano

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:42:43 GMT

Principal Conductor Robert Spano conducts BRAHMS' REQUIEM

May 10 at 7:30PM

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 (Organ)

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:09:03 GMT

On April 12, conductor Radu Paponiu and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY with violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

Title : Symphony No.3, op.78, in C minor (Organ)

Composer : Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed October 14, 2017 with Eckart Preu conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, organ, piano and strings.

The Story: “You ask for the symphony: you don’t know what you ask. It will be terrifying,” said Camille Saint-Saëns to the leadership of the London Philharmonic Society, who had just commissioned him for a new symphony. “There will be much in the way of experiment in this terrible thing.”

In 1886, when Saint-Saëns received the commission offer, the symphony as a form was starting to show its age. A new wave of enthusiasm for opera was engulfing Europe, and Saint-Saëns saw this commission as an opportunity to “renew the symphonic form.”

One way in which he did this was to jettison the traditional four-movement format for a leaner two-movement structure. In light of the fact that Saint-Saëns dedicated this symphony to his friend Franz Liszt, this choice makes perfect sense. Listz’s greatest contribution to music is the tone poem, a full-length work defined by a single, compelling narrative arc. Saint-Saëns uses this concept as a source of inspiration here, taking the listener on a clear journey from the opening movement’s agitated, rustling violin theme (which recurs throughout the symphony) to the thrilling apotheosis of the organ finale.

In addition to the innovative musical architecture, Saint-Saëns made a few tweaks to the makeup of the orchestra itself. A celebrated organist himself, Saint-Saëns decided to add both the “king of instruments” and not one but two pianists (at one instrument) to an already large orchestra.

Listen for the strings and timpani in the second movement as they seem to foreshadow impending doom, followed by what Saint-Saëns refers to as “a fantastic spirit” with “arpeggios and scales, swift as lightning, on the piano … accompanied by the syncopated rhythm of the orchestra.” This “fantastic spirit” then engages in a struggle with the more diabolical elements, now heard as a restless fugue in the low brass, until, like a sudden burst of sunshine, the organ unleashes its undeniable power with a magnificent C major chord. This deus ex machina then ushers in wave after wave of contrapuntal inventiveness, giving each family of instruments, from strings to winds to brasses, a chance to shine until the symphony reaches its breathless ending. “With it, I have given all I could give,” Saint-Saëns said of this third and final symphony. “What I did, I could not achieve again.”

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

Saint-Saëns "Organ" Symphony roars throughout Symphony Hall with Charles Münch and the Boston Symphony (linked below.) Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra recorded the work several times, but the final version with Michael Murray (Telarc) will shake the floorboards of any listening room and provoke shouting matches with neighbors. It's that well recorded.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Billy Childs' Violin Concerto No.2

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 14:48:51 GMT

On April 12, conductor Radu Paponiu and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY with violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

Title : Violin Concerto No.2

Composer : Billy Childs (1957- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano doubling celesta, harp and strings.

The Story: For Billy Childs, style is a very fluid term. Immersed in everything from jazz to classical to pop from a very young age in his hometown of Los Angeles, his early successes came from being one of the hottest jazz pianists on the scene there. As a result, it didn’t take long for legends of the genre, such as Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and Wynton Marsalis, to discover him and include him on countless tours and award-winning recording projects. But as a composer, he has always looked for ways to blur lines and break down barriers, including social ones. In 2020, when violin virtuoso and champion of Black composers Rachel Barton Pine approached him with a new commission offer, he felt compelled to address the existential threat which COVID presented for humanity, and to use music as a tool for human connection in the midst of the dehumanizing new reality of “social distancing.”

The first musical idea to come to him was the angular language and dense texture that eventually became the third movement. While there is anger here, there is also a resilience that speaks to personal triumph. From there, his mood naturally gravitated towards a sense of grief or sadness, followed by a sense of acceptance and even joy. Stepping back and looking at the entire work objectively, it became clear that the piece had presented itself to him backwards. So he rearranged the order and aptly titled their movements: I. Romance/Rejoice, II. Remorse, III. Resilience.

As Childs describes it, the violin is the voice of the piece, “describing each sentiment through melodic shapes.” The orchestra, on the other hand, is used as a foil that allows for expanded dialogue, sometimes in the form of jazzy interplay, sometimes in the form of heartfelt contemplation. Listen for many wonderful and surprising moments such as a long solo cadenza punctuated by big brass interjections, an impassioned duet between the featured soloist and a solo cello, drum explosions, jazz piano interludes, impossibly florid twists and turns in the solo violin answered by a manic frenzy in the orchestra, and soul-searching moments of near or complete silence.

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gabriela Ortiz's "Kauyumari"

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:27:21 GMT

On April 12, conductor Radu Paponiu and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY with violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

Title : Kauyumari

Composer : Gabriela Ortiz (1964- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: In the words of the composer:

"Among the Huichol people of Mexico, Kauyumari means “blue deer.” The blue deer represents a spiritual guide, one that is transformed through an extended pilgrimage into a hallucinogenic cactus called peyote. It allows the Huichol to communicate with their ancestors, do their bidding, and take on their role as guardians of the planet. Each year, these Native Mexicans embark on a symbolic journey to “hunt” the blue deer, making offerings in gratitude for having been granted access to the invisible world, through which they also are able to heal the wounds of the soul.

When I received the commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to compose a piece that would reflect on our return to the stage following the pandemic, I immediately thought of the blue deer and its power to enter the world of the intangible as akin to a celebration of the reopening of live music. Specifically, I thought of a Huichol melody sung by the De La Cruz family — dedicated to recording ancestral folklore — that I used for the final movement of my piece, Altar de Muertos (Altar of the Dead), commissioned by the Kronos String Quartet in 1997.

I used this material within the orchestral context and elaborated on the construction and progressive development of the melody and its accompaniment in such a way that it would symbolize the blue deer. This in turn was transformed into an orchestral texture which gradually evolves into a complex rhythm pattern, to such a degree that the melody itself becomes unrecognizable (the imaginary effect of peyote and our awareness of the invisible realm), giving rise to a choral wind section while maintaining an incisive rhythmic accompaniment as a form of reassurance that the world will naturally follow its course.

While composing this piece, I noted once again how music has the power to grant us access to the intangible, healing our wounds and binding us to what can only be expressed through sound.

Although life is filled with interruptions, Kauyumari is a comprehension and celebration of the fact that each of these rifts is also a new beginning."

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Recommended Recordings:

Gustavo Dudamel's performance of Gabriela Ortiz's Kauyumari with the Los Angeles Philharmonic is on most streaming platforms (linked below.)

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Rachel Barton Pine

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:43:42 GMT

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine performs Billy Childs' Violin Concerto No.2

April 12 at 7:30PM

Background: The acclaimed American concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine thrills international audiences with her dazzling technique, lustrous tone, and emotional honesty. With an infectious joy for music-making and a passion for connecting historical research to performance, Pine transforms audiences’ experiences of classical music. She is a leading interpreter of the great classical masterworks and of important contemporary music.

Pine performs with the world’s foremost orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, and the Chicago, Vienna, and Detroit symphony orchestras. She has worked with renowned conductors that include Teddy Abrams, Marin Alsop, Daniel Barenboim, Semyon Bychkov, Neeme Järvi, Christoph Eschenbach, Erich Leinsdorf, Nicholas McGegan, Zubin Mehta, Tito Muñoz, and John Nelson. As a chamber musician, Pine has performed with Jonathan Gilad, Clive Greensmith, Paul Neubauer, Jory Vinikour, William Warfield, Orion Weiss, and the Pacifica and Parker quartets.

Highlights of Pine’s 2024–25 season include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiere of José White’s Violin Concerto in F-sharp Minor with conductor Jonathan Rush, a tour of Israel with the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the world premiere of Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis’ Violin Concerto with the Winnipeg Symphony and conductor Daniel Raiskin, Billy Childs’ Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and conductor Radu Paponiu, and the French premiere of Earl Maneein’s violin concerto Dependent Arising with the Orchestre National de Bretagne and conductor Nicolas Ellis. Over the season, Pine will also perform concertos by Brahms and Sibelius, and music by Wynton Marsalis, Jessie Montgomery, and Mark O’Connor, among other living composers. As a chamber musician, Pine will appear in recitals in Chicago, Phoenix, Kalamazoo, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and Tel Aviv.

In September 2024, Cedille Records released Pine’s new album, Corelli Violin Sonatas, Op. 5, a two-disc set with the 12 sonatas for violin and continuo that constitute the Baroque composer’s opus 5. Pine performs on violin and viola d’amore, holding the violin against her chest, which history suggests is the way Corelli performed (rather than holding it on the collarbone, the way today’s baroque violinists usually do). The different performance style resulted in subtle changes in tempos and timing because of the slightly different use of the left hand and of the bow arm. The approach led to a different tone compared to that of Pine’s 2007 recording of the third sonata with Trio Settecento, featuring John Mark Rozendaal and David Schrader, who join Pine again in the new recording. Rozendaal plays violoncello and viola da gamba and Schrader plays positive organ and harpsichord. Brandon Acker joins the trio on archlute, theorbo, and guitar. Pine improvised all her ornaments, using a historically informed approach.

She performs on the “ex-Bazzini, ex-Soldat” Joseph Guarnerius “del Gesù” (Cremona 1742), on lifetime loan from her anonymous patron.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Radu Paponiu

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:56:25 GMT

Radu Paponiu conducts SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY

April 12 at 7:30PM

Background: Radu Paponiu was recently appointed Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, beginning his tenure in September 2024. Radu is currently Associate Conductor of the Naples Philharmonic, and Music Director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and has previously served as Music Director of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor, Radu has appeared with Romanian National Radio Symphony, Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra, Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra, Banatul Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, California Young Artists Symphony, and National Repertory Orchestra. Radu has collaborated with notable soloists such as Evgeny Kissin, Yefim Bronfman, Midori, Vladimir Feltsman, Robert Levin, Charles Yang, Nancy Zhou, Stella Chen, and the Ébène Quartet. As cover conductor, Radu has worked with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and he has assisted conductors including Andrey Boreyko, Iván Fischer, Fabio Luisi, Stéphane Denève, Hans Graf, Donald Runnicles, Cristian Măcelaru, Bernard Labadie and Ludovic Morlot. Radu has served on the conducting faculty of the Juilliard Pre-College, as well as conductor for the Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard in Shanghai, China, and the Southeast Asia Music Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Radu completed his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Hugh Wolff. While in Boston, Radu was also conductor apprentice with the Handel and Haydn Society. In the summer of 2017, Radu was appointed assistant conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado, as well as conducting fellow for the Cabrillo Festival Workshop in California. Radu participated in the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School as the recipient of both the Albert Tipton Aspen Fellowship and the David A. Karetsky Memorial Fellowship. In Aspen, Radu furthered his studies under the guidance of Robert Spano, Larry Rachleff, Leonard Slatkin, Patrick Summers and Federico Cortese.

Radu began his musical studies on the violin at age 7, studying privately with Carmen Runceanu and Ștefan Gheorghiu. After coming to the United States at the invitation of the Perlman Music Program, Radu completed two degrees in violin performance under the guidance of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. As a soloist and chamber musician, Radu has appeared in festivals throughout Europe and North America, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Clive Greensmith, Martin Beaver, Merry Peckham and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.

In his spare time, he enjoys chamber music reading parties, fishing, biking and playing tennis.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony"

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:28:23 GMT

On March 14 & 15, conductor Aram Demirjian and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RHAPSODY IN BLUE with pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Title : Negro Folk Symphony

Composer: William Dawson (1899-1990)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Like Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Brahms, and other great composers before him, William Levi Dawson was a master at transforming folk music into high art through the wonder of a symphony orchestra. This was just one of many fulfillments of Antonín Dvořák’s prophecy when, after spending three years as the director of the National Conservatory of Music at the end of the 19th century, the esteemed Czech composer said “I am now satisfied that the future music of this country must be founded upon what are called Negro melodies. This must be the real foundation of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States.”

Renowned conductor Leopold Stokowski also recognized this fact early on and, in November 1934, conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in four performances of Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony , making Dawson the third African-American composer to have a symphony premiered by a major American orchestra (William Grant Still had been the first, and Florence Price was the second). The Negro Folk Symphony was such a hit with audiences that it earned a standing ovation every time it was performed; Black and White critics alike penned glowing reviews; and one of the concerts was broadcast nationwide on the radio.

In his own words, Dawson was justly proud and unapologetic of his symphony. “I’ve not tried to imitate Beethoven or Brahms, Franck or Ravel—but to be just myself, a Negro,” he remarked in a 1932 interview. “To me, the finest compliment that could be paid my symphony … is that it unmistakably is not the work of a White man. I want the audience to say: ‘Only a Negro could have written that.’”

One might imagine that such a bold and beloved work would quickly find its way into regular rotation in American concert halls, and that such acclaim would usher in a new era of inclusivity; but, sadly, such was not the case. Within a few years, only Still’s symphony would enjoy the rare performance, while those of Price and Dawson languished in total obscurity for decades.

Twenty years later, in 1952-53, Dawson realized a lifelong dream by visiting West Africa. The music and rhythms he heard there inspired him to make significant revisions to his symphony upon his return, which is the version most often heard today. But it wasn’t until well into the 21st century that this important work was rediscovered by both orchestras and audiences alike.

In his program notes from the 1934 performances, Dawson alerts the listener to his use of three spirituals, known to him since childhood: “Oh, My Little Soul Gwine Shine Like a Star,” “O Le’ Me Shine,” and “Hallelujah, Lord, I Been Down into the Sea.” These melodies provide the foundations for both the work’s form and its texture, and are so deftly woven into the fabric of the music that they don’t come across as “quotes” at all.

There are important symbolic moments in the work as well. “A link was taken out of a human chain when the first African was taken from the shores of his native land and sent to slavery,” said Dawson. “The solemn motive of the Introduction, first sounded by the horn, symbolizes this ‘missing link.’” This motive can be heard throughout the symphony, sometimes heroic or foreboding, sometimes fleeting, but always providing a connecting thread that helps the symphony tell its unique story.

Recommended Recordings:

The Dawson Negro Folk Symphony had its best recording over 60 years ago with the American Symphony Orchestra and Leopold Stokowski (linked below), who gave the world premiere of the work nearly 30 years earlier.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:58:16 GMT

On March 14 & 15, conductor Aram Demirjian and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RHAPSODY IN BLUE with pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Title : Rhapsody in Blue

Composer : George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed October 20, 2018 with Bramwell Tovey conducting and soloist Aaron Diehl. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, three horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, three saxophones, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: On January 4, 1924, Ira Gershwin showed his brother George a news report in the New York Tribune about an upcoming concert, put together by jazz bandleader Paul Whiteman, “tracing the history of jazz.” The report concluded with the words: “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto.” This was certainly news to Gershwin, who was then in rehearsals for the Broadway show, Sweet Little Devil. Gershwin contacted Whiteman to refute the Tribune article, but Whiteman eventually talked Gershwin into taking the job. A month later, the world experienced Rhapsody in Blue for the first time.

During that short month, Gershwin found inspiration for the new piece on a train ride from New York to Boston: “It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattlety-bang that is often so stimulating to a composer. . . . And there I suddenly heard—and even saw on paper—the complete construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to end. . . . I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America—of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece.”

Like most rhapsodies, this work is largely freeform, with much of the solo piano part written so as to sound like it is being improvised on the spot. “Blue” refers to his masterful blending of blues and jazz elements into an orchestra context. The result is an exciting, fast-paced piece that could only have been written in America.

Incidentally, the iconic opening clarinet glissando (a slide from a low pitch to a high one) which has been used in countless commercials, films and radio programs since the 1920s, was not originally part of Gershwin’s concept for the piece. During a warm-up before rehearsal one day, he happened to hear Whiteman’s clarinetist Ross Gorman play one and was so taken by it that he immediately decided to add it in. Ironically, it has now become the most recognizable aspect of the piece.

Recommended Recordings:

There are several recordings of Rhapsody in Blue to explore. There is Gershwin's own recording with Paul Whiteman and his band from 1924, shortly after their premiere of the work in the original Jazz Band arrangement (RCA/Sony Classical.) Michael Tilson Thomas also conjured a stereo recording with Gershwin by matching his accompaniment to Gershwin's early piano rolls. The piano part of the full orchestra version, heard this month, is identical to the early jazz band version, and both were orchestrated by Ferde Grofe (of Grand Canyon Suite fame.) There are many fine stereo versions, particularly the Boston Pops and Arthur Fiedler version with the great American pianist Earl Wild (linked below.) Poking around YouTube will also lead you to a much earlier Earl Wild performance with Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony. Sitting in for the clarinet lick that begins the piece is none other than an uncredited Benny Goodman.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Peter Boyer's "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue"

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 14:53:59 GMT

On March 14 & 15, conductor Aram Demirjian and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RHAPSODY IN BLUE with pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Title : Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue

Composer : Peter Boyer (1970- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: After enjoying a successful premiere by the Utah Symphony in June 2023, Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue , went on a nationwide tour. By June of 2027, it will have been performed by professional orchestras in all 50 states, including a recording by the London Symphony Orchestra. No concerto has ever reached such a milestone in such a short period of time.

This evening’s soloist, Jeffrey Biegel, commissioned Rhode Island composer Peter Boyer to compose a new work in celebration of the centennial of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue . “Having long admired Jeffrey Biegel’s virtuoso piano technique, beautiful sound, and his indefatigable efforts to bring new American music into the world,” said Boyer as he launched into the project, “I’m delighted that he has invited me to be part of [this]. Though of course it’s daunting for any American composer to attempt to compose a work which might stand alongside Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue , Jeffrey’s confidence and boundless energy embolden me to give it my best efforts. No doubt it will be a thrilling challenge to undertake the creation of this new work.”

“In addition to my love for the classic repertoire,” added Biegel, “much of my life has been devoted to cultivating new music for piano and orchestra by American composers.” After conceiving the idea for the Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue project, Boyer, whose music has become widely respected in America and abroad, seemed a natural choice for composer. “His musical vocabulary and sensibilities are perfect for this. My hope is to offer orchestras the opportunity to herald the birth of a new work while celebrating the anniversary of an American classic.”

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Ives's Fugue (from Symphony No.4)

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:07:00 GMT

On March 14 & 15, conductor Aram Demirjian and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RHAPSODY IN BLUE with pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Title : Symphony No.4: Fugue ( From Greenland's Icy Mountains )

Composer : Charles Ives (1874-1954)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, clarinet, horn, trombone, timpani and strings.

The Story:

"The Fourth Symphony...is one of the greatest symphonies ever penned. It is the great American symphony that our critics and conductors have cried out for, and yet the symphony has remained unperformed..." - Bernard Herrmann

Having composed some of the best film scores Hollywood ever produced (from Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver , and almost every single Hitchcock film), Bernard Hermann knew a thing or two about great music. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Ives' Fourth Symphony did not receive its premiere as a complete work until the American Symphony Orchestra performed it at Carnegie Hall, under the baton of Leopold Stokowski, in 1965 – nearly five decades after it was written and 11 years after Ives had died. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated story for Ives and his music.

Generally revered for its brilliance today, Ives’ music is the product of deeply rooted philosophical and spiritual convictions. His compositions reflect an unwavering faith in the common man, and are often meant to celebrate the disparate cultures, beliefs and customs of America. But he did so with an unruly aesthetic that tended to shun romanticism for its own sake, seeking instead to capture the reality of the lived American experiences with arresting clarity.

The fugue from his Fourth Symphony is a perfect example of this. Based on the congregational hymn "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," it sidesteps established musical rules, but does not abandon them altogether. Here and there we find unexpected pauses, a few wayward harmonies, some gentle dissonances, and a climactic trombone that seemingly comes out of nowhere with the theme from Handel's "Joy to the World." Ives, himself, called it "an expression of the reaction of life into formalism and ritualism."

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Jeffrey Biegel

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:08:40 GMT

Pianist Jeffrey Biegel performs Peter Boyer's "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue," & Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

March 14 at 6:30PM & March 15 at 7:30PM

Background: Considered one of the world's most prolific pianists, Jeffrey Biegel, respected for his incomparable interpretations of standard repertoire, continues to make history by commissioning more than 25 works for piano and orchestra by living composers. In November 2024, Mr. Biegel's recording of Jake Runestad's Dreams of the Fallen with True Concord Voices and Orchestra on the Reference Recordings® label, received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Choral Performance, a work reflecting lives of surviving veterans, poems by Iraq War veteran, Brian Turner. Mr. Biegel's life takes its roots from age three, barely able to hear nor speak, until corrected by surgery. The 'reverse Beethoven' phenomenon explains his lifelong commitment to music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years. Recent premieres include Jim Stephenson's Piano Concerto, Daniel Perttu's A Planets Odyssey for piano and orchestra, Farhad Poupel's The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh for piano, orchestra and chorus, and Christopher Marshall's Thanksgiving Variations on We Gather Together . The 50-state 'Rhapsody National Initiative' was launched with the World Premiere by the Utah Symphony with Peter Boyer's Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue , followed with the World Premiere recording with the London Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos Records label. The 2024-25 season brings Mr. Biegel to the Pacific Symphony with Music Director Carl St. Clair for the World Premiere of Adolphus Hailstork's Concerto no. 3, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in fall 2025 for the World Premiere of James Lee III's Concerto in A celebrating the centennial of George Gershwin's Concerto in F. On the horizon is Melissa Manchester's AWAKE! for piano and orchestra, date tba.

Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Mr. Biegel in 2015, for his achievements in performance, recordings, chamber music, champion of new music, composer, arranger and educator. In 2019, Kenneth Fuchs's Piano Concerto: Spiritualist with the London Symphony Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, featuring Mr. Biegel as its soloist. In 2019, the first digital recordings were released on Mr. Biegel's Naturally Sharp label: Cyberecital: An Historic Recording, A Pianist's Journey , and the September 2021 release of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue 1924 version with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Bruce Kiesling conducting.

He studied at The Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, herself a pupil of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, and is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Aram Demirjian

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:32:51 GMT

Aram Demirjian conducts RHAPSODY IN BLUE

March 14 at 6:30PM & March 15 at 7:30PM

Background: Winner of the 2020 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from The Solti Foundation U.S., conductor Aram Demirjian has built a reputation as an insightful interpreter of the symphonic repertoire and drawn praise for his “rejuvenating” ( Washington Post ) leadership as Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (KSO). Widely considered an engaging, “even electric” ( San Francisco Classical Voice ) presence on the podium, he is sought after for his “graceful, energetic direction” ( Sarasota Herald Tribune ), dynamic programs that broaden the idea of what one can expect to see on the symphonic stage, and distinctive ability to speak to, cultivate, and connect with audiences.

As the eighth Music Director of the KSO, Aram has led the orchestra to new artistic heights and national distinction for its achievements. A devoted champion of American music, Aram has grown the ensemble’s repertoire through bold programming with broad audience appeal, particularly emphasizing music by living composers, artists from underrepresented groups, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Notable upcoming projects in the 2024/25 season and beyond include a KSO-commissioned concerto for West African drums and orchestra by Derrick Skye, featuring the Knoxville-based drum ensemble Indigenous Vibes, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring Appalachian Ballet Company, participation in the League of American Orchestra’s Toulmin Orchestral Commissions Program for the second time, and large-scale works including Mahler's Fifth and Carmina burana .

With his notable passion for oratorio repertoire, Aram is increasingly in demand for his interpretation of Handel's Messiah , which he has led in recent years in Knoxville and as guest conductor with the Kansas City Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and Seattle Symphony, where he recently made his debut. Further guest conducting engagements in the 24/25 calendar include a debut with the Utah Symphony on the Deer Valley Music Festival, and subscription debuts with the Florida Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Billings Symphony.

In addition to being honored with the 2020 Solti Award, Aram also received the 2017 and 2019 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards, a 2018 Solti Foundation U.S. Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the 2011 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize from the Aspen Music Festival, where he was a three-time Conducting Fellow in the Aspen Conducting Academy. From 2012 to 2016, he served as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony.

The proud child of an immigrant family, Aram is American-born and of Armenian descent. He holds a joint Bachelor of Arts in Music and Government from Harvard University, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from New England Conservatory. A native of the Boston area, he currently resides in Knoxville with his wife, Caraline, their baby daughter, Ani, and their goldendoodle, Kermit.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances"

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:09:04 GMT

On February 14 & 15, conductor Anna Handler and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BOLÉRO with pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Experimentation has always been a wellspring of creativity for composers. Great composers are rarely content to fall back on formulas that they've already proven to be successful, opting instead for a new approach or perspective that keeps the creative juices flowing. This is more than evident in the three bold pieces slated for performance this month.

Ravel himself called his Boléro "an experiment . . . consisting wholly of orchestral texture . . . one long, very gradual crescendo." And when the crescendo reaches its breaking point, Ravel makes a huge and unexpected harmonic leap. This immense build up and shock leave us breathless, realizing that we have just experienced what was once a radical challenge to the most basic assumptions of Western concert music.

Rachmaninoff, who had build his reputation on an unparalleled gift for romantic melodies, sly harmonies, saturated colors, and a penchant for the occasional Dies Irae , broke a compositional slump towards the end of his life to give us a decidedly modern treatment of these gifts. His Symphonic Dances , although originally intended for ballet, is today one of the greatest tours de force for orchestra. The result surprised even him. "I don't know how it happened," he remarked. "It must have been my last spark."

Jessie Montgomery is a name well known to Providence music lovers. She devoted her early career to performing and teaching for community organizations here, and any appearance of her music on a local concert stage is a cause for celebration. But this month's performance of Rounds is particularly special, as it was this work that earned her the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Written specifically with this month's soloist, Awadagin Pratt, in mind, the work is an exploration of interconnectedness, using musical gestures to examine how seemingly opposites - such as darkness and light, swiftness and stagnation, tension and release - not only can but must coexist simultaneously.

Title : Symphonic Dances

Composer : Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed March 21, 2015 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, alto saxophone, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: Rachmaninoff loved dance. He had dreamt of composing a ballet for the choreographer Michel Fokine (of Les Sylphides, The Firebird , and Petrushka fame) for much of his life, but unfortunately nothing ever came of his early efforts in the realm. Fokine’s first choreography to the music of his friend was, in fact, not a ballet at all, but an interpretation of his popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini , presented in 1939 at Covent Garden under the title Paganini , at which time Rachmaninoff had seemed to stop composing altogether. But in the summer of 1940, the composer found himself in an ideal situation to put pen to manuscript paper once again. He and his family had rented an estate in Long Island, where good friends (including the Fokines, Vladimir and Wanda Horowitz, his former secretary Evgeny Somov, and Alexander Greiner of the Steinway company) lived nearby. There was enough space to allow him to compose undisturbed, which he often did from dawn to till dusk. By August of that year, Rachmaninoff wrote to Eugene Ormandy, the newly minted conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, with which he had already developed a long working relationship: “Last week I finished a new symphonic piece, which I naturally want to give first to you and your orchestra. It is called Fantastic Dances . I shall now begin the orchestration [….] I should be very glad if you would drop over to our place. I should like to play the piece for you.” But he was equally excited by the prospect of sharing the new work with Michel Fokine, in hopes of a second collaboration. Tragically, Fokine died before a second collaboration could take place, and Rachmaninoff mourned not only for a friend, compatriot, and fellow artist, but for an unrealized work as well.

The orchestral premiere of what was now called Symphonic Dances took place in Philadelphia in 1941, to great public acclaim. While a bit more conservative than much of his earlier work, there is still an originality and force of expression that is quintessentially Rachmaninoff here.

The first movement bears the unusual marking of “Non allegro” (not cheerful), and starts with a sinister sounding march. Listen for the ingenious dovetailing of woodwind duets and trios, and particularly the aching saxophone solo. In a surprising move towards the end, Rachmaninoff calls on the piano, harp, glockenspiel, flute, and piccolo to lift the music into a more joyous realm, retaining a playful sparkle until the movement’s close. His creative manipulation of orchestral colors continues in the second movement waltz, placing the listener within a musical house of mirrors that leads inevitably into the dizzying tapestry that is the work’s finale. Here we find dark forces, such as the Gregorian Dies Irae melody from the Mass for the Dead and danses macabres in the strings, which Rachmaninoff vanquishes with triumphant melodies stolen from his own All-Night Vigil of many years earlier. The result leaves the listener both thrilled and breathless.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Jessie Montgomery's "Rounds"

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

On February 14 & 15, conductor Anna Handler and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BOLÉRO with pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Title : Rounds

Composer : Jessie Montgomery (1981- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for strings.

The Story: Composer Jessie Montgomery, who spent time earlier in her career performing and teaching in Providence, has emerged over the past few years as one of the most sought-after composers in the world of classical music. She was named Musical America’s Composer of the Year for 2023, and just last year won her first Grammy - for Rounds . Originally commissioned by the Art of the Piano Foundation, Rounds represents her first major composition featuring solo piano. Her partner in crime, so to speak, was tonight’s soloist, Awadagin Pratt. A self-professed lover of poetry and literature, Pratt chose as a starting point for the composition the following five-line excerpt from the T.S. Eliot poem “Burnt Norton,” from his Four Quartets :

"At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance."

These evocative words, in Pratt’s mind, express “an understanding of a duality that can exist in life,” and, in the process, capture “the manner in which music is heard: its linearity and its potential for entropy in the same moment.”

To translate this concept into musical terms, Montgomery designed a fresh approach to an old form. In the Baroque and Classical periods, the rondo was one of the most popular ways to structure music. A main musical idea comes back again and again, like the chorus of a song, with contrasting material providing intervening episodes. Montgomery describes Rounds as “a rondo within a rondo within a rondo” in five major sections. One of the sections is an improvisational cadenza, allowing the pianist to take the main idea and follow it wherever his or her own muse happens to take it that evening. Others focus on intriguing ideas like “flying in circles patterns,” “playing with opposites,” and “fractals.”

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Ravel's Boléro

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:31:22 GMT

On February 14 & 15, conductor Anna Handler and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BOLÉRO with pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Title : Boléro

Composer : Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic : Last performed April 11, 2015 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes (second doubling oboe d'amore), English horn, two clarinets (second doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, piccolo trumpet, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, two saxophones, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story:

"The piece I am working on will be so popular, even fruit peddlers will whistle it in the street." - Maurice Ravel

From the snare drum’s opening notes, even before the infamous melody begins, Ravel’s Boléro is instantly recognizable. Though originally intended for a ballet in 1928, it was quickly absorbed into popular culture, appearing in everything from films ( 10, Paradise Road, Boléro, Basic , and even the Three Stooges’ Soup to Nuts ) to television ( Doctor Who, Futurama ), to rock and roll (Frank Zappa) to the Olympics (iconic ice dancers Torvill and Dean in 1984). It’s safe to say that Boléro wins the award for being the most seductive and influential composition “without music in it” (Ravel’s words).

Throughout its 15 minutes, two sultry, vaguely Spanish-Arabian tunes are repeated, with essentially no thematic development. Had someone suggested such an idea to Beethoven, he would have called it infantile. But Ravel’s genius comes through in his orchestration. While snare drums tap out a castanet-inspired rhythm that becomes a relentless, compulsive pulse, Ravel takes us on a tour through the entire orchestral ensemble, giving virtually every melodic instrument an opportunity to shed some new light on one of the themes. Along the way, Ravel gradually escalates both the volume and the tension until the music becomes seared into our brain.

What inspired such an unprecedented approach? Possibly a trip to America. Ravel, who loved machines, had a penchant for visiting factories. He loved the “wonderful symphony of travelling belts, whistles and terrific hammer blows which envelop you.” After one such visit in 1905, he remarked “How much music there is in all of this – and I certainly intend to use it.” Thirteen year later, having just received the commission for the ballet that was to become Boléro , he was on a U.S. tour, and surprised his hosts with a request to tour the Ford factory in Detroit. It’s almost certain that the insistent, mechanical rhythms that surrounded him there rekindled the earlier spark. Regardless, there is no question that while the original Boléro dance finds its roots in 18th century Spain, Ravel’s groundbreaking masterwork could not have been written in any other century but the 20th.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Awadagin Pratt

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:07:16 GMT

Pianist Awadagin Pratt performs Jessie Montgomery's "Rounds"

February 14 at 6:30PM & February 15 at 7:30PM

Background: Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances in recital and with symphony orchestras.

Born in Pittsburgh, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano and violin at an early age. At the age of 16 he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school's history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin and conducting.

In 1992, Mr. Pratt won the Naumburg International Piano Competition and two years later was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has played numerous recitals throughout the US including performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. His many orchestral performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, National and Detroit symphonies among many others. Summer festival engagements include appearances at Ravinia, Blossom, Wolftrap, Caramoor, Aspen and the Hollywood Bowl.

Also an experienced conductor, Pratt has conducted programs with the Toledo, New Mexico, Vancouver WA, Winston-Salem and Santa Fe symphonies, the Northwest Sinfonietta, the Concertante di Chicago and several orchestras in Japan. His most recent conducting activities include play/conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, conducting performances of Porgy and Bess with the Greensboro Opera, and conducting a concert featuring the music of jazz great Ornette Coleman with Bang on a Can at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In summer 2023, he began his tenure as the Music Director of the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra in Ohio.

A great believer in working with young people, he has created a program called Black in America during which he tells about his encounters with the police, especially while driving, starting when he was a teenager and continuing through his post graduate studies and into his adulthood. His narrative is interspersed with live music performed by Pratt and students, followed by a panel discussion regarding the state of race in America today. Michelle Bauer Carpenter produced a documentary about Black in America which aired on 90 PBS stations across the country earlier this year.

Mr. Pratt’s recordings for Angel/EMI include A Long Way From Normal, an all Beethoven Sonata CD, Live From South Africa , Transformations and an all Bach disc with the St. Lawrence String Quartet. His most recent recordings are the Brahms Sonatas for Cello and Piano with Zuill Bailey for Telarc and a recording of the music of Judith Lang Zaimont with the Harlem String Quartet.

Awadagin Pratt is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano and produces a festival every spring featuring performances and conversations with well-known pianists and piano faculty members. This spring, he also organized the first Nina Simone Piano Competition for Black Pianists in collaboration with the Cincinnati Symphony, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Art of the Piano Festival. The competition was made possible by a generous grant from the Sphinx Organization.

Also through the Art of the Piano Foundation and inspired by a stanza from T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, Mr. Pratt commissioned seven composers – Jessie Montgomery, Alvin Singleton, Judd Greenstein, Tyshawn Sorey, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Paola Prestini and Peteris Vasks – to compose works for piano and strings or piano, strings and a Roomful of Teeth. Ms. Montgomery’s concerto, Rounds , which Awadagin has played with more than thirty orchestras including the Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Baltimore, Indianapolis and Milwaukee symphonies and The Minnesota Orchestra, won a 2024 Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. All seven works were recorded in summer 2022 with the chamber orchestra A Far Cry for New Amsterdam Records.

In July 2023, Pratt joined the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a Professor of Piano. He was previously a Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati for nineteen years.

In recognition of his achievements in the field of classical music, he has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins University as well as honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music and Illinois Wesleyan and delivered commencement addresses at those institutions as well as at Peabody Conservatory.

Awadagin Pratt is a Yamaha artist. For more information, please visit www.awadagin.com.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Anna Handler

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:18:57 GMT

Anna Handler conducts BOLÉRO!

February 14 at 6:30PM & February 15 at 7:30PM

Background: The German-Colombian conductor and pianist Anna Handler has been performing on stages and in concert halls around the world since graduating from The Juilliard School in May 2023. At Juilliard, she was the first conductor ever to receive the prestigious Kovner Fellowship.

In the 2023/24 season, Handler was a Dudamel Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After her successful concerts with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall, she was immediately invited to return. In September 2024, she began her first season as Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Her debut with the BSO is expected in 2025 at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival. In the 25/26 season, she will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Following her successful debut at the 2022 Salzburg Festival as Music Director of the Kát’a Kabanová for the renowned Opera Camp series, Handler has returned to the Salzburg Festival to conduct Ravel’s L’Enfant etles sortilèges in the 2023 season and Carl Orff’s Die Kluge in the summer of 2024.

Handler’s debuts with internationally renowned orchestras such as the LA Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony mark further highlights of her career to date. She has worked with soloists including Barbara Hannigan, Okka von der Damerau, Sabine Meyer, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Previously, Handler worked as an assistant with renowned conductors such as Kirill Petrenko, including conducting the incidental music from Mazeppa with the Berlin Philharmonic in Baden-Baden. At the Bayerische Staatsoper, she took over the musical direction of the production Eva und Adam , which premiered at the 2019 Munich Opera Festival. The production uses music from Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and was performed by young people from around Munich who came to Germany as refugees.

Handler grew up in Munich and initially studied piano and conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich before continuing her studies at the Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar, the Accademia Pianistica Internazionale di Imola and the Folkwang University of the Arts. She completed her Master’s Degree in Conducting at The Juilliard School in New York in May 2023.

As director of the Ensemble Enigma Classica, which she founded in 2019, Handler works with renowned soloists. She is particularly interested in technology-supported music mediation in real time. Conducting from the piano and chamber music collaborations with violinist Laura Handler are an important part of her musical identity.

Handler received the Rising Star Award from the European Cultural Foundation Europamusicale and is a scholarship holder of the German Foundation for Musical Life. She was also awarded the Maria Ladenburger Prize for Music in cooperation with WDR, the Cusanuswerk Foundation and Deutsche Grammophon.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.3 ("Eroica")

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:20:57 GMT

On January 17 & 18, RI Philharmonic Principal Conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SPANO CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN'S EROICA.

Title: Symphony No.3, op.55, in E-flat major ( Eroica )

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 24, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, three horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: True to its name, the “Eroica” is indeed one of the most heroic feats accomplished by any artist in the last few hundred years. “Once the ‘Eroica’ existed,” says Columbia University Composition Professor Jonathan Kramer, “no subsequent composer could ignore it. The development of 19th-century symphonic music is traceable more to the ‘Eroica’ than to any other single work, and it took composers more than a century to exhaust its implications.”

A decade after the French Revolution – an event which changed European history in a cataclysmic upheaval that was both political and philosophic – Beethoven intended to create a work that appropriately honored such a moment, as well as the man who seemed to embody its ideals, Napoleon Bonaparte. But when Napoleon assumed the title of Emperor in 1804, Beethoven flew into a rage, saying, “He is nothing but an ordinary mortal! He will trample all the rights of men under foot to indulge his ambition….” At that, Beethoven tore the title page in half, threw it to the ground, and forever deleted Napoleon’s name from the original dedication, replacing it with the words “Composed to Celebrate the Memory of a Great Man.”

Musically, we see in Beethoven’s Third Symphony a composer who has experienced extreme hardship (traumatic childhood, romantic rejection, deafness, recurring gastrointestinal and liver ailments, thoughts of suicide) and emerged with a mature and recognizably more spiritual tone to his work.

The first movement of Eroica begins with two bold hammer strokes in the key of E-flat, followed by a familiar theme in the cellos, which pauses, almost before it starts, on an enigmatic C#. This note, which sounds odd to our ears at first, becomes a harbinger of marvels to come, as Beethoven deftly uses it as a pivot point on which to manipulate themes with seemingly endless creativity. Listen for the contrasts between powerful climaxes and moments of captivating lyricism, as well as for the way driving rhythms are punctuated by displaced accents. Despite being one of the longest symphonic movements written to date, its tight structure evokes a sense of inevitability, and the whole thing seems to be over in a flash.

Rather than retreating into gentle tranquility for the second movement, which is what contemporary audiences would have expected, Beethoven offers, instead, a funeral march that borders on the tragic. With the oboe leading the way, despairing moods are occasionally broken by moments of optimism and hope, and masterful fugal treatments of the theme remind us of Beethoven’s brilliance. But the despair is real, and the movement concludes with a halting, fragmentary disintegration of the theme into nothingness.

Before the Eroica, it was traditional for symphonies to call for only two French horns. But this was just not enough to do justice to his ideas, so Beethoven breaks with tradition yet again and calls for three. The added forces allow him to throw the horns into a rollicking fray of fanfares during the third movement scherzo, injecting some much-needed joviality after the darkness of the second movement.

For the finale, Beethoven, in his now comfortable role as guide through musically uncharted territory, plays a bit of bait-and-switch with the listener. He sets out with what appears to be a series of variations on a simple bass line. But somewhere in the third variation, we realize that the melody heard developing over the top of that bass line is what must actually be the “real” theme of the movement.

Then the variations keep coming, each with its own character, until, in the eighth variation, Beethoven brings back the opening bass line and, in a masterful stroke of fugal prowess, develops it essentially out of existence. Graceful winds then give us a serene reprieve until the full orchestra triumphantly unifies both the opening bass line and its derivative melody. But Beethoven (being Beethoven), of course, is not finished. A coda, full of ever more melodic surprises, drives us on to a powerful climax, marked by a series of heavy, crunching and affirming chords.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Jennifer Higdon's "All Things Majestic"

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:45:47 GMT

On January 17 & 18, RI Philharmonic Principal Conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SPANO CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN'S EROICA.

Title: All Things Majestic

Composer: Jennifer Higdon ( 1962- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story:

"Having grown up in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains, and having hiked many of our parks, I have come to the conclusion that the National Parks are one of America's greatest treasures." - Jennifer Higdon

Commissioned by the Grand Teton Music Festival to commemorate its 50th anniversary, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s All Things Majestic is a four-movement suite which vividly captures the breathtaking beauty of the park which gave the festival its name. In Higdon’s own words, “each movement represents a musical postcard: the first, the grandeur of the mountain ranges, with their size and sheer boldness and the solidity with which they fill the ground and air; the second, the lakes and the exquisite mirror quality of reflection upon their serene surfaces; the third, the rapid flow and unpredictability of the rivers and streams … ever-changing and powerful, yet at times, gentle; the final movement pictures the experience of being in the parks, as in a vast cathedral … the beauty of small details such as flowers and plants, within the larger picture of forests and fields … every part contributing to the sheer majesty.”

Listening closely to Higdon’s dramatic use of bells, chimes, and harp in the first few bars, one can easily imagine oneself surrounded by the healing magic of nature. Once there, the journey becomes a kaleidoscope of perspectives, moving from grand statements by the brass and the full orchestra, to moments of shimmering intimacy with a small ensemble of strings laced with oboe.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Shostakovich's "Festive Overture"

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:11:32 GMT

On January 17 & 18, RI Philharmonic Principal Conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SPANO CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN'S EROICA.

Title: Festive Overture , op.96

Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich ( 1906-1975 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 31, 2015 with Francisco Noya conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, three oboes, three clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: While Shostakovich was most certainly a serious, introspective artist, this overture is evidence of his lighter, more exuberant side. Commissioned a scant three days before for a concert celebrating the anniversary of the October 1917 Revolution (Shostakovich, like Mozart was a fiendishly fast composer), there is something about the jubilant nature of the work that suggests it may also have been an unguarded outpouring of relief at the death of his nemesis, Joseph Stalin, one year earlier. Either way, it is a thrilling affair, full of fanfare and abandon.

After an opening stentorian proclamation from the brass, the tempo abruptly changes to breakneck speed, featuring a main theme whose notes cascade in all directions. A lyrical second theme soon appears in the solo horn, followed by a pizzicato section in the strings that leads us back to the main theme. Once there, no holds are barred. Every musician on the stage makes a mad dash to the end and echoes of everything we’ve heard so far, including the opening fanfare, bounce energetically off the walls.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Robert Spano

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:21:03 GMT

Principal Conductor Robert Spano conducts BEETHOVEN'S EROICA

January 17 at 6:30PM & January 18 at 7:30PM

Background: Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. Spano has been Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since August 2022 and will continue there through the 2027-2028 season; this follows his tenure as Principal Guest Conductor with FWSO, which began in 2019. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912. In February 2024, Spano was appointed Music Director of the Washington National Opera, beginning in the 2025–2026 season, for a three-year term; he is currently the WNO's Music Director Designate. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students and young performers; he also directs the Aspen Conducting Academy, which offers participants unparalleled training and valuable podium experience. After twenty seasons as Music Director with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he now serves as Music Director Laureate. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School in 2024 and will transition to Principal Guest Conductor in 2025-2026 following the appointment of their new Music Director.

During the 2024–2025 season — Spano’s third as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony — he leads six weeks of symphonic programming, conducting works including Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman in concert, and a world premiere by Jake Heggie, in addition to shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. In the Fall of 2024, Spano leads his first performances as WNO’s Music Director Designate, including a new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio . Additional highlights of the 2024–2025 season include a two-week residency with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; his first appearances as Principal Conductor with the Rhode Island Philharmonic; and engagements with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's "Messiah"

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 15:08:11 GMT

On December 15, conductor Christine Noel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present HANDEL'S MESSIAH with Providence Singers, soprano Eleonore Cockerham, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, tenor Thomas Cooley and bass-baritone Douglas Williams.

Title: Messiah , HWV 56

Composer: George Frideric Handel ( 1685-1759 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 10, 2023 with Patrick Dupré Quigley conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Kathryn Mueller, Emily Marvosh, John Matthew Myers and Nicholas Newton. In addition to a chorus and solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, continuo and strings.

The Story: Handel settled permanently in England in 1712. He wanted to make his reputation and fortune there as an opera composer. For many years, he was successful in that endeavor, becoming the director of the Royal Academy of Music, an enterprise sponsored partially by the King for the production of Italian-style opera, Handel’s specialty. Public taste always changes, however, and Handel became the victim of the fickle crowd in 1728, when London went crazy over the first English ballad opera, The Beggar’s Opera . Little by little, the academy’s loyal subscribers lost interest in stilted Italian opera in favor of the more earthy and entertaining ballad operas, which were capturing the city’s theaters.

Handel was not the sort of composer to dabble in such lowbrow pastiches, no matter how financially successful they had become. Steadfast, he clung to his operatic enterprise, which he operated by himself. The company struggled along, producing more failures than successes. Then, during Lent in 1732, an event took place that affected the future direction of Handel’s career and permanently changed English musical history. Handel’s Esther was performed. It was the first oratorio ever given in London, and it created a real stir. That May, Handel presented six more performances of Esther , which the public received enthusiastically, in spite of his Italian singers that “made rare work with the English tongue you would have sworn it had been Welch,” according to one review.

Handel still did not give up Italian opera, however, and he continued to write new operas and revive the old ones. Each spring also brought some new (or revised) oratorio including Alexander’s Feast, Saul and Israel in Egypt . By the spring of 1741, it looked as though Handel had worn out his welcome in England. Rumors spread in London that Handel was considering moving back to The Continent. Then, in August, he received an invitation to present a concert for the benefit of Dublin’s charities. Using a libretto by Charles Jennens (author of Saul ), Handel composed Messiah between August 22 and September 14 — a period of only 24 days! The astonishing thing is that a work written in such haste should be such a consistent, peerless masterpiece. One might even speak of divine inspiration, for Handel once declared, “When I composed the Hallelujah Chorus, I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.”

The resounding success of Messiah and other Handel works in Dublin during 1741– 42 virtually inaugurated a new career for the composer, though it also had its difficulties. The London premiere of Messiah in 1743 had to be billed simply as “a new sacred oratorio,” since its title might be offensive to the puritanical element. Unfortunately, that was not all. Messiah was a failure at first, and only began to gain some success in 1750 when Handel conducted it for charity. Messiah , however, more than any other oratorio, set the trajectory for Handel’s re-emergence as a composer in England. Of course, it turned out to be the trajectory of a rocket to the stars for Handel’s future position in music and in the hearts of his listeners.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Douglas Williams

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:03:40 GMT

Bass-Baritone Douglas Williams performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 15 at 3PM

Background: Douglas Williams, bass baritone, was born in Farmington, Connecticut. He trained in voice at the New England Conservatory, Yale School of Music, and Tanglewood Music Center. His repertoire spans many centuries; this season, he has premiered a new work by Matthew Barnson with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and will appear in the debut recording of Henry Demarest's Circé with the Boston Early Music Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with some of the great orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and St. Louis Symphony. In opera he distinguished himself in the roles of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Nick Shadow, with conductors Edo de Waart and Barbara Hannigan. Always up for a challenge on stage, Douglas has created new opera productions with the choreographers Mark Morris and Sasha Waltz for Lincoln Center and the Dutch National Opera. His characterization of Pluto in Jonathan Dove’s The Other Euridice last season was called “one of Houston’s most riveting operatic portrayals in recent years” ( Texas Classical Review ). Douglas is also a writer and a performer. He lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Thomas Cooley

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:15:55 GMT

Tenor Thomas Cooley performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 15 at 3PM

Background: With an acclaimed international performance career spanning over two decades, tenor Thomas Cooley continues to set the standard in his field, delivering memorable performances across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Cooley has made noteworthy appearances in major concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus Berlin, Berlin Philharmonie, Symphony Hall Boston, Avery Fisher Hall, Konzerthaus Vienna, Walt Disney Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, Donald Runnicles, Teodor Currentzis, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Robert Spano, Franz Welser-Möst, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Osmo Vänskä, Matthew Halls, Markus Stenz, Carlo Rizzi, Manfred Honneck, Jaap van Zweden, and Andrea Marcon.

Among Cooley's notable engagements are frequent collaborations with internationally acclaimed orchestras and ensembles such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, New York Philharmonic, Copenhagen Philharmonic, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, the National Arts Center Orchestra of Ottawa, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Trinity Wall Street, St. Thomas Fifth Avenue, Singapore Symphony, Mark Morris Dance Group, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the Osaka Philharmonic.

Renowned as an expert in the works of Handel and J.S. Bach, particularly in the role of the Evangelist, Cooley has performed this repertoire with renowned ensembles such as the Thomanerchor and Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. He also performs regularly with historically informed groups such as Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the Göttingen and Halle Handel Festivals.

Thomas Cooley's discography includes 20 recordings. An upcoming recording of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion , under the baton of Nicholas McGegan, is planned for Avie Records in 2025.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Tamara Mumford

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:20:22 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 15 at 3PM

Background: American mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford has gained a reputation as an exciting and in-demand singer appearing with many of the finest orchestras and opera house in the US and Europe. This season, she returns to The Metropolitan Opera for Die Zauberflöte and the new production of Salome , the Dallas Symphony for continued performances of Erda in The Ring Cycle , and to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She also makes appearances with the Houston Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic and the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Ms. Mumford has appeared in over 200 performances with the company including productions of Kaija Saariaho’s L’Amour de loin, Anna Bolena, Rigoletto, Cavalleria Rusticana, Nixon in China , and both Die Zauberflöte and The Magic Flute . Other recent opera engagements have included the premiere of The Thirteenth Child at the Santa Fe Opera, Tancredi with Teatro Nuovo, Aureliano in Palmira and Lucrezia Borgia at the Caramoor Festival, Henze’s Phaedra , The Rape of Lucretia, and the world premiere of Daniel Schnyder's Yardbird at Opera Philadelphia; and L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival and the BBC Proms.

Also an active concert performer and recitalist, Ms. Mumford appeared with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in multiple US and European tours. Other concert engagements have included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Netherland Radio Philharmonic, and at the Hollywood Bowl and the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Eleonore Cockerham

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 14:30:38 GMT

Soprano Eleonore Cockerham performs HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 15 at 3PM

Background: Yorkshire born singer and teacher Eleonore Cockerham began performing internationally as a soloist from the age of 12. Eleonore went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where she studied under the tutelage of mezzo soprano Louise Winter. In 2017, Eleonore was able to combine her love of performing and teaching with vocal ensemble VOCES8, after being selected to join the group as the youngest of their full-time members from over 500 applicants. Touring across the globe, Eleonore enjoyed working with students of all ages and abilities, and some of her favorite performances with VOCES8 singing as a soloist and with the ensemble were at Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Opera City, Palacio de Belle's Artes, Mexico, and BBC Proms at Cadogen Hall, London. After nearly four years, Eleonore chose to step down as a full-time member of VOCES8 in order to give more time to her family, friends, and faith. Now as a freelance singer and teacher, Eleonore sings and teaches in a range of styles (classical, choral, jazz, folk, pop), and regularly sings as a member of the VOCES8 Foundation choir, Apollo5, Kantos Chamber Choir, Ensemble Altera. Additionally, she frequently travels across the UK and abroad to sing as a soloist and deliver workshops and masterclasses. Eleonore also has plenty of recording experience featuring on several albums with VOCES8, Ensemble Altera, Jacob Collier, Sarah Beattie, Joyful Noise, and features as a soprano soloist on the soundtrack to feature film The Last Duel , and in season four of the Netflix series, The Crown .

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CHORUS: Providence Singers

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:55:18 GMT

Providence Singers perform HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 15 at 3PM

Background: Founded in 1971, the Providence Singers, under the direction of Christine Noel, presents concerts of choral masterworks, contemporary music, and newly commissioned works. In addition to an annual concert series, the Singers make frequent guest appearances throughout the region, including annual concerts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Creative partnerships have included performances with Dave Brubeck Quartet at Lincoln Center and Newport Jazz Festival, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Haven Philharmonic, Aurea Ensemble, New Bedford Symphony, and the State Ballet of Rhode Island. The Providence Singers have produced four studio recordings of American choral music, the most recent of which was the 2017 recording of Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living. Opportunities for community education and participation include workshops, concert discussions, and community sings. The Providence Singers support emerging talent through its Fassett Fellowships for young adult singers and In Harmony, a new after-school choral program for high school singers.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber"

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:49:46 GMT

On November 9, RI Philharmonic Music Director Designate Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WELCOME RUTH REINHARDT with violinist Blake Pouliot.

Title: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

Composer: Paul Hindemith ( 1895-1963 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 20, 2018 with Bramwell Tovey conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: Ruth Reinhardt, whose artistic approach always leads her to search for the most expressive of colors in a work, will have no problem finding them in the sparkling finale to tonight’s program. Hindemith’s enduring Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber was originally sketched as a ballet, and its four distinctive movements maintain a certain sense of choreography. But by the 1940s, he had developed an idiosyncratic style that lent itself more to adventurous listening than to traditional ballet.

After fleeing Nazi Germany in 1937, Hindemith accepted a position at Yale, where he remained on the composition faculty through 1953. Shortly after his arrival, he was approached by the choreographer Leonid Massine, for whom he had previously composed the ballet Nobilissima visione . Massine wanted him to write a new ballet set to arrangements of music written by the early 19th-century romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber. Hindemith quickly took to the project, but apparently went too far, in Massine’s opinion, with Weber’s original material.

“It seems the music is too complicated for them,” said Hindemith, referring to the dancers in Massine’s company, “and that they simply wanted an exact orchestral arrangement of the original Weber. I am not just an orchestrator.” But there was something in the attempt of value to Hindemith. Three years later he returned to the project, and literally “metamorphosized” Weber’s originals into a single work, exploding with color and inventiveness, that cemented his place among the top composers of the 20th-century.

The first, third, and fourth movements of this “symphonic metamorphosis” are based on melodies from relatively obscure piano duets of Weber that Hindemith and his wife Johanna would often play together. The second movement is derived from Weber’s overture Turandot (a play with incidental music, not to be confused with Puccini’s opera of the same name). After receiving its world premiere by the New York Philharmonic in 1944, with Artur Rodzinski conducting, Hindemith immediately felt that it should also be available for band and requested that his Yale colleague Keith Wilson create the transcription. Since that time, the heroic march that serves as the suite’s fourth movement is often performed on its own.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:38:25 GMT

On November 9, RI Philharmonic Music Director Designate Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WELCOME RUTH REINHARDT with violinist Blake Pouliot.

Title: Violin Concerto, op.64, in E minor

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn ( 1809-1847 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 21, 2022 with Tania Miller conducting and soloist Ray Chen. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: This beloved concerto was a gift of friendship to a musician particularly close to Mendelssohn’s heart. Ferdinand David was a boyhood friend of the composer, and shortly after he took over the directorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Mendelssohn invited the violinist to be his concertmaster, a position which he held for 37 years.

In 1844, blissfully unaware of the looming tragedy that was to befall him three years later, Mendelssohn was enjoying all the fortune his prodigious talent, privileged upbringing, and happy marriage could offer. His first name, Felix (Latin for “happy”), appeared to be a good omen. Such inherent happiness can be heard in a letter he wrote to David in 1838: “I realize that there are not many musicians who pursue such a straight road in art undeviatingly as you do, or in whose active course I could feel the same intense delight that I do in yours.” Such a close bond provided the spark for the first sketches of the Violin Concerto, but other commitments prevented him from completing the work until 1844. Once he was able to focus on it however, we see the composer’s Romantic passion balanced by Classical restraint, lyricism balanced by humor, and virtuosity balanced by depth of expression.

Dispensing with the tradition of an orchestral exposition at the beginning of his concerto, Mendelssohn immediately introduces the solo instrument, with a soaring melody, at the outset of the first movement; and the soloist remains the center of attention throughout almost the entire work, with breaks only few and far between. In another striking departure from convention, the movements of this concerto are played attacca, meaning without pause. Listen for a single note held by a solo bassoon linking the first movement to the beautiful Andante section of the second movement, and then for a brief melodic passage, scored for solo violin and string orchestra, that serves as a bridge between the second and third movements.

There is a fully composed cadenza (possibly co-composed by David) found in the first movement, but Mendelssohn moves it from its traditional place at the end of the movement to the middle, making it grow organically out of the development section and resolve just as naturally in the recapitulation. But the cadenza does not simply end when the orchestra reenters; it continues while the flute, the oboe, and the first violins play the main theme — another example of the kind of seamless transition between sections that Mendelssohn felt such a work full of hope and optimism work deserved.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Dvorak's Symphony No.9 ("From the New World")

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:37:38 GMT

On November 9, RI Philharmonic Music Director Designate Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WELCOME RUTH REINHARDT with violinist Blake Pouliot.

Title: Symphony No.9, op.95, B.178, in E minor ( From the New World )

Composer: Antonin Dvořák ( 1841-1904 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 16, 2016 with Christopher Warren-Green conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák’s first jobs were playing in Czech dance bands and theatre orchestras. Composition was just a side hustle. But by the late 1870s, he had emerged as the leading composer of the nationalist movement then taking Europe by storm. Eventually, his efforts were admired not only in Europe, but across the Atlantic as well. Philanthropist Jeanette Thurber, who had just founded the National Conservatory of Music in New York, decided there was no one better suited to establish it as a forward-thinking institution of international reputation than Dvořák.

Thurber hoped his influence would inspire young American composers to develop a national sound, as he himself had done in Czechoslovakia. “The Americans expect great things of me,” wrote Dvořák. “Above all, I am to show them the way into the Promised Land, into the realms of a new independent art – in short, to create a national music.” After four months of exploration and study, Dvořák began writing a new symphony. “I take pleasure in it,” he wrote, “and it will differ very considerably from my others. Indeed, the influence of America in it must be felt by everyone who has any ‘nose’ at all.” Soon he was quoted in the New York Herald as saying that Americans should look to the music traditions of Black America for material on which to build a national style. Unsurprisingly for the time, this raised a few eyebrows among the musical elite, but Dvořák was to provide an example of what he meant. In his Symphony No. 9, he replicates what he believed was representative of the American musical soul. He looked to spirituals learned from his Black composition students and to Longfellow’s Hiawatha — which had had a profound, if inauthentic, influence on what U.S. citizens perceived as indigenous life. He embraced themes meant to sound as if they came from these American traditions, while setting them in a decidedly European orchestral context. The most notable of these is found in the slow second movement, in which the English horn plays a spiritual-like tune. William Arms Fischer, one of Dvořák’s students, added words to the melody in 1922, resulting in the song “Going Home,” but the tune itself, like all the themes in the symphony, was composed by Dvořák. It wasn’t until shortly before the work’s premiere that Dvořák added the subtitle “Z nového světa” (From the New World), by which he meant “Impressions and Greetings from the New World.” Raised eyebrows or no, New York high society hailed the new work at its premiere (as one critic put it) as “the greatest symphony ever composed in this country,” a reputation it still enjoys by many today.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Blake Pouliot

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:23:34 GMT

Violinist Blake Pouliot performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
November 9 at 7:30PM

Background: Described as “immaculate, at once refined and impassioned” ( ArtsAtlanta ), violinist Blake Pouliot (pool-YACHT) has anchored himself among the ranks of classical phenoms. A tenacious young artist with a passion that enraptures his audience in every performance, Pouliot has established himself as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime” ( Toronto Star ).

Blake Pouliot’s 2023/24 symphonic highlights included Shostakovich 1, Bruch 1, Tchaikovsky, Korngold and Sibelius concerti across the US and Canada with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Roderick Cox, Artis-Naples and NAC Ottawa with Alexander Shelley, and Quebec City Symphony with Clemens Schuldt, among others.

In Europe last season, Pouliot made his Spanish debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Spain at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, performing the Tchaikovsky concerto with Rossen Milanov, and also play-directed Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons in a separate chamber program.

During his time as Soloist-in-Residence of Orchestre Métropolitain in 2020/21, Pouliot and Yannick Nézet-Séguin performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 and Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons which led to Pouliot’s 2022 debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center, performing John Corigliano’s The Red Violin (Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra) with Nézet-Séguin. Highlights elsewhere include Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal in 2022/23, with Angela Hewitt and Bryan Cheng, as well as performances of the Paganini, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns concerti and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy in subscription series across North America.

As a chamber musician, Pouliot returned last season to NAC’s Music for a Sunday Afternoon series, Aspen Music Festival, and La Jolla Summerfest where he performed the festival-opening concert with conductor Alan Gilbert, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for his third consecutive year as Artist-in Residence. He also made his chamber debut with Festival Napa Valley at the San Francisco Conservatory. Previous recitals include Koerner Hall in Toronto, Seattle Chamber Music Society, and the world premiere of Derrick Skye’s God of the Gaps for violin and electronics at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

Pouliot released his debut album of 20th century French music on Analekta Records in 2019. Featuring Ravel’s Tzigane and Violin Sonata in G, Debussy’s Violin Sonata in G minor and Beau Soir, the recording received critical acclaim including a five-star rating from BBC Music Magazine and a 2019 Juno Award nomination for Best Classical Album.

Since his orchestral debut at age 11, Pouliot has performed with the orchestras of Aspen, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Madison, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, and Seattle, among many others. Internationally, he has performed as soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, Orchestras of the Americas on its South American tour, and was the featured soloist for the first ever joint tour of the European Union Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has collaborated with many musical luminaries including conductors Sir Neville Marriner, David Afkham, Pablo Heras-Casado, David Danzmayr, JoAnn Falletta, Marcelo Lehninger, Nicholas McGegan, Alexander Prior, Vasily Petrenko and Thomas Søndergård.

Pouliot has been featured twice on Rob Kapilow’s What Makes it Great? series and has been NPR’s Performance Today Artist-in-Residence in Minnesota (2017/18), Hawaii (2018/19), and across Europe (2021/22). Prior to that, he won the Grand Prize at the 2016 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Manulife Competition and was named First Laureate of both the 2018 and 2015 Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.

Pouliot performs on the 1729 Guarneri del Gesù on generous loan from an anonymous donor.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Ruth Reinhardt

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:55:57 GMT

RI Phil Music Director Designate Ruth Reinhardt conducts WELCOME RUTH REINHARDT
November 9 at 7:30PM

Background: A native of Saarbrücken, Germany, Ruth Reinhardt discovered early her affinity for music studying violin and singing, and by age 17 had already composed a full opera which she conducted with her local music school. Formal training continued at the Zurich University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) for violin performance (with Rudolf Koelman) and conducting (Constantin Trinks, Johannes Schlaefli), and then at The Juilliard School in conducting studies with Alan Gilbert and James Ross. While at Juilliard, Ruth won several conducting fellowships with the Tanglewood Music Center, Taki Concordia and Seattle Symphony. Upon graduation, she joined the Dallas Symphony as assistant conductor to Jaap van Zweden for two seasons, during which Ruth was also a Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In summers 2018 and 2019, she was the assistant conductor at the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, a distinguished laboratory orchestra founded by Pierre Boulez, focusing on contemporary European orchestral music.

After Dallas, Reinhardt returned to Europe and began guest conducting world-wide, building a repertoire for herself that is modern and contemporary, yet grounded in the classics of her native Germany. She has since conducted throughout Europe and North America – including major orchestras on both continents, among them Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York, San Francisco, Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, RSB Berlin, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Helsinki Philharmonic, MDR-Sinfonieorchester, Tonkünstler-Orchester Wien, WDR Köln, and many others. During this past season, Ruth made her opera conducting debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in La Traviata , and recently conducted the famed Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.

Programmatically, Reinhardt’s interests have led her toward an in-depth exploration of contemporary repertoire. With significant emphasis on women composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, she brings new names and fresh faces to many orchestras for the first time. Among those whose works appear often in her programs are Grażyna Bacewicz, Kaija Saariaho, Lotta Wennäkoski, Daniel Bjarnason, Dai Fujikura, and Thomas Adès.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.2

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:09:22 GMT

On October 18 & 19, conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ZUKERMAN PLAYS & CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN.

Title: Symphony No.2, op.36, in D major

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 18, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Completed in the same year as the first Romance, Beethoven’s Second Symphony is evidence of the ability of artists to immerse themselves in their art as a way to soar above personal circumstances. “I live only in my notes,” he wrote to a friend, “and with one work barely finished, the other is already started; the way I now write I often find myself working on three, four things at once.” Inescapably aware of his advancing deafness, his energy for work and for life was limitless, and in his Second Symphony, he has created an expansive exploration of optimism.

This is not a lightweight work, however. It begins with a Haydn-like slow introduction that portends the scope of things to come. After several dramatic moments, some of which (like a startling fortissimo unison in D minor) may remind us of jagged gestures found in his Ninth Symphony, the introduction glides effortlessly into high spirits and intense joy.

The ensuing larghetto features a string of melodies, often involving lush-sounding clarinets, while the third movement is a scampering scherzo (his first use of the word in a composition), characterized by quick shifts of register, dynamics, and instrumental color. The last movement opens with a bumptious “hiccupping” theme (could Beethoven be giving us a sense of what his infamous digestive problems might have felt like?) that almost imperceptibly propels us to a thoroughly rousing finale.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Romance No.1

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:35:18 GMT

On October 18 & 19, conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ZUKERMAN PLAYS & CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN.

Title: Romance No.1, op.40, in G major

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns and strings.

The Story: By 1802, when Beethoven’s first Romance was completed, we find ourselves transitioning firmly into the Romantic Era. But it was also a low point of Beethoven’s personal life, as he grappled with the reality of his increasing and permanent deafness. But the two Romances for violin, written shortly after studying composition with none other than Haydn himself, reveal a young master searching for his own unique voice. Traditionally, a Romance was an instrumental work in a slow duple meter that featured a song-like melody line. Beethoven expands the idea into a work for orchestra and solo violin and structures it as a rondo, where a returning main theme is balanced by intervening contrasting sections. Things become increasingly interesting as both soloist and orchestra pass melodies back and forth, adding ever more contrasting rhythms and elaborate ornamentations as they do.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's Symphony No.49 ("La passione")

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:45:10 GMT

On October 18 & 19, conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ZUKERMAN PLAYS & CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN.

Title: Symphony No.49 in F minor ( La passione)

Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn ( 1732-1809 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns, harpsichord and strings.

The Story: Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 in F minor is filled with the passion and pathos associated with the influential Sturm und Drang (“storm and stress”) movement that was soon to usher in an entirely new period of music, known today as the Romantic Era. But “La passione” was not its original nickname. An historical score found in Vienna gives it the odd title of “ Il quakuo di bel’humore ” (“The Waggish Quaker”), suggesting ties to a popular comic play of the day. But secular music was often frowned upon in serious circles during the late 18th century, so it’s not surprising that the often-dark tone of this symphony was considered, by some, as evocative of the Passion of Christ, an association that has endured through the centuries. Beginning with a solemn Adagio, the symphony’s four movements explore a melancholy F minor landscape using antique baroque forms. Listen for the violins trailing off into silence and “weeping” passages that are reminiscent of the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem. The second movement (Allegro di molto) erupts with angst and tension, employing sudden dynamic contrasts, nervous syncopations, and wild leaps. It’s not until the third movement’s Trio section that a shift from minor to major provides a brief patch of sunlight before the final Presto takes us on a wild ride full of shivering tremolos and roguish turns of phrase suggesting, perhaps, that this music was for a comedy after all.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's Violin Concerto in C major

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:59:13 GMT

On October 18 & 19, conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ZUKERMAN PLAYS & CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN.

Title: Violin Concerto in C major, Hob.Vlla:1

Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn ( 1732-1809 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for harpsichord and strings.

The Story: Haydn’s violin concerti are immediately recognizable for their sprightly use of the violin’s high register, chains of dotted rhythms, virtuosic double stops, and ornamental figuration. They were written during the 1760s to showcase the considerable talents of violinist Luigi Tomasini who, after building an impressive reputation in Italy, had just moved to Hungary to become the concertmaster of Haydn’s beloved Esterházy orchestra. Tomasini performed all four of them with considerable panache, much to the delight of the royal Austro-Hungarian court. But the manuscripts curiously disappeared into a publisher’s archive shortly after Haydn’s death, not to be rediscovered until 100 years later (one of the four, in fact, remains lost to this day). The first of these violin concerti stands as the most technically demanding of the lot. It is a marvel of pyrotechnical brilliance that all the while seems completely natural and fluid. The opening movement is energetic and regal, but with Italianate flourishes. The solo part has wide melodic leaps, long strings of harmonic sequences, and frequent use of arpeggios. The Adagio movement has become rightly famous on its own, built on a simple yet sublime rising scale motif in the violin part, supported by a repetitive accompaniment in the orchestra which crescendos to a climax along with the solo melody. The final movement, a lively romp in triple time, is full of fast runs, double stops and extensive changes in both volume and pitch.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR & SOLOIST: Pinchas Zukerman

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:44:49 GMT

Violinist Pinchas Zukerman Plays and Conducts Beethoven
October 18 at 6:30PM & October 19 at 7:30PM

Background: With a celebrated career encompassing five decades, Pinchas Zukerman reigns as one of today's most sought after and versatile musicians - violin and viola soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. He is renowned as a virtuoso, admired for the expressive lyricism of his playing, singular beauty of tone, and impeccable musicianship, which can be heard throughout his discography of over 100 albums for which he gained two Grammy® awards and 21 nominations.

Last season’s highlights include performances with orchestra and in chamber music recitals, including those with the very distinguished Zukerman Trio, in Spain, Denmark, Sweden and France, and, in his Wolf Trap debut with cellist Amanda Forsyth and pianist Michael Stephen Brown. Orchestral performances abroad included the Adelaide Symphony, Orchestre de Lyon (in France and on tour in Spain), the Bamberg Symphony with Lahav Shani, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (in Rome and Salzburg), the Israel Philharmonic, L’Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto in Italy and the English Chamber Orchestra at Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. After a highly successful tour in Spain during the 22-23 season as a soloist with the Polish Sinfonia Varsovia, Zukerman rejoined the orchestra last season in Poland to conduct.

Recent highlights include performances with Dallas Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Mannheimer Philharmoniker, Adelaide Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon and the Valencia, Sinfonia Varsovia, Castille y Leon orchestras of Spain, Israel Philharmonic and Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music concerts took place in Japan, Italy, France, Germany and the United States. He and cellist Amanda Forsyth collaborated with friends and colleagues the Jerusalem String Quartet in sextet programs offered in both Israel and the US. He and Amanda Forsyth also appeared with the English Chamber Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Reading and New Bedford Symphonies. And with the Zukerman Trio, he visited the Ravinia, Aspen and Amelia Island Chamber Music Festivals, as well as Parlance Chamber Concerts in New Jersey, and Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

A devoted teacher and champion of young musicians, he has served as chair of the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music for over 25 years and has taught at prominent institutions throughout the United Kingdom, Israel, China and Canada, among others. Last season, he continued his role as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Artistic & Principal Education Partner, collaborating with DSO in partnership with Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, to provide intensive coaching and tutoring sessions for its music students.

As a mentor he has inspired generations of young musicians who have achieved prominence in performing, teaching, and leading roles with music festivals around the globe. Mr. Zukerman has received honorary doctorates from Brown University, Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of Calgary, as well as the National Medal of Arts from President Ronald Reagan. He is a recipient of the Isaac Stern Award for Artistic Excellence in Classical Music.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's "An American in Paris"

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 14:27:23 GMT

On September 14, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF & GERSHWIN with pianist Olga Kern.

Title: An American in Paris

Composer: George Gershwin ( 1898-1937 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 25, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, three clarinets (third doubling bass clarinet), two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, three saxophones, timpani, percussion, celesta and strings.

The Story: Most composers begin studying composition in earnest long before their first major success. Not so with George Gershwin. It wasn’t until after the rousing triumph, in 1924, of his Rhapsody in Blue (scheduled for a Rhode Island Philharmonic performance later in the season) that Gershwin started seeking out some of the musical giants of his day for lessons. This quest ultimately led him to Paris in the early spring of 1928, where he met many of the most distinguished composers of the time. Ravel, Berg, Prokofiev, Milhaud, Poulenc, and others. This heady company, combined with the sights, sounds, and smells of the “City of Light,” caused Gershwin’s creative juices to start flowing, and ideas for An American in Paris (some of them quite innovative) began to emerge. Before leaving, he included in his sightseeing itinerary some Parisian garages, where he bought several used taxi horns. Upon returning to New York, he promptly handed them to conductor Walter Damrosch for use in the work’s premiere performance with the New York Philharmonic. This urban love-letter of a piece follows an extensively detailed story line that the composer created with the eminent music critic and composer, Deems Taylor. In short, it goes something like this:

In early summer an American is walking down the Champs-Elysées, enjoying the sounds of the city, including taxi horns, passing by a café and hearing a tune from the old century in the trombones. He continues walking with a new theme in the clarinet. Yet a new walking theme takes him across the Seine to the Left Bank, where perhaps a whiff of anise muddles him a bit (accompanied by the little cadenza in the solo violin – the attentive listener here may think of Debussy, and the composer more or less acknowledged it). Our hero becomes a bit homesick, and we hear the blues, but as he sinks lower, he is rescued by the Charleston, announced by a pair of trumpets. Various previous tunes are recapped, as the American obviously decides to enjoy Paris, and the orchestra, in a riotous finale, decides to make a night of it.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Hovhaness's Symphony No.2 (Mysterious Mountain)

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:17:08 GMT

On September 14, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF & GERSHWIN with pianist Olga Kern.

Title: Symphony No.2, op.132 ( Mysterious Mountain )

Composer: Alan Hovhaness ( 1911-2000 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 18, 1972 with Francis Madeira conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, five horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: “Mysterious Mountain” is probably Alan Hovhaness’ most popular and often-performed orchestral work. Commissioned by Leopold Stokowski for his first concert as music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 1955, the premiere was televised nationwide (a rare feat in those days). A subsequent recording by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Fritz Reiner, remained popular among classical music lovers for the next 50 years. In each of its three movements, one can hear something of the celestial here, which is only fitting for a work whose subject points boldly to the heavens. The first, Andante con moto, features hymnlike chorales, ornamented by an impish celesta. The second movement, Double fugue: Moderato maestoso; allegro vivo, starts with the suggestion of a Renaissance motet, followed by an agitated melody in the strings, and ends with an impressive counterpoint that combines the two. The third movement, Andante espressivo, builds and recedes like a slow wave until the strings and winds in turn each proclaim their own hymns to the heavens, eventually leading to an ethereal conclusion.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:23:29 GMT

On September 14, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF & GERSHWIN with pianist Olga Kern.

Title: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff ( 1873-1943 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 23, 2019 with Ken-David Masur conducting and soloist Ran Dank. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Rachmaninoff begins his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by turning the traditional theme and variation form on its head. The theme is broken up into tiny points, punctuated by the pianist, and it’s not until a bit later, once we hear the theme itself, sung in unison by violins and accompanied by the piano, that we realize that the spicy opening was just an appetizer. The next few variations keep the theme recognizable, but add ever-increasing complexity to it. In variation 7, we hear the first appearance of the Dies Irae, or “Day of Judgment” chant. Introduced by the piano as a sustained melody in half notes, this significant moment is the first of many. Rachmaninoff himself wrote that “all the variations which have this liturgical statement represent the evil spirit to whom Paganini sold his soul for perfection in his art and the love of a woman.” This evil spirit is developed further and more forcefully throughout the next three variations, until, in variation 11, Rachmaninoff enters into “the domain of love.” Here, string tremolos create a shimmering curtain of sound, allowing the pianist a bit of improvisatory freedom, while the harp weaves a veil of mystery, beckoning, in variation 12 “the presence of a woman.” In variation 13, a “conversation between a man and a woman” ensues, but a rhythmic emphasis on the offbeats creates an oddly violent sensation.

A solo cadenza in variation 15 leads us to a series of new perspectives on the main idea, until he turns it upside down (literally!) in the glorious romantic nocturne that is variation 18, which Rachmaninoff called the “ultimate love episode.”

In a nod to the violin virtuoso who wrote the original theme, variations 19-20 pay homage with copious pizzicato and elaborate string figuration. Variations 21-23 seem to invoke demonic caricatures, while growing in intensity. All is capped off by a massive emergence of the Dies Irae in the brass and a brilliant coda compressing earlier ideas within a massive acceleration, until, suddenly and surprisingly, the whirlwind ends with an unexpected soft dynamic and two cadential chords from the piano.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Cindy McTee's "Tempus Fugit"

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 13:56:01 GMT

On September 14, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF & GERSHWIN with pianist Olga Kern.

Title: Tempus Fugit

Composer: Cindy McTee ( 1953 - )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, three oboes, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: Tempus Fugit is the second of two movements from Cindy McTee’s Double Play , a work commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in honor of Elaine Lebenbom, a fellow musician, composer, and anti-discrimination activist from the Detroit area. In her own words, McTee says of the work:

Tempus Fugit, Latin for “time-flees” but more commonly translated as “time flies,” is frequently used as an inscription on clocks. My Tempus Fugit begins with the sounds of several pendulum clocks ticking at different speeds and takes flight about two minutes later using a rhythm borrowed from Leonard Slatkin’s Fin for orchestra. Jazz rhythms and harmonies, quickly-moving repetitive melodic ideas, and fragmented form echo the multifaceted and hurried aspects of 21st-century American society.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Nelson's "Sarabande: For Katherine in April"

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:37:10 GMT

Title: Sarabande: For Katherine in April

Composer: Ron Nelson ( 1929-2023 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: A native of Joliet, Illinois, Ron Nelson earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees, all in music, from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. He also studied in France at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and at the Paris Conservatory under a Fulbright Grant. In 1956, Dr. Nelson joined the Brown University faculty, assuming the role of music department chair from 1963-1973, and continuing as a revered professor until his retirement in 1993. Despite his reputation as a preeminent composer for concert bands (receiving numerous commissions and high honors from the American Bandmasters Association and the John Philip Sousa Foundation, among others), Nelson admitted that the orchestra was his “true love.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in the exquisitely tender Sarabande: For Katherine in April, whose poignant moments for solo cello towards the end often leave the listener breathless.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Olga Kern

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:09:44 GMT

Pianist Olga Kern performs Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
September 14 at 7:30PM

Background: With a vivid onstage presence, dazzling technique, and keen musicality, pianist Olga Kern is widely recognized as one of the great artists of her generation, captivating audiences and critics alike.

In 2001, Olga launched her U.S. career at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, winning a Gold Medal— the only woman in the last 50 years to do so. She has since performed extensively with top-tier ensembles, among them the St. Louis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), Czech Philharmonic, and Filarmonica della Scala. She has also scored successes with Tokyo’s NHK Symphony, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, and Pittsburgh Symphony. She was a soloist on widely acclaimed U.S. tours with: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Olga performs riveting recitals throughout the world, playing in places such as New York, Fort Worth, Minneapolis, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, and Italy as well as with renowned organizations including The Gilmore Piano Festival, Chamber Music San Francisco, Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Festival, the Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Bad Kissingen (Germany), Radio France Festival Montpellier, and others.

In the 2022–2023 season, Olga appeared with the Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, and Colorado Symphony. She performed recitals at American Pianists Association Conference in Indianapolis and the International Piano Festival of Oeiras in Portugal as well as in Milan, Italy, Virginia Beach, Chicago, and San Francisco. Engagements in the 2023–2024 season included performances of Rachmaninoff’s monumental four concertos and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Austin Symphony and Virginia Symphony Orchestra and a nationally broadcast New Year’s concert with the Czech Philharmonic. Other 2023–2024 engagements included Santa Rosa Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Asheville Symphony, a tour of South Africa, and performances with Prague Symphony, Taipei Symphony, and Tokyo Symphony.

Olga has served as a jury chairman of several high-profile competitions, including her own, the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, of which she is artistic director. A dedicated educator, she has been on the piano faculty of the Manhattan School of Music since 2017, and in 2019, she was appointed the Connie and Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music at the Virginia Arts Festival. She also established Aspiration, a foundation that provides financial assistance to musicians around the world. Olga is a Steinway Artist.

Her well-regarded discography includes works of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Brahms, and Shostakovich.

Olga’s iconic dresses are designed by Alex Teih (New York), and her jewelry is designed by Alex Soldier (New York).

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Leonard Slatkin

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:47:51 GMT

Leonard Slatkin conducts RACHMANINOFF & GERSHWIN
September 14 at 7:30PM

To celebrate his 80th birthday, he is returning to orchestras he led as music director, including the DSO, ONL, SLSO, and National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC). Additional 2024-25 highlights include the New York Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Philharmonia, National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansand Symfoniorkester, Jersusalem Symphony, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Moreover, his composition Schubertiade: An Orchestral Fantasy and his arrangement of Scarlatti keyboard sonatas for orchestral wind ensemble are receiving world premieres this season.

Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 35 nominations. Naxos recently reissued Vox audiophile editions of his SLSO recordings featuring the works of Gershwin, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev. Other Naxos recordings include Slatkin Conducts Slatkin —a compilation of pieces written by generations of his family—as well as works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, Berlioz, Copland, Borzova, McTee, and Williams.

A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has been awarded the Prix Charbonnier from the Federation of Alliances Françaises, Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, and the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton. He received the ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business: Unveiling the Mystery Behind the Maestro (2012), which was followed by Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry (2017) and Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century (2021). His latest books are Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Twentieth Century (Rowman & Littlefield, spring 2024) and Eight Symphonic Masterworks of the Nineteenth Century (fall 2024), comprising essays that supplement the score-study process.

Slatkin has held posts as Music Director of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, SLSO, National Symphony Orchestra, DSO, and ONL, and he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor of London’s Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Minnesota Orchestra.

He has conducted virtually all the leading orchestras in the world, including New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, all five London orchestras, Berlin Philharmonic, Munich’s Bayerischer Rundfunk, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Slatkin’s opera conducting has taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Vienna State Opera, Stuttgart Opera, and Opéra Bastille in Paris.

Born in Los Angeles to a distinguished musical family, he began his musical training on the violin and first studied conducting with his father, followed by Walter Susskind at Aspen and Jean Morel at Juilliard. He makes his home in St. Louis with his wife, composer Cindy McTee.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4

Thu, 23 May 2024 15:53:01 GMT

On June 1, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN & BRONFMAN: A ONE-NIGHT GALA EVENT with pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Title: Piano Concerto No.4, op.58, G major
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed November 15, 2008 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Jeremy Denk. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Sandwiched between the Appassionata Piano Sonata and the three “Rasumovsky” String Quartets (but not far from the Violin Concerto and the Fourth Symphony) comes the opus number of Fourth Piano Concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1808, the concerto originated in a period of great creative fertility, and it represented Beethoven’s first completely mature essay in the piano concerto idiom. The composer dedicated it to Archduke Rudolf, but he did not intend for that musical amateur to perform it. Beethoven himself premiered the work as part of a famous long-winded concert of December 22, 1808, an evening that also included premieres of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies.

The standard for concertos in Beethoven’s day was that the orchestra starts the first movement, and after a little while, the soloist plays (rather like waiting royalty to arrive). Beethoven’s G Major Concerto was only the second in history in which the soloist plays at the opening (the first was by Mozart). It has been said that Beethoven’s opening piano solo reflects his own practice of improvising. If so, the orchestra is also improvising, for the strings answer in a remote key, but skillfully working back to the home key. This musical idea is a close cousin of the famous rhythmic motto in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony ( . . . — ), though the mood of the concerto is entirely different. A few more themes are introduced, and then, according to analyst Donald Tovey, Beethoven “is free to raise his edifice to heights undreamt of in earlier music.” Another standard of the time was that the soloist was supposed to invent a long solo passage near the end of the first and last movements (the “cadenzas”). However, Beethoven the revolutionary changed that, too, and so we can hear his authentic, which put the finishing touches on these movements.

The brief Andante con moto is the final chapter in the Classic Period’s aesthetic polar struggle — between masculine and feminine, action and meditation, power and charm. Here, as in an opera aria, the gentle soloist gradually quells the tempestuous string section, opening the way to the quiet but rhythmically potent opening of the finale.

Despite the finale’s obvious exuberance and good humor, it nonetheless balances the first movement in nobility and serene grace. Beethoven also matches the virtuosity of the first movement. Following the cadenza, the soloist’s plethora of trills breaks open a sumptuous concluding section that gathers momentum until the piano propels the music into its high-spirited final chords.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Schumann's Piano Quintet

Wed, 22 May 2024 14:41:06 GMT

On June 1, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN & BRONFMAN: A ONE-NIGHT GALA EVENT with pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Title: Piano Quintet, op.44, E-flat major
Composer: Robert Schumann ( 1810-1856 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two violins, viola and cello.

The Story: During his most productive periods, Robert Schumann frequently composed clusters of works of a single musical type. In his “chamber music years” (1842-43), for example, Schumann wrote all of his string quartets and several works for piano and strings. During a particularly creative two-month period, Schumann “invented” the piano quintet by composing his E-flat Piano Quintet, Op. 44, also completing the Piano Quartet, Op. 47, in E-flat as well. Each of these works required only five days to sketch and another two weeks to complete. Both were written between October and November of 1843.

In this music, the relationship of piano to strings is unbalanced. Unlike the lighter piano parts in works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, or Brahms, the piano is king with Schumann. Listeners may even have the impression that the E-flat Quintet is an extension of Schumann’s solo piano music, since the strings so often double the piano part or oppose it as a block. Also, due to a lack of practical experience with strings, Schumann’s thematic material (however sublime) sometimes appears in a weak or ineffective range of an instrument.

The themes and their working out are a different matter. In the first movement, Schumann presents three virile yet warm themes. The development section is like a chamber concerto for piano that concentrates on the first, very striking theme. The recapitulation presents a modified re-working of all the material.

The second movement is a study in contrasting characters. The opening theme is a funeral march in a minor key, after which the sweeter second theme comes as something of a release before reverting to the march. The Agitato section — again, concerto-like — flows back into the second theme, and the movement ends with a reprise of the lugubrious first theme.

Scales abound in the heavy Scherzo. The flowing first Trio section is a remarkable canon between the first violin and viola. The powerful second Trio is related only distantly to the Scherzo but has a concerto-like flair.

As did Beethoven, Schumann reserves his maximum energy for the finale. The Germanic stamping-dance main theme nearly dominates the movement. We understand the reason for this when at last the first movement’s main theme returns for a double fugue with the finale theme. This crowns the entire work and gives impetus to an exciting ending.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Schumann's Piano Concerto

Tue, 21 May 2024 15:06:53 GMT

On June 1, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN & BRONFMAN: A ONE-NIGHT GALA EVENT with pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Title: Piano Concerto, op.54, A minor
Composer: Robert Schumann ( 1810-1856 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 24, 2007 with JoAnn Falletta conducting and soloist Stewart Goodyear. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: In several ways, the Piano Concerto by Robert Schumann was a symbol of the love between Clara and himself. Begun simply as a one-movement Phantasie , the work’s conception goes back to 1839, when he wrote to his fiancée, “It is going to be a hybrid of symphony, concerto and Grand Sonata. I cannot write a concerto for virtuosos…… ” Robert and Clara were married the following year, and soon Schumann’s “hybrid” came to life. He completed the Phantasie in A Minor in 1841, and Clara premiered it privately the following year. However, it was not until 1845, the Schumanns’ first year in Dresden, that Robert added the “Intermezzo” and finale, making the Phantasie the first movement. This produced not only a fine symphonic testament but also a great concerto, and each of Clara’s later performances of it was like a public declaration of the Schumanns’ abiding love.

Following the brief cascading introduction, the principal theme peals forth from the orchestra. This will be a recurring motto throughout the concerto, providing unimaginable possibilities. A follow-on theme helps to dig into the movement, but soon a different version of the motto theme dominates. The central under-belly of the movement works and reworks the motto. Near the end, comes the concerto’s only cadenza — demanding, yet restrained (by the virtuosic standards of its time).

The main theme of the “Intermezzo” derives from four notes of the motto. In this movement, we find a dreamy sort of relief from the concerns of the opening movement. However, near the end comes the alert of a literal reminiscence of the motto, serving as a bridge to the finale, which follows without pause.

The same upward-thrusting four notes generate the main theme of the jovial-style finale. Schumann later plays a rhythmic trick, giving the listener the impression that the music has slowed to half speed. The bulk of the movement, like the preceding ones, avoids bravura merely for its own sake. In the words of Schuman expert Joan Chissell, the concerto is “the test of a musician rather than a technician.”

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Montgomery's "Starburst"

Mon, 20 May 2024 13:32:19 GMT

On June 1, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN & BRONFMAN: A ONE-NIGHT GALA EVENT with pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Title: Starburst
Composer: Jessie Montgomery ( 1981- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 17, 2020 with Pinchas Zukerman conducting. This piece is scored for strings.

The Story: Composer-violinist-educator Jessie Montgomery hails from New York’s Lower East Side, where her father managed a music studio. She was, in her words, “constantly surrounded by all different kinds of music.” Thus, her own compositions have drawn from many diverse influences, such as African-American spirituals, civil rights anthems, improvisational styles, modern jazz, film scoring, etc. From those early years, she developed, chiefly as a violinist, to receive degrees from the Juilliard School and New York University. In her professional performing life, Montgomery has been a member of the Providence String Quartet and the Catalyst Quartet. The latter began as a project of the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, which creates opportunities for African-American and Latino string players.

As a composer, Montgomery was the resident Composer-Educator for the Albany Symphony during the 2015-16 season. In addition she has been recognized with grants and fellowships from the American Composers Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, the Joyce Foundation, and the Sorel Organization. Her reputation has been spreading steadily, mainly in North America, beginning in New York City, Providence, and Boston, reaching out to Deer Valley, Utah; Miami Beach, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; and Toronto, Ontario. Montgomery’s debut record album Strum: Music for Strings (including Starburst ) was released on the Azica Records label in late 2015.

Starburst was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization and premiered by its resident Sphinx Virtuosi in 2012. About it, Montgomery writes:

This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst, “the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly,” lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble that premiered the work, the Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the piece with their dynamic in mind.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Yefim Bronfman

Fri, 17 May 2024 16:17:20 GMT

Pianist Yefim Bronfman performs Schumann's Piano Concerto, Schumann's Piano Quintet, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4
June 1 at 5PM

Background: Internationally recognized as one of today's most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series. His commanding technique, power and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike.

Following summer festival appearances in Verbier, Israel, Aspen, Grand Tetons and Sun Valley the season began with a European tour celebrating the auspicious 500th anniversary of the Munich Opera and Orchestra with concerts in Lucerne, Bucharest, London, Paris, Linz, Vienna and Munich. In partnership with Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, together they visited Japan and Korea followed in the US by return engagements throughout the season with New York Philharmonic, Boston, Kansas City, National, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, San Francisco symphonies and Minnesota Orchestra. With Munich Philharmonic and both Brahms concerti on the program he traveled to Spain and Carnegie Hall followed by European engagements with Budapest Festival Orchestra. An extensive winter/spring recital tour began in Ljubljana and included Milan, Berlin, Cleveland, Chicago, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and La Jolla, culminating at Carnegie Hall in early May.

Mr. Bronfman works regularly with an illustrious group of conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Herbert Blomstedt, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnányi, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Daniele Gatti, Valery Gergiev, Alan Gilbert, Vladimir Jurowski, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jaap Van Zweden, Franz Welser-Möst, and David Zinman. Summer engagements have regularly taken him to the major festivals of Europe and the US. Always keen to explore chamber music repertoire, his partners have included Pinchas Zukerman, Martha Argerich, Magdalena Kožená, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Emmanuel Pahud and many others. In 1991 he gave a series of joint recitals with Isaac Stern in Russia, marking Mr. Bronfman's first public performances there since his emigration to Israel at age 15.

Widely praised for his solo, chamber and orchestral recordings, Mr. Bronfman has been nominated for 6 GRAMMY® Awards, winning in 1997 with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for their recording of the three Bartok Piano Concerti. His prolific catalog of recordings includes works for two pianos by Rachmaninoff and Brahms with Emanuel Ax, the complete Prokofiev concerti with the Israel Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, a Schubert/Mozart disc with the Zukerman Chamber Players and the soundtrack to Disney's Fantasia 2000 . His most recent CD releases are the 2014 GRAMMY® nominated Magnus Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2 commissioned for him and performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on the Da Capo label; Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 with Mariss Jansons and the Bayerischer Rundfunk; a recital disc, Perspectives , complementing Mr. Bronfman's designation as a Carnegie Hall 'Perspectives' artist for the 2007-08 season; and recordings of all the Beethoven piano concerti as well as the Triple Concerto together with violinist Gil Shaham, cellist Truls Mørk, and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under David Zinman for the Arte Nova/BMG label.

Now available on DVD are his performances of Liszt's second piano concerto with Franz Welser-MÃ¶st and the Vienna Philharmonic from Schoenbrunn, 2010 on Deutsche Grammophon; Beethoven's fifth piano concerto with Andris Nelsons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from the 2011 Lucerne Festival; Rachmaninoff's third concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle on the EuroArts label and both Brahms Concerti with Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra (2015).

Born in Tashkent in the Soviet Union, Yefim Bronfman immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. In the United States, he studied at The Juilliard School, Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, under Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists, in 2010 he was further honored as the recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane prize in piano performance from Northwestern University and in 2015 with an honorary doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Tito Muñoz

Wed, 15 May 2024 12:00:03 GMT

Tito Muñoz conducts BEETHOVEN & BRONFMAN: A ONE-NIGHT GALA EVENT!
June 1 at 5PM

Tito has appeared with many of the most prominent orchestras in North America, including those of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York and Utah, as well as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the National Symphony Orchestra. He also maintains a strong international conducting presence, including engagements with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, SWR Symphonieorchester, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, a tour with Orchestre National d’Île de France, Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Philharmonic (London), Ulster Orchestra, Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Opéra de Rennes/ The Turn of the Screw , Auckland Philharmonia, Sydney Symphony and Sao Paolo State Symphony.

As a proponent of new music, Tito champions the composers of our time through expanded programming, commissions, premieres, and recordings. He has conducted important premieres of works by Christopher Cerrone, Kenneth Fuchs, Dai Fujikura, Michael Hersch, Adam Schoenberg and Mauricio Sotelo. During his tenure as Music Director of the Opéra National de Lorraine, Tito conducted the critically acclaimed staged premiere of Gerald Barry’s opera The Importance of Being Earnest . A great advocate of the music of Michael Hersch, he led the world premiere of Hersch’s monodrama On the Threshold of Winter at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2014, followed by the premiere of his Violin Concerto with Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2015, a piece they also recorded with the International Contemporary Ensemble on the New Focus label, released in summer 2018. Most recently he gave the world and European premieres of I hope we get a chance to visit soon at the Ojai and Aldeburgh Festivals.

A passionate educator, Tito regularly visits North America’s top educational institutions, summer music festivals and youth orchestras. He has led performances at the Aspen Music Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, Kent/Blossom Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, New England Conservatory, New World Symphony, Oberlin Conservatory, Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, University of Texas at Austin, and National Repertory Orchestra, as well as a nine-city tour with the St. Olaf College Orchestra. He maintains a close relationship with the Kinhaven Music School, which he attended as a young musician, and now guest conducts there annually. Tito also enjoys a regular partnership with Arizona State University where he has held a faculty position and is a frequent guest teacher and conductor.

Tito made his professional conducting debut in 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, invited by Leonard Slatkin as a participant of the National Conducting Institute. That same year, he made his Cleveland Orchestra debut at the Blossom Music Festival. He was awarded the 2009 Mendelssohn Scholarship sponsored by Kurt Masur and the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Foundation in Leipzig and was a prizewinner in the 2010 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition in Frankfurt.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Berlioz' "Symphonie fantastique"

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:33:49 GMT

On May 3 & 4, conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE with violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.

Title: Symphonie fantastique, op.14
Composer: Hector Berlioz ( 1803-1869 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 23, 2019 with Ken-David Masur conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, four bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, two tubas, two ophicleides, timpani, four harps and strings.

The Story: `Musical writers love to make connections between the life and works of composers. Sometimes there is a delicious biographical incident that has influenced a work, and with Hector Berlioz and his Symphonie fantastique , we have a unique work that was intentionally autobiographical. In 1827, Berlioz attended an English company’s performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Paris. The part of Ophelia was played by one Harriet Smithson, and Berlioz at once fell in love with her. He later wrote in his memoirs, “The impression made on my heart and mind by her extraordinary talent, nay her dramatic genius, was equaled only by the havoc wrought in me by the poet she so nobly interpreted.”

The composer somehow made himself known to her, and she received his letters. But for some reason, Berlioz could not bring himself to call on her, and when she left Paris two years later, the two had not yet met. Then, in early 1830, Berlioz heard some gossip that involved her in a tawdry affair with her manager. He believed it, and that shock not only enabled him to get on with the composition of his Symphonie fantastique , it probably influenced the program content of the final movement as well. (To complete the story, she saw Berlioz conduct in 1832, and a few days later they met. The following year they married, but the marriage was not good, and they separated in 1844.)

Berlioz appended a subtitle to his symphony: “Episode in the Life of an Artist,” and the “artist” is obviously himself. In approaching this work, we must keep in mind the program that Berlioz himself wrote for it, which begins: “A young musician of morbidly sensitive temperament and fiery imagination poisons himself with opium in a fit of lovesick despair. The dose of the narcotic, too weak to kill him, plunges him into a deep slumber accompanied by the strangest visions. . . . The loved one herself has become a melody to him, an idée fixe , that he encounters and hears everywhere.”

Following a slow introduction, the idée fixe theme becomes the basis of the first movement ( Reveries, Passions ), intended to express “those depressions, those groundless joys, that he experienced before he first saw his loved one; then the volcanic love that she suddenly inspired in him, his frenzied suffering, his jealous rages, his returns to tenderness, his religious consolations.”

In the second movement, A Ball , “he encounters the loved one at a dance in the midst of the tumult of a brilliant party.” The middle section of this waltz derives from the idée fixe theme, and it reappears hauntingly near the end of the movement.

The artist seeks rest in the Scene in the Country , the third movement. The sound of two shepherds piping a duet begins to bring him peace, “but she appears again, he feels a tightening in his heart, painful presentiments disturb him . . . . One shepherd takes up his simple tune again, the other no longer answers. The sun sets — distant sound of thunder — loneliness — silence.”

In the fourth movement, March to the Scaffold , “he dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned to death and led to the scaffold. . . . At the end, the idée fixe returns for a moment, like a last thought of love — interrupted by the fatal blow.”

The final, multi-section Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath depicts the artist at his own funeral, “in the midst of ghosts, sorcerers, monsters of every kind . . . the beloved melody appears again, but . . . it is no more than a dance tune, mean, trivial, and grotesque: it is she coming to join the sabbath. . . . Funeral knell, burlesque parody of the Dies irae [a medieval chant from the Requiem Mass], and sabbath round-dance . The sabbath round and the Dies irae combined.”

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Marsalis' Violin Concerto

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:19:04 GMT

On May 3 & 4, conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE with violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.

Title: Violin Concerto in D
Composer: Wynton Marsalis ( 1961- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for three flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, sousaphone, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story: The phenomenon we call Wynton Marsalis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He studied at Juilliard and has recorded prolifically in both the jazz and classical music domains. Marsalis became the first musician to win Grammy Awards in both Jazz ( Think of One ) and Classical Music ( Haydn, Hummel, Leopold Mozart ) in the same year (1983). Also, he won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his oratorio, Blood on the Fields .

For the premiere performance and recording of his Violin Concerto (2015), Marsalis has given massive credit to his collaborators, notably, violinist Nicola Benedetti, conductor Cristian Măcelaru, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. To inaugurate the new work, Marsalis himself wrote the following extensive program note:

This piece was written for Nicola Benedetti. It takes inspiration from her life as a traveling performer and educator who enlightens and delights communities all over the world with the magic of virtuosity. Scored for symphony orchestra, with tremendous respect for the demands of that instrument, it is nonetheless written from the perspective of a jazz musician and New Orleans bluesman. We believe that all human beings are connected in the essential fundamentals of life: birth, death, love, and laughter; that our most profound individual experiences are also universal (especially pain); and acknowledging the depth of that pain in the context of a groove is a powerful first step towards healing.

Nicky asked me to “invite a diverse world of people into the experience of this piece.” Because finding and nurturing common musical ground between differing arts and musical styles has been a lifetime fascination of mine, I was already trying to welcome them. It may seem simple enough, but bringing different perspectives together is never easy. The shared vocabulary between the jazz orchestra and the modern orchestra sits largely in the areas of texture and instrumental technique. Form, improvisation, harmony, and methods of thematic development are very different. The biggest challenges are: how to orchestrate the nuance and virtuosity in jazz and blues for an ensemble not versed in those styles (a technical issue); and how to create a consistent groove without a rhythm section (a musical/philosophical issue).

Because modern living is an integrated experience, it is never difficult to discover organic connections. Turning those insights into something meaningful and playable, however, is another story. It has to be lived and digested. That’s why I looked for real-life examples in the history of jazz–symphonic collaborations and to the environment and experience that connect Nicky and me. I considered aspects of her Scottish ancestry, the great Afro-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s love of legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns, my love and inextinguishable respect for Scottish baritone saxophonist Joe Temperley (and his gleeful recitation of pungent limericks), and the luminous but obscure achievements of Afro-American keyed bugler Francis Johnson, father of the American cornet tradition and one of the first published American composers… who was also a fine fiddler. These sources led me to reconnect with the Anglo-Celtic roots of Afro-American music.

The piece opens with Nicky whispering a solo note before the orchestra enters, as if to say “And so it came to pass” or “Once upon a time.” Then we are into a form constructed in fours–as in the four corners of the earth, where her travels take her. Each of the four movements, Rhapsody, Rondo Burlesque, Blues and Hootenanny, reveals a different aspect of her dream, which becomes reality through the public storytelling that is virtuosic performance.

Movement 1, Rhapsody , is a complex dream that becomes a nightmare, progresses into peacefulness and dissolves into ancestral memory.

Movement 2, Rondo Burlesque , is a syncopated, New Orleans jazz, calliope, circus clown, African gumbo, Mardi Gras party in odd meters.

Movement 3, Blues , is the progression of flirtation, courtship, intimacy, sermonizing, final loss and abject loneliness that is out there to claim us all.

Movement 4, Hootenanny , is a raucous, stomping and whimsical barnyard throw-down. She excites us with all types of virtuosic chicanery and gets us intoxicated with revelry and then… goes on down the Good King’s highway to other places yet to be seen or even foretold. As in the blues and jazz tradition, our journey ends with the jubilance and uplift of an optimistic conclusion.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Boyer's "Silver Fanfare"

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:33:43 GMT

On May 3 & 4, conductor Thomas Wilkins and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE with violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.

Title: On Music's Wings: Silver Fanfare
Composer: Peter Boyer ( 1970- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: Peter Boyer hails from Providence, R.I., where he received his initial higher education in music from Rhode Island College. He went on to garner a master’s and doctorate from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music. During the 1990s, Boyer moved to Los Angeles in order to attend the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles). There he benefited from the wisdom and tutelage of such composers as Elmer Bernstein and David Raksin.

In 1996, while in Southern California, Boyer was appointed to the faculty of Claremont Graduate University, and three years later he became the first recipient of the Helen M. Smith Chair in Music. This proved to be a springboard for Boyer’s career as a composer of international importance. By the opening of the 21st century, commissions for his music began pouring in, chiefly from American and European symphony orchestras. Notably, Keith Lockhart, Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, announced a joint project with Boyer that would be titled The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers , honoring the legacies of John F., Robert F., and Edward M. Kennedy. Narrators for the 2010 premiere included actors Robert de Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris.

Silver Fanfare (2004) became the opening movement of Boyer’s On Music's Wings . For its Naxos recording, Boyer has written:

Silver Fanfare was composed as the first movement of the six-movement work On Music’s Wings , which was commissioned for the 25th anniversary season (2003-04) of the Pacific Symphony, in Orange County, California. The “silver” of its title refers to the silver anniversary of that orchestra. Though the 30-minute On Music’s Wings calls for vocal soloists and choirs in addition to the orchestra, Silver Fanfare is for orchestra alone, and was designed as a virtuoso orchestral “curtain-raiser” which could be performed separately. Carl St. Clair conducted its premiere with the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, California on June 13th, 2004.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Kelly Hall-Tompkins

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:50:14 GMT

Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins performs Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto
May 3 at 5:30PM & May 4 at 8PM

Background: Acclaimed by The New York Times as “the versatile violinist who makes the music come alive” and for her “tonal mastery” ( BBC Music Magazine ) and “searing intensity” ( American Record Guide ), violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins is forging a dynamic career as a soloist and chamber musician. Winner of a Naumburg International Violin Competition Honorarium Prize as well as a Concert Artists Guild Career Grant, Ms. Hall-Tompkins has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Dallas Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of New York, and a Brevard Festival Orchestra under the baton of Keith Lockhart, in addition to numerous concerts and recitals in cities around the world. For 13 months on Broadway, Ms. Hall-Tompkins was the “Fiddler,” violin soloist, for the Bartlett Sher production of Fiddler on the Roof , with numerous solos written especially for her. The New York Times hailed her in a feature article as holding the title role, together with dancer Jesse Kovarsky.

Ms. Hall-Tompkins received an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, her alma mater, in 2016, and also delivered the Commencement address. She is also one of three 2017 recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which was presented at the US Supreme Court by Justice Sotomayor. She earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School under the mentorship of Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. While there, she was concertmaster of both of the school’s orchestras. While at Eastman she won the school’s prestigious Performer’s Certificate Competition, several scholarship awards from the New York Philharmonic, and was invited to perform chamber music on the school’s Kilbourn Concert Series with members of the faculty.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Thomas Wilkins

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:29:02 GMT

Thomas Wilkins conducts SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE!
May 3 at 5:30PM & May 4 at 8PM

Background: Devoted to promoting a lifelong enthusiasm for music, Thomas Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. Hailed as a master at communicating and connecting with audiences, he is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Artistic Advisor for Education and Community Engagement at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he holds Indiana University’s Henry A. Upper chair of orchestral conducting, established by the late Barbara and David Jacobs. He completed a long and successful tenure as Music Director of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2020–21 season. Previous posts have included Resident Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay).

Wilkins has appeared as guest conductor throughout the United States, leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Boston, National, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and Cincinnati symphony orchestras. In 2022 he was the recipient of the League of American Orchestras’s Gold Baton Award, and in that same year the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards presented him with their Lifetime Achievement Award for Music. Other awards include an honorary Doctor of Arts from the Boston Conservatory, and the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society conferred by Boston’s Longy School of Music.

His commitment to community has been demonstrated by his participation on the boards of directors of several organizations, including the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha), Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, and the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Academy Preparatory Center, both in St. Petersburg, Florida. Wilkins currently serves as chairman of the board for the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund and as national ambassador for the nonprofit World Pediatric Project, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, which provides children throughout Central America and the Caribbean with critical surgical and diagnostic care.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Thomas Wilkins is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mahler's Symphony No.1 (Titan)

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:00:01 GMT

On April 13, conductor Benjamin Manis and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO.2 with pianist Orli Shaham.

Title: Symphony No.1 (Titan)
Composer: Gustav Mahler ( 1860-1911 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 24, 2011 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, four piccolos, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three E-flat clarinets, three bassoons, contrabassoon, seven horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story: The First Symphony of Gustav Mahler originated as a five-movement work under the generic title, “Symphonic Poem.” In that form, it had its 1889 premiere in Budapest. The work was not a critical success. Before the next performance in Hamburg in 1893, Mahler revised the score, renaming it “Titan, a Tone Poem in the Form of a Symphony,” and adding programmatic titles and comments to all the movements. This last gesture resulted from the urging of friends, who felt that the public required points of reference to understand Mahler’s radical music. Before the 1896 Berlin performance of the work as “Symphony No.1,” Mahler dropped these references, although, by his own admission, certain genuinely programmatic aspects in the music actually exist. For the 1899 publication, the composer also reduced the number of movements to the more traditional four.

Mahler’s original programmatic designation for the first movement was “Spring without End . . . the Introduction depicts the awakening of nature from its long winter sleep.” This appears to be the music’s intent through the soft, long-held unison, while chirping motives and other “nature” sounds bring the symphony to life. The main section ( Allegro comodo ) is based on themes from the second of the Songs of a Wayfarer , the text of which reflects springtime awakening:

Through the field I went my way,
Dew drops on the grass and tree,
Said the merry finch to me:
“Fine, bright day?
Is this world not fresh and gay?”

The Scherzo comes second. Mahler called it “Under Full Sail,” but this is ambiguous considering that the music is a rustic waltz with a yodeling motive, an obvious reference to Alpine peasant music. For the Trio section, Mahler furnishes the cultural opposite in a refined, courtly Ländler (a folk dance that was the transition between the minuet and the waltz many years earlier).

The third movement (“Shipwrecked”) begins oddly as a grotesque canon on the children’s round Frère Jacques scored for some solo instruments with brief sarcastic comments from others. Mahler explains this strange opening and unusual later developments in his note:

The composer received the external stimulus to this movement from the parodistic picture, “The Huntsman’s Funeral,” well known to children of Austria from an old book of fairy tales. The animals of the forest accompany the coffin of the dead hunter to its tomb. . . . Here the movement expresses alternately the moods of jesting irony and eerie brooding.

Without pause, a cymbal crash announces the opening of the fourth movement, dubbed, “Dall’ Inferno al Paradisio . . .” expressing the sudden outcry of a deeply wounded heart. Full of dramatic contrasts and orchestration wizardry, this movement has themes of its own but is noteworthy for reminiscences and transformations of themes from the previous movements. The length and power of this concluding essay shows Mahler at his best, tying up the ends of the symphony’s portrayal of innocence (Movements I and II), wry irony (Movement III), and a final journey from the sinister to the sublime (Movement IV).

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.2

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 14:30:57 GMT

On April 13, conductor Benjamin Manis and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO.2 with pianist Orli Shaham.

Title: Piano Concerto No.2, op.19, B-flat major
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 18, 2014 with Daniel Hege conducting and soloist Jon Nakamatsu. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns and strings.

The Story: The Piano Concerto No.2 by Ludwig van Beethoven was the second published but the first completed. Although Beethoven had made two adolescent attempts, the B-flat Concerto, begun two years after his 1792 arrival in Vienna, was his first fully orchestrated piano concerto. He finished the work the following year, barely in time for its premiere on his debut concert of March 29, 1795. The concerto contained innovative contrasts in dynamics and mood, but was also deeply indebted to Mozart’s piano concertos, especially in its structure. Thus, an adventurous work from Beethoven’s period of discipleship emerged, but a work with which he was dissatisfied for several years. The composer continued to play the concerto, but only while making drastic revisions on it until 1801, when he finally consigned it to a publisher. By that time, he had composed and published his C Major Concerto as No.1 (Op. 15), so the B-flat Concerto became No.2 by default.

When Czech piano virtuoso Václav Tomášek heard Beethoven play the revised B-flat Concerto in Prague in 1798, he could not touch the piano for days. That may have resulted from the power of Beethoven’s performance. However, the work was no doubt also impressive. In the first movement, there is a plethora of interesting material, sometimes handled in unexpected ways. For example, Beethoven sets up the audience to expect the orchestra’s second theme to sound in a certain key. Instead, he sidesteps into the “wrong” key. About the halfway point, orchestra and piano engage in a dialogue of fragments from various themes. Then the music builds again to a climax with the piano’s solo cadenza.

In the Adagio , the orchestra paints winsome, flowing melodies, which the piano then elaborates and decorates. Here, we get a taste of what Beethoven’s ex tempore ornamentation must have sounded like. Toward the end, when we expect a full, virtuosic solo cadenza, Beethoven writes out what analyst Roger Fisk calls an “anti-cadenza,” a single line in the right hand only, marked con gran espressione . The result may not be as gran as Beethoven had envisioned, but it is an interesting experiment.

The finale is full of fun, beginning with the “Scotch-Snap” rhythm of the main theme. Episodic digressions from the theme are equally imaginative, particularly the section that carries a slightly Gypsy flavor. Beethoven concludes his concerto with all the rugged good humor of a country dance.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Carlos Simon's "Motherboxx Connection"

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:43:58 GMT

On April 13, conductor Benjamin Manis and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO.2 with pianist Orli Shaham.

Title: Motherboxx Connection
Composer: Carlos Simon ( 1986- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story: Carlos Simon wrote Motherboxx Connection originally as the first part of his four-movement work Tales: A Folklore Symphony , commissioned by the Sphinx Organization for its 25th anniversary and by the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, which premiered the work in January, 2022, Kenneth Kiesler conducting. The version heard tonight has been revised by the composer as a standalone work.

Currently composer in residence for the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Carolos Simon is a composer of great eclecticism, reflecting a background which ranges from being the music director and keyboardist for Broadway star Jennifer Holliday and a touring musician with hip-hop pioneer Angela Stone, to earning his doctorate in composition from the University of Michigan. As an artist, Simon eagerly explores all the tools at his disposal - a fact quite evident in his 2018 concept album My Ancestor’s Gift , which blends pop, gospel, classical, and experimental experiences into a rich musical narrative.

The last time Rhode Island Philharmonic audiences heard Simon’s music was in November, 2022, when the Orchestra performed his deep and thoughtful work Fate Now Conquers , under the baton of Kensho Watanabe.

Motherboxx Connection is cut from an entirely different cloth. Letting loose at top speed from the first note, this is a work that grabs you and refuses to let go. But what, exactly, is a Motherboxx? The composer himself starts answering that question by posing another one:

“Where are all the black people in comics?” This is a question posed by the creative duo Black Kirby (John Jennings and Stacey Robinson). Based heavily in Afrofuturism, Black Kirby’s characters show black people as heroes using ancient customs and futurist motifs from the African and African American diaspora. This piece is inspired by the many heroic characters found in the work of Black Kirby, but mainly Motherboxx Connection. According to scholar Regina N. Bradley, Motherboxx Connection is “a pun on Jack Kirby’s motherbox, a living computer connected to the world, the Motherboxx too is a living computer with a heightened awareness of racial and sexual discourses surrounding the black body. The motherboxx is the technological equivalent of the “mother land” in the black diaspora imagination. She is where black identities merge and depart.” To represent the power and intelligence of the motherboxx, I have composed a short fast-moving musical idea that constantly weaves in and throughout the orchestra. A majestic, fanfare-like figure also provides the overall mood of strength and heroism. I imagine the motherboxx as an all-knowing entity that is aware of the multi-faceted aspects of blackness.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Orli Shaham

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:09:44 GMT

Pianist Orli Shaham performs Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.2
April 13 at 8PM

Background: A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety and brilliance, pianist Orli Shaham is in demand for her prodigious skills and admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. The New York Times called her a “brilliant pianist,” The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first-rate Mozartean,” and London’s Guardian said Ms. Shaham’s playing at the Proms was “perfection.”

She has performed with most of the major orchestras in the United States, on stage internationally from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House and appeared at music festivals around the world. Since 2007, she has been Artistic Director for Pacific Symphony’s chamber music series; and she is Artistic Director of the interactive children’s concert series, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010.

Continuing her multi-year Mozart recording project, Orli Shaham releases the final two volumes of the complete piano sonatas by Mozart in the 2023-24 season. Volumes 1-4 of the sonata cycle, and a recording of Mozart’s Piano Concertos are already out. Additionally, she has taught a master class on the digital platform Tonebase centered around the Mozart sonatas, as well as a live online discussion and demonstration of the life and music of Clara Schumann. Her discography includes a dozen titles on Deutsche Gramophone, Sony, Canary Classics and other labels.

Ms. Shaham is on faculty at The Juilliard School, and has served on the juries of both the Cliburn and Honens International Piano Competitions. She is Co-Host and Creative for NPR’s “From the Top”, and was host of “America’s Music Festivals,” and “Dial-a-Musician,” a feature series she created, all of which are broadcast nationally. In addition to her musical education at The Juilliard School, Orli Shaham has a BA from Columbia University. She is a member of the board of trustees of Kaufman Music Center, serving as chair through 2023.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Benjamin Manis

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:59:27 GMT

Benjamin Manis conducts BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO.2
April 13 at 8PM

Background: American conductor Benjamin Manis will be marking a successful end of his tenure as an Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony in the summer of 2023. During his time with the orchestra, he led performances on tour throughout the state of Utah as well as at Abravanel Hall and the Deer Valley Music Festival. Before moving to Salt Lake City, Mr. Manis spent three seasons as Resident Conductor of the Houston Grand Opera, making his debut with Verdi’s Rigoletto . Other highlights of his time in Houston include performances of Carmen , Romeo et Juliette and The Snowy Day . He led four world premieres, among them the 2020 world premiere of Marian’s Song with the subsequent HGO Digital filmed version and Miller Outdoor Theatre performances of the same work. Mr. Manis returned to HGO in the 22/23 season to lead productions of Tosca and El Milagro del Recuerdo to critical acclaim.

In August of 2023, Mr. Manis assisted Donald Runnicles during the semi-staged production of Madame Butterfly , a finale of last year’s Grand Teton Music Festival. The 23/24 season marks returns to the Utah Symphony including a gala performance with Itzhak Perlman, as well as a debut with Utah Opera leading a production of The Little Prince . In spring of 2024 Mr. Manis will lead a double bill of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Britten’s Rape of Lucretia at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Three-time winner of the Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Awards (2023, 2022, 2019), Mr. Manis assisted renowned conductors such Thierry Fischer, Gianandrea Noseda, David Robertson, and Stéphane Denève at the St. Louis, Dallas, and National symphonies. Over the course of three years in the Aspen Conducting Academy, he assisted and worked closely with conductors such as Robert Spano, Ludovic Morlot, Leonard Slatkin, James Conlon and Vasily Petrenko. After winning the Aspen Conducting Prize, Mr. Manis was invited to returned to Aspen in the summer of 2021 as assistant conductor, where he conducted two programs with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.

Mr. Manis studied cello and conducting at the Colburn School, where he conducted outreach concerts in public schools across Los Angeles and performed Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto as soloist with conductor Robert Spano. A student of the late Larry Rachleff, he completed his Master of Music degree in 2019 at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' Symphony No.1

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:13:54 GMT

On March 15 & 16, conductor Joseph Young and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FIRST PIANO CONCERTO with pianist Tony Siqi Yun.

Title: Symphony No.1, op.68, C minor
Composer: Johannes Brahms ( 1833-1897 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 25, 2010 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: Although the First Symphony by Johannes Brahms was not premiered until the composer was middle-aged, its genesis dates from 1854, when he was only 21. That was a time of emotional turmoil for Brahms, the year his friend and mentor, Robert Schumann, was institutionalized for the last time. Brahms seems to have been tormented further by his love for Clara Schumann. Musically, the result was passionate, often stormy music that reflected his moods, leading some writers to call this Brahms’s “Storm and Stress Period.” One tempestuous effort of late 1854 was the initial draft of the first movement to the Symphony No.1. Why, then, did Brahms not complete the symphony immediately? And why did he delay 22 years before allowing it to be premiered? The answers are not easy.

One problem was Brahms’s apostolic self-image and self-effacing, perfectionist attitude. These often caused him to hold back for many years works with which he was not entirely satisfied. Apparently, a significant problem with the symphony was reconciling later movements with the stormy, passionate opening movement. In any case, after the not altogether successful premiere of the Piano Concerto No.1 (1859), Brahms released no major orchestral works until the Variations on a Theme of Haydn (1873). By that time, the First Symphony had already been completed except for its slow movement and sostenuto introduction.

Another issue was Brahms’s classicism. At the time, audiences were conditioned to expect free-spirited “programmatic” symphonies (pictorial, scenic, or story-telling). Brahms was an anomaly. He employed objective, classic forms and musical textures quite strictly, showing his reverence for Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven. Therefore, comparisons between his symphony and those of the earlier Viennese masters were sure to be made, and that caused Brahms to be hesitant. When he finally overcame all these misgivings, the symphony premiered in 1876 with considerable success. Public acceptance as a symphonic composer gave him the confidence he needed for a period of intense orchestral/concerto writing that continued for another 14 years.

Predictably, the First Symphony of Brahms was compared with Beethoven’s symphonies, especially the Ninth. The Brahms work was long, and, as the composer put it, “Any donkey” could see the resemblance between the hymn-like melody of the fourth movement and Beethoven’s setting of the “Ode to Joy.” (Soon after the premiere, Brahms’s First Symphony became nicknamed “Beethoven’s Tenth.”)

The themes of those outer movements is pure Brahms. The composer balances the stormy passion of the opening by making the fourth movement’s slow introduction equally intense. However, the themes of those outer movements and their treatment are noble and heroic. By contrast, the inner movements are almost serenade-like with their sweet lyricism. The violin solo near the end of the second movement is especially noteworthy in this regard. The congenial third movement is a fine example of Brahms’s tendency (learned from Schumann) of replacing the classic, traditional quick scherzo with a sweet, congenial “intermezzo” of moderate speed.

Unlike Brahms’s later symphonies, the First was exploratory. Yet, perhaps because it evolved slowly, this symphony has a unique and masterful expression that accords it a special place among his orchestral works.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:16:57 GMT

On March 15 & 16, conductor Joseph Young and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FIRST PIANO CONCERTO with pianist Tony Siqi Yun.

Title: Piano Concerto No.1, op.23, TH 55, B-flat minor
Composer: Peter I. Tchaikovsky ( 1840-1893 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 31, 2019 with Bramwell Tovey conducting and soloist Olga Kern. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story: On Christmas Eve of 1874, Peter I. Tchaikovsky experienced a spiritual blow so devastating that it took three years before he could even mention it. It concerned his informal playing of his First Piano Concerto in the home of a friend for Nicolai Rubinstein, his superior at the Moscow Conservatory. Tchaikovsky was seeking some friendly technical advice about the piano part. Instead, this is what happened:

I played the first movement. Not a single word, not a single comment! . . . Say something, if only to tear it to pieces with constructive criticism. . . . It was as though he was saying to me: My friend, how can I talk about details when the very essence of the thing disgusts me? I fortified my patience and played on to the end. Again silence. I got up and asked, Well? It was then that there began to flow from [Rubinstein’s] mouth a stream of words. . . . It appeared that my concerto was worthless, that it was unplayable, that passages were trite, awkward, and so clumsy that it was impossible to put them right, that as a composition it was bad and tawdry, that I had filched this bit from here and that bit from there, and that there were only two or three pages that could be retained, and that the rest would have to be scrapped or completely revised.

Tchaikovsky left the room and went upstairs. Rubinstein soon followed. There he told me again that my concerto was impossible, and after pointing out to me a lot of places that required radical change, he said that if by such-and-such a date I would revise the concerto in accordance with his demands, then he would bestow upon me the honor of playing my piece in a concert of his. “ I won’t change a single note, ” I replied, “ and I’ll publish it just as it is now !” And so I did! [translation by David Brown].

The high point of Tchaikovsky’s famous concerto is the melody that comes right after the piano’s introductory chords. The orchestra plays this melody, and the piano accompanies. Listen closely, because (oddly) this wonderful tune never returns! The rest of the first movement is colored delightfully by Russian folk music. In the second movement, we may notice the contrast between slow and fast musical speeds in alternating sections. The finale is quick and dance-like for the most part. However, the composer emphasizes a beautiful lyrical melody, which we hear from time to time, especially near the end.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Nabors' "Pulse"

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:22:11 GMT

On March 15 & 16, conductor Joseph Young and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY'S FIRST PIANO CONCERTO with pianist Tony Siqi Yun.

Title: Pulse

Composer: Brian Raphael Nabors ( 1991- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for three flutes, three piccolos, two oboes, English horn, three clarinets, three bass clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, celesta and strings.

Embracing his Southern roots as a composer and pianist, Gospel music has been an underlying force. However, his tastes and influences have taken him farther afield in both piano performing and composition. Mainly, these include American jazz, funk, and rhythm & blues, plus various African musical influences.

Yet Nabors’ professional life has taken the international route of many of his New Music contemporaries. His music (often on commission) has been performed by symphony orchestras in Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Munich (Germany.) Nabors himself wrote the following description of Pulse :

My conception of Pulse began as a long contemplation of daily life as we know it, combined with thoughts of life in nature. The universe seems to have this natural rhythm to it. It is as if every living and moving thing we are aware and unaware of is being held together by a mysterious, resolute force. Pulse is an episodic rhapsody that explores several phases and colorful variants of rhythm all held together by an unwavering pulse. Each episode is meant to symbolize a different scenario of life for the listener, be it a buzzing modern metropolis, a deep wilderness abundant with animalia, or the scenic endless abyss of the ocean. All of these worlds and their philosophical meanings are then brought together in a contemplative theme of “unification” in the strings that symbolize our deep connection as living beings to everything within, over, under, and around us.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Joseph Young

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:23:35 GMT

Joseph Young conducts TCHAIKOVSKY'S FIRST PIANO CONCERTO
March 15 at 6:30PM & March 16 at 8PM

Background: American conductor Joseph Young is among the most gifted conductors of his generation, balancing his flourishing career as a guest conductor with leadership roles as Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony and Artistic Director of Ensembles at the Peabody Conservatory.

“Joseph Young has had quite a year … impressive,” wrote Washington Classical Review of his 2023 National Symphony Orchestra debut, which capped a year of debuts that included leading Jeanine Tesori’s Blue with Washington National Opera, the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, and NYO2 at Carnegie Hall and on tour in the Dominican Republic, as well as collaborations with composer Du Yun, pianist Lara Downes, artist William Kentridge, bass-baritone Davóne Tines, and icon Debbie Allen.

Joseph is committed to amplifying a range of musical voices — both historical and contemporary — that animate his consistently compelling programs, which have included works by Brian Raphael Nabors, Florence Price, and Carlos Simon, alongside iconic composers such as John Adams, Brahms, Dvořák and Prokofiev, and many others.

Highlights of previous and upcoming engagements include the San Francisco, Seattle, New Jersey and Milwaukee symphonies, Rochester Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (Portugal), the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro de RTVE (Spain), and the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa). In July 2024, he will conduct the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the Cincinnati Opera’s world-premiere staging of the Liverpool Oratorio, Paul McCartney’s acclaimed 1991 work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists.

Earlier in his career, Joseph served as the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he was the driving force behind the ensemble’s artistic growth. He has served as Resident Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and the League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Joseph began his steady ascent in the orchestral world while serving as an educator in South Carolina. Self-guided, self-funded study—and a chance encounter with the influential conductor Michael Morgan—led him to a conducting workshop with Marin Alsop who, recognizing his raw talent, created the BSO–Peabody Conducting Fellowship to facilitate his artistic and professional growth. He has since been mentored by luminaries in the orchestra world, including Jorma Panula, Robert Spano, and Alsop, with whom he maintains a close artistic partnership.

Now a dedicated mentor and role model himself, Joseph shapes the future of classical music through his dynamic performances and programming with major symphony orchestras, his steadfast commitment to teaching in classrooms and concert halls, and his service on the board of New Music USA. He also maintains a working relationship with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and its National Youth Orchestra program, where he served as Resident Conductor for NYO2 from 2017 to 2022 prior to his Carnegie Hall debut in 2023.

He holds an artist’s diploma in conducting from the Peabody Conservatory, studying with Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of South Carolina. He grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest son of a banker and a Naval officer, studying the trumpet before picking up a baton.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Tony Siqi Yun

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:18:58 GMT

Pianist Tony Siqi Yun performs Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1
March 15 at 6:30PM & March 16 at 8PM

Background: The Canadian-born pianist Tony Siqi Yun, Gold Medalist at the First China International Music Competition (2019) and awarded the Rheingau Music Festival’s 2023 Lotto-Förderpreis, is quickly becoming a sought-after soloist and recitalist.

During the 2022-23 season, he made his highly-acclaimed subscription debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and this season, he joins Nézet-Séguin on a US Tour with Orchestre Metropolitain, including an appearance at Carnegie Hall. Also in 2023-24, he makes debut appearances at the Colorado Music Festival, the Aspen Festival, the Vail Dance Festival and with the Hamilton (ON) Philharmonic, conducted by Gemma New. Other engagements include Edmonton Symphony and Orchestra Lumos with Michael Stern, the Rhode Island Philharmonic with Joseph Young and the New Jersey Symphony. He performs Marquez: Dance No. 2 at Lincon Center for American Ballet Theatre’s Fall Gala. Tony has also appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Tony regularly performs solo recitals in both Europe and North America. Recent and future highlights include his debuts at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Philharmonie Luxembourg and in North America at Stanford Live, Gilmore Rising Stars Series, and 92nd Street Y in New York, with a return visit to the Vancouver Recital Series.

He is a recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship at The Juilliard School where he studies with Professors Yoheved Kaplinsky and Matti Raekallio.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Ravel's "Rapsodie espagnole"

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 04:49:39 GMT

On February 9 & 10, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON.

Title: Rapsodie espagnole
Composer: Maurice Ravel ( 1875-1937 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 9, 1982 with Alvaro Cassuto conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, English horn, three trumpets, sarrusophone, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, two harps, celesta and strings.

The Story: There is a joke in the musical world that goes, “The best Spanish music was written by French composers.” Although there is more than a grain of truth there, it is only half-proven in the case of Maurice Ravel.

Ravel was born in the Pyrenees town of Delouart, and his mother was Basque. Ravel’s lifelong attraction to and mastery of the Spanish idiom is undeniable. One need only recall works such as Habanera, Rapsodie espagnole, Alborada del gracioso, Bolero , and the one-act opera, L'Heure espagnole to recognize the deep influence that Iberian music had on his art.

Ravel's greatest Spanish musical contemporary, Manuel de Falla, endorsed the authenticity of Ravel's style in the Rapsodie with the words,

It surprises one by its (genuinely) Spanish character. In absolute agreement with my own intentions... this hispanization is not achieved merely by drawing upon popular or folk sources (except the Jota in “Feria”) but rather through the free use of the modal rhythms and melodies and ornamental figures of our popular music, none of which has altered in any way the natural style of the composer.

Ravel wrote the Rapsodie in 1907, the same year he completed his one-act opera, L'Heure espagnole . Composed in only 30 days, the Rapsodie was an immediate success and firmly established Ravel as a brilliant master of the orchestral medium. The Rapsodie’s four-movement plan begins with a “Prelude to the Night” that reflects Ravel's impressionistic impulse. It is a nocturnal sketch of Spain's perfume and atmosphere. The Malagueña had to be encored at the Rapsodie’s premiere. With a full percussion section, including castanets, the movement maintains an unswerving rhythmic thrust, suspended only for the English horn's evocative solo near the end.

Ravel adapted the Habanera from his 1895 piece for two pianos. In the manuscript, the composer inscribed the subtitle, “In the fragrant land caressed by the sun.” Later, he reflected that this work, with its ostinato pedal point [sustained bass note] and its chords with multiple appoggiaturas [similar to grace notes] . . . “contained the germ of several elements that were to predominate in my later works.”

The Rapsodie concludes with a “Feria,” or festival. Biographer Rollo H. Myers summarizes it best:

A luminous, scintillating tableau of Iberian exuberance, and one of the most forthright and uninhibited pages in the whole of Ravel's oeuvre , the Feria brings the Rapsodie to an end in a blaze of color and sound as brilliant as anything to be found in the whole repertory of the twentieth-century orchestra.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Respighi's "Fountains of Rome"

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:52:54 GMT

On February 9 & 10, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON.

Title: Fountains of Rome , P.106
Composer: Ottorino Respighi ( 1879-1936 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, celesta, piano and strings.

The Story: There are only a few 20th-century masters of colorful orchestration. Leading composers among this select group, such as Ottorino Respighi, usually worked in a musical style that was a holdover from the Romantic 19th century. Respighi received his advanced training in orchestration directly from another of the world’s most coloristic orchestrators, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1900, Respighi travelled to Russia to play violin in the St. Petersburg Imperial Opera orchestra and to study with Rimsky-Korsakov. The latter’s influence is felt throughout Respighi’s symphonic poems, notably the famous Fountains of Rome (1916) and Pines of Rome (1924).

Two dominant ideas run through much of Respighi’s orchestral program music. One is a choice of subject sensorially perceived (rather than intellectually). The other is some cultural echo of the remote past. Both ideas are functioning in Fountains of Rome . Respighi wrote that his purpose was “to give expression to the sentiments and visions suggested . . . by four of Rome’s fountains, contemplated at the hour in which their character is most in harmony with the surrounding landscape, or in which their beauty appears most impressive to the observer.”

Fountains of Rome is in four distinct sections, played without pause, as an integrated symphonic poem. Here is Respighi’s own program note:

The first part of the poem, inspired by the Fountain of Valle Giulia, depicts a pastoral landscape. Droves of cattle pass and disappear in the fresh, damp mists of a Roman dawn. A sudden loud and insistent blast above the trills of the whole orchestra introduces the second part. It is like a joyous call, summoning troops of naiads and tritons, who come running up pursuing each other and mingling in a frenzied dance between the jets of water.

Next there appears a solemn theme, borne on the undulations of the orchestra. It is the Fountain of Trevi at midday. The solemn theme, passing from the woodwind to the brass instruments, assumes a triumphal character. Trumpets peal; across the radiant surface of the water passes Neptune’s chariot, drawn by sea-horses and followed by a train of sirens and tritons. The procession then vanishes, while faint trumpet blasts sound in the distance.

The fourth part is announced by a sad theme that rises above a subdued warbling. It is the nostalgic hour of sunset. The air is full of the sound of tolling bells, birds twittering, leaves rustling. Then all dies peacefully into the silence of the night.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.3

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:40:42 GMT

On February 9 & 10, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON.

Title: Piano Concerto No.3, op.30, D minor
Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff ( 1873-1943 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 13, 1990 with Andrew Massey conducting and soloist Jeffrey Siegel. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story: The composition of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in 1909 is mysterious. The composer made no mention of it in his writings until much later, and his family did not even know he was composing the work until it was finished. This situation could have been due to the concerto’s connection with Rachmaninoff’s dreaded upcoming tour of the United States. As the time of the tour approached, he hated the idea more and more, but he had a contract that could not be broken. As it turned out, the tour was a success. Sergei Rachmaninoff premiered the D minor Concerto in New York in November 1909 with Walter Damrosch conducting. He played it in several other cities, then repeated it in New York the following January, this time under the baton of Gustav Mahler.

Because of the concerto’s difficult and unrelenting solo part, no other pianist would touch it for a long time, not even the great Joseph Hofmann to whom the work was dedicated. During the 1930s, Vladimir Horowitz became the first to play it regularly. Then, pianists of the next generation, such as Emil Gilels and Leonard Pennario, performed and recorded the concerto, firmly establishing its popularity and place in the repertoire.

In a letter of 1935 to organist/musicologist Joseph Yasser, Rachmaninoff remarked of the first movement’s main theme,

It simply ‘wrote itself!’ . . . If I had any plan in composing this theme, I was thinking only of sound. I wanted to ‘sing’ the melody on the piano, as a singer would sing it.…”

This long-breathed theme is the most important one in the concerto, since parts of it return, transformed, in all the movements. The second theme begins as a rhythmic dialogue between piano and orchestra, but soon evolves into a sweeping and lyrical expression like the main theme. Following a passionate development comes an even more passionate piano cadenza. The orchestra makes its presence felt little by little until a brief restatement of both themes in the movement’s ending.

The Adagio movement is titled Intermezzo . An elegiac mood in the orchestral opening breaks off suddenly with the soloist’s entrance. Following the sumptuous first section comes a spirited Scherzando middle section for piano and pizzicato strings on a melody clearly derived from the first movement’s main theme.

The Intermezzo leads directly to the finale. The principal theme here is like a Russian dance, as brilliant and rhythmically driving as any by Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev. Episodes of varying character and tempo alternate with this theme. As a conclusion, Rachmaninoff creates increasing rhythmic excitement by incrementing the tempo to Vivace, Vivacissimo , and finally a blazing Presto to form the ending.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Coleman's "Umoja: Anthem of Unity"

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 05:11:30 GMT

On February 9 & 10, conductor José Luis Gomez and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON.

Title: Umoja: Anthem of Unity
Composer: Valerie Coleman ( 1970- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored forfor two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: Valerie Coleman is a flutist, composer, and the founder of the Imani Winds ensemble. In 2019, she became the first African-American woman to receive a commission from the Philadelphia Orchestra, the result of which was Umoja: Anthem of Unity . This work was premiered by that orchestra, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium, as part of the WomenNOW celebration. One year later she was hailed by the Washington Post as among the “Top 35 Women Composers.”

Coleman began composing at an early age, working with a portable organ. By age 14, she had written three full-length symphonies. She went on to earn a double B.A. in composition and flute performance from Boston University. Her master’s degree from Mannes College of Music was in flute performance. Coleman is known for combining jazz with classical music. One of the albums containing her music was nominated for a “Best Classical Crossover Album” Grammy.

Umoja: Anthem of Unity was commissioned through SPONSOR for the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor. It was part of the 2019–2020 WomenNOW celebration. Program notes from the premiere read as follows:

In its original form, Umoja, the Swahili word for Unity and the first principle of the African Diaspora holiday Kwanzaa, was composed as a simple song for women's choir. It embodied a sense of “tribal unity,” through the feel of a drum circle, the sharing of history through traditional “call and response” form and the repetition of a memorable sing-song melody. It was rearranged into woodwind quintet form during the genesis of Coleman’s chamber music ensemble, Imani Winds, with the intent of providing an anthem that celebrated the diverse heritages of the ensemble itself.

Almost two decades after the original, the orchestral version brings an expansion and sophistication to the short and sweet melody, beginning with sustained ethereal passages that float and shift from a bowed vibraphone, supporting the introduction of the melody by solo violin. Here the melody is a sweetly singing in its simplest form with an earnest reminiscent of Appalachian style music. From there, the melody dances and weaves throughout the families, interrupted by dissonant viewpoints led by the brass and percussion sections, which represent the clash of injustices, racism, and hate that threaten to gain a foothold in the world today. Spiky textures turn into an aggressive exchange between upper woodwinds and percussion, before a return to the melody as a gentle reminder of kindness and humanity. Through the brass-led ensemble tutti, the journey ends with a bold call of unity that harkens back to the original anthem. Umoja has seen the creation of many versions that are like siblings of one another, similar in many ways, but each with a unique voice that is informed by Coleman’s ever evolving creativity and perspective.

About the music, Coleman adds a comment:

This version honors the simple melody that ever was, but is now a full exploration into the meaning of freedom and unity. Now more than ever, Umoja has to ring as a strong and beautiful anthem for the world we live in today.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Garrick Ohlsson

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:43:34 GMT

José Luis Gomez conducts RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON
February 9 at 6:30PM & February 10 at 8PM

Background: Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although long regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, Mr. Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. A student of the late Claudio Arrau, Mr. Ohlsson has come to be noted for his masterly performances of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the Romantic repertoire. To date, he has at his command more than 80 concertos, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century, the most recent being Oceans Apart by Justin Dello Joio, commissioned for him by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and now available on Bridge Recordings. Also just released on Reference Recordings is the complete Beethoven concerti with Sir Donald Runnicles and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra.

A frequent guest with the orchestras in New Zealand and Australia, Mr. Ohlsson returned for a nine-city recital tour across Australia in June 2023 and will open the Nashville Symphony’s season in September, followed during the season by appearances with orchestras in Atlanta, Sarasota, Rhode Island, Singapore, Prague, Warsaw, Lyon and Oxford (UK). With recital programs including works from Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin to Brahms and Scriabin, he can be heard in New York, Seattle, Baltimore, Prague, Katowice, Krakow and Wrocław.

An avid chamber musician, Mr. Ohlsson has collaborated with the Cleveland, Emerson, Tokyo and Takacs string quartets. His recording of the Amy Beach and Elgar quintets, released by Hyperion in June 2020, received great press attention. Passionate about singing and singers, Mr. Ohlsson has appeared in recital with such legendary artists as Magda Olivero, Jessye Norman, and Ewa Podleś.

Mr. Ohlsson can be heard on the Arabesque, RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel, BMG, Delos, Hänssler, Nonesuch, Telarc, Hyperion and Virgin Classics labels. His ten-disc set of the complete Beethoven Sonatas, for Bridge Records, has garnered critical acclaim, including a GRAMMY® for Vol. 3. His recording of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3, with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano, was released in 2011. In the fall of 2008, the English label Hyperion re-released his 16-disc set of the Complete Works of Chopin followed in 2010 by all the Brahms piano variations, Goyescas by Enrique Granados, and music of Charles Tomlinson Griffes. Most recently on that label are Scriabin’s Complete Poèmes, Smetana’s Czech Dances , and ètudes by Debussy, Bartok and Prokofiev. The latest CDs in his ongoing association with Bridge Records are the Complete Scriabin Sonatas, Close Connections , a recital of 20th-century pieces, and two CDs of works by Liszt. In recognition of the Chopin bicentenary in 2010, Mr. Ohlsson was featured in a documentary The Art of Chopin , co-produced by Polish, French, British and Chinese television stations. Most recently, both Brahms concerti and Tchaikovsky’s second piano concerto were released on live performance recordings with the Melbourne and Sydney symphonies on their own recording labels, and Mr. Ohlsson was featured on Dvorak’s piano concerto in the Czech Philharmonic’s recordings of the composer’s complete symphonies and concertos, released July of 2014 on the Decca label.

A native of White Plains, N.Y., Garrick Ohlsson began his piano studies at the age of eight, at the Westchester Conservatory of Music; at 13 he entered The Juilliard School, in New York City. His musical development has been influenced in completely different ways by a succession of distinguished teachers, most notably Claudio Arrau, Olga Barabini, Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosina Lhévinne and Irma Wolpe. Although he won first prizes at the 1966 Busoni Competition in Italy and the 1968 Montréal Piano Competition, it was his 1970 triumph at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he won the Gold Medal (and remains the single American to have done so), that brought him worldwide recognition as one of the finest pianists of his generation. Since then he has made nearly a dozen tours of Poland, where he retains immense personal popularity. Mr. Ohlsson was awarded the Avery Fisher Prize in 1994 and received the 1998 University Musical Society Distinguished Artist Award in Ann Arbor, MI. He is the 2014 recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and in August 2018 the Polish Deputy Culture Minister awarded him with the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for cultural merit. He is a Steinway Artist and makes his home in San Francisco.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: José Luis Gomez

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:16:30 GMT

José Luis Gomez conducts RACHMANINOFF WITH GARRICK OHLSSON
February 9 at 6:30PM & February 10 at 8PM

Background: The Venezuelan-born, Spanish conductor José Luis Gomez was catapulted to international attention when he won First Prize at the International Sir Georg Solti Conductors' Competition in 2010 in Frankfurt. Gomez's electrifying presence, talent, creativity, and energy quickly earned him admiration among the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra’s musicians and their music director Paavo Jarvi, immediately launching his conducting career.

Equally at home in operatic repertoire, Gomez has led performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni , Puccini’s La bohème at the Frankfurt Opera, Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Stuttgart Opera, Verdi’s La Forza del Destino in Tokyo at the New National Theatre. In 2023/24 he will conduct La bohème at both the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Teatro Coccia in Novara, Italy.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Selections from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet"

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:38:27 GMT

On January 19 & 20, conductor Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMEO & JULIET with cellist Zlatomir Fung.

Title: Selections from Romeo and Juliet
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev ( 1891-1953 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is the first time the Rhode Island Philharmonic will perform this particular collection of scenes. Excerpts from Suites 1 and 2 were last performed April 7, 2018 with Jacomo Bairos conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, three trumpets, cornet, three trombones, tuba, tenor saxophone, two mandolins, viola d’amore, timpani, percussion, two harps, piano, celesta, organ and strings.

The Story : In 1934, the Kirov Theater in Leningrad suggested to Sergei Prokofiev that he compose a full-length ballet to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . The confused and frustrating history of this great ballet started right then, for there was the problem of how to treat the ending. As Prokofiev stated, “Living people can dance, the dying cannot.” Fortunately, the composer and eventual choreographers found a way to make the ballet’s ending correspond to Shakespeare’s play.

As it turned out, the Kirov company backed out of its arrangement with the composer, and he signed a contract with the Moscow Bolshoi company instead. However, after hearing the first version of the music to Romeo and Juliet , the Bolshoi declared it “undanceable” and nullified its agreement with Prokofiev.

At that point, Prokofiev decided to salvage what music he could and set about suites from the ballet. Eventually, the complete ballet was produced in 1938 – but in Brno, Czechoslovakia, not in Russia. Two seasons later, the Kirov Theater, the originator of the idea for the ballet, decided to give the Russian premiere. Prokofiev’s tribulations were not over yet. Because of the poor acoustics of the Kirov Theater, he had to make alterations in the orchestration of certain scenes so the dancers could hear the music. (That is why portions of the suites sound more “transparent” than in the complete ballet.) Then, for the Bolshoi performance in 1946, the composer provided some additional music, and that formed the “final” version of Romeo and Juliet .

The movements of Romeo and Juliet Suites 1, 2 and 3 are not in the order they appear in the complete ballet. However, the movements selected for this program restore some semblance of the story. “The Montagues and the Capulets” presents a stamping main section with a contrasting middle that gently portrays Juliet. “The Young Juliet” shows the many moods of her world. “Masks” portrays the stealthy, masked appearance of Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio at the ball. The “Dance” is for five peasant couples during the second act’s opening festival scene. The two duels are the subject of “The Death of Tibault.” “Romeo with Juliet Before Parting” is the final farewell at the end of their wedding night, “Morning Serenade” accompanies the sun as it rises to reveal Juliet after having taken a deadly elixir, which leads, inevitably, to “Romeo at Juliet’s Tomb,” the concluding scene of the ballet.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's Cello Concerto No.1

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 14:54:34 GMT

On January 19 & 20, conductor Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMEO & JULIET with cellist Zlatomir Fung.

Title: Cello Concerto No.1, Hob.VIIb, C major
Composer: Joseph Haydn ( 1732-1809 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 13, 2012 with Grant Llewellyn conducting and soloist Wendy Warner. In addition to a solo cello, this piece is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings.

The Story : “Here is the major discovery of our age, and surely one of the finest works of this period,” declares Haydn scholar H.C. Robbins Landon about the C Major Cello Concerto. This work was discovered in 1961 in a private collection in Czechoslovakia that had miraculously survived World War II and its aftermath. Scholars easily confirmed its authenticity through a thematic entry in Haydn’s catalog of 1765, and members of the Haydn Institute in Cologne pronounced it to be one of the most notable works from the youthful period of Joseph Haydn. Since its publication in 1963, the C Major Concerto has been recorded over a dozen times and performed by such great artists as Mstislav Rostropovich.

The Moderato first movement is a grand, sweeping affair showing Haydn’s ties to the period of Bach and Handel. Although the composer does not veer far from the home key, the range and speed of many of the soloist’s passages reveal clear virtuosic intent. Toward the end of the movement, an unaccompanied cello passage (a “cadenza”) gives the soloist a special chance to shine.

The cellist that Haydn very likely had in mind was Joseph Weigl, first chair player in the Esterházy orchestra. He was noted for his matchless technique in quick movements and his warm, beautiful tone in an Adagio . During this concerto’s slow movement, Weigl would have had ample opportunity to demonstrate both tone and agility. There are even solo passages containing two simultaneous melodies and, again, a cadenza appears just before the movement wraps up.

Oddly, there is no designated cadenza in the final movement, but once the soloist enters, the solo part is nearly constant. Robbins Landon even calls the movement “a tour-de-force of epic proportions, with passages lying very high indeed and difficult even for the greatest soloists of today.” The sheer brilliance of the movement makes it a worthy culmination of not only this concerto but perhaps all of Haydn’s early concertos.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Saariaho's "Ciel d'hiver"

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:13:41 GMT

On January 19 & 20, conductor Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMEO & JULIET with cellist Zlatomir Fung.

Title: Ciel d'hiver
Composer: Kaija Saariaho ( 1952-2023 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, harp, piano, celesta and strings.

The Story : Kaija Saariajo was born in Helsinki, Finland. Her initial studies in composition were at the Sibelius Academy. After a brief exposure to serial (12-tone) music at Darmstadt (Germany), she moved to Freiburg to study the “new music” at the Hochschule für Musik. However, she found the teachers’ strict regulations forbidding traditional keys and emphasis on mathematical forms to be stifling to her natural creativity.

During the 1980 Darmstadt Summer Courses, she attended a concert of “spectral” music given by French composers. (“Spectral music uses the acoustic properties of sound–or sound spectra–as a basis for composition,” Julian Anderson, 2001). Saariaho experienced a complete reset of her compositional process. She decided to attend courses in computer music at IRCAM, the computer music institute in Paris, which she began in 1982.

Saariho’s work at IRCAM was varied, involving computer analysis of traditional acoustic sounds, synthesizers, and the transformation of great masses of sound. In some of her work, she collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Barrière, a multi-faceted musician/scientist, whom she married in 1984.

Since that time, Saariaho often favored a combination of electronic music coupled with live performers. This practice has been an extension of both chamber and orchestral repertoires. She also made a significant foray into the operatic field with her multimedia opera, L’Amour de loin (composed in 2000). It was performed by the Metropolitan Opera (New York) in 2016, making it the second opera by a female composer ever performed there. (The first was in 1902 by a now-forgotten composer.) Saariho wrote two subsequent operas. During her career, she garnered many awards (notably honorary doctorates). Of special interest in the U.S. serious music world was her 2003 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. Unfortunately, Kaija Saariajo’s life was cut short in May 2023 by her death due to brain cancer.

“Kaija Saariaho’s Ciel d’hiver is an arrangement of the second movement of her symphonic piece Orion (2002), which was commissioned by Musique Nouvelle en Liberté. The world premiere took place on 7 April 2014 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, given by Orchestre Lamoureux, conducted by Fayçal Karoui.”

As Ciel d’hiver opens, the string section and two harps perform a constant atmospheric “bed” of sound supporting snippets of melody (which we shall call Motive A). First a piccolo solo soon joins in a dialogue with the concertmaster (first chair, Violins I). Motive A is taken up by various woodwind instruments. As the strings creep in to offer more snippets of melody, the woodwinds take their place to support, continuing the soft “bed” of sound. Now most of the orchestra is playing, contributing short bits of Motive A, or merely sustaining the music’s atmosphere. A dissonant full-orchestra chord introduces a new musical segment, in which we are frequently reminded of Motive A, alternating with rolling percussive impressions of distant thunder. Now a predominant, sustained flow of music slowly grows in volume, gradually burying brief references to Motive A heard here and there in the orchestra. The music vividly portrays the “feel” of wintry elements such as distant thunder, splashes of cold rain, and erratic wind patterns. This miscellany of sounds and short, repeated melodies (high and delicately percussive) could suggest a soft drizzle emerging from the quasi-chaos. As the music approaches its ending, even this is softly consumed.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Zlatomir Fung

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 12:17:53 GMT

Cellist Zlatomir Fung performs Haydn's Cello Concerto No.1
January 19 at 6:30PM & January 20 at 8PM

Background: The youngest cellist ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Zlatomir Fung is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time. Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, the 24-year-old has already proven himself a star among the next generation of world-class musicians.

As Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2023/24 season, Fung appears at London’s Cadogan Hall and tours the UK with the orchestra. Further afield, highlights in North America and Asia include Fung’s debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, appearances with the Baltimore and Shanghai symphony orchestras, and a tour to Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Recent concerto highlights include his debuts with the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, and BBC Philharmonic, as well as Detroit, Seattle, Milwaukee, Utah, Rochester, and Kansas City symphonies.

Fung made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and was described by Bachtrack as "one of those rare musicians with a Midas touch: he quickly envelopes every score he plays in an almost palpable golden aura.” Other recent highlights include returns to the Wigmore Hall and appearances at the Verbier, Dresden, Janacek May, and Tsinandali Festivals, Cello Biennale, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, ChamberFest Cleveland, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Alongside demonstrating a mastery of the canon with his impeccable technique, Fung brings exceptional insight into the depths of contemporary repertoire, championing composers such as Unsuk Chin, Katherine Balch, and Anna Clyne. In 2023, under the baton of Gemma New and with the Dallas Symphony, Fung gave the world premiere of Katherine Balch’s “whisper concerto” with “jaw-dropping brilliance” ( Dallas Morning News ) as the dedicatee of the work.

A winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2017 Astral National Auditions, Fung has taken the top prizes at the 2018 Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, the 2016 George Enescu International Cello Competition, and the 2015 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players, among others. He was selected as a 2016 US Presidential Scholar for the Arts and was awarded the 2016 Landgrave von Hesse Prize at the Kronberg Academy Cello Masterclasses.

Fung was announced as a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Winner in 2022 and awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2020. He was named to WXQR’s Artist Propulsion Lab in 2023. Fung has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and has appeared six times on NPR’s From the Top . He plays a 1717 cello by David Tecchler of Rome, kindly loaned to him through the Beare’s International Violin Society by a generous benefactor.

Of Bulgarian and Chinese heritage, Zlatomir Fung was born into a family of mathematicians and began playing cello at age three. Fung studied at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy, where he was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Outside of music, his interests include chess, cinema, and creative writing.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Ruth Reinhardt

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 16:28:27 GMT

Ruth Reinhardt conducts ROMEO & JULIET
January 19 at 6:30PM & January 20 at 8PM

Background: German conductor Ruth Reinhardt is building a reputation for a keen musical intelligence, programmatic imagination, and elegant performances.

In the 2023-24 season, Reinhardt’s plans include leading her first staged opera, a production of La Traviata for the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, directed by Ellen Lamm and featuring the young rising voices of Ida Falk Winland and Joel Annmo. She continues to build her already burgeoning reputation among symphony orchestras, making debut appearances with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, and WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. In North America, she begins the season with a debut appearance at the Nashville Symphony and also makes debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and a postponed debut with the Grand Rapids Symphony, which was where Reinhardt found herself when the Covid pandemic shut down the performing arts world over the course of two days in March 2020.

Programmatically, Reinhardt’s interests have led her toward an in-depth exploration of contemporary repertoire, leading the symphonic and orchestral world into the 21st century. Strongly centered on European composers, with significant emphasis on women composers of the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century, she brings new names and fresh faces to many orchestras. Among those whose works appear often in her progams are Grażyna Bacewicz, Kaija Saariaho, Lotta Wennäkoski, Daniel Bjarnason, Dai Fujikura, and Thomas Adès. Parallel programming can be complementary or contrasting, from the classic moderns such as Lutosławski, Bartok, Stravinsky, and Hindemith, or core composers of the symphonic canon – e.g., Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak.

In recent seasons, Ruth Reinhardt has made an important series of symphonic debuts in North America with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Seattle. In Europe, her appearances have been no less impressive – the Orchestre National de France, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSB), to name several.

Ruth Reinhardt attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York as a student in the conducting class of Alan Gilbert and James Ross, where she received her master’s degree. Prior education and training was at the Zurich University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste), studying violin with Rudolf Koelman and conducting with Constantin Trinks and Johannes Schlaefli. She attended master classes with, among others, Bernard Haitink, Michael Tilson Thomas, David Zinman, Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, and Marin Alsop. Reinhardt was a Dudamel Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (2017-2018), conducting fellow at the Seattle Symphony (2015-2016) and Tanglewood Music Center (2015), and Taki Concordia associate conducting fellow (2015-2017). Ruth Reinhardt was born in Saarbrücken Germany, into a family of medical doctors, and studied violin and singing from an early age. She currently resides in Switzerland.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's "Messiah"

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 14:06:31 GMT

On December 10, conductor Patrick Dupré Quigley and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present HANDEL'S MESSIAH with Kathryn Mueller, soprano, Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano, John Matthew Myers, tenor and Nicholas Newton, baritone.

Title: Messiah , HWV 56
Composer: George Frideric Handel ( 1685-1759 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 4, 2022 with Christine Noel conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Maya Kherani, Emily Marvosh, Brian Giebler and Andrew Garland. In addition to a chorus and solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, continuo and strings.

The Story: Handel settled permanently in England in 1712. He wanted to make his reputation and fortune there as an opera composer. For many years, he was successful in that endeavor, becoming the director of the Royal Academy of Music, an enterprise sponsored partially by the King for the production of Italian-style opera, Handel’s specialty. Public taste always changes, however, and Handel became the victim of the fickle crowd in 1728, when London went crazy over the first English ballad opera, The Beggar’s Opera . Little by little, the academy’s loyal subscribers lost interest in stilted Italian opera in favor of the more earthy and entertaining ballad operas, which were capturing the city’s theaters.

Handel was not the sort of composer to dabble in such lowbrow pastiches, no matter how financially successful they had become. Steadfast, he clung to his operatic enterprise, which he operated by himself. The company struggled along, producing more failures than successes. Then, during Lent in 1732, an event took place that affected the future direction of Handel’s career and permanently changed English musical history. Handel’s Esther was performed. It was the first oratorio ever given in London, and it created a real stir. That May, Handel presented six more performances of Esther , which the public received enthusiastically, in spite of his Italian singers that “made rare work with the English tongue you would have sworn it had been Welch,” according to one review.

Handel still did not give up Italian opera, however, and he continued to write new operas and revive the old ones. Each spring also brought some new (or revised) oratorio including Alexander’s Feast, Saul and Israel in Egypt . By the spring of 1741, it looked as though Handel had worn out his welcome in England. Rumors spread in London that Handel was considering moving back to The Continent. Then, in August, he received an invitation to present a concert for the benefit of Dublin’s charities. Using a libretto by Charles Jennens (author of Saul ), Handel composed Messiah between August 22 and September 14 — a period of only 24 days! The astonishing thing is that a work written in such haste should be such a consistent, peerless masterpiece. One might even speak of divine inspiration, for Handel once declared, “When I composed the Hallelujah Chorus, I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.”

The resounding success of Messiah and other Handel works in Dublin during 1741– 42 virtually inaugurated a new career for the composer, though it also had its difficulties. The London premiere of Messiah in 1743 had to be billed simply as “a new sacred oratorio,” since its title might be offensive to the puritanical element. Unfortunately, that was not all. Messiah was a failure at first, and only began to gain some success in 1750 when Handel conducted it for charity. Messiah , however, more than any other oratorio, set the trajectory for Handel’s re-emergence as a composer in England. Of course, it turned out to be the trajectory of a rocket to the stars for Handel’s future position in music and in the hearts of his listeners.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CHORUS: Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 17:11:28 GMT

Providence Singers perform Handel's Messiah
December 10, 2023 at 3PM

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Nicholas Newton, baritone

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:53:26 GMT

Baritone Nicholas Newton performs Handel's Messiah
December 10, 2023, 3PM

Background: Hailed for his “polished vocal technique” and “heart-tugging emotional communication” (San Diego Story), Nicholas Newton is garnering due attention as an up-and-coming bass-baritone in the classical music world. Nicholas' 2023-24 season features the Houston Grand Opera world premiere of Intelligence, a new American epic created by a powerhouse trio: composer Jake Heggie, librettist Gene Scheer, and director/choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women. Other engagements include Rossini’s comic masterpiece, La cenerentola , as Alidoro at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at Lyric Opera Kansas City as Frère Laurent, John Adams’ El Niño at the Metropolitan Opera in a new production directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, resident director at Lincoln Center Theater, led by Marin Alsop, and the world premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith's The Righteous along with the role of Leporello in a fresh interpretation by Stephen Barlow of Don Giovanni at the Santa Fe Opera under the baton of Music Director Harry Bicket.

Concert performances of the season include Handel’s Messiah with the Ann Arbor Symphony under the auspices of the University Musical Society and with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, as well as Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones in a new suite of music from the composer’s historic opera, performed with the legendary trumpeter and his E-Collective, the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet in Austin, Houston, and Richmond.

During the 2022-23 season Nicholas made a European debut at the Salzburg Festival in Peter Sellar's semi-staged version of Purcell’s The Indian Queen with Teodor Currentzis conducting Utopia choir and orchestra, a Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Peter in Richard Jones’ acclaimed production of Hänsel und Gretel conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, a Cincinnati May Festival debut as the baritone soloist in R. Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses conducted by Marin Alsop, and a Detroit Opera debut in Handel’s Xerxes conducted by Dame Jane Glover. Other highlights of the season included Il barbiere di Siviglia at Cincinnati Opera, Salome and Tosca at Houston Grand Opera, and Rigoletto at The Dallas Opera.

Highlights of past seasons include Il barbiere di Siviglia at Santa Fe Opera, Rodelinda at the Metropolitan Opera, the world premiere of Joel Thompson and Andrea Davis Pinkney’s The Snowy Day at Houston Grand Opera, La bohème and Sweeney Todd at Wolf Trap Opera, Rigoletto with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and both Susannah and Giulio Cesare at Rice University.

An avid concert performer and recitalist, Nicholas Newton is an alumnus of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute and has toured with renowned pianist, Kevin Murphy, and performed at the Tucson Desert Song Festival. He also has worked with the Cincinnati Song Initiative and performed in their virtual recital series: A World of Song , and appeared in Houston Grand Opera’s Giving Voice: Lawrence Brownlee & Friends concert. Other notable concert performances include Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass , Fauré’s Requiem, Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn , Gershwin’s Catfish Row with San Diego Winds, Duruflé’s Requiem with San Diego Master Chorale, and the world premiere of Michael Capp’s Christmas Revels with Las Colinas Symphony.

In addition to his burgeoning profile on international opera and concert stages, Nicholas is an independent researcher whose main focus is Black composers and their operatic and vocal concert repertoire. He is building a Black Opera Database; an in-progress resource created to archive, celebrate, and preserve the vocal compositional output of Black composers and works that chronicle the Black experience. He conducts most of his in-person research in New York at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and in Chicago at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College Chicago: these two centers have provided him the opportunity to research the music of Black composers in great detail through the access of Special Collections, Microfilms, Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books.

Nicholas is also an affiliate with the Black Opera Research Network where he mentored by the David G. Frey Distinguished Professor in Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Naomi André. Dr. André is today’s foremost scholar of Black opera, specializing in research on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Nicholas has also delivered multiple lectures on Black opera composers while under the tutelage of composer, former Fulbright Scholar and Guggenheim Fellow, and 2023 American Academy of Arts and Letters Walter Hinrichsen Prize in Music winner, Dr. Shih Hui Chen.

A proud alum of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Nicholas Newton trained as a Studio Artist and Filene Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, a Young Artist with Aspen Music Festival, in the Young Artists Vocal Academy of Houston Grand Opera, and in San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed program. A 2021 Sullivan Award-winner, he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University studying with Laurinda Nikkel and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Rice University under the tutelage of Dr. Stephen King.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: John Matthew Myers, tenor

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:41:21 GMT

Tenor John Matthew Myers performs Handel's Messiah
December 10, 2023, 3PM

Background: John Matthew Myers has garnered acclaim for his “lovely, warm tenor of considerable promise” ( Opera News ), “insightful and beautifully nuanced performances” ( Fort Worth Star-Telegram ), and “remarkable emotional depth and range” ( Opera Magazine ) in recent collaborations with companies such as the New York Philharmonic, Verbier Festival, Santa Fe Opera and LA Opera. Myers made his surprise Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in 2017 as Mao in John Adams’s Nixon in China conducted by the composer. In 2023, he reprised the role with the Opera National de Paris under Gustavo Dudamel, “handling Mao’s tessitura with seeming ease and limning a convincing portrayal both imposing and humorous” ( Classical Voice North America ).

Highlights of Myers’ 2023-2024 season include the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall under Maestro Fabio Biondi, debuts with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck and the Rhode Island Philharmonic with Patrick Dupré Quigley singing Handel’s Messiah , performing the roles of Der Tenor/Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos at Teatro La Fenice, Froh in Das Rheingold with the LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, and tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Santa Barbara and Oregon Symphonies.

Recently, Myers has covered roles for the Metropolitan Opera in productions of Britten’s Peter Grimes , Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov , Wagner’s Die Meistersinger , Tchaikovsky’s Queens of Spades and Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier . The 2021-2022 season included singing an Offstage Voice in the Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of Brett Dean's Hamlet .

Myers made his New York Philharmonic debut in the 2018-2019 season in the world premiere of David Lang’s fully staged opera, prisoner of the state . Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, prisoner of the state was released as an album on Decca Gold in June 2020. His debut solo album Desiderium with pianist Myra Huang was released on AVIE Records in 2022.

Highlights of Myers’ extensive opera repertoire include Pollione in Norma (LA Opera), Cavaradossi in Tosca (Arizona Opera), Don Jose in Carmen (Music Academy of the West), Cassio in Otello (Portland Summer Fest), Flavio in Bellini’s Norma (Teatro Regio di Parma), Trin in La Fanciulla del West (Santa Fe Opera), Valerio in Mercadante's Virginia (Wexford Festival Opera), Der Kaiser in Die Frau Ohne Schatten (San Francisco Opera), Aufide in Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon (Collegiate Chorale/Carnegie Hall), Steve Wozniak in the workshop of Mason Bates’s The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Santa Fe Opera), and Junior/Charlie in Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain (Santa Fe Opera). As a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts, Myers sang Duca di Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto , Prince Sinodal in Rubinstein’s The Demon , Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos , and the Prince in Dvorak’s Rusalka . He has collaborated with Long Beach Opera to perform Michael Gordon’s Van Gogh , Gabriela Ortiz’s Camelia la Tejana: Unicamente La Verdad , Stewart Copeland’s Tell-Tale Heart , and a co-production of Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin with Chicago Opera Theater. He also sang in John Cage’s Europeras 1 & 2 in with the LA Phil in collaboration with The Industry and Yuval Sharon.

Myers has been seen as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Mozart’s Mass in C minor with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with the National Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Canterbury Choral Society, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings with Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia , Mozart’s Requiem with Southwest Florida Symphony, Britten’s War Requiem with the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall and in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music with the Wexford Festival Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Fairfield Chorale, and Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes with Performance Santa Fe. He recently performed Dvořák’s Stabat Mater at the Grant Park Music Festival, about which the Chicago Tribune wrote, “He astonished from his thrilling entrance…and kept listeners at the edge of their seats whenever he appeared, his voice a thing of poignance and power.”

Myers has had the pleasure of performing in concert with composer Ricky Ian Gordon on three occasions: at the Chautauqua Institute Music Festival, Opera America's Salon Series: “Exploring American Voices,” and “Cliburn at the Modern,” the Van Cliburn Foundation's contemporary music series in Fort Worth, TX. He was a soloist with the Mark Morris Dance Group in their performances of The Muir , and with the American Musical Theatre Ensemble in September Songs: The Legacy of Kurt Weill . He has sung in concert with the Allentown Symphony alongside soprano Angela Meade and was awarded a recital at the Kennedy Center as a winner of Vocal Arts DC’s 2017 Art Song Competition.

Originally from southern California, Myers received his graduate and undergraduate degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, was a Gerdine Young Artist with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Apprentice Artist with Santa Fe Opera, an alumnus of the Verbier Festival Academy, and a fellow with Music Academy of the West. He won Third Prize and the Richard Tauber Prize for the best interpretation of Schubert Lieder at the 2022 Wigmore Hall Bollinger International Song Competition.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:10:59 GMT

Mezzo-Soprano Emily Marvosh performs Handel's Messiah
December 10, 2023, 3PM

Background: American contralto Emily Marvosh has been gaining recognition for her “plum-wine voice,” and “graceful allure,” on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Disney Hall, Lincoln Center, Prague’s Smetana Hall, and Vienna’s Stefansdom. Following her solo debut at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 2011, she has been a frequent soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society under the direction of Harry Christophers. Other recent solo appearances include the American Bach Soloists, Washington National Cathedral, and Charlotte Symphony, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood and John Davenant’s Macbeth with the Henry Purcell Society of Boston. Upcoming engagements include Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Lexington Symphony Orchestra and Mozart’s Requiem with the Knoxville Symphony, as well as solo recitals in Tucson and the Boston area. Awards include the prestigious Adams Fellowship at the Carmel Bach Festival, the American Prize in the Oratorio and Art Song divisions, and second place in the New England Regional NATSAA competition. She is also the inaugural Resident Artist with the Lexington (MA) Symphony.

Her contributions to 21st century repertoire and performance include world premiere performances with The Thirteen, Juventas New Music, Shoreline Music Society, the Manchester Summer Chamber Music Festival, and the Hugo Kauder Society. She is a member of the Lorelei Ensemble, which promotes innovative new music for women. With Lorelei, she has enjoyed collaborations with composers David Lang and Julia Wolfe, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, A Far Cry, Duke Performances, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

A frequent recitalist and proud native of Michigan, Emily Marvosh created a chamber recital celebrating the history and culture of her home state, which won a St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award.

She belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of artists that donates a percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. She supports Rosie’s Place and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music through her performances. She holds degrees from Central Michigan University and Boston University.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Kathryn Mueller, soprano

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:12:03 GMT

Soprano Kathryn Mueller performs Handel's Messiah
December 10, 2023, 3PM

Background: At home in repertoire from early music to new commissions, coloratura soprano Kathryn Mueller is praised for her "crystalline soaring soprano" and “appealing stage presence of personal warmth and musicianship.” She has sung with ensembles including Cincinnati Symphony (Mozart Mass in C Minor), ROCO ( Knoxville: Summer of 1915 ), Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (Reena Esmail's The History of Red ), Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (Beethoven Symphony No. 9), Tucson Symphony ( Messiah ), and Spartanburg Philharmonic (Gliere’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano), as well as with ensembles including the Charlotte and Memphis Symphonies, American Bach Soloists, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Santa Fe Pro Musica. She has also sung operatic roles for Arizona Opera, the North Carolina HIP Music Festival, and Bach Collegium San Diego. International performances include an Indonesian concert tour with the Swara Sonora Trio and concerts in Central Mexico with the baroque ensemble Capella Guanajuatensis.

An advocate for new music, Kathryn co-commissioned Reena Esmail’s The History of Red along with Santa Fe Pro Musica, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic, and The Knights. The History of Red was premiered in 2021 and was hailed for its "evocative sonorities, sensitivity to the changing moods of the poem, and skillfully crafted, natural-sounding text rhythms." In a 2023 performance of the work with the Oakland Symphony, Musical America praised Kathryn for her “haunting performance, whether she was confiding dark musings in the lower range or launching lofty melismatic lines with laser-like intensity.” Kathryn also gave the world premiere of Ananda Sukarlan’s song cycle Love and Variations , commissioned for her vocal-piano ensemble Swara Sonora Trio.

Also a Baroque specialist, Kathryn turned to her musical roots for her debut solo album, Love & Loss: Songs of Purcell, Bach and Handel . Released in 2020, Love & Loss was praised by Early Music America for Kathryn’s “sheer beauty,” “deliberate restraint,” and “concern for the text.” Kathryn's soprano duo Les Sirènes was one of 6 finalist groups in Early Music America's Baroque Performance Competition.

Kathryn received a GRAMMY nomination for her solo work on True Concord’s album Far in the Heavens . She has also recorded two GRAMMY-nominated albums with Seraphic Fire and is featured as a soloist on recordings by New Trinity Baroque, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Tucson Chamber Artists, and Seraphic Fire, including Seraphic Fire’s best-selling Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 , which reached the top of the iTunes classical chart.

Kathryn is hailed equally for her lovely tone, effortless high notes, and her engaging stage presence that embraces both text and audience. She was a fellow in the prestigious Adams Vocal Master Class at the Carmel Bach Festival, and was twice a finalist in the Oratorio Society of New York's Solo Competition, winning the Frances MacEachron Award.

Born in San Francisco, Kathryn began her musical studies at 7,000' elevation in the White Mountains of Arizona. Her first professional engagement – a section leader position at an Episcopal church in Providence – came during high school in Rhode Island. She continued her vocal studies as an undergraduate at Brown University and then earned a Masters degree in vocal performance from the University of Arizona. Kathryn also spent a summer in Salzburg studying Lieder at the Mozarteum. She is based in Raleigh, NC where she lives with her choral conductor husband and two lively young children. She belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of musicians who donate a percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. She supports the Poor People's Campaign through her performances.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Patrick Dupré Quigley

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:06:59 GMT

Patrick Dupré Quigley conducts HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 10 at 3PM

Background: Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor/producer/arranger/composer, is the Founder and Artistic Director of Seraphic Fire, and Artistic Director Designate of Opera Lafayette, succeeding the organization’s founder, Ryan Brown, in the 2025-2026 season.

Quigley is known for his engaging performances of historically-informed programming that draw in new audiences and delight regular concertgoers. A ceaseless advocate for a more inclusive concert experience, Quigley’s programs regularly span more than 1000 years of musical history. Through recordings, performances, and new editions, Quigley has championed the culturally relevant voices of Spanish Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, the 11th-century polymath and saint Hildegard of Bingen, and 18th-century Cuban composer Esteban Salas y Castro. Quigley deeply respects music traditions outside the Western European canon and has developed concerts and collaborations highlighting the music of the Babylonian Jews, New Orleans’s Black Gospel tradition, Latin Pop, and the Baroque music of North and South America.

Recent and upcoming programs include Bach’s orchestral suites and violin concerti with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Gil Shaham at Carnegie Hall, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and La Servante Maîtresse with Opera Lafayette at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, return engagements with the Charlotte Symphony and Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, conducting debuts with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and scenes from Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Castor et Pollux with Seraphic Fire.

Other guest conducting invitations have come from The Cleveland Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Mobile Symphony, ARTIS Naples, New Jersey Symphony, New World Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, San Francisco Symphony and the Utah Symphony.

Quigley, along with co-founder Joanne N. Schulte, established the indie-classical ensemble Seraphic Fire in 2002. The ensemble presents a full season of live concerts of historical and contemporary music in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Collier counties. Seraphic Fire invests in its own local, regional, state, and national communities through its education programs running from 3rd grade through post-graduate level students. The ensemble has most recently commissioned works by Alvaro Bermudez, Sydney Guillaume, and Tawnie Olson; and has given modern, regional, national, international, and recording premieres of contemporary and historical works by Hildegard of Bingen, Shawn Crouch, Susan Labarr, Tomas Luis de Victoria, Nico Muhly, Esteban Salas y Castro, Greg Spears, Christopher Theofanidis, and Ileana Perez Velazquez, among others. The Seraphic Fire Media recording catalog contains 16 titles, representing diverse musical voices: Two titles have received Grammy nominations. The ensemble has also recorded with the international pop star Shakira.

Quigley holds an undergraduate degree in Music Theory and History from the University of Notre Dame, studying under Daniel Stowe, Alexander Blachly and Walter Ginter. Quigley studied conducting with Marguerite Brooks while earning a Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music. He has assisted Michael Tilson Thomas in rehearsals, performances, and recordings at the San Francisco Symphony. Quigley is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Debussy's "La mer"

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:11:18 GMT

On November 11, conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present DEBUSSY'S LA MER with violinist Randall Goosby.

Title: La mer
Composer: Claude Debussy ( 1862-1918 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 28, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story:

You may not know that I was destined for a sailor’s life and that it was quite by chance that fate led me in another direction. However, I have always retained a passionate love for her [the sea]. You will say that the ocean does not exactly wash the Burgundian hillsides . . . and my seascapes might be studio landscapes; but I have an endless store of memories and, to my mind, they are worth more than the reality, whose beauty often deadens thought.

When Claude Debussy wrote those words in a September 1903 letter to his friend André Messager, he had been at work on La mer only a short time and was spending the summer in Burgundy. It would be another two years before the score would be ready for performance. The veiled fear of criticism in Debussy’s letter was well founded, for the critics were fiercely divided about the new work. Several contended that Debussy had achieved a new stage of development, while others viewed the music in some negative ways. For example, Pierre Lalo declared in Le Temps , “I neither hear, nor see, nor feel the sea.” History would suggest that such critics merely misunderstood the work.

Debussy gave La mer the subtitle Three Symphonic Sketches . Symphonic yes, but these full seascapes are anything but sketchy. La mer is the closest Debussy ever came to composing a symphony. Biographer Léon Vallas even suggests that, instead of programmatic titles, the movements could have been called Allegro, Scherzo, and Finale . Although classical movement plans and sonata forms are not part of Debussy’s conception, the romantic symphonic technique of recurrent musical themes is easily discernible: Two thematic ideas from the first movement return in the last.

As in much of Debussy’s music, the syntax of the music is to lay out a mosaic of short themes or shorter melodies, and intuitively improvise patterns of recurrence and development. The first movement, From Dawn Until Noon on the Sea , works with three themes. Much of the movement is dark and mysterious, with considerable attention to undulating musical figures, climaxed by a chorale from the depths.

The Play of the Waves gives us the play of light on the spray. This “scherzo” is actually closer to a rondo, with its diverse episodes competing against the main theme for development.

The threat of an approaching storm opens the Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea . A heralding theme for solo trumpet is answered in the next section by horns. This leads to the restated “chorale from the depths” in the horns followed by an undulating theme from the first movement and new musical figures throughout the orchestra. One of these becomes the material of the movement’s dynamic climax. This excitement gradually subsides, but quicker rhythmic motives spur the orchestra on to a final, glorious moment.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Britten's Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes"

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 03:50:58 GMT

On November 11, conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present DEBUSSY'S LA MER with violinist Randall Goosby.

Title: Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes, op.33a
Composer: Benjamin Britten ( 1913-1976 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 28, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: In 1941, the Koussevitzky Foundation commissioned a full-length opera from Benjamin Britten. For his subject, Britten chose The Borough by George Crabbe, composing the opera as Peter Grimes on a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater. The June 1945 premiere in London was an overwhelming success. It was the first new opera heard in London in many years, and it was the first production mounted at Sadler’s Wells in five years, due to the Blitz of World War II. Following the final curtain, the audience gave Britten a five-minute standing ovation.

The story of the opera deals with a cantankerous man misunderstood and persecuted by the masses. Though he is innocent, he is doomed to an inevitable disaster. Accused of murdering his apprentice, Grimes must face an angry mob. Instead, he puts out to sea in a small boat, never to return.

The sea itself is like a character in the drama, and Britten included atmospheric orchestral interludes to draw on that character. From Peter Grimes , Britten assembled a group of four Sea Interludes playable in the concert hall.

“Dawn” (between the Prologue and Act I) describes, in Ernest Newman’s words, the “gray atmosphere of the hard-bitten little fishing town.” Its three themes suggest the bleak seascape, the sound of sea gulls, and the rise of dawn over the water. “Sunday Morning” (leading into Act II) pictures the village on a Sunday morning, still except for the sound of church bells. “Moonlight” (leading into Act III) is a nocturnal portrait, an impressionistic street scene. “The Storm” (Act I, between Scenes 1 and 2) portrays a tempest as it rises and gathers force. Britten’s orchestration is particularly colorful and original here

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Korngold's Violin Concerto

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:04:02 GMT

On November 11, conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present DEBUSSY'S LA MER with violinist Randall Goosby.

Title: Violin Concerto, op.35, D major
Composer: Erich Wolfgang Korngold ( 1897-1957 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed April 7, 2018 with Jacomo Bairos conducting and soloist Alexi Kenney. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, trombone, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story : Erich Wolfgang Korngold is well known to classic movie buffs as the composer of scores to such adventure films as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood , and The Sea Hawk . However, Korngold at one time held an honored position in European opera and concert music that originated in his youth. This Wunderkind composed his first major work, the pantomime ballet Der Schneemann , at the age of 11 and went on to write a series of successful operas, culminating in Die tote Stadt , completed when he was only 23.

Korngold got involved in Hollywood film scoring in 1934, when Max Reinhardt arranged with Warner Brothers to make a film version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Korngold adapted the music of Mendelssohn for this project but then went on to compose a string of 18 original film scores — most of them “swashbucklers.” These melodramatic adventures were not far removed from the Viennese operatic stage from which Korngold had come, and his late-Romantic, Wagner-cum-Straussian style fit them perfectly.

Ten years before his death, Korngold suddenly ceased film scoring, when he discovered that his reputation in that field had damaged his image among American concert-music critics. With focused energy, he plunged into “serious” composition, producing over the next few years the Violin Concerto in D Major (1947), a symphony (1950), and several other works. He was not ashamed of his movie music. On the contrary, his Violin Concerto draws melodic material from his film scores to Juarez, Anthony Adverse, Another Dawn, and The Prince and the Pauper.

The musical style of the Violin Concerto is also consistent with film and operatic scoring. In the first movement, there are frequent changes of tempo, texture, and mood — as in an emotional movie scene. At times, tonality is obscured in dissonance, but the theatrical nature of the music makes this feel perfectly natural. The first theme takes on the character of a movie’s “big theme” after the violin cadenza.

Romance , the second movement, is an expansive essay in sentiment. The misterioso middle section becomes slightly expressionistic before making a Straussian retransition to the sweetness of the opening.

The finale’s staccato jig shows off the composer’s full range of facility. The orchestration is brilliant. There is a wealth of themes, all developed along traditional classical lines. However, as the themes return, rondo-like, we are reminded of “main title” music, particularly when the horns take up the principal theme. The coda literally “chews up” this theme as it is reworked by the virtuoso violin part, until the full orchestra finishes the work by rolling the “end titles.”

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Smith's "Tumblebird Contrails"

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:38:59 GMT

On November 11, conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present DEBUSSY'S LA MER with violinist Randall Goosby .

Title: Tumblebird Contrails
Composer: Gabriella Smith ( 1991- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story : Gabriella Smith was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She began to study the violin at age seven and soon after started to compose her first pieces. Growing up, Smith also developed a deep interest in wildlife, ecology, and outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, and studying nature. Interestingly, she was able to combine her two interests as a five-year volunteer in a research project focusing on wild songbirds.

As a young composer, Smith was mentored by John Adams in his Young Composers Program. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia) and continued with graduate studies at Princeton University. She matured during sojourns in Marseille (France), Oslo (Norway), and Seattle (Washington, USA).

Tumblebird Contrails was commissioned by the Pacific Harmony Foundation. The one-movement work was premiered in 2014 by the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop. In 2019, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by John Adams, performed the piece as part of its centennial season.

Gabriella Smith has written the following description of this work:

Tumblebird Contrails is inspired by a single moment I experienced while backpacking in Point Reyes [National Seashore, California], sitting in the sand at the edge of the ocean, listening to the hallucinatory sounds of the Pacific (the keening gulls, pounding surf, rush of approaching waves, sizzle of sand and sea foam in receding tides), the constant ebb and flow of pitch to pitchless, tune to texture, grooving to free-flowing, watching a pair of ravens playing in the wind, rolling, swooping, diving, soaring — imagining the ecstasy of wind in the wings — jet trails painting never-ending streaks across the sky. The title, Tumblebird Contrails , is a [Jack] Kerouac-inspired nonsense phrase I invented to evoke the sound and feeling of the piece.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Randall Goosby

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 04:08:03 GMT

Violinist Randall Goosby performs Korngold's Violin Concerto
November 11 at 8PM

Background: “For me, personally, music has been a way to inspire others” – Randall Goosby’s own words sum up perfectly his commitment to being an artist who makes a difference. Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light.

Highlights of Randall Goosby’s 2023/24 season include debut performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelsons, National Symphony/Thomas Wilkins, Pittsburgh Symphony/Manfred Honeck, Seattle Symphony and St Louis Symphony both under Christian Reif, with European debuts including a European tour with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Danish National Radio Symphony/Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Oslo Philharmonic/Ryan Bancroft and Lahti Symphony/Dalia Stasevska.

During 2023/24 Goosby will be Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre which will include a return to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 under the direction of Gemma New and feature both recital and chamber concerts. Other upcoming recital appearances include Chamber Music Cincinnati, Emory University in Georgia, Elbphilharmonie Recital Hall in Hamburg, Perth Concert Hall in Scotland and La Società dei Concerti in Milan.

Summer 2023 included Goosby’s debut at the Mostly Mozart Festival under Louis Langrée performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as well as at Marlboro Music. Previous engagements have included the Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nezet-Seguin, San Francisco Symphony/Esa-Pekka Salonen, returns to the Philharmonia Orchestra/Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Los Angeles Philharmonic/Dalia Stasevska, Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Tabita Berglund, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Karina Canellakis. Goosby made his debuts in South Korea in recital and in Japan with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa/Kahchun Wong performing Bruch Violin Concerto in G minor. In summer 2022, he returned to the Hollywood Bowl with his mentor, Itzhak Perlman and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In spring 2023, Goosby’s debut concerto album was released for Decca Classics together with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the violin concertos by Max Bruch and Florence Price. Gramophone Magazine observed: “There’s an honesty and modesty…This playing isn’t dressed to impress but to express.”

Goosby’s first album for Decca, entitled ‘Roots’, is a celebration of African-American music which explores its evolution from the spiritual through to present-day compositions. Collaborating with pianist Zhu Wang, Goosby curated an album paying homage to the pioneering artists that paved the way for him and other artists of colour. It features three world-premiere recordings of music written by African-American composer Florence Price, and includes works by composers William Grant Still and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson plus a newly commissioned piece by acclaimed double bassist Xavier Foley, a fellow Sphinx and Young Concert Artists alumnus.

Goosby is deeply passionate about inspiring and serving others through education, social engagement and outreach activities. He has enjoyed working with non-profit organizations such as the Opportunity Music Project and Concerts in Motion in New York City, as well as participating in community engagement programs for schools, hospitals and assisted living facilities across the United States. In 22/23 Goosby hosted a residency with the Iris Collective in Memphis with pianist, Zhu Wang. Together they explore how the students family history can relate to music and building community collaboration through narrative and performances.

Randall Goosby was First Prize Winner in the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In 2019, he was named the inaugural Robey Artist by Young Classical Artists Trust in partnership with Music Masters in London; and in 2020 he became an Ambassador for Music Masters, a role that sees him mentoring and inspiring students in schools around the United Kingdom. In 2010 he won first prize of the Sphinx Concerto Competition, he is a recipient of Sphinx’s Isaac Stern Award and of a career advancement grant from the Bagby Foundation and of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant. An active chamber musician, he has spent his summers studying at the Perlman Music Program, Verbier Festival Academy and Mozarteum Summer Academy among others.

Goosby made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at age nine and with the New York Philharmonic on a Young People’s Concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall at age 13. A former student of Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho, he received his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Artist Diploma degrees from the Juilliard School. He is an alumni of the Perlman Music Program and studied previously with Philippe Quint. He plays the Antonio Stradivarius, Cremona, “ex-Strauss,” 1708 on generous loan from Samsung Foundation of Culture.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Morihiko Nakahara

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 06:00:10 GMT

Morihiko Nakahara conducts DEBUSSY'S LA MER
November 11 at 8PM

Background: The 2023-2024 season marks Morihiko Nakahara’s 16th season as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic. As a guest conductor, Nakahara will conduct multiple programs with both the Virginia Symphony and the Spokane Symphony, and will also appear with the Florida Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.

Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, Nakahara was featured in the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview in March 2005. Past guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, symphonies of Oregon, Jacksonville, Virginia, Portland, Charleston, Long Beach, Chattanooga, Ann Arbor, Stockton, Lansing, Peoria, and Green Bay, as well as with the Chicago Pro Musica. Recipient of the David Effron Conducting Fellowship at the Chautauqua Institution in 1999, he recently returned to guest conduct the Music School Festival Orchestra there.

Equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles and concert formats, Nakahara is a tireless advocate for commissioning and performing new music as well as for introducing works by underrepresented composers past and present. A personable ambassador for the power of symphonic music in every community, he is also known for leading concerts synchronizing live orchestral soundtrack with film including the Star Wars franchise, Jurassic Park , and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas , to name a few.

A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He previously served as Resident Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Holland Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), and served on the faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Eastern Washington University, and Andrews University. Nakahara and his family reside in Yorktown, Virginia.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mendelssohn's Symphony No.3 (Scottish)

dmeath@riphil.org (Danielle Meath) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:37:06 GMT

On October 13 & 14, conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present JEREMY DENK PLAYS MOZART with pianist Jeremy Denk.

Title: Symphony No.3, op.56, A minor ( Scottish )
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 18, 2008 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: On July 30, 1829 Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his parents from Edinburgh:

In the twilight today we went to the [Holyrood] Palace where Queen Mary [Stuart] lived and loved. There is a little room to be seen there with a spiral staircase at its door. . . . The chapel beside it has now lost its roof. It is overgrown with grass and ivy, and at the broken altar, Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland. Everything is ruined, decayed, and open to the sky. I believe I have found there the beginning of my Scotch Symphony.

True to his word, that day Mendelssohn wrote down the melody that begins the “Scottish” Symphony. During that summer holiday in Scotland, Mendelssohn also made many drawings, which, together with his mental images, would be an aid when he finally completed his symphony. The composer had intended to write it soon after leaving England, and he worked on it some during his Italian journey the following year. However, the beauty and gaiety of Italy were far more conducive to writing an “Italian” Symphony, which is just what he did. The more somber “Scottish” had to wait until January 1842 for its completion. That year, Mendelssohn premiered the work in the Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig and then took it to London, where the performance aroused such enthusiasm that Queen Victoria permitted Mendelssohn to dedicate it to her personally.

Mendelssohn, the musical landscape artist, opens his “Scottish” Symphony with a vivid sketch of the misty moors in the Andante introduction. Here, he presents the melody that had originated in Scotland. This becomes the basis for most themes in the remainder of the symphony, and Mendelssohn emphasizes this unity by eliminating breaks between movements. The agitated main body of the first movement further depicts the atmosphere of Scotland with special emphasis on its stormy weather. The introductory material returns at the end to provide a contrasting transition to the next movement.

The second movement is probably the most Scottish-sounding part of the work. Its simple main theme is reminiscent of bagpipe tunes. Each phrase even ends in the characteristic short-long rhythm known as the “Scotch snap.”

The Adagio is built on two ideas: a broad, flowing melody heard at the beginning in the violins, and somber, ominous chords from the wind instruments. Mendelssohn may have been musically painting the Scottish landscape he had seen on his earlier journey, which he described as “stern and robust, half wrapped in haze or smoke or fog.”

Mendelssohn originally marked the finale Allegro guerriero (fast and warlike), perhaps suggesting that he had in mind a picture of Highland clans locked in battle. Again, the short-long rhythm predominates, but here it has a militant, stamping character — more dance or action than song. At the end comes a solemn, hymn-like passage, which Mendelssohn wanted to sound like “a male voice choir,” building to the triumphant apotheosis of the entire symphony.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart's Piano Concerto No.22

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:45:00 GMT

On October 13 & 14, conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present JEREMY DENK PLAYS MOZART with pianist Jeremy Denk.

Title: Piano Concerto No.22, K.482, E-flat major
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( 1756-1791 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: For Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, great accomplishments sometimes came in threes. We know that he composed the great “final trilogy” of symphonies within a six-week period during the summer of 1788. In the medium of the piano concerto, there is also a great trilogy composed in the months preceding and during Lent of 1786: the concertos in E-flat major (K. 482), A major (K. 488), and C minor (K. 491). Truly astonishing is that simultaneously the composer was hard at work on The Marriage of Figaro . On December 16, 1785, Mozart completed the E-flat Major Concerto, and that night he played its premiere between the acts of an opera by Carl Dittersdorf. That audience was so impressed that it demanded an encore of the Andante movement (a rather unusual occurrence at the time).

The orchestra introduces the first movement with a series of varied themes ranging from majestic fanfares to heartfelt Figaro -like melodies. The piano’s entrance adds striking touches of decorative rhetoric. Yet through it, we hear Mozart’s elegant commentaries on several of the themes. He also reserves a few new musical ideas for the piano-orchestra coupling. The development takes us through some new key colors in a journey that ends emphatically with the return of the original themes. Mozart left us no cadenzas for this concerto, so performers may add their own musical commentary near the end of each movement.

The audience that insisted on an encore of the slow movement must have been touched to the heart. For it is a movement so full of emotion that we might at moments mistake it for Beethoven’s music. Using the orchestra as an expressive tool, Mozart sets the scene for piano solos of extreme introspection and melancholy. On balance, interludes from the woodwinds shine a mellow light on the otherwise shadowy atmosphere.

The rondo finale is one of Mozart’s “hunting-horn” style movements. Fairly dancing with peasant joy (and the cheery hope for an early spring?), the music makes its way through virtuosic episodes for the piano mingled with buoyant reprises of the rhythmic main theme. A nostalgic section recalls a little of the Andante ’s feeling, only to be swept up in the rondo’s strong rhythms. This leads finally to a piano cadenza, the rondo theme’s final appearance, and a uniquely engaging finish.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Bach's Orchestra Suite No.3

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:00:01 GMT

On October 13 & 14, conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present JEREMY DENK PLAYS MOZART with pianist Jeremy Denk.

Title: Orchestra Suite No.3, BWV 1068, D major
Composer: J.S. Bach ( 1685-1750 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 8, 1982 with Alvaro Cassuto conducting. This piece is scored for two oboes, three trumpets, timpani, continuo and strings.

The Story: The models for the four orchestral suites by J.S. Bach go back to the court of Louis XIV and its brilliant composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully. In line with French taste, Lully’s operas were full of instrumental dances. Outside of operatic performances, this music took life as suites of dance movements. Generally, the center of attention in an orchestral suite was its opening movement, a French ouverture , formed in two large, repeated sections: The first was majestic with marked rhythms, the second lively and fugal, but usually ending with a return to the majestic spirit (and sometimes also the themes) of the opening section. After the ouverture , a loosely organized suite of dances in the same key would follow.

The exact dates of composition for Bach’s orchestral suites are open to question. It is possible that he composed some of them for Cöthen, where he was court music director from 1717 to 1723. However, Bach presented performances of them later with the Telemann Musical Association (Collegium Musicum) in Leipzig.

The third suite is scored for three clarino trumpets, timpani, and two oboes (implying the addition of a bassoon in the basso continuo part). This instrumentation suggests joy, and the suite certainly contains that, but there is a broad palate of other moods as well. The Ouverture movement follows the typical form, with oboes doubling the violins most of the time. The vite fugal section is particularly effervescent and then tempered at the end by the return of the majestic rhythms of the opening section.

The Air that follows, for strings alone, is probably the most famous and most sublime movement among Bach’s orchestral suites. The long line of the first violin spins out its cantilena against a walking bass line, while the inner strings provide support and occasional contrapuntal commentary.

The remainder of the suite is for full orchestra. First is a pair of Gavottes , the first joyful and aristocratic and the second in the manner of a stately country dance with a recurring introductory motive. In the agile Bourrée , the strings carry the chief lines, while the remaining instruments emphasize characteristic rhythms. The final Gigue spotlights the high trumpets. Their lines, supported by the full orchestra, conduct a dialogue with the strings alone, bringing the suite to a close in an atmosphere of festivity.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Jeremy Denk

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 13:00:01 GMT

Pianist Jeremy Denk performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No.22
October 13 at 6:30PM & October 14 at 8PM

Background: Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists, proclaimed by The New York Times as "a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs." Denk is also a New York Times bestselling author, winner of both the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In the 2023-24 season, Denk premieres a new concerto written for him by Anna Clyne, co-commissioned and performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra led by Fabio Luisi, the City of Birmingham Symphony led by Kazuki Yamada, and the New Jersey Symphony led by Markus Stenz. He also returns to London’s Wigmore Hall for a three-concert residency, performing Bach’s Solo Partitas, as well as collaborating with the Danish String Quartet, and performing works by Charles Ives with violinist Maria Włoszczowska. He further reunites with Krzysztof Urbański to perform with the Antwerp Symphony and again with the Danish String Quartet in Copenhagen at their festival Series of Four .

In the US, he performs a program focusing on female composers, and continues his exploration of Bach with multiple performances of the Partitas. His collaborations include performances with violinist Maria Włoszczowska in Philadelphia and New York, and, in the summer, returning to perform with his longtime collaborators Steven Isserlis and Joshua Bell. He closes the season with the San Diego Symphony and Rafael Payare with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.

Denk is also known for his original and insightful writing on music, which Alex Ross praises for its “arresting sensitivity and wit.” His New York Times Bestselling memoir Every Good Boy Does Fine was published to universal acclaim by Random House in 2022, with features on CBS News Sunday Morning , NPR’s Fresh Air , the New York Times , and The Guardian. Denk also wrote the libretto for a comic opera presented by Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, and the Aspen Festival, and his writing has appeared in the New Yorker , the New Republic , The Guardian , Süddeutsche Zeitung and on the front page of The New York Times Book Review.

Denk has performed multiple times at Carnegie Hall and in recent years has worked with such orchestras as Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra. Further afield, he has performed multiple times at the BBC Proms and Klavierfestival Ruhr, and appeared in such halls as the Köln Philharmonie, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Boulez Saal in Berlin. He has also performed extensively across the UK, including recently with the London Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and play-directing the Britten Sinfonia. Last season’s highlights include his performance of the Well-Tempered Klavier Book 1 at the Barbican in London, and performances of John Adams’ Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? with the Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, and Seattle Symphony, as well as a return to the San Francisco Symphony to perform Messiaen under Esa Pekka Salonen.

Denk’s latest album of Mozart piano concertos was released in 2021 on Nonesuch Records. The album, deemed “urgent and essential” by BBC Radio 3. His recording of the Goldberg Variations for Nonesuch Records reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Charts, and his recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 111 paired with Ligeti’s Études was named one of the best discs of the year by the New Yorker , NPR, and the Washington Post , while his account of the Beethoven sonata was selected by BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library as the best available version recorded on modern piano.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Nicholas McGegan

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:45:01 GMT

Nicholas McGegan conducts JEREMY DENK PLAYS MOZART
October 13 at 6:30PM & October 14 at 8PM

Background: In his sixth decade on the podium, Nic McGegan—long hailed as “one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation” ( The Independent ) and “an expert in 18th-century style” ( The New Yorker )—is recognized for his probing and revelatory explorations of music of all periods. Following a 34-year tenure as Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, he is now Music Director Laureate. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of Hungary’s Capella Savaria. At home in opera houses, McGegan shone new light on close to 20 Handel operas as the Artistic Director and conductor at Germany’s International Handel Festival Göttingen for 20 years (1991–2001), and the Mozart canon as Principal Guest Conductor at Scottish Opera in the 1990s. He was also Principal Conductor of Sweden’s Drottningholm Court Theatre from 1993 to 1996.

Best known as a Baroque and Classical specialist, McGegan’s approach—intelligent, infused with joy, and never dogmatic, along with an ability to engage players and audiences alike—has made him a pioneer in broadening the reach of historically informed practice beyond the world of period ensembles to conventional symphonic forces. His guest-conducting appearances with major orchestras—including the New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong philharmonics; the Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Toronto, Sydney, and New Zealand symphonies; the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Scottish Chamber orchestras; and the orchestras of London's Royal Opera House and Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw—often feature Baroque repertoire alongside Classical, Romantic, 20th-century, and even brand-new works.

Highlights of his 23/24 orchestral bookings include performances at the Aspen Music Festival and School; leading the Cleveland Orchestra in a program of Mozart and Mendelssohn at the 2023 Blossom Music Festival; a return to the Hollywood Bowl in a “Mozart Under the Stars” concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; two programs with the Bay Area’s Cantata Collective; engagements with the Detroit Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, and Rhode Island Philharmonic; and performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra; Calgary Philharmonic; and the Grand Rapids, Edmonton, and New Jersey Symphonies.

On the operatic front this season, McGegan will conduct performances of two Handel operas: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato at the Curtis Institute of Music; and Giulio Cesar e at the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival in Lismore, Ireland as well as concert performances of Handel’s Deborah with the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Herrenhausen and Göttingen, Germany.

English-born, McGegan was educated at Cambridge and Oxford. He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to music overseas.” Other awards include the Halle Handel Prize; the Order of Merit of the State of Lower Saxony (Germany); the Medal of Honour of the City of Göttingen; and a declaration of Nicholas McGegan Day by the Mayor of San Francisco, in recognition of his work with Philharmonia Baroque.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Shostakovich's Symphony No.5

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 13:26:28 GMT

On September 23, conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present KAREN GOMYO RETURNS with violinist Karen Gomyo.

Title: Symphony No.5, op.47, D minor
Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich ( 1906-1975 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed April 12, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, piano, celesta and strings.

The Story: Much has been written concerning the tragic and heroic meaning of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, though the composer gave only this description:

The theme of my symphony is the making of a man. I saw Man with all his experiences in the center of the composition, which is lyrical in form from beginning to end. The finale is the optimistic solution of the tragically tense moments of the first movement.

Of course, there was more to it than that. Dmitri Shostakovich composed the Fifth Symphony in 1937. The previous year he had experienced a devastating blow when his music came under heavy attack in the Soviet press, largely at the instigation of USSR Premier Stalin. It seems that Stalin had attended a production of Lady Macbeth of Mtensk and had been appalled by the dissonances (which were not really very extreme). There followed a flood of articles in Pravda and elsewhere, condemning Shostakovich, stating and implying that his art conflicted with the ideals of the Soviet Composers’ Union “toward the victorious progressive principles of reality, toward all that is heroic, bright, and beautiful.” Vulnerable to further assaults, Shostakovich immediately withdrew his Fourth Symphony, which he was readying for its premiere.

The following year, shortly before the premiere of the Fifth Symphony, the composer wrote a preface titled “A Soviet Artist’s Reply to Just Criticism.” In it, he stated that preceding the composition, he had gone through “a protracted period of internal preparation.” He went on to give the brief program shown above and then to justify the idea of tragedy in the context of Soviet art:

I think Soviet tragedy as a genre has every right to exist. Nevertheless, the contents must be suffused with a positive inspiration as, for instance, the life-affirming pathos of Shakespeare’s tragedies. We also know of many masterpieces in musical literature where the stern, inspirational language of Verdi’s or Mozart’s Requiem can fill the human soul not with weakness and despair, but courage and the will to fight.

The Fifth Symphony’s intent is universal impact and significance. Its immediate subject is, however, the composer himself. The work is full of passages too personal to be other than quasi-autobiographical testimony. This aspect is first apparent in the slow section that introduces the first movement. Imperceptibly, this joins with the central section driven by rhythmic repetition. At last, a return of the opening section ideas, now greatly elaborated, brings closure.

Emotional release comes in the next movement. Here, Shostakovich’s wry, sardonic sense of humor comes through, possibly taunting his worst critics. The light central section features solos from the first violin and flute.

The symphony’s most profound utterance is its Largo movement. At first dominated by strings, we later hear eloquent statements by solo and grouped woodwinds. We can sense a great personal tragedy here, but one that ends in peace and tranquility.

The finale is a parade of varied musical ideas. In the broad tradition of Mahler, this is intended to add up to a joyous triumph. It succeeds, although scars from the hero’s battles are still perceptible. In the final minutes of the symphony, pounding rhythms support a glorious brass hymn, which has elicited the comment from biographers Dmitri and Ludmilla Sollertinsky: “Hearing the symphony, we know it is about us and our complicated, ambiguous age, which can still overcome all and move resolutely onward to light and happiness.”

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Bruch's Violin Concerto No.1

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:27:20 GMT

On September 23, conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present KAREN GOMYO RETURNS with violinist Karen Gomyo.

Title: Violin Concerto No.1, op.26, G minor
Composer: Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 6, 2015 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Joshua Bell. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Today, the fame of Max Bruch rests largely on his three violin concertos and the Kol Nidre for cello and orchestra. However, in his day, he was known as a composer not only of concert music but also of opera. Bruch was a renowned conductor and, indirectly, one of his conducting assignments led to composing the now famous Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra.

Bruch also considered giving the name “Fantasy” to his First Violin Concerto, written between 1857 and 1866. Following the premiere of a preliminary version, which the composer conducted, he sent the score to the distinguished violinist, Joseph Joachim, for criticism. Joachim did not agree with Bruch’s idea for an alternate title. “I find the title ‘Concerto’ fully justified,” wrote Joachim. “For the name Fantasy, the last two movements are, in fact, too completely and symmetrically developed. The different sections are brought together in a beautiful relationship, yet there is sufficient contrast, which is the chief object.” Two years later and after much revision of the score, Bruch conducted the first performance of the concerto as we know it, with Joachim as the soloist.

Annotator Charles Burr has written an incomparably succinct description of the concerto, whose first two movements are joined without a pause:

The first movement, an Allegro moderato also marked “Prelude,” is impassioned and declarative, exploiting the dark regions . . . in a dramatic manner. There is an abbreviated cadenza [violin solo] just before the orchestra fashions the transition to the second movement. The violin announces the main theme of the Adagio: espressivo. Other themes of similar lyric beauty merge in this delicate and tender composition. The finale, Allegro energetico, shows its driving quality in the first violin theme, in double stops [two notes at once]. The elaboration to this brings us to a grand “summing-up” theme of climactic and stunning eloquence.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Nabors' "Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland"

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:40:10 GMT

On September 23, conductor Robert Spano and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present KAREN GOMYO RETURNS with violinist Karen Gomyo.

Title: Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland
Composer: Brian Raphael Nabors (1991- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: Brian Raphael Nabors was born in Birmingham, Alabama. There, he attended college, receivinga Bachelor of Music Theory and Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University. Nabors went on to earn both a Master of Music degree and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

He has never forgotten his Southern roots, however. As a composer and pianist, Gospel music has been an underlying force. However, his tastes and influences have taken him farther afield in both piano performing and composition. Mainly, these include American jazz, funk, and rhythm & blues, plus various African musical influences.

Yet Nabors’ professional life has taken the international route of many of his New Music contemporaries. His music (often on commission) has been performed by symphony orchestras in Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Munich (Germany). The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra premiered Of Earth and Sky: Tales From the Motherland in April 2023. It is a 20-minute, four movement suite. Nabors himself wrote the following description for the premiere:

I: “Huveane Moves Away from the Humans”
The piece opens up with an epic creation story from the Basotho and Bavenda people of Lesotho, Southern Africa. The creator god Huveane created the heavens and the earth, plants, living creatures - including human beings. When living things discovered reproduction, they began to fight, amongst other activities, Huveane’s creation became far too noisy for him to remain on earth. He then climbed into the sky by driving in pegs that he put his feet on, taking out each peg as he stepped onto the next, so that people would not be able to follow him. He has lived in the sky ever since.

II: “Anansi”
Anansi is an Akan character who has become famous throughout Africa and many countries in the Caribbean region. He is known for his insight, intelligence, and wisdom. Anansi can change form and may be depicted as a human, although his normal form is a spider. According to the Asante people, Anansi can be a trickster—that is, a personality who teaches moral, ethical, political, or social values based on his ability to lead a person to the truth through example, puzzles, and the least-expected turns and twists of fate.

III: “Nyami Nyami”
The Nyami Nyami, is one of the Tonga people’s most important gods.
Living on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Tonga people (also known as the Batonga) look to the dragon-like creature for protection and provision in difficult times. Reported sightings of the monster in the Zambezi River are not unusual, but for the non-believers, the most convincing proof that the Nyami Nyami may be more than just a legend was the mysterious disasters that occurred during the construction of the Kariba dam wall.

IV: “Celebration”
Celebration is a joyous finale honoring the jovial energy of the African spirit. Within this celebration, I was especially inspired by the traditional “Bata” dance of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and the Zaouli dancers of the Guro people of Côte D’Ivoire. I seek to engulf the listener in these sounds of life, spirit, and humanity.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Karen Gomyo

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Violinist Karen Gomyo performs Bruch's Violin Concerto No.1
September 23 at 8PM

Background: Violinist Karen Gomyo has captivated audiences in North America, Europe and Australasia with her musical integrity, technical assurance and compelling interpretations.

Ms. Gomyo has worked with the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, and the Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, Vancouver, Indianapolis and Oregon symphonies, among many others. Recent and upcoming appearances in North America include a tour with the Toronto Symphony to Montreal and Ottawa, debuts with the Pittsburgh and New World symphonies, Montreal’s Orchestre Metropolitain and at the Caramoor Music Festival, and re-engagements with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall and the St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, Toronto, Milwaukee, Vancouver and New Jersey symphonies and the Minnesota and the National Arts Centre orchestras.

Internationally, Ms. Gomyo has appeared with the Philharmonia in London, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Bamberg Symphony, Danish National Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Radio France, Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Orchestra in Europe; and in Australasia with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania and West Australia (Perth) symphonies as well as on tour with the New Zealand Symphony.

Strongly committed to contemporary works, in May 2018, Ms. Gomyo performed the world premiere of Samuel Adams’ Chamber Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen to great critical acclaim. The work was written for her and commissioned by the CSO to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its MusicNow series. She also performed the North American premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s Concerto No. 2 “Mar'eh” with the composer conducting the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as Peteris Vasks' "Vox Amoris" with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra conducted by John Storgårds. In March 2024, she will premiere a double concerto written for her and trumpet player Tine Thing Helseth composed by Xi Wang with the Dallas Symphony.

Karen Gomyo is deeply interested in the Nuevo Tango music of Astor Piazzolla and collaborates with Piazzolla’s longtime pianist and tango legend Pablo Ziegler. She also performs regularly with the Finnish guitarist Ismo Eskelinen, with whom she has appeared at the Dresden and Mainz Festivals in Germany, and in recitals in Helsinki and New York.

Born in Tokyo, Ms. Gomyo studied in Montreal and in New York at The Juilliard School with famed violin pedagogue Dorothy DeLay. She plays on the “Aurora, exFoulis” Stradivarius violin of 1703 that was bought for her exclusive use by a private sponsor.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Robert Spano

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Robert Spano conducts KAREN GOMYO RETURNS
September 23 at 8PM

Background: Robert Spano, conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher, is known worldwide for the intensity of his artistry and distinctive communicative abilities, creating a sense of inclusion and warmth among musicians and audiences that is unique among American orchestras. After 20 seasons as Music Director, he continues his association with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Music Director Laureate. An avid mentor to rising artists, he is responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous celebrated composers, conductors, and performers. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2011, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students and young performers. Principal Guest Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 2019, Spano became Music Director Designate on April 1, 2021, and began an initial three-year term as Music Director in August 2022. He is the tenth Music Director in the orchestra’s history, which was founded in 1912.

Spano leads the Fort Worth Symphony symphonic and chamber music programs, as well as a gala concert with Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry, in addition to overseeing the orchestra and music staff and shaping the artistic direction of the orchestra and driving its continued growth. Additional engagements in the 2023-2024 season include the Atlanta and New Jersey symphonies, Denver, Naples, and Rhode Island philharmonics, multiple weeks at Curtis and Rice University, and a recital in Napa with Kelley O'Connor.

Maestro Spano made his highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019, leading the US premiere of Marnie , the second opera by American composer Nico Muhly. Recent concert highlights have included several world premiere performances, including Voy a Dormir by Bryce Dessner at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor; George Tsontakis’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Dimitrios Skyllas’s Kyrie eleison with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; the Tuba Concerto by Jennifer Higdon, performed by Craig Knox and the Pittsburgh Symphony; Melodia , For Piano and Orchestra , by Canadian composer Matthew Ricketts at the Aspen Music Festival; and Miserere , by ASO bassist Michael Kurth.

Spano recently returned to his early love of composing. His newest work is a song cycle on Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus that he wrote for mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor. In 2016, he premiered his Sonata: Four Elements for piano at the Aspen Music Festival, and a song cycle, Hölderlin-Lieder , for soprano Jessica Rivera.

With a discography of critically-acclaimed recordings for Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon, and ASO Media, Robert Spano has garnered four Grammy Awards and eight nominations with the Atlanta Symphony. Spano is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University, and Oberlin. Maestro Spano is a recipient of the Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities and is one of two classical musicians inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He makes his home in Atlanta and Fort Worth.

Tickets start at $20! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Verdi's Overture to "La forza del destino"

Thu, 25 May 2023 13:37:31 GMT

On June 3, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the 2023 Annual Gala Concert with soprano Renée Fleming.

THE STORY BEHIND: Verdi's Overture to La forza del destino

Title: La forza del destino : Overture
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi ( 1813-1901 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 21, 2013 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, cimbasso, timpani, percussion, two harps and strings.

The Story: Giuseppe Verdi came to be in great demand internationally, and he was rather cosmopolitan himself. For example, when the famous tenor Enrico Tamberlik, regularly with the St. Petersburg Opera, asked Verdi to write an opera for Russia, the composer (always on the lookout to broaden his popularity) responded with a Spanish drama by the Duke of Rivas: La forza del destino . Premiered in St. Petersburg in 1862, this opera was every bit as melodramatic as any Verdi wrote. It concerns members of the Calatrava family, whom opera scholar Julian Budden declares, “swing from one vehement extreme to another without any transition of mood. They are twice as large as life and half as life-like.”

The rambling plot traces the working of destiny in the fate of the heroine Leonora, initially parted from her lover Don Alvaro, unwittingly the cause of her father’s death and the object of the vengeful pursuit of Leonora’s brother, Don Carlo. Alvaro and Carlo eventually have a duel, from which a chain of deaths result.

The vivid and exciting Overture introduces some of the most important themes and ideas from the opera. The brass and bassoons announce the fate idea, followed by themes associated with the destiny of Leonora, Alvaro’s encounter with Carlo, Leonora’s second act prayer, and a subsequent duet. This overture is ranked as one of Verdi’s best, introducing an opera where, in the words of the Earl of Harewood (an opera pundit), the “scenes of popular life were, like Verdi’s, particularly successful.”

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Strauss' "Four Last Songs"

Tue, 23 May 2023 16:11:42 GMT

On June 3, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the 2023 Annual Gala Concert with soprano Renée Fleming.

TTHE STORY BEHIND: Strauss' Four Last Songs

Title: Four Last Songs, TrV 296
Composer: Richard Strauss ( 1864-1949 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 12, 2002 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Nancy Gustafson. In addition to a solo soprano, this piece is scored for two piccolos, four flutes, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: Renée Fleming is known for saying that Strauss brings the poetry of Joseph Eichendorff and Herman Hesse to life — particularly her favorite passage, the first verse of "September": "The garden is in mourning / The cool rain seeps into the flowers / Summertime shudders, quietly awaiting his end." And while it is true that Strauss transforms the text from inspiring words into a vibrant work of art, at once both intimate and expansive, it is the performer who literally breathes life into a piece, making it an immersive experience for all who hear. And no one does this better than Ms. Fleming. To date, Strauss’s Four Last Songs is the most widely performed work in her repertoire. "I think the pieces represent an allegory of the passages of life," Fleming says.

It was a year before his death, in 1948, when Richard Strauss composed this unique contribution to the repertoire. The title was chosen posthumously by the publisher, as Strauss himself was unaware that these would, indeed, be his last songs. But the choice was a respectful one, as the songs do express a calm acceptance of the inevitable, meditating on life, death, and the transition into “the magic circle of the night.” Two years earlier, Strauss had discovered Eichendorff’s poem “Im Abendrot” (“At Sunset”), which depicts an old couple contemplating the end of life together. Perhaps this reminded Strauss of his own long and happy marriage to the soprano Pauline de Anha, whom he had accompanied many times on the piano. In fact, it is more than likely that Strauss had Pauline’s voice in his head when he composed the bewitchingly sensuous and achingly nostalgic Four Last Songs . Strauss drew on his mastery of orchestration (he literally wrote the book on it), to achieve an astonishing kind of musical alchemy here. He uses the grand forces of the symphony orchestra to create a thrilling sense of intimacy that, in lesser hands, could only be the province of chamber music.

Lyrically, each song features exquisite word painting. In the first, “Frühling” (“Spring”), the soprano’s voice rises up as she dreams of trees and sky, while the flute evokes birdsong.

“September” paints a picture of a fading summer garden, and sinuous vocal phrases, framed by clarinets and oboes, depict the rain soaking into the grateful earth. Towards the end, the soprano lingers on the word “Augen” (“eyes”), paralleling a slow drifting into unconsciousness, and a horn solo concludes the song.

The sparkling celesta evokes a starry sky during “In Beim Schlafengehen” (“When Going to Sleep”), as the soprano yearns to forget all thoughts in slumber. A violin solo seems to lead us into the heavens, where the soprano is only too happy to go.

“Im Abendrot” begins with a vivid orchestral depiction of sunset, as two trilling flutes represent the poem’s pair of larks ascending into the sky (a metaphor for the souls of the old couple). The light fades as the song unfolds, until the soprano asks, “Ist dies etwa der Tod?” (“Is this perhaps death?”). The orchestra whispers the most amazingly organic of responses: the “transfiguration” theme from Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration , written some 60 years before. Strauss says goodbye wistfully, but not tragically.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso

Fri, 19 May 2023 15:48:09 GMT

On June 3, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the 2023 Annual Gala Concert with soprano Renée Fleming.

THE STORY BEHIND: Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso

Title: Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams ( 1872-1958 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for strings.

The Story: In British music, we usually think of Gustav Holst, not Ralph Vaughan Williams, as the composer of educational music. However, there were times when Vaughan Williams was called on to write something for students, and he always responded with enthusiasm. Vaughan Williams managed to treat the modest abilities of student musicians as a challenge to his skills: to express his musical conceptions within the framework of their capabilities.

This was the case with the Concerto Grosso. Early in 1950, three English music educators approached the composer with a request for a large work for the strings program of the Rural Music Schools. The idea intrigued Vaughan Williams, and he immediately planned music that would involve three string orchestras, each of a different level of skill. By mid-April, the work was done and was given a run-through. The official premiere took place in November at the Albert Hall. The orchestra of more than 400 players nearly filled the venue. Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, the Concerto Grosso was a resounding success. In subsequent performances and recordings, the easy (ad libitum) parts have generally been omitted, leaving the more usual Baroque concerto grosso duality: difficult concertino music pitted against moderately difficult ripieno music played by a larger group.

Musically, the Concerto Grosso takes more than its title and part distribution from older music. It opens with a brilliant, grand “Intrada,” the hallmark of Baroque opera entrances. The “March and Reprise” movement starts off with a lively quick-march such as only a British composer can write. However, just as we are getting along with the march, Vaughan Williams resolves it into a literal reprise of the opening “Intrada.” His genius is fascinating here, since music originally signaling the beginning now feels completely right as a summing-up of the entire work. Having taken us on a tour of various moods and dance rhythms, the composer now brings us full circle, turning a grand opening into an even grander ending.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: von Suppé's Overture to "Light Cavalry"

Wed, 17 May 2023 13:30:53 GMT

On June 3, conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the 2023 Annual Gala Concert with soprano Renée Fleming.

THE STORY BEHIND: von Suppé's Overture to Light Cavalry

Title: Leichte Kavallerie : Overture
Composer: Franz von Suppé ( 1819-1895 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, percussion and strings.

The Story: Franz von Suppé was born in what is now Split, Croatia. From an early age, local musicians encouraged his great interest in music. As a teenager, he studied harmony and the flute. One of his earliest compositions was a Roman Catholic mass, which received its first complete hearing at a Franciscan church in 1835. Beginning in 1840, he worked as a composer and conductor in a group of theaters located in various Austrian cities. Thus, his lifelong occupation as a theater composer began, and his reputation spread through Austria and other countries as well.

Von Suppé composed around 30 operettas (European musical comedies) and 180 ballets and other stage works. Two of his overtures have had lasting popularity: Poet and Peasant (1846) and Light Cavalry (1866). They are part of the regular orchestral repertoire for American “pops” concerts. In addition, excerpts from these have been adapted to movie cartoons, notably some featuring Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. Also, the Light Cavalry Overture has been recorded using an electronic synthesizer (Gordon Langford, 1974).

The operetta Light Cavalry takes its name from the age-old practice of troops bearing lightweight types (and amounts) of weapons and riding relatively small but very fast-galloping horses. The overture begins with a massive, bold fanfare for the orchestra’s brass section. This introduction leads to a further unfolding of the main theme, based on the fanfare. A fast theme in the strings balances the fanfare. Now, the most famous theme, portraying the light cavalry horses quickly prancing. Following a dynamic climax, we hear another a catchy melody, a transition to a more lyrical tune, full of theatrical charm. A solo clarinet introduces a broad, theatrical (quasi-gypsy) aria played by the string section (in unison). Again comes the Light Cavalry prancing. Gradually, the music builds in volume and intensity as it calls for an applause-getting ending.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Renée Fleming

Mon, 15 May 2023 14:07:18 GMT

Soprano Renée Fleming performs showpieces from opera and Broadway at the 2023 ANNUAL GALA CONCERT WITH RENÉE FLEMING
June 3 at 5PM

Background: Renée Fleming is one of the most acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s greatest opera houses and concert halls. Honored with five Grammy awards and the US National Medal of Arts, Renée has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014, Renée became the first classical artist to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. A ground-breaking distinction came in 2008 when she became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala.

Renée’s concert calendar this season includes appearances in Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam, Milan, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, and at Carnegie Hall. In November, Renée starred in the world premiere staging of The Hours , a new opera by Kevin Puts based on the best-selling novel and award-winning film, at the Metropolitan Opera. In March, she appeared as Pat Nixon in a new production of Nixon in China at the Opéra National de Paris. Renée is currently starring in a series of IMAX films, Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing . Each episode highlights the music of a great cultural capital, with performances and visits to notable locations. The first two episodes, about Paris and Venice respectively, premiere this spring.

Renée has recorded everything from complete operas and song recitals to indie rock and jazz. In January, Decca released a special double-length album of live recordings from Renée’s greatest performances at the Metropolitan Opera. In February, Renée received the Grammy Award (her fifth) for Best Classical Vocal Solo for her album Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene , with Yannick Nézet-Seguin as pianist. A collection of classical songs and specially commissioned world premieres, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and victim of human activity. Known for bringing new audiences to classical music and opera, Renée has sung not only with Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, but also with Elton John, Paul Simon, Sting, Josh Groban, and Joan Baez. She has hosted a wide variety of television and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series and Live from Lincoln Center . Her voice is featured on the soundtracks of Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings .

In recent years, Renée has become known as a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she launched the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and its largest health research institute, the National Institutes of Health. In association with the National Endowment for the Arts, Sound Health brings together leading neuroscientists, music therapists and arts practitioners to better understand the impact of arts on the mind and body. Inspired by the Sound Health initiative, Renée has created a program called Music and the Mind , which she has presented in more than 50 cities around the world, earning Research!America’s 2020 Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion. In 2020, Renée launched Music and Mind LIVE , a weekly web show exploring the connections between arts, human health, and the brain, amassing nearly 700,000 views, from 70 countries. She is now an advisor for major initiatives in this field, including the Sound Health Network at the University of California San Francisco and the NeuroArts Blueprint at Johns Hopkins University.

Renée’s book, The Inner Voice , was published by Viking Penguin in 2004 and is now in its 16th printing. It is also published in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Poland, Russia, and China. Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera, Renée also leads SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She is Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalArts at the Aspen Music Festival. Renée’s other awards include the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, and France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Leonard Slatkin

Fri, 12 May 2023 15:44:55 GMT

Leonard Slatkin conducts the 2023 ANNUAL GALA CONCERT WITH RENÉE FLEMING
June 3 at 5PM

Background: Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL), Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria (OFGC). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 35 nominations. His latest recordings are Jeff Beal’s The Paper Lined Shack on Supertrain Records and Slatkin Conducts Slatkin , a compilation of pieces written by generations of his musical family, including three of his own compositions, on Naxos Records. Other recent Naxos releases include works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Berlioz (with the ONL) and music by Copland, Rachmaninov, Borzova, McTee, and John Williams (with the DSO). In addition, he has recorded the complete Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky symphonies with the DSO (available online as digital downloads).

The 2022-23 season includes engagements with the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hanover, OFGC, ONL, NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Yale Symphony Orchestra, DSO, Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, SLSO, Sacramento Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic.

A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received the Prix Charbonnier from the Federation of Alliances Françaises, Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business . A second volume, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry , was published by Amadeus Press in 2017. His latest book, Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st Century (2021), is available through Rowman & Littlefield . He is working on two more books and several new compositions.

He holds honorary doctorates from many institutions, including The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Michigan State University, Indiana University, the University of Rochester, the University of Maryland-College Park, George Washington University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Slatkin has held posts as Music Director of the New Orleans Symphony, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, and he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis, where he founded their annual Sommerfest. Furthermore, he has held titled conducting positions with the Blossom Music Center, and both the Grant Park and Great Woods music festivals.

He has conducted many of the leading orchestras in the world. Among those in America are the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Elsewhere, he has worked with all five London orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich’s Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Slatkin’s opera conducting has taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Vienna State Opera, Stuttgart Opera, and Opéra Bastille in Paris.

Founder and former director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and National Conducting Institute in Washington, DC, Slatkin remains a passionate music educator. He has conducted and taught at such institutions as the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, the Aspen Music School, the Jacobs School at Indiana University, the National Orchestral Institute, the Music Academy of the West, and the New World Symphony.

Born in Los Angeles to a distinguished musical family, he is the son of violinist-conductor Felix Slatkin and cellist Eleanor Aller, founding members of the famed Hollywood String Quartet. He began his musical training on the violin and first studied conducting with his father, followed by Walter Susskind at Aspen and Jean Morel at Juilliard. He is the father of one son, Daniel, and makes his home in St. Louis with his wife, composer Cindy McTee.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Verdi Requiem

Tue, 02 May 2023 15:42:42 GMT

On May 5 & 6, conductor Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present VERDI REQUIEM with Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director, and soloists Laquita Mitchell, soprano, Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano, David Pomeroy, tenor and Kevin Deas, bass.

THE STORY BEHIND: Verdi Requiem
Title: Requiem
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi ( 1813-1901 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a chorus, a solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, four bassoons, four horns, eight trumpets, three trombones, ophicleide, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: When opera composer Gioachino Rossini died in November 1868, Giuseppe Verdi conceived a grand project to commemorate the anniversary of his death. It was to be a Requiem Mass for which the most prominent Italian composers of the time would each contribute one movement. Verdi reserved for himself the last movement, the Libera me , not officially part of the Requiem but sometimes appended to it. The Mass was to be celebrated in the Cathedral of San Petronio in Bologna, where Rossini had grown up. Unfortunately, Verdi’s plan fell through due to lack of cooperation by municipal officials and the impresario of the Bologna Opera. Verdi had already sketched his Libera me , but he had to put it aside for a time, as the composition of Aida occupied his efforts for the next few years.

Then, in May of 1873, another giant in the arts of Italy passed away. This was the novelist-poet, Alessandro Manzoni, whose book, I Promessi sposi (The Betrothed), had held Verdi in such awe that in 1867 he had written, “In my opinion, he has written a book that is not only the greatest product of our times, but also one of the finest in all ages that has come from the human mind.” To Verdi, Manzoni was not only the Shakespeare of Italian literature but also a great patriot. For nearly 30 years, Italy had fought to rid itself of foreign occupation and unite its various provinces under a single government. Manzoni had passionately supported this rinascimento effort in his writings, as had Verdi through the patriotic elements in his early operas. In 1870, the re-unification of Italy had become a reality, and Manzoni could die with that knowledge and with the undying gratitude of his nation, including Verdi’s personal debt of gratitude.

That debt was paid when Verdi revived his idea of a Requiem in 1873. He had felt the loss of Manzoni deeply. Rather than braving the mobs that thronged the funeral, Verdi had visited Manzoni’s grave alone a week later. Almost immediately, he proposed a Requiem Mass for the first anniversary of Manzoni’s passing. This time, however, it would be completely his own work and would be premiered in Milan, Manzoni’s home and resting place. The city was enthusiastic, and plans went forward.

With the Libera me already in place, Verdi composed the rest of the Requiem in Paris between summer 1873 and spring 1874. The composer conducted its premiere on May 22, 1874, the exact anniversary of Manzoni’s death, in the Church of San Marco, Milan, chosen for its size and acoustics. The event was a resounding success, and the Requiem was repeated three times in the next several days, but this time at La Scala. Soon there followed a “Requiem tour” in which Verdi conducted the work in Paris, London, and Vienna.

Perhaps it was La Scala’s atmosphere that raised some questions in the press and elsewhere about the Requiem. Certain portions, notably the Dies irae , contain operatic gestures. Some reviewers rebelled against such music in a religious context, calling it “tawdry,” “cheap,” “sensational,” “unreligious,” and “melodramatic.” The conductor, Hans von Bülow, without even hearing the music or seeing a score, climbed on the bandwagon and wrote a scathing, offensive “review.” However, after Brahms had taken him to task for his blunder, the conductor wrote a fawning apology to Verdi. The composer took it all in stride, for words of criticism never seemed to faze him.

Yet such responses might make us curious. What was Verdi’s personal religion? Was he a believer? Years before, Verdi’s wife had written to a friend, “. . . this rascal claims, with a calm obstinacy that infuriates me, to be not an outright atheist but a very doubtful believer.” From such words, it is easy to see why Verdi’s Requiem is so different from earlier settings, notably by Mozart, Cherubini, and Berlioz. Nevertheless, Verdi’s wife defended his work, placing the musical style of the Requiem in perfect perspective:

I say that a man like Verdi must write like Verdi, that is, according to his own way of feeling and interpreting his text. The religious spirit and the way in which it is given expression must bear the stamp of its period and its author’s personality. I would deny the authorship of a Mass by Verdi that was modeled on the manner of A, B, or C.

The opening part, “Requiem aeternam,” gives no hint of music that would elicit some critics’ sarcastic remark that the Requiem was Verdi’s “greatest opera.” Instead, a purely liturgical mood prevails, and with it the traditionally liturgical devices of smooth, conjunct lines and well-crafted counterpoint. A passage for the chorus a cappella even nods in the direction of Palestrina. With the “Kyrie” comes the introduction of the soloists’ quartet, and the chorus’s ingress completely fulfills the movement’s promise of solemn religiosity.

The second part of the Requiem, the “Dies irae,” is the work’s center of gravity. The text is a lengthy, metrically rhymed sequentia , Thomas of Celano’s 13th-century vision of the Last Judgment. It virtually cries out for dramatic treatment. Verdi answers that call by creating an “act” of music divided into sections that resemble “scenes.” The impact of the first “scene,” the choral “Dies irae,” suggests the wailing of lost souls on doomsday (in a musical style foreshadowing the storm scene that opens Otello ).

Likewise theatrically conceived is the fanfare of the “Tuba mirum” between on-stage and off-stage trumpets. Its power continues in the choral-orchestral declamation that suddenly halts as the bass soloist reflects on “Mors stupebit.” This turns out to be an introduction to the mezzo-soprano’s lengthy soliloquy (“Liber scriptus”) in which the chorus keeps murmuring “Dies irae” and finally explodes into an abbreviated reprise of the opening music. Unruffled, the mezzo-soprano continues (“Quid sum miser”), joined at last by soprano and tenor soloists for a Verdian ensemble.

“Rex tremendae” is a big, grand opera-like “scene” involving all soloists, chorus, and orchestra. This leads to the “Recordare,” beginning as an intimate duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano. Now it is the male soloists’ turn for soliloquy: first the tenor, “Ingemisco tamquam reus,” and then the bass’s more agitated “Confutatis maledictis.”

The bass soloist’s final cadence collides with a restatement of the “Dies irae” opening chorus, turning now to another key for the conclusion, “Lacrymosa.” In this pious lament, Verdi gradually returns to the liturgical expression of the “Kyrie,” ending this moving yet controversial “act” with an unexpected harmonic shift at the “Amen.”

The “Offertorium” part of the Requiem belongs to the soloists. Liturgical in feeling and deeply sincere, it nonetheless invites Verdi to employ a few effective gestures associated with opera. One is the entrance of the soprano on a long, floating high note (“Sed signifer Sanctus Michael”) as angelic as St. Michael himself. Another is the string tremolo that provides a shimmering effect with the tenor’s beautiful “Hostias.” The words “Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus” traditionally had been set as a fugue. Verdi writes contrapuntally, but not as a formal fugue, since his conception of the text is essentially lyrical. To round out the movement, “Libera animas” restores the gently rocking rhythms of the opening.

In the relatively brief “Sanctus,” Verdi finally displays his profound contrapuntal skill through a double fugue for split chorus and orchestra. Rather than separating the “Hosanna” and “Benedictus,” as traditionally was done, this movement treats the words as one continuing sentence, although the final “Hosanna” is in a texture that contrasts with the movement’s prior polyphony.

Beginning in octaves and in an a cappella manner reminiscent of Gregorian chant, the soprano and mezzo-soprano soloists plainly introduce the theme of the “Agnus Dei.” The movement proceeds almost as a set of variations on this devotional lyrical melody, alternating soloists with choral responses until the threefold invocation is complete.

The Communion, “Lux aeterna,” with which a Requiem Mass normally ends, is here set in a mood of somber mystery. However, since Verdi wishes to reserve the literal reprise of his “Requiem in aeternam” for the final movement, he finds a new and more personal expression for these words, set aptly for soloists.

With the opening recitatives of the “Libera me,” we are plunged again into the human-divine drama of the “Dies irae.” Soon, in fact, comes a literal recapitulation of that movement’s astonishing beginning. This turns in a new direction with the reprise of “Requiem aeternam,” now exquisitely enhanced to include the soprano soloist over the chorus. Suddenly, the soloist reminds us of the human condition by bringing back the “Libera me.” This time it leads to a choral-orchestral fugue (with soprano commentaries), humanistic to an extreme, yet offering the deeply spiritual hope of eventual triumph over death.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Kevin Deas, bass

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 13:00:16 GMT

Bass Kevin Deas performs Verdi Requiem
May 5 at 6:30PM & May 6 at 8PM

Background: Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess , having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, as well as with the most illustrious orchestras on the North American continent, and at the Ravinia, Vail and Saratoga festivals.

Kevin Deas’ 2021-22 season included performances of Mozart’s Requiem with the Florida Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral, Boston Baroque, and the New York Philharmonic. Other performances in the season included Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Phoenix Symphony, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and he performed the role of Porgy in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with the Des Moines Metro Opera, as well as the role of Dick Hallorann in Paul Moravec’s critically acclaimed opera The Shining with the Opera Colorado.

Kevin Deas’ past season highlights includes performances of Mozart’s Requiem with the Eugene Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Orchestra Iowa, and National Philharmonic & Chorale, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the Florida Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral, Saint-Saens’ Henry VII with Odyssey Opera of Boston, Verdi’s Requiem with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria and Rhode Island Philharmonic, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Pacific Symphony and Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Pacific Symphony, William Walton’s Façade at the Virginia Arts Festival, Bernstein’s Songfest and Daniel Kidane’s Dream Song with the Seattle Symphony. He has performed selections from Gershwin with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, selections from musicals Les Miserables, Show Boat, and Ragtime with Providence Singers, and a Christmas concert with the Portland Symphony.

Other highlights include performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria and the Buffalo Philharmonic, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Porgy and Bess with the Florida Orchestra, performances of Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral and Virginia Symphony, Bach’s St. John Passion with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Joe Horowitz’s “Dvorak in America” project with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and Verdi’s Requiem with the National Philharmonic. Kevin Deas has also performed as a soloist in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with VoxAmaDeus, in Mozart’s Requiem with Boston Baroque, Handel’s Messiah at the National Cathedral, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (NYC). He also sang the title role in Porgy and Bess with Duisberg Phiharmoniker; in Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, and in a tour of Asia with the Pacific Symphony; sings in Bernstein’s Wonderful Town with the Seattle Symphony; and is soloist with the Delaware and El Paso symphony orchestras, and with the PostClassical Ensemble, with which he was Artist in Residence.

He has performed Verdi’s Requiem with the Richmond and Winnipeg symphonies and the National Philharmonic; Messiah with Boston Baroque, the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle and Kansas City symphonies, the National Philharmonic, and at the Warsaw Easter Festival; Mozart’s Requiem with the Alabama and Vermont symphonies; Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Oratorio Society of New York; St. John Passion with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico; Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges with the New York Philharmonic; and Copland’s Old American Songs with the Chicago and Columbus symphonies.

A strong proponent of contemporary music, Kevin Deas was heard at Italy’s Spoleto Festival in a new production of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors in honor of the composer’s 85th birthday, recorded on video for international release. He also performed the world premieres of Derek Bermel’s The Good Life with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Hannibal Lokumbe’s Dear Mrs. Parks with the Detroit Symphony. His 20-year collaboration with the late jazz legend Dave Brubeck has taken him to Salzburg, Vienna and Moscow in performances of To Hope! He performed Brubeck’s Gates of Justice in a gala performance in New York.

Kevin Deas recorded Wagner’s Die Meistersinger (Decca/London) with the Chicago Symphony under the late Sir Georg Solti, and Varèse’s Ecuatorial with the ASKO Ensemble under the baton of Riccardo Chailly. Other releases include Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Handel’s Acis and Galatea (Vox Classics); Dave Brubeck’s To Hope! with the Cathedral Choral Society (Telarc); and Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Virginia Symphony and Boston Baroque (Linn Records). Dvorák in America (Naxos), features Mr. Deas in the world premiere recording of Dvorák’s Hiawatha Melodrama and the composer’s own arrangement of Goin’ Home with the PostClassical Ensemble.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: David Pomeroy, tenor

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 13:00:16 GMT

Tenor David Pomeroy performs Verdi Requiem
May 5 at 6:30PM & May 6 at 8PM

Background: Canadian tenor David Pomeroy is enjoying a career that is placing him in the spotlight on the world’s most important stages. The New York Times describes him as "a powerful, agile tenor... heartfelt." The Newfoundland native made his Metropolitan Opera debut, portraying the title role of Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann , opposite soprano Anna Netrebko under the baton of Maestro James Levine. Mr. Pomeroy had sung the title role of Faust with bass James Morris in the annual “Met in the Parks” concert series, later reprising the role on the main stage, and now receives star billing across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Pomeroy opened the 2021/2022 season with his Gran Teatra del Liceu debut as Bacchus ( Ariadne auf Naxos ), followed by Canadian performances as Turiddu ( Cavalleria rusticana ) with Vancouver Opera and tenor soloist with Manitoba Opera. In the spring, he returned to Theatro Municipal São Paulo, Brazil, as Radames ( Aïda ).

The 2020 season started at home with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra with Pomeroy’s own Masterworks concert feature, followed by an album recording. Then in Spain, he performed a house debut with the Orquesta Nacional de España as a soloist in Braunfels’ Te Deum . Pomeroy was to return to Canada at Manitoba Opera as Don José ( Carmen ) and Calgary Opera as Bacchus ( Ariadne auf Naxos ) in the spring, before making house debuts across France and the United States over the summer, however COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of the season. Pomeroy's debut album was released in fall 2020, highlighting repertoire from his most celebrated roles on the operatic stage, with the 64-member Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and Marc David. He returned with the NSO as tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah .

The 2018/2019 season comprised house debuts across four continents. The season started as Calaf ( Turandot ) in debuts with New Orleans Opera, USA, and Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, Brazil. In France, David performed a house debut with Opéra de Limoges as Paul in Die Tote Stadt and closed the season as Calaf once more in his debut with New National Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. Last season, Pomeroy also returned to the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional in México City for a role debut in The Dream of Gerontius , and to Vancouver Opera for Faust. He returned as well to Oper Stuttgart in a role debut as Bacchus ( Ariadne auf Naxos ). Concert appearances included Verdi's Requiem with the Winnipeg Symphony, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Vancouver Symphony, as well as Christmas with David Pomeroy and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

The 2017/2018 season consisted of three role debuts - the title role of Tannhäuser in a new production with Oper Köln, Radamès ( Aïda ) with Seattle Opera and Britten's Peter Grimes with the Vancouver Symphony. He returned to Manitoba Opera as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Florestan ( Fidelio ) in concert at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Other concert appearances included Beethoven's 9th with the Newfoundland Symphony and Maestro Bramwell Tovey's Gala Celebration in Vancouver. The season concluded with a house debut at the Bregenzer Festspiele in Carmen, where David gave his 100th performance as Don José.

In 2016/2017 David performed Calaf in Turandot in a role debut for Edmonton Opera, and then again for Calgary Opera. In Europe, he performed Braunfel's Te Deum with the Warsaw Philharmonic, and Florestan in Fidelio , a new productions with Oper Köln.

In the 2015/2016 season, Mr. Pomeroy was seen as Paul in Die Tote Stadt in both Frankfurt and Calgary and as Don José in Carmen at the COC in Toronto. His concert appearances, as tenor soloist, included Mahler’s 8th Symphony with Calgary Philharmonic, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Vancouver Symphony, Messiah with Newfoundland Symphony and Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Engagements during the 2014/2015 season included performances as Alfred in Die Fledermaus at Vancouver Opera, Henri in Les vêpres siciliennes with the Royal Danish Opera, both Florestan in Fidelio and Calaf in Turandot in Manitoba, and Carmen with Opera Australia.

His 2013/2014 season consisted of a role debut as Wagner’s Erik ( Der Fliegende Hollander ) with Calgary Opera, Don José with Opera Lyra Ottawa ( Carmen ), Cavaradossi ( Tosca ) with Vancouver Opera and Pinkerton ( Madama Butterfly ) with Calgary Opera. Other engagements included performing with The Newfoundland Symphony for its French Grand Opera Gala, Orchestre Trois Rivières for Verdi’s Requiem and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

With the Canadian Opera Company (COC) in Toronto he has performed the title roles of Faust and Hoffmann as well as Rodolfo ( La Bohème ), Skuratov ( From the House of the Dead ), Pinkerton ( Madama Butterfly ) and Alfred ( Die Fledermaus ).

Mr. Pomeroy created the role of Stefano for the successful world premiere of Filumena with Calgary Opera and proceeded to perform remounts in Banff, Ottawa and Edmonton (currently available on DVD).

Other appearances have included Alfredo ( La Traviata ) with Vancouver Opera and New York City Opera, Macduff ( Macbeth ) with Edmonton Opera, Don José ( Carmen ) with Pacific Opera Victoria, Manitoba Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Vancouver Opera, Cork Ireland and Staatsoper Stuttgart, Pinkerton ( Madama Butterfly ) with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Fort Worth Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera and Opéra de Québec, Cavaradossi ( Tosca ) with Opéra de Montréal, Il Duca ( Rigoletto ) with Opéra de Montréal, Calgary Opera and Manitoba Opera, Hoffmann ( Les Contes d’Hoffmann ) with Florida Grand Opera, COC, MET and Edmonton Opera, Ruggero ( La Rondine ) with Michigan Opera, Edgardo ( Lucia di Lammermoor ) with Calgary Opera, Romeo ( Romeo et Juliette ) with The Metropolitan Opera, Rodolfo ( La Bohème ) with Pacific Opera Victoria, COC, Idomeneo ( Idomeneo ) with Pacific Opera Victoria, Pollione ( Norma ) with Pacific Opera Victoria and Ladislov ( The Two Widows ) with Scottish Opera performed both at the Edinburgh Festival and in Glasgow.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 14:24:11 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Susan Platts performs Verdi Requiem
May 5 at 6:30PM & May 6 at 8PM

Background: British born Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts brings a uniquely rich and wide-ranging voice to the concert and recital repertoire. She is particularly esteemed for her performances of Gustav Mahler's works. She is a Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative Fellow, which gave her the opportunity to study with world-renowned soprano Jessye Norman.

Ms. Platts has performed with, amongst others, the Philadelphia, Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras, Orchestre de Paris, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, Baltimore and Houston symphonies, as well as the Los Angeles and St. Paul Chamber orchestras.

She has collaborated with many of today’s leading conductors, including Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, JoAnn Falletta, Jane Glover, Vladimir Jurowski, Carlos Kalmar, Keith Lockhart, Kent Nagano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Peter Oundjian, Bramwell Tovey, Osmo Vänska and Pinchas Zukerman.

Ms. Platts' opera highlights include Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at London’s Royal Opera House, Wagner's Die Walkürie with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and John Adams' Nixon in China for BBC Proms. Orchestral highlights include Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and the premiere of a new work by Howard Shore with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Verdi's Requiem with the National Arts Center Orchestra, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius in Mexico City with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional and Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Ms. Platts appears on Naxos releases La Tragédie de Salomé (Florent Schmitt) and Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (chamber version). She has recorded the full version of Das Lied von der Erde with the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, and Lieder of Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms on the ATMA label.

In 2021, she pursued her love of baking and wrote a cookbook called Aria Ready for Dessert? – A Musician Takes Center Stage in the Kitchen , available on Amazon. She also started a food blog called Baking, Bits & Bobs. www.bakingbitsandbobs.com.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Laquita Mitchell, soprano

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 14:12:20 GMT

Soprano Laquita Mitchell performs Verdi Requiem

May 5 at 6:30PM & May 6 at 8PM

Background: Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages worldwide. Ms. Mitchell performed the soprano soloist in the world première of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road at Carnegie Hall with Oratorio Society of New York which was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award.

This season, Mitchell will reprise Julie in Omar for the Carolina Performing Arts, a role she created in the opera’s world premiere at the Spoleto Festival last season, and return to the role of Josephine Baker in Josephine with Music of Remembrance. In concert, Ms. Mitchell performs Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the Madison Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No.4 with Sarasota Orchestra, Sanctuary Road with the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, Verdi’s Requiem with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tippet’s A Child of Our Time with Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.

Last season, Ms. Mitchell created the role of Julie in the World Premiere of Omar with Spoleto Festival USA, in addition to performing Robinetta in On Site Opera’s production of Rachel J. Peters’s Lesson Plan , and reprising the role of Josephine for the New Orleans Opera. Mitchell delighted concert-goers across the US with performances such as The Ordering of Moses for the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for the Memphis Symphony, Brahms’ Requiem and a Bel Canto Gala with AlbanyPro Musica, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Lima Symphony Orchestra, Sanctuary Road with Chautauqua Symphony, and a Holiday Concert for the Princeton Symphony.

Previously, Ms. Mitchell performed Tom Cipullo’s Josephine with Opera Colorado, as well as The Promise of Living , a concert program conceived by Mitchell; Bess in Porgy and Bess with Grange Park Opera in the UK, Lithuanian State Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony; a reprisal of Sanctuary Road with the Columbus Symphony, a Gala Concert for Colorado Symphony, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Augusta Symphony.

Mitchell appeared in New York Philharmonic’s Bandwagon concerts and the Kauffmann Music Center’s Musical Storefront series in the spring of 2021 as part of New York City’s Pop-Up Arts Revival, and performed Mahler’s Symphony No.4 for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Summer, 2021, she sang the soprano soloist for the Opening Night concert of Classical Tahoe’s 10th Anniversary Season as well as in Bard Music Festival’s concert performances of Nadia Boulanger and Her World.

Notable previous engagements include the role of Coretta Scott King in I Dream with Opera Grand Rapids, Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina, Violetta in La traviata with Opera Memphis, New York City Opera, and Edmonton Opera, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera and Portland Opera. Recent concert engagements include the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with Berkeley Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with Missoula Symphony, and her return to the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform in their Academy Ball alongside Steve Martin and led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In her compelling début as Bess in Porgy and Bess with the San Francisco Opera, Opera News said “Laquita Mitchell, in her first outing as Bess, dazzled the SFO [San Francisco Opera] audience with her purity of tone and vivid theatrical presence.” She has since reprised the role with The Atlanta Opera, The Tanglewood Festival, Madison Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Toledo Opera, Springfield Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, Traverse City Symphony, the Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre in Budapest for their summer festival, and as the season opener for the Energa Sopot Classic Festival with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, PBS invited Ms. Mitchell to perform a solo recital including excerpts from Porgy and Bess with pianist Craig Terry for the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Los Angeles in preparation for the broadcast and DVD release of SFO’s Porgy and Bess.

In her role début as Violetta in La traviata with New York City Opera, she was labeled “extraordinary,” thanks to her “wide expressive range and big-hearted sound that contains just a hint of sexy smokiness. Her ‘Sempre libera’ was enlivened by a rhythmic clarity that made it seem almost danceable.” Other appearances include Leonora in Il trovatore in South Carolina as well as with Nashville Opera; Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Toledo Opera; the role of Sharon in Terrance McNally’s Master Class at the Kennedy Center; Musetta in La bohème in a return to the Los Angeles Opera; Mimì in La bohème with Cincinnati Opera, and at the Utah Symphony and Opera; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera, Portland Opera, and Opera New Jersey; Clara in Porgy and Bess with Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, Opéra Comique in Paris and on tour in Caen and Granada, Spain; and Micaëla in Carmen with New York City Opera, Opera Pacific, and most recently, Cincinnati Opera, where the Cincinnati Enquirer hailed “Mitchell shone in the role of Micaëla, the peasant girl who loves Don José. She was a natural actress, and sang with expressive beauty whenever she was onstage.”

An active concert artist, Ms. Mitchell recently performed Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center; Over the Rainbow – an evening honoring Harold Arlen at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Louisville Orchestra; a début with the New World Symphony in Alberto Ginastera’s Cantata para la América Mágica ; the world première of composer Steven Stucky’s August 4, 1964 with Dallas Symphony Orchestra; her Boston Symphony Orchestra début as the soprano soloist in Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise under the direction of Kurt Masur; and the soprano solo in Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the Washington Chorus at Kennedy Center. She has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the New York Symphonic Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall, and with Branford Marsalis and the Garden State Philharmonic. Additionally, she performs in recitals annually at Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe.

Ms. Mitchell is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where she performed a variety of roles including stand-out performances in contemporary operas such as Orquidea in Daniel Catán’s Salsipuedes (world première), Myhrrine in Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata (world première), Barena in David Alden’s production of Jenůfa , and The Water in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince (world première) directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Patrick Summers. Ms. Mitchell was previously a member of the San Francisco Opera’s world-renowned Merola Program. She then joined Wolf Trap Opera in performances as Alice Ford in Antonio Salieri’s Falstaff , Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni , and presented a recital with renowned pianist Steven Blier.

A native of New York City, Ms. Mitchell was a 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Prize Winner, and was awarded a Sara Tucker Award. She was also the First Prize Winner of the Wiener Kammer Oper’s Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, making her the first American to win this competition in over 20 years. Additionally, Ms. Mitchell was the First Prize Winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, as well as the winner of the Audience Choice award. Ms. Mitchell holds a Master of Music degree and the Professional Studies Certificate at the Manhattan School of Music, and completed undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 12:00:13 GMT

On April 15, conductor Sascha Goetzel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE RITE OF SPRING with violinist James Ehnes.

Title: The Rite of Spring
Composer: Igor Stravinsky ( 1882-1971 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 2, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, alto flute, three oboes, two English horns, two clarinets, two bass clarinets, E-flat clarinet, three bassoons, two contrabassoons, seven horns, Wagner tuba, three trumpets, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, three trombones, two tubas, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: In his autobiography, Igor Stravinsky states that, when finishing The Firebird in 1910,

I had a fleeting vision, which came to me as a complete surprise. . . . I saw in imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of spring. Such was the theme of the Sacre du Printemps.

Sergei Diaghilev, impresario of the Ballets Russes, immediately recognized the balletic potential of Stravinsky’s idea. However, in the next year came the piano Konzertstück that grew into Stravinsky’s second ballet, Petrushka . Finally, in the summer of 1911, Stravinsky could set to work on the Rite , following a scenario prepared by his associate, Nicholas Roerich. Stravinsky completed Part I by Christmas, and by the spring of 1912, about half of Part II was ready. However, since Diaghilev decided to postpone the production until 1913, Stravinsky did not complete the score until the end of March of that year, just two months before its premiere.

Roerich outlined his scenario in a letter to Diaghilev, but later Jean Cocteau published a much more succinct version of it:

Part I: The prehistoric youth of Russia is reveling in the games and dances of Spring. They adore the earth and the Sage who reminds them of the Sacred Rites.

Part II: For Spring to return, these credulous men believe that they must sacrifice a young girl, the Chosen One among them. She is left alone in the forest; the ancestors come out of the shadows like bears and form the circle. Inspired by them, the Chosen One dances in rhythms marked by long syncopations. When she falls dead, the ancestors approach and, picking her up, lift her toward the skies.

The intellectual and artistic world of Paris may have been ready for such a shocking theme, for primal dance movements, and for the masterful yet strange music that brought it all alive. However, the wealthy patrons and more traditionally-minded ballet-goers definitely were not. They apparently took the work as a personal affront, for at the famous premiere on May 29, 1913, unexpected disturbances among the audience broke out, nearly becoming a riot. Stravinsky wrote:

As for the actual performance, I am not in a position to judge, as I left the auditorium at the first bars of the prelude, which had at once evoked derisive laughter. I was disgusted. These demonstrations, at first isolated, soon became general, provoking counter-demonstrations and very quickly developing into a terrific uproar. . . . I had to hold Nijinsky [the choreographer] by his clothes, for he was furious and ready to dash on to the stage at any moment and create a scandal. Diaghilev kept ordering the electricians to turn the lights on or off, hoping in that way to put a stop to the noise.

Thus went the first public hearing of one of the 20th century’s great orchestral masterpieces. Diaghilev clearly recognized the music’s greatness—also the promotional value of a controversial show that would make Stravinsky the bad boy of music for years to come. Many years later, Stravinsky reported:

After the “performance” we were excited, angry, disgusted, and — happy. I went with Diaghilev and Nijinsky to a restaurant. So far from weeping and reciting Pushkin in the Bois de Boulogne as the legend is, Diaghilev’s only comment was: “Exactly what I wanted.” He certainly looked contented.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Britten's Violin Concerto No.1

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 12:45:00 GMT

On April 15, conductor Sascha Goetzel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE RITE OF SPRING with violinist James Ehnes.

Title: Violin Concerto No.1, op.15
Composer: Benjamin Britten ( 1913-1976 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: From an early age, Benjamin Britten knew he was a composer. He made his first attempt at composition at age five. This delighted his mother, who gave Benjamin lessons in piano and music notation. While attending school, he wrote music in his spare time. (Later in life he combined these ditties in his Simple Symphony .) In 1924, Britten attended a concert in which British Composer Frank Bridge conducted his own symphonic poem, The Sea . The teenage Benjamin was “knocked sideways” (his own words) by it. The following year Britten met Bridge and showed him some of his compositions. Bridge was interested in taking on Britten as a student, so the boy arranged to make weekly day-trips to London for composition lessons. Bridge emphasized the craft of composing, and taught him the maxim that “you should find yourself and be true to what you have found.”

In 1930, Britten won a composition scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London. (His interviewers included composers John Ireland and Ralph Vaughan Williams.) Britten studied at the RCM from 1930 to 1933, winning several prizes along the way, but also continuing studies with Bridge. Britten’s music, for example his Sinfonietta , Op. 1 (1932), now began to attract attention. In 1935, he began work at the BBC, composing music chiefly for documentary films. This led to his writing more than 40 scores for radio, movies, and theater between 1935 and 1938.

During 1938-1939, Britten composed his First Violin Concerto. It was premiered in New York City in March 1940. The soloist was Antonio Brosa with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, John Barbirolli conducting. Although Britten later composed a Second Violin Concerto, he made some revisions to the First during the 1950s, and it has become the more popular work.

A timpani solo introduces the concerto, and the strings soon fill in. The violin soloist presents a lyrical solo against a somewhat anxious mood in the orchestra. However, all come together to present a new theme—brightly rhythmic and cheerful. Now new ideas flow out, giving the soloist ample space for elaboration and commentary. A short, spirited dialogue results before the soloist presents a development based on snippets of established ideas. The soloist then plays a pizzicato accompaniment to the orchestral strings, as they perform a log-breathed restatement of an earlier lyrical theme, now creating a serenade mood. The soloist answers with a high-pitched, serenading commentary to conclude the movement.

The soloist plus string section introduce the second movement, marked Vivace . The solo violin now dialogues with various parts of the orchestra, building a musical structure phrase by extended phrase. All finally come together as a springboard for the orchestra to build up a new, extended, energetic melody. At its climax the soloist begins a give-and-take commentary with the orchestra. An unusual brief interchange between the high-pitched solo violin and bass-range tuba invites the rest of the orchestra to join delicately with the soloist. Leading to galloping-style rhythms, the full ensemble prepares for the soloist to perform an extended unaccompanied cadenza. This includes passages where the soloist plays bowed phrases and simultaneously plucks a light accompaniment on lower strings with the left hand.

This leads seamlessly to the concerto’s finale, marked Passacaglia: lento (un poco meno mosso) [Variations on a repeated bass melody: slow (a little slower)]. It begins with the trombone section quietly introducing the bass melody, while the soloist plays on, having forecast the Passacaglia’s theme melody: an ascending and descending scale. The soloist rests while the string section repeats the melody. Overlapping, the brass now re-states the theme while the strings play counterpoint. As the soloist enters, the string section quietly restates the theme. Gradually, different sections of the orchestra come to the fore, supporting the soloist, who now performs freely. In this continual unfolding, the soloist sometimes plays the theme (or fragments of it), often in offset counterpoint to orchestral instruments. Little by little, the solo violin presents more virtuosic melodic lines and special effects, finally taking full spotlight supported by the French horns. Following a sizeable variation for full orchestra, the soloist rejoins, and the music’s texture and mood become more gentle. A sweetness now pervades the music as the solo violin continues to lead the supportive orchestra in an intimate finish to a deeply felt concerto.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Adams' "Tromba Iontana"

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 14:50:11 GMT

On April 15, conductor Sascha Goetzel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE RITE OF SPRING with violinist James Ehnes.

Title: Tromba Iontana
Composer: John Adams ( 1947 - )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to two solo trumpets, this piece is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets, four horns, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story: John Adams is best known to us for his award-winning 1988 opera, Nixon in China . Less well known is that Adams first came into public view through his orchestral music. After studying at Harvard with Leon Kirchner and serving as composer-in-residence at the Marlboro Festival of 1970, Adams moved to California in 1971. Following ten years of teaching, he became new-music advisor to the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Together with conductor Edo De Waart, Adams created the New and Unusual Music series. Largely because of that series, Adams was appointed composer-in-residence to the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra during the years 1982-85, and he also worked on projects with the orchestra of the San Francisco Ballet Company. The music of Adams gradually became known to the public through these collaborations.

Tromba lontana was one of a series of fanfares commissioned by the Houston Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Texas’s 150th anniversary in 1986. The title, translated as Distant Trumpet or Trumpet in the Distance , comes from the composer’s placement of two trumpets in the back corners of the stage. Most fanfares are loud, brassy affairs, but the mild Tromba lontana is something of an anti-fanfare—in Adam’s words, “incredibly quiet, slowly moving, mysterious, almost ethereal.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: James Ehnes

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Violinist James Ehnes performs Britten's Violin Concerto No.1
April 15 at 8PM

Background: James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favorite guest at the world’s most celebrated concert halls.

Recent orchestral highlights include the MET Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony, NHK Symphony and Munich Philharmonic. Throughout the 22/23 season, Ehnes continues as Artist in Residence with the National Arts Centre of Canada.

Alongside his concerto work, Ehnes maintains a busy recital schedule. He performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall (including the complete cycle of Beethoven Sonatas in 2019/20, and the complete violin/viola works of Brahms and Schumann in 2021/22), Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Ravinia, Montreux, Verbier Festival, Dresden Music Festival and Festival de Pâques in Aix. A devoted chamber musician, he is the leader of the Ehnes Quartet and the Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society.

Ehnes has an extensive discography and has won many awards for his recordings, including two Grammy’s, three Gramophone Awards and 11 JUNO Awards. In 2021, Ehnes was announced as the recipient of the coveted Artist of the Year title in the 2021 Gramophone Awards celebrating his recent contributions to the recording industry, including the launch of a new online recital series entitled Recitals from Home which was released in June 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent concert hall closures. Ehnes recorded the six Bach Sonatas and Partitas and six Sonatas of Ysaÿe from his home with state-of-the-art recording equipment and released six episodes over the period of two months. These recordings have been met with great critical acclaim by audiences worldwide and Ehnes was described by Le Devoir as being "at the absolute forefront of the streaming evolution.”

Ehnes began violin studies at the age of five, became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin at age nine, and made his orchestra debut with L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal at age 13. He continued his studies with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and The Juilliard School, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation in 1997. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he is a Visiting Professor.

Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Sascha Goetzel

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:16:13 GMT

Sascha Goetzel conducts THE RITE OF SPRING
April 15 at 8PM

Background: A dynamic, charismatic, and compelling musical presence on the podium, Sascha Goetzel has emerged as a multifaceted conductor—a remarkable orchestra builder, creative programmer, entrepreneur, educator, and advocate for musicians and artists. In September 2022, he began his tenure as Music Director of France’s Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire for an initial four-year term.

During his 11-year tenure as artistic director and principal conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Goetzel significantly raised the ensemble’s artistic and technical standards. His imaginative programming, award-winning recordings, and widely praised tours to the Salzburg Festival, BBC Proms, Royal Concertgebouw, Vienna’s Musikverein, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and Hong Kong Arts Festival transformed a provincial orchestra into an international phenomenon. Goetzel is also principal guest conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic, in Bulgaria.

He has appeared with many prominent orchestras—the NHK Symphony, Munich Symphony, London Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, and Radio Symphony Orchestra of Vienna. He has collaborated with major soloists, among them Daniil Trifonov, Joyce Di Donato, Yuja Wang, Maxim Vengerov, Julian Rachlin, Renee Fleming, Brandon Marsalis, Ian Bostridge, and Murray Perahia, among many others.

In 2014, he made an electric debut at the Vienna State Opera conducting Le Nozze di Figaro , which led to six return engagements—productions of Fledermaus , La Bohème , Don Giovanni , Rigoletto , Magic Flute , and Rosenkavalier . Goetzel has also appeared at the Mariinsky Theatre, Zürich Opera House, Tokyo Nikikai Opera Company in Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan, New National Theatre Tokyo, Opéra de Rennes, Wiener Volksoper, and Opéra de Montpellier.

Goetzel and the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra released several award-winning albums on the Deutsche Grammophon, Onyx, and Warner labels, featuring works by Turnage, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Bizet, Rimsky-Korsakov, Respighi, Hindemith, and Schmitt.

Committed to music education and an advocate for the arts in general, Goetzel is co-founder and chief creative director of the Vienna Art Network, a new digital platform supporting independent musicians and artists; artistic director of Music for Peace (El Sistema-Turkey); a conducting mentor at Dirigentloftet, a program in Norway focused on developing young conductors; and director and co-founder of Opera by the Fjord, an innovative academy and festival for aspiring singers and instrumentalists in partnership with the Bergen National Opera.

Born and raised in Vienna, Goetzel trained as a violinist and began his studies with Richard Österreicher in Austria and Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy. He furthered his education in the United States, working with Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Muti, Andre Previn, Zubin Mehta, and Bernhard Haitink. In addition to attending the Music University in Graz and Brooklyn College, Goetzel was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival for two summers.

His previous posts include principal guest conductor of the Kanagawa Philharmonic (2013–2017) and Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne (2012–2015), as well as principal conductor of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, in Finland (2006–2012).

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story"

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 14:06:54 GMT

On March 17 & 18, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WEST SIDE STORY with pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

Title: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Composer: Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed November 14, 2015 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, piccolo trumpet, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, alto saxophone, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story: Although there have been many modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet , none has rivaled West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, produced on the Broadway stage in 1957. The show was superlative in terms of total quality, social impact, and sheer power of expression. For Montagues and Capulets, the libretto substituted rival teenage street gangs, one Anglo (“Jets”) and the other Hispanic (“Sharks”). The star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, were from the neighborhoods where the two gangs operated.

Modern dance and ballet were employed in new and effective ways. For example, the hostilities and violence between the gangs finds expression in stylized modern dance, and a ballet sequence in the second act involving Tony and Maria gives way to a procession and the song “Somewhere.” In addition, some of West Side Story borrowed techniques from the operatic stage and the concert hall. One unifying technique was the persistent use of a recurring short melodic idea. It appeared during dance sequences such as the “Prologue” and as the subject of the Fugue.

Both the stage and film versions of West Side Story were resounding artistic successes, and some critics even felt that the show had made history on the musical stage. One London critic declared that with West Side Story began “a new age in the theater,” and American writer David Ewen called the show “one of the crowning masterworks of the American musical theater.”

In 1961, Bernstein put together the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story , having originally been orchestrated for Broadway by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal under the composer’s supervision. The new dance suite premiered in December 1961 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Lukas Foss, and Bernstein recorded it the following year.

Jack Gottlieb, Bernstein’s long-time artistic associate, describes the relationship of the Symphonic Dances to West Side Story ’s plot in the following way.

Prologue: The growing rivalry between two teenage gangs, the Jets and Sharks. “Somewhere” : In a visionary dance sequence, the two gangs are united in friendship. Scherzo : They break through the city walls and suddenly find themselves in a world of space, air and sun. Mambo : Reality again; competitive dance between the gangs. Cha-Cha : The star-crossed lovers dance together. Meeting Scene : Music accompanies their first spoken words. “Cool,” Fugue : The Jets release their hostility. Rumble : Climactic gang battle in which the two leaders are killed. Finale : Love music developing into a procession, which recalls, in tragic reality, the vision of “Somewhere.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Higdon's "Cold Mountain Suite"

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 13:00:07 GMT

On March 17 & 18, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WEST SIDE STORY with pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

Title: Cold Mountain Suite
Composer: Jennifer Higdon (1962- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story: Jennifer Higdon is one of the leading women on the American music scene. She was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she now holds the Milton L. Rock Chair in Compositional Studies. Her prestigious list of honors includes awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the National Endowment for the Arts, capped by the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto. She has occupied various composer-in-residence chairs and became the first woman to be named a featured composer at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival. From 1994 to 2021, Dr. Higdon was a professor of composition at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she held the Milton L. Rock Chair in Compositional Studies. Higdon was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (considered the highest form of recognition of artistic merit in the U.S.) during its annual Ceremonial in 2022.

Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain , is in two acts plus epilogue with libretto by Gene Scheer. It is based on Charles Frazier's 1997 best-selling novel of the same name. After a delay in obtaining rights, the Santa Fe Opera, in cooperation with Opera Philadelphia and the Minnesota Opera, commissioned Cold Mountain . Higdon and Scheer then began work. Higdon felt “at home” with its story, which takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina during the Civil War, because, although she was born in New York, she was raised in Tennessee not far from that locale. The opera premiered at Santa Fe, and won the prestigious International Opera Award for Best World Premiere in 2016; the first American opera to do so in the award’s history.

Here is the synopsis of the opera, Cold Mountain , as published on the composer’s website:

The opera tells the story of W.P. Inman, a Confederate soldier who, after being treated for wounds he received during the battle of Petersburg, chooses to desert the army and make his way back to his beloved Ada Monroe. Inman knows that the Home Guard is hunting down deserters. Emotionally gutted by the horrors he has experienced and desperate to see Ada again, he decides to take the risk and begins the dangerous journey home. When Inman left for the war, he believed the war would not last but six months. It is now four years later. Ada, a Southern lady once used to a life of privilege, has now been forced to deal with a life of profound deprivation. With the help of Ruby, a resourceful mountain woman, Ada's life has been slowly transformed. The women help each other, not only to endure the war, but also to grow in ways that are both unexpected and profound.

Cold Mountain , set during the American Civil War — the pivotal conflict in our nation's history — is the story of a soldier who wonders whether the violence he has endured has in some way ruined him and made him unworthy of love. In the struggle to answer this question, Inman is forced to examine where his real allegiance lies. Is it to his country? Is it to a cause? What is at the center of his soul? What are the core principles that he needs to abide by to feel essentially human again? Cold Mountain , like The Odyssey , on which the novel is loosely based, has at its center a transformative journey.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:32:58 GMT

On March 17 & 18, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WEST SIDE STORY with pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

Title: Piano Concerto No.3, op.26, C major
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 2, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Horatio Gutiérrez. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: Sergei Prokofiev composed the Third Piano Concerto in the summer of 1921 at the French sea resort town of Etretât. As with most of his other piano music, the purpose of the concerto was to give the composer a vehicle for his concert performances as a piano soloist. At the time, he was in the midst of several American projects to be completed that fall, including the Chicago premieres of this concerto and of his opera, The Love for Three Oranges.

The Third Piano Concerto debuted in December by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the composer as soloist. A month later, Prokofiev performed the new work in New York. It fared much the same as The Love for Three Oranges , which was also performed in those two cities. Chicago audiences and press alike raved over the music, but the New York audience and critics devastated it. The Chicago Daily Herald called the concerto “the most beautiful modern concerto for piano,” but the hostile New York audience booed Prokofiev’s opera. Discouraged and disillusioned, the composer returned to Europe in March 1922 “with one thousand dollars in my pocket and a throbbing pain in my head. . . .” Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto, however, was well on its way to becoming a staple concert work and the best loved of his five piano concertos.

The first movement is a study in contrasts. It quickly goes from one mood to another. The introductory idea in the orchestra is cut short by the abrupt entrance of the piano with a hammering, puckish theme. A passage of broad chords leads to one of Prokofiev’s typically sardonic melodies. The composer works with these ideas before they are reprised and expanded. He tells us that “the movement ends with an exciting crescendo .”

Around the time Prokofiev wrote this concerto, he was experiencing a “classical” rejuvenation (his Classical Symphony having been completed in 1917) influenced deeply by Haydn and Mozart. Try to hear these influences in the second movement, as the music takes us through a varied succession of points of view on the opening theme. At the end, the orchestra restates the theme “with delicate chordal embroidery in the piano,” in the words of Prokofiev.

The composer continues, “The finale begins with a staccato theme for bassoon and pizzicato strings, which is interrupted by the blustering entry of the piano. The orchestra holds its own with the opening theme, however, and there is a good deal of argument, with frequent differences of opinion as regards key. There are shifting and side-slipping in this “argument.”

Prokofiev liked to have fun with his listeners through his sardonic wit, and this comes out especially in the finale. Near the end, he takes us for a witty ride. He writes, “With a reduction of tone and slackening of tempo, an alternative theme is introduced in the woodwinds. The piano replies with a theme that is more in keeping with the caustic humor of the work. This is developed, and there is a brilliant [ending].”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)"

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:18:46 GMT

On March 17 & 18, conductor Tito Muñoz and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present WEST SIDE STORY with pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

Title: Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)
Composer: Maurice Ravel ( 1875-1937 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 18, 1968 with Jeff Cook conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, harp and strings.

The Story: From his student days until the years between the World Wars, Maurice Ravel habitually attended the elegant and stylish salon of Princess Edmond de Polignac (1865-1943). She was an American, whose maiden name was Winnaretta Singer, and she became heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune. She was also a noted patron of the arts. It was this princess who commissioned Ravel to write his six-minute piano piece, Pavane for a Dead Princess . Ravel played the Pavane for the first time in 1899, and overnight it launched his reputation. The piece became extremely popular, and the composer orchestrated it in 1910.

The wording of Ravel’s title was regrettable, and he frequently had to explain that the piece is not a cortège for a recently deceased princess. The real sense of it is actually “a princess out of the past.”

Characteristic of Ravel, he grew hypercritical of the piece. In 1912, having to review a concert on which the Pavane had been programmed, he wrote:

I no longer see its good points from such a distance. But, alas, I perceive its faults very clearly: the glaring influence of Chabrier and the rather poverty-stricken form! The remarkable interpretation of this incomplete and unoriginal work contributed, I think, to its success.

We may disagree.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Alexander Gavrylyuk

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk performs Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3
March 17 at 6:30PM & March 18 at 8PM

Background: A stunningly virtuosic pianist, Alexander is internationally recognized for his electrifying and poetic performances. Gavrylyuk launched his 2017/18 season with a BBC Proms performance of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto described as “revelatory” by The Times and “electrifying” by Limelight.

Highlights of the 2022-23 season include debuts with Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, as well as return visits to Belgrade Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony and Sao Paolo Symphony. Recent highlights include performances with San Diego, Dallas, Chicago, Antwerp, Sydney symphony orchestras, and New Mexico, Bergen, and Netherlands philharmonic orchestras.

Born in Ukraine in 1984 and holding Australian citizenship, Alexander began his piano studies at the age of seven and gave his first concerto performance when he was nine years old. At the age of 13, Alexander moved to Sydney where he lived until 2006. He won First Prize and Gold Medal at the Horowitz International Piano Competition (1999), First Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (2000), and Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition (2005).

He has since gone on to perform with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including: New York, Los Angeles, Czech, Warsaw, Moscow, Seoul, Israel and Rotterdam philharmonics; NHK, Chicago, Cincinnati and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Lille and the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker; collaborating with conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alexandre Bloch, Herbert Blomstedt, Andrey Boreyko, Thomas Dausgaard, Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Kirill Karabits, Louis Langrée, Cornelius Meister, Vasily Petrenko, Rafael Payare, Alexander Shelley, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Spivakov, Markus Stenz, Sir Mark Elder, Thomas Søndergård, Gergely Madaras, Mario Venzago, Enrique Mazzola and Osmo Vänska.

Gavrylyuk has appeared at many of the world’s foremost festivals, including the Hollywood Bowl, Bravo! Vail Colorado, Mostly Mozart, the Ruhr Festival, the Kissinger Sommer International Music Festival and the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam.

As a recitalist, Alexander has performed at the Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich, Victoria Hall Geneva, Southbank Centre’s International Piano Series, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Master Pianists Series, Suntory Hall, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Cologne Philharmonie, Tokyo City Concert Hall, San Francisco, Sydney Recital Hall and Melbourne Recital Centre. Alexander also performs regularly with his recital partner Janine Jansens throughout Europe.

Alexander is Artist in Residence at Chautauqua Institution where he leads the piano program as Artistic Advisor. He supports a number of charities including Theme and Variations Foundation which aims to provide support and encouragement to young, aspiring Australian pianists as well as Opportunity Cambodia, which has built a residential educational facility for Cambodian children.

Alexander Gavrylyuk is a Steinway Artist.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Tito Muñoz

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 13:00:07 GMT

Tito Muñoz conducts WEST SIDE STORY
March 17 at 6:30PM & March 18 at 8PM

Background: Praised for his versatility, technical clarity, and keen musical insight, Tito Muñoz is internationally recognized as one of the most gifted conductors on the podium today. Now in his ninth season as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony, Tito previously served as Music Director of the Opéra National de Lorraine and the Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy in France. Other prior appointments include Assistant Conductor positions with the Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Aspen Music Festival. Since his tenure in Cleveland, Tito has celebrated critically acclaimed successes with the orchestra, among others stepping in for the late Pierre Boulez in 2012 and leading repeated collaborations with the Joffrey Ballet, including the orchestra’s first staged performances of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in the reconstructed original choreography of Vaslav Nijinsky.

Tito has appeared with many of the most prominent orchestras in North America, including those of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee, as well as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the National Symphony Orchestra. He also maintains a strong international conducting presence, including engagements with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, SWR Symphonieorchester, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, a tour with Orchestre National d’Île de France, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Opéra de Rennes/ The Turn of the Screw , Auckland Philharmonia, Sydney Symphony and Sao Paolo State Symphony.

As a proponent of new music, Tito champions the composers of our time through expanded programming, commissions, premieres, and recordings. He has conducted important premieres of works by Christopher Cerrone, Kenneth Fuchs, Dai Fujikura, Michael Hersch, Adam Schoenberg and Mauricio Sotelo. During his tenure as Music Director of the Opéra National de Lorraine, Tito conducted the critically acclaimed staged premiere of Gerald Barry’s opera The Importance of Being Earnest . A great advocate of the music of Michael Hersch, he led the world premiere of Hersch’s monodrama On the Threshold of Winter at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2014, followed by the premiere of his Violin Concerto with Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2015, a piece they also recorded with the International Contemporary Ensemble on the New Focus label, released in summer 2018. Most recently he gave the world and European premieres of I hope we get a chance to visit soon at the Ojai and Aldeburgh Festivals.

Born in Queens, New York, Tito began his musical training as a violinist in New York City public schools. He attended the LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts, the Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program, and the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. He furthered his training at Queens College (CUNY) as a violin student of Daniel Phillips. Tito received conducting training at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen where he studied with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. He is the winner of the Aspen Music Festival’s 2005 Robert J. Harth Conductor Prize and the 2006 Aspen Conducting Prize, returning to Aspen as the festival’s Assistant Conductor in the summer of 2007, and later as a guest conductor.

Tito made his professional conducting debut in 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, invited by Leonard Slatkin as a participant of the National Conducting Institute. That same year, he made his Cleveland Orchestra debut at the Blossom Music Festival. He was awarded the 2009 Mendelssohn Scholarship sponsored by Kurt Masur and the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Foundation in Leipzig and was a prizewinner in the 2010 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition in Frankfurt.

Recent and forthcoming engagements include his debut with New York Philharmonic, concerts with the Detroit and Utah Symphonies and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and in Europe with Orchestre National d'Île de France, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and at the George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest, alongside his regular appearances with The Phoenix Symphony throughout the season.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

School Update Regarding Snow Forecast February 2023

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:36:52 GMT

Dear Music School families and students,

Due to the predicted inclement weather, the RI Philharmonic Music School will be closed to all in-person activities tomorrow, Tuesday, February 28 .

All Private Lessons scheduled for tomorrow will take place online. Private instructors will confirm virtual lessons details directly with students.

All classes and ensembles are cancelled.

Should you have any questions please e-mail us at cartercenter@riphil.org

Thank you,

The Education Team

THE STORY BEHIND: Sibelius' Symphony No.1

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:00:05 GMT

On February 25, Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Maria Ioudenitch.

Title: Symphony No.1, op.39, E minor
Composer: Jean Sibelius ( 1865-1957 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 15, 2005 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Like Brahms, Jean Sibelius waited to compose his First Symphony. When the work was completed in 1899, Sibelius was 34 years old. Although this was his first full symphonic essay, the composer had already plotted his course as a master of the orchestra through his programmatic symphonic poems. The 1890s saw the composition of En Saga , the Lemminkinen Suite, and (just ahead of the First Symphony) the famous Finlandia . Some critics tried to apply a program to Symphony No. 1 as well, although Sibelius never stated one. Like Beethoven and Brahms, the great symphonists before him, Sibelius used a model composer for his first symphonic effort. His was Tchaikovsky. In 1894 and again in 1897, Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony was performed in Helsinki, and hearing it made a deep and distinct impression on Sibelius. He even wrote to his wife, “There is much in that man that I recognize in myself.” Thus, the harmony, extended melodies, and dark orchestration reflect the influence of the Russian master. However, there is much more in the symphony that is original, pointing to Sibelius’ future as the most significant symphonist of his time.

Following a unique opening for solo clarinet and timpani comes the exposition of long-breathed, rhythmically vital themes. Sibelius derives some of this material from the opening. The development is brief but significant, and there is a general recapitulation. Rather than concluding with a post-developmental coda, Sibelius chooses instead to end the movement tersely.

The Andante is a checkerboard form in which the yearning main theme returns in different guises three times. Textures as diverse as contrapuntal imitation and thick chords drive the movement to a fever pitch just before the final statement of the main theme. Sibelius Scholar Erik Tawaststjerna has described the Scherzo movement as firmly in the Bruckner tradition. Its humor is broad and brusk, and its rhythms pound relentlessly. Following a smoother, more lyrical middle section, a terse return of the main section closes the movement.

Sibelius subtitled the Finale as quasi una fantasia . Much of its thematic material comes from the first movement, notably the opening, a fervent paraphrase of the symphony’s opening. The center of gravity, however, is an extended development section. The impassioned closing moments of the symphony are capped in a somewhat ironic way (like the first movement) by two soft pizzicato chords.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:58:50 GMT

On February 25, Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Maria Ioudenitch.

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto
Title: Violin Concerto, op.35, TH 59, D major
Composer: Peter I. Tchaikovsky ( 1840-1893 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 16, 2017 with James Sommerville conducting and soloist Simone Porter. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: In certain ways, the year 1878 was one of the worst in the life of Peter I. Tchaikovsky, and in other ways, it was one of the best. The composer spent most of the year in Western Europe (notably Italy and Switzerland) recovering from a shattered marriage and a near breakdown. During January, he finished the depressive Fourth Symphony and soon afterward his operatic masterpiece, Eugene Onegin . Tchaikovsky spent March and April in the Swiss resort town of Clarens, and it was there, in a sudden burst of inspiration, that he wrote one of the most brilliant and cheerful of all his works, the Violin Concerto. For a technical advisor, Tchaikovsky had Iosef Kotek, the young Russian violinist. Within 11 days, the composer had completed sketches for the concerto. In early April, he replaced the second movement with the present Canzonetta and quickly scored the entire work.

Today, it seems incredible that people did not immediately take Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto to their hearts. Nadezhda von Meck, the composer’s patron and ardent admirer, previewed the work and found grievous faults in it. Tchaikovsky dedicated the concerto to Leopold Auer and asked him to play its premiere. However, Auer begged off on the excuse that the soloist’s part was awkward and too difficult to be worth the trouble. When violinist Adolf Brodsky played the premiere in Vienna that December, reviews in the press were scathing. Tchaikovsky was permanently wounded by the diatribe of Vienna’s most influential critic, Eduard Hanslick, who wrote, “Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto brings to us for the first time the horrid idea that there may be music that stinks in the ear.”

After a modest introduction, the first movement presents three ingratiating principal themes. The composer does not work much with these but rather writes music that drives toward the brilliant (unaccompanied) violin cadenza. A majestic reprise of the themes leads to an applause-stirring ending to the movement.

The Canzonetta reveals what Tchaikovsky scholar David Brown terms “Tchaikovsky’s burning love of Russia” and his melancholy yearning to return there. This leads without a break to the final movement, which is even more recognizably Russian. The athletic opening theme is a Trepak , a stamping Cossack dance. Continuing the national flavor, the second theme suggests a peasant or gypsy melody played to the droning accompaniment of bagpipes or a hurdy-gurdy. The third theme is more sentimental but is based on rhythms taken from the second theme. Early on, the violin has a short solo passage, and the rest of the movement exacts from the soloist both violinistic acrobatics and panache in performing style.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Bacewicz's Overture

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:00:08 GMT

On February 25, Ruth Reinhardt and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO with violinist Maria Ioudenitch.

THE STORY BEHIND: Bacewicz's Overture
Title: Overture
Composer: Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story: During the first half of the 20th century, women composers did not enjoy the liberal, open treatment and recognition they have achieved (gradually) during the second half and beyond. This “glass ceiling” situation was more pronounced in Eastern Europe than in Western society. Knowing this helps us to understand why the very talented Grazyna Bacewicz had to wait until 1945 to complete her first orchestral work, the present concert overture, and another four years before its premiere. Of course, she lived through the upheavals of two world wars and also other tragic events in her native Poland during that time. Society and the arts were often in a state of upheaval, making orchestras’ concert schedules unsure and suddenly changeable. Her education in Warsaw (Kazimierz Sikorski) and Paris (Nadia Boulanger) focused on composition and violin playing. Most of her adult life, Bacewicz made her living as a violinist. It was not until after WW II that, now married and living in Warsaw, she turned her attention professionally to composition.

This concert overture appears to be Bacewicz’s earliest completed composition for orchestra. Although its form follows the general outline of a Classical sonata-allegro, we do not need to follow the form moment-to-moment. Rather we can immerse ourselves in its brilliant orchestration, that is, its energy, many varied tone colors, and dynamic effects. It is a refreshing work, full of energy and excitement, balanced with some quieter segments.

In her lifetime, Bacewicz would compose four symphonies and numerous concertos and other orchestral works. And they are all led by this brilliant orchestral concert debut as a composer.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Maria Ioudenitch

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:47:04 GMT

Violinist Maria Ioudenitch performs Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto
February 25 at 8PM

Background: Born in Russia, violinist Maria Ioudenitch immigrated with her musical family to the U.S. at the age of two and grew up in Kansas City. In 2021, she received first prizes in the Ysaÿe International Music Competition, the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition and the Joseph Joachim International Competition. She also received numerous special prizes at these competitions, including Joachim’s Chamber Music Award, the prize for Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work, the Henle Urtext Prize, and a recording deal with Warner Classics.

Recognized for her innovative programs, her first album on Warner – Songbird with pianist Kenneth Broberg, scheduled for release on 24 March 2023 – spans from Franz Schubert, Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann to Nikolai Medtner, Richard Strauss and Nadia Boulanger. In upcoming concerts, she performs the Tchaikovsky, Glazunov and Barber concertos as well as Haydn’s G-Major and Mozart’s D-Major concertos and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires , while this season’s recital programs include works by George Gershwin, William Grant Still, Dolores White and Fazil Say, alongside standard violin repertoire.

In the coming months, Maria Ioudenitch makes her debuts with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (at Berlin’s Philharmonie), MDR-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and Münchner Symphoniker and returns to Kansas City Symphony. Recent engagements have taken her to the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, the Mariinsky Orchestra, Lithuania Chamber Orchestra and Utah Symphony, while her growing list of conductors includes names like Andrey Boreyko, Alpesh Chauhan, Kevin John Eudesei, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Andrew Manze, Ruth Reinhardt and Hugh Wolff. She is also an active chamber musician and will take part in the chamber music tours of the Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute with Miriam Fried in March and the Marlboro Music Festival with Christoph Richter in November 2023.

Maria began playing violin with Gregory Sandomirsky at the age of three and continued her studies with Ben Sayevich at the International Center for Music in Kansas City and Pamela Frank and Shmuel Ashkenasi at the Curtis Institute of Music. She completed her master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the New England Conservatory, where she studied with Miriam Fried has been mentored by Sonia Simmenauer this past year as part of Simmenauer’s new initiative, zukunfts.music. She is currently in the Professional Studies program at the Kronberg Academy, working with Christian Tetzlaff.

Maria plays a violin by the Brothers Amati from ca. 1624, courtesy of Guarneri Hall NFP and Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins in Chicago.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Ruth Reinhardt

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:12:24 GMT

Ruth Reinhardt conducts TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO
February 25 at 8PM

Background: Ruth Reinhardt is quickly establishing herself as one of today’s most dynamic and nuanced young conductors, building a reputation for her musical intelligence, programmatic imagination, and elegant performances.

In the 2022-23 season, Ms. Reinhardt makes US debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, and Rhode Island Philharmonic. European engagements include debuts with the Bamberger Symphoniker, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, RSB Berlin, Goteborgs Symfoniker, Warsaw Philharmonic, Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and returns to Malmö Symphony and Kristiansand Symphony, among others.

In recent seasons, Ms. Reinhardt has led the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Fort Worth, and Milwaukee, as well as the Los Angeles and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras. In Europe, recent debuts include the Orchestre National de Radio France, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, DSO-Berlin, and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony, among many others. She also returned to conduct the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Festival, the Seattle Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony, where she was assistant conductor from 2016 to 2018. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, she served as the assistant conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra.

Ruth Reinhardt received her master’s degree in conducting from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Alan Gilbert. Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, she began studying violin at an early age and sang in the children’s chorus of Saarländisches Staatstheater, Saarbrücken’s opera company. She attended Zurich’s University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) to study violin with Rudolf Koelman, and began conducting studies with Constantin Trinks, with additional training under Johannes Schlaefli. She has also participated in conducting master classes with, among others, Bernard Haitink, Michael Tilson Thomas, David Zinman, Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, Marin Alsop, and James Ross. Reinhardt was a Dudamel Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (2017-18), conducting fellow at the Seattle Symphony (2015-16) and Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Music Center (2015), and an associate conducting fellow of the Taki Concordia program (2015-17).

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

School Update Regarding Weather Forecast February 2023

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 16:29:36 GMT

Dear Music School families and students,

Local weather forecast is predicting an extreme drop in temperature later this evening and early tomorrow morning. The Music School will remain open. We ask that you take every precaution for you and your child’s safety if attending activities at the Music School in this time range. Lessons may also be switched to virtual or made up on another day if there is concern of attending in-person. If you would like to switch you or your students' private lessons to virtual distance learning today or tomorrow, please be in touch with your teacher directly. Ensembles will also be running, so if you decide not to attend, please contact the appropriate contact. Youth Ensembles, please fill out the form below.

For Youth Ensemble Absences (Please fill out the form located below):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVgdgVJtTd9GMupqQmcPwcre7ERLDM_i4NaZSNe99rn7_1zw/viewform?usp=sf_link

If you typically wait in your vehicle in the parking lot, we encourage you to alternatively wait inside while your student is taking their lesson or class.

All concerts and recitals will continue as scheduled.

Thank you,

The Education Team

THE STORY BEHIND: Dvořák's Symphony No.8

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:40:47 GMT

On January 21, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC CHOPIN with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title: Symphony No.8, op.88, B.163, G major
Composer: Antonín Dvořák ( 1841-1904 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 28, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story: The year 1889 was a particularly happy and productive one for Antonín Dvořák. During that summer, he began to sketch ideas for his Eighth Symphony at his country house in Vyoská. Ideas came to him so quickly that he complained he could not set them down fast enough. He completed the symphony’s sketch between September 6 and 23, and finished the scoring on November 8 in Prague. Dvořák conducted the premiere of his Eighth Symphony there in April 1890 as part of his induction into Emperor Franz Josef’s Czech Academy of Science, Literature, and the Arts.

The first movement of the symphony virtually overflows with thematic ideas. Particularly striking and colorful is the introductory theme heard in the cellos. It returns before and after the development section. The main themes of this movement are varied in character and rich in Czech flavor. There is particularly effective woodwind writing during the development section.

The second movement has been dubbed a “mood picture” because of similarities between it and the Poetic Mood-Pictures , Op. 85, no. 3, “At the Old Castle.” Whether a connection really exists, the movement is extremely appealing. The theme heard at the beginning provides ample ideas for the composer to vary and transform as the movement progresses. Oddly, this movement begins in the key of E-flat major, but later the music continually gravitates to C major.

In place of a Scherzo movement, Dvořák supplies a waltz, Allegretto grazioso , a Brahmsian gesture. Also Brahmsian are the long-breathed opening phrases. The “sturdy peasant lilt” of the main section contrasts with a Trio section, the theme of which is a quote from Dvořák’s opera, The Stubborn Lovers . The divergence between the rhythm of this melody (in normal triple time) and its accompaniment (in extended rhythms with shifting accents) is noteworthy.

A trumpet fanfare announces the symphony’s finale. This previews the principal motive of the main theme, which immediately follows. As in the introductory theme that opens the symphony, the cellos present this idea. It takes the form of two repeated strains, and these provide the substance for the following set of variations. Toward the end, the tempo quickens little by little, propelling the movement to a joyful finish.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 19:37:57 GMT

On January 21, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC CHOPIN with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title: Piano Concerto No.1, op.11, E minor
Composer: Frédéric Chopin ( 1810-1849 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 22, 1994 with Zuohuang Chen conducting and soloist Garrick Ohlsson. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, trombone, timpani and strings.

The Story: The two piano concertos by Frédéric Chopin were works of his youth, written together in the year before his twentieth birthday. The E Minor Concerto was actually written second, but because Chopin’s publisher came out with it before the F Minor Concerto, The E Minor work was labeled No. 1. Like the music of Moscheles, Hummel, and other pianist-composers, the concertos of Chopin are works in the grand virtuoso tradition, intended as vehicles for the composer’s own concerts. This is both a fault and a blessing, for the rich piano part can occupy a much brighter spotlight than a fully balanced concerto would have allowed.

The first movement of the E Minor Concerto opens with a long twin exposition, the first part being for orchestra alone. Interestingly, the second thematic group is in E major in the exposition, but it returns in G major in the recapitulation. This is the opposite of expected key progressions and an original touch. There is no cadenza in the first movement (or in either of the following movements for that matter), but the piano part, which plays almost ceaselessly after it enters, is like a continuing cadenza.

The slow movement Romance is nocturne-like, a genuine character piece. As Chopin wrote to a friend, “It is intended to convey the impression that one receives when the eye rests on a beloved landscape that calls up in one’s soul beautiful memories — for instance, on a fine, moonlit spring night.” Muted violins enhance the moonlit image.

The Rondo finale brings a splash of Polish national flavor to the concerto. Its rhythm resembles the Krakowiak , a popular dance of the city of Krakow, and the scales, ornamentation, and general nature of the themes are reminiscent of Polish folk or gypsy music. By contrast, the episodes between thematic statements emphasize the piano part in a sparkling, Chopinesque showcase.

Over the years, Chopin’s piano concertos have been taken to task for their faults, even among his most ardent admirers such as biographer Frederick Niecks, who wrote, “He lacked the peculiar qualities . . . requisite for a successful cultivation of the larger forms,” and, “How little Chopin understood the importance or the handling of those powerful levers, key relation and contrast,” and even, “Chopin could not think for orchestra; his thoughts took always the form of the pianoforte language.” However, what Chopin lacked in these areas he made up for with a personality and an originality striking enough to elicit from Robert Schumann the remark: “. . . a genius like Mozart, were he born today, would write concertos like Chopin and not like Mozart.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:05:01 GMT

On January 21, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present ROMANTIC CHOPIN with pianist Sara Davis Buechner.

Title: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Composer: Claude Debussy ( 1862-1918 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 6, 2017 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, percussion, two harps and strings.

The Story:

Between 1892 and 1894, contemporaneously with his evolution of the Quartet, Debussy composed L’Après-midi d’une faune , a masterpiece so personal, so free of the ordinary indices of derivation, so distinctive in feeling and coloring, so unlike any music of the past or of its own era. . . .

Thus begins Oscar Thompson’s commentary on the piece that introduced the world to Debussy’s mature, “impressionistic” style. Originally, the work was to be in three movements: “Prelude,” “Interlude,” and “Paraphrase Finale.” However, when Claude Debussy made his final revision of the Prelude , he discarded sketches for the last two movements, and on December 22, 1894, the audience of the Société Nationale heard the premiere of a one-movement symphonic poem.

Similar to concurrent “symbolist” poetry and “impressionist” painting, Debussy deals deliberately in vagueness; his music suggests rather than depicts. With its unusual combinations of tone color, the Prelude is something of a study in the play of light and shadow. Its general form is clear (A-B-C-A), but the design is characteristically non-symphonic, and its outlines are hazy.

The diffused storyline of Stéphane Mallarmé’s famous eclogue, L’Après-midi d’une faune , concerns a mythological faun (half man, half goat). The faun is playing a double reed flute and falls asleep. He dreams sensuously of two nymphs, but when he awakens, he finds reality the same as before. He then tries to re-live the dream in his mind:

I would perpetuate those nymphs.
Their rosy
Bloom’s so light, it floats upon air drowsy
With heavy sleep.
Was it a dream?

Debussy described his Prelude as “a very free illustration of Mallarmé’s poem . . . to evoke the successive scenes in which the longings and desires of the faun pass in the heat of the afternoon.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Sara Davis Buechner

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 14:18:56 GMT

Pianist Sara Davis Buechner performs Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1
Saturday, January 21 at 8PM

Background: Noted for her musical command, cosmopolitan artistry, and visionary independence, Sara Davis Buechner is one of the most original concert pianists of our time. Lauded for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess” ( New York Times ), “thoughtful artistry in the full service of music” ( Washington Post ), and “astounding virtuosity” ( Philippine Star ), Japan’s InTune magazine sums it up: “Buechner has no superior.”

In her twenties, Ms. Buechner earned a bouquet of top prizes at the world’s premier international piano competitions — Queen Elisabeth (Brussels), Leeds, Mozart (Salzburg), Beethoven (Vienna), and Sydney. She was a bronze medalist at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the gold medalist at the 1984 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.

Ms. Buechner has performed throughout North America— as recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with top orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra; and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl. She has toured throughout Latin and South America and Europe; and she enjoys a special following in Asia, where she has been a featured soloist with the Sydney Symphony, New Zealand Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic and Shanghai Philharmonic, among many others.

She has commissioned and premiered important contemporary scores by composers such as Michael Brown, John Corigliano, Ray Green, Dick Hyman, Vitězslavá Kaprálová, Jared Miller, Joaquín Nin-Culmell, and Yukiko Nishimura. Ms. Buechner’s performance versatility extends to unique collaborations with film and dance (including tours with the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Japanese kabuki-mime-mask dancer Yayoi Hirano).

Ms. Buechner has released numerous acclaimed recordings of rare piano music by composers such as Rudolf Friml (“a revelation” — The New York Times ), Dana Suesse, Joseph Lamb, Joaquín Turina, Miklós Rózsa, and Ferruccio Busoni (including the world premiere recording of the BachBusoni “Goldberg” Variations). Stereophile magazine selected her Gershwin CD as “Recording of the Month,” and her interpretation of Hollywood Piano Concertos won Germany’s coveted Deutsches Schauplatten Preis . Most recently, her recorded traversal of the score to Carl Dreiser’s silent movie classic Master of the House (1925) may be heard on Criterion Collection DVD.

Sara Davis Buechner joined the faculty of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in 2016, after previously teaching at the Manhattan School of Music, New York University and the University of British Columbia. She has presented masterclasses and workshops at major pedagogic venues worldwide, adjudicated important international piano competitions, and is also a contributing editor for Dover Publications International. In 2017, Ms. Buechner marked her 30th year as a dedicated Yamaha Artist.

As a proud transgender woman, Ms. Buechner also appears as a speaker and performer at important LGBTQ events, and has contributed interviews and articles about her own experience to numerous media outlets worldwide.

Sara is a dual American-Canadian citizen who makes her home in Philadelphia.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:13:44 GMT

On December 9 & 10, Jaime Laredo and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE FOUR SEASONS with conductor/violinist Jaime Laredo and oboist Cheryl Bishkoff.

Title: The Four Seasons, op.8
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed November 15, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Jennifer Koh. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for strings.

The Story: In 1725, Antonio Vivaldi published a collection of 12 concertos under the collective title, Il Cimento dell’ Armonia e dell’ Inventione (“The Contest between Harmony and Invention”). The first four of these were Le Quattro Stagioni, or The Four Seasons . Vivaldi, a priest, was also a famous violinist of the time and boasted the title maestro di concerto of the Pio Ospidale della Pietà, a distinguished school of music, and maestro in Italia of the Austrian Count von Morzin (cousin to Haydn’s earliest patron). Il Cimento’s dedication to von Morzin implies that his orchestra had already performed The Four Seasons . Judging by a pirated French edition of The Four Seasons and early reports of French performances, these concertos must have had the same immediate appeal for 18th-century listeners as they do today.

Instrumental music as literally programmatic as The Four Seasons was rare in the 18th century. These four violin concertos are based on a set of Italian sonnets, possibly written by Vivaldi himself. In the score, the composer indicates exactly which line or phrase of the poem is being illustrated. In general, the full orchestra reflects general text, while the solo violin illustrates pictorial detail. Here is a summary of The Four Seasons:

Spring. I. Birds sing and fountains flow, but there is also the sound of thunder and lightning. II. A goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him. III. To the sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds dance.

Summer. I. The blazing sun sears the earth, but the songs of the cuckoo, dove, and goldfinch can be heard. Thunderstorms threaten. II. The shepherd’s sleep is disturbed by distant thunder and the buzz of insects. III. Lightning erupts, and hail stones pelt the ripened corn.

Autumn. I. Peasants celebrate the harvest with song, dance, and drink — and many revelers sink into sleep. II. Drunkards sleep amid gentle breezes. III. The hunt mingles the sounds of horns, guns, dogs, and shouting hunters. The prey flees but at last is caught.

Winter. I. We shiver and stamp our feet against the icy wind, but our teeth chatter nonetheless. II. We enjoy the comfort of an open fire while the rain patters outside. III. Walking on the ice is treacherous. Trying to maintain balance, one pitches and falls to the ground. The ice cracks, while all the winds engage in battle.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart's Symphony No.31 (Paris)

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 04:45:38 GMT

On December 9 & 10, Jaime Laredo and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE FOUR SEASONS with conductor/violinist Jaime Laredo, and oboist Cheryl Bishkoff.

Title : Symphony No.31, K.297 (300a), D major (Paris)
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: One of the great disappointments in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was that he never achieved permanent employment as a composer. His various tours and pilgrimages all had the same underlying goal: a permanent appointment as composer to some wealthy patron who could pay him enough to support himself and (in later years) his family. When possible, one of his parents would accompany him to take care of “business,” relieving him of many burdens. This left him time to compose and to curry favor with potential employers. Unfortunately, Mozart could never capture the goal, due to personality conflicts, his frequent flighty behavior, or to simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The last of these outings began in September 1777, when Mozart’s mother, Anna Maria, accompanied her son first to Mannheim, then to Paris, both locations brimming with musical activity. In early 1778 they reached Paris, where Mozart succeeded in positioning himself within the Parisian musical establishment. He received a commission to compose a symphony, which would be premiered on the feast of Corpus Christi in June to open one of the city’s prestigious Concerts Spirituels.

Mozart knew well the Parisian musical taste for brilliant effects. So, in the symphony’s quick-tempo first and last movements, he planted a few musical firecrackers, which (as he predicted) drew applause and delighted outcries from the audience. In this way, Mozart gained praise and recognition in Paris’s musical circles. All was going well for him that summer when, suddenly, his mother died. Following her burial, Mozart tidied up his affairs in Paris and (in mourning) travelled home to Salzburg. The next year the “Paris” Symphony was published in Paris.

The repeated opening measures of the symphony are dynamic enough to wake up any lethargic listener, and Mozart follows these with an outpouring of breathless musical ideas. The sudden quiet of the second theme group baits the hook for a loud, assertive third theme group, which brings the movement to a repeat of all that has been heard thus far. An intricate development follows, placing listeners in suspense until the recapitulation of the opening music. Here, Mozart continues developing, re-visiting all theme groups, extending the adventure until the final moments, where the strong opening idea returns to conclude the movement.

The central movement was originally an Andante that satisfied the audience. However, Mozart may have not been entirely satisfied with it, so, for the symphony’s slated second performance in August, he composed a second, shorter, Andantino (K. 297). He wrote to his father, “I have composed another Andante. Each is good in its own way — for each has a different character. But the new one pleases me even more.” K. 297 is usually played in concert performances.

The Allegro finale is ruled by two simultaneous studies in contrast: (1) loud vs. soft effects (High Classical style, Parisian), and (2) fugal counterpoint (Late Baroque, Germanic) vs. full, concerted sound (High Classic). These play out in a variety of thematic melodies and connective music, seemingly to free the music from strict formal statements and developments. Undoubtedly, Mozart was (successfully) creating a movement that would be a crowd-pleaser on one level, while maintaining a sophisticated blend of musical ideas on a higher plane. The delicate balance of these two tendencies is a hallmark of Mozart’s musical genius.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Bach's Concerto for Violin & Oboe

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:34:48 GMT

On December 10, Jaime Laredo and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present THE FOUR SEASONS with conductor/violinist Jaime Laredo, and oboist Cheryl Bishkoff.

Title: Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060R
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo violin and a solo oboe, this piece is scored for continuo and strings.

The Story: For seven of his 27 years in Leipzig, J.S. Bach — besides being cantor in the St. Thomas Church — was director of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum. This organization consisted of professional musicians and students from the Leipzig University who performed vocal and instrumental music on a professional level. Johann Telemann had started the Collegium Musicum in 1704 during his years as a law student at the university. By Bach’s time, the organization had become an important part of the city’s musical life, giving one public concert per week and special presentations for visiting dignitaries. Bach directed the Collegium from 1729 to 1736.

Bach’s own final version of the present concerto was for two harpsichords and strings. All indications are that every one of Bach’s concertos for one or more harpsichords was intended for the Collegium’s concerts he directed. Although these were the first concertos in history to feature a keyboard instrument, research has shown that all of them were transcriptions of earlier concertos for other instruments — composed by either Bach or another composer. In the case of the C Minor Concerto, Bach borrowed from himself. This work was probably based on a concerto composed many years earlier at the court of Anhalt-Cöthen for either violin and oboe or two violin soloists plus strings and basso continuo . In the present performance, this instrumentation has been reconstructed for solo oboe and violin.

The opening movement of the C Minor Concerto features a memorable theme stated at the outset. This is in several graceful phrases, which are carried over into passages for the soloists. Elsewhere, snippets of the theme are exchanged between soloists and strings. Later, Bach interjects a few new melodies played by the strings in counterpoint against ideas drawn from the main theme. In the second half of the movement, the violin comes more into the spotlight, playing broken chord ideas based on the theme. A final full statement of the theme brings the movement to a close.

The Adagio central movement resembles a vocal duet with the oboe and violin soloists taking the roles of the singers. The oboe leads the way, but the solo violin lends a noble voice. As in many of Bach’s actual vocal duets, contention and cooperation move along, side by side.

A dance impulse informs the final movement. Rhythms are firmly squared off, even as the soloists take musical flight. The multifaceted central theme contains many accentuations, giving the music a frequent bouncing effect. Music for the soloists supplies ample opportunities for varied effects and shadings. The music’s crisply defined rhythms drive the concerto to a strong, bright finish.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Cheryl Bishkoff

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 18:48:46 GMT

Oboist Cheryl Bishkoff performs Bach's Concerto for Violin & Oboe
Saturday, December 10 at 8PM

Background : Oboist Cheryl Priebe Bishkoff, described as “a musician of incredible artistry” ( Richmond News Leader ), is universally recognized for her inspiring musicality, uniquely glorious sound and charismatic performing style. Her recent appearances include performances of the Marcello Concerto with the Pennsylvania Sinfonia, the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Symphony New Hampshire, and the Bach Oboe D'Amore Concerto at the Valley Vivaldi Festival. Ms. Bishkoff is principal oboe of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Symphony New Hampshire and the Pennsylvania Sinfonia. She is a regular soloist at the Valley Vivaldi Festival and the Bach and Beyond Festival, and is a member of Satori, a chamber music group based in Pennsylvania. An accomplished recitalist, she frequently appears both as soloist and in chamber music programs including the Newport Festival. Ms. Bishkoff is the Adjunct Artist of Oboe at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY and Brown University in Providence, RI. She has recorded with the Bethlehem Bach Festival on the Dorian and the Analekta labels.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR & SOLOIST: Jaime Laredo

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:58:56 GMT

Jaime Laredo conducts and performs THE FOUR SEASONS
December 9 at 6:30PM & December 10 at 8PM

Background : In six decades before the public, through concerts in 28 countries on five continents, Jaime Laredo has earned a reputation as one of the world's premiere violin virtuosi and as a conductor with a unique ability to inspire musicians to realize their fullest potential.

In addition to ongoing relationships as Music Director of the Vermont Symphony for 20 years, Principal Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic, and Artistic Director and Conductor of the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Carnegie Hall, he brings his generosity of spirit to guest conducting roles around the globe. His programming of beloved works and his connections to many generations of wonderful artists have also served him well in artistic advisory roles for orchestras between music directors. Recent appearances as conductor/soloist include the Orchestre National de Lyon, New World Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, on tour with the Curtis Institute Orchestra and at Severance Hall in Cleveland. Acclaimed programs featuring former students, Leila Josefowicz, Hillary Hahn, Jennifer Koh, and Bella Hristova, as well as many orchestra principals, among others, are often season highlights. Laredo has an extensive discography as solo violinist, conductor (many best-selling recordings with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with which he has had a long relationship), chamber music artist with Emanuel Ax, Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma at the Marlboro Music Festival, and as a member of the acclaimed Kalichstin-Laredo-Robinson Trio.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's "Messiah"

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:52:26 GMT

On December 4, Christine Noel and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Handel's Messiah with Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director, and soloists Maya Kherani, soprano, Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano, Brian Giebler, tenor and Andrew Garland, bass.

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's Messiah
Title: Messiah , HWV 56
Composer: George Frideric Handel ( 1685-1759 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 12, 2021 with Bramwell Tovey conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Mireille Asselin, Annie Rosen, John Tessier and Michael Dean. In addition to a chorus and solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, timpani, continuo, organ and strings.

The Story : Handel settled permanently in England in 1712. He wanted to make his reputation and fortune there as an opera composer. For many years, he was successful in that endeavor, becoming the director of the Royal Academy of Music, an enterprise sponsored partially by the King for the production of Italian-style opera, Handel’s specialty. Public taste always changes, however, and Handel became the victim of the fickle crowd in 1728, when London went crazy over the first English ballad opera, The Beggar’s Opera . Little by little, the academy’s loyal subscribers lost interest in stilted Italian opera in favor of the more earthy and entertaining ballad operas, which were capturing the city’s theaters.

Handel was not the sort of composer to dabble in such lowbrow pastiches, no matter how financially successful they had become. Steadfast, he clung to his operatic enterprise, which he operated by himself. The company struggled along, producing more failures than successes. Then, during Lent in 1732, an event took place that affected the future direction of Handel’s career and permanently changed English musical history. Handel’s Esther was performed. It was the first oratorio ever given in London, and it created a real stir. That May, Handel presented six more performances of Esther , which the public received enthusiastically, in spite of his Italian singers that “made rare work with the English tongue you would have sworn it had been Welch,” according to one review.

Handel still did not give up Italian opera, however, and he continued to write new operas and revive the old ones. Each spring also brought some new (or revised) oratorio including Alexander’s Feast, Saul and Israel in Egypt . By the spring of 1741, it looked as though Handel had worn out his welcome in England. Rumors spread in London that Handel was considering moving back to The Continent. Then, in August, he received an invitation to present a concert for the benefit of Dublin’s charities. Using a libretto by Charles Jennens (author of Saul ), Handel composed Messiah between August 22 and September 14 — a period of only 24 days! The astonishing thing is that a work written in such haste should be such a consistent, peerless masterpiece. One might even speak of divine inspiration, for Handel once declared, “When I composed the Hallelujah Chorus, I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.”

The resounding success of Messiah and other Handel works in Dublin during 1741– 42 virtually inaugurated a new career for the composer, though it also had its difficulties. The London premiere of Messiah in 1743 had to be billed simply as “a new sacred oratorio,” since its title might be offensive to the puritanical element. Unfortunately, that was not all. Messiah was a failure at first, and only began to gain some success in 1750 when Handel conducted it for charity. Messiah , however, more than any other oratorio, set the trajectory for Handel’s re-emergence as a composer in England. Of course, it turned out to be the trajectory of a rocket to the stars for Handel’s future position in music and in the hearts of his listeners.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CHORUS: Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:53:09 GMT

MEET THE CHORUS: Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director
Verdi Requiem, May 5 at 6:30PM & May 6 at 8PM.

Background : Founded in 1971, the Providence Singers, under the direction of Christine Noel, presents concerts of choral masterworks, contemporary music, and newly commissioned works. In addition to an annual concert series, the Singers make frequent guest appearances throughout the region, including annual concerts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Creative partnerships have included performances with Dave Brubeck Quartet at Lincoln Center and Newport Jazz Festival, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Haven Philharmonic, Aurea Ensemble, New Bedford Symphony, and the State Ballet of Rhode Island. The Providence Singers have produced four studio recordings of American choral music, the most recent of which was the 2017 recording of Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living. Opportunities for community education and participation include workshops, concert discussions, and community sings. The Providence Singers support emerging talent through its Fassett Fellowships for young adult singers and In Harmony, a new after-school choral program for high school singers.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Christine Noel

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:00:14 GMT

Christine Noel conducts HANDEL'S MESSIAH
December 4, 2022 at 3PM

Background : Christine is delighted to return to the podium for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual performance of Handel's Messiah . For 18 years, she has treasured a rich partnership with the Philharmonic, and especially collaborations with the late conductors Bramwell Tovey and Larry Rachleff. As Artistic Director of the Providence Singers, she has led the chorus through world premieres, commissions, and the organization's fourth commercial recording — Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living . Praised for her “thoughtful leadership,” “elegant conducting,” and “attention to musical detail,” Dr. Noel’s work has impacted and influenced emerging musicians, many of whom have become members of the Providence Singers and pursued advanced careers in music.

She has served on the music faculty and as Director of Choral Activities at Clark University, Worcester, MA, and as musical director at Trinity Repertory Company. Dr. Noel is the Founding Artistic Director of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus (RICC), an award-winning choral organization for youth ages 7-18. RICC recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and has been featured at conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. RICC has also performed at Carnegie Hall and other notable venues throughout the eastern United States.

In demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and master teacher, Dr. Noel has conducted choral/orchestral works in the United States and abroad. She holds a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Howard Jones and David Hoose. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education from Rhode Island College, where she was the recipient of a Ridgway Shinn Fellowship for a year of study at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. Passionate about language study, she resided in Florence, Italy for two years, where she completed the superior level of Italian studies at the University of Florence and served as Associate Conductor for two Italian choral ensembles.

Being the mother of her seven-year-old daughter is her greatest accomplishment and truest joy.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Andrew Garland, bass

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:53:36 GMT

Bass Andrew Garland performs Handel's Messiah
December 4, 2022, 3PM

Background : Garland is the winner of the Lavinia Jensen, NATSAA, Washington International, American Traditions, NATS and Opera Columbus Competition and was a prize winner in the Montreal International, Jose Iturbi, Gerda Lissner, McCammon and Palm Beach International Competitions. He was an apprentice at the San Francisco Opera Center and the Seattle Opera and Cincinnati Opera Young Artists programs. In addition to sustaining a busy performance schedule, Garland has recently joined the voice faculty at The University of Colorado-Boulder.

Highlights:

His latest solo CD, American Portraits , (with Donna Loewy, piano) went to number one on Amazon classical. Garland has five other recordings on the Telarc, Naxos, Roven Records and Azica Labels.
Garland is a regular with the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) and has given multiple recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Ravinia festival as well as Vocal Arts DC, Marilyn Horne Foundation, The Bard Festival, Camerata Pacifica, Andre-Turp Society in Montreal, Voce at Pace, Huntsville Chamber Music Guild, Fort Worth Opera, Seattle Opera, Fanfare in Hammond, LA, Cincinnati Matinee Musicale, Cincinnati Song Initiative, Tuesday Morning Music Club and dozens of college music series around the country. In 2014, he was the featured recitalist for the NATS National convention where that organization’s president declared him “the next Thomas Hampson.”
This season, Garland can be heard as the baritone soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Colorado Symphony and the Colorado Bach Ensemble, the Nashville Symphony’s production of Frank’s Conquest Requiem , the Santa Fe Pro Musica’s production of The Creation , and in recital with Warren Jones for Coastal Concerts.

Critical Praise:

Andrew Garland’s warm and beautiful tone combined with virtuosic agility made this one of the expressive highlights of the evening." The Boston Musical Intelligencer
“Andrew Garland as Prior [Walter] sang with vocal allure and dramatic urgency.” The New Yorker
“Baritone Andrew Garland, conveyance of authority, intelligence and emotional sensitivity was a constant pleasure. He alone clearly searched for something deeper than mere musicality.” The Boston Musical Intelligencer

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Brian Giebler, tenor

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:10:33 GMT

Tenor Brian Giebler performs Handel's Messiah
December 4, 2022, 3PM

Background : Praised for his “lovely tone and deep expressivity” by The New York Times , GRAMMY- nominated tenor Brian Giebler radiates “shine and clarity” ( Opera News ) in every phrase using “his high-placed tenor with great skill” ( Opera Magazine ). His debut solo album, a lad's love (Bridge Records, 2020), garnered high praise from significant industry publications including Gramophone, Opera News (Critics Choice), and San Francisco Classical Voice , debuted on the Billboard charts, and earned him his first GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

Highlights:

His 2022/23 season begins by leading a fully staged production of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard with Music at Trinity Wall Street. Then, Mr. Giebler will debut with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra singing Handel’s Messiah , and make return appearances with Santa Fe Pro Musica, Boston Early Music Festival, Baltimore Choral Society and in a performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of NY.
Last season highlights included a tour of the Ravinia and Caramoor festivals singing Monteverdi with Apollo’s Fire, Haydn’s Creation with Santa Fe Pro Musica, and returning with Mark Morris Dance Group, this time to sing the choreographer’s iconic version of Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
He has performed Stravinsky with the Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst, Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Trinity Wall Street, Mozart at both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and Bach Cantatas with the Grand Rapids Symphony and Handel and Haydn Society. Regularly engaged for Handel’s Messiah , he has performed the work with Music of the Baroque (available on recording), the Charlotte, Memphis, and Virginia symphonies, as well as at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of NY and Musica Sacra. Mr. Giebler sang and recorded the role of Iff the Water Genie in Wuorinen's Haroun and the Sea of Stories with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and made his debut with Boston Early Music Festival in Germany singing in Charpentier’s Les Plaisirs and de Lalande’s Les Fontaines .

Critical Praise:

"But most impressive over all was Brian Giebler, a tenor, singing Mordecai with bright, clear tone and lively personality." The New York Times
"One happy find among the young leads is Brian Giebler, whose choirboy looks and faultless high tenor make him a winning Marius, the ardent young revolutionary." Seattle Times
"Brian Giebler’s high lyric tenor was true in sound and intonation, and captured the emotions of the text. Perhaps his most effective moments were in the unaccompanied Civil War song, “Just Before the Battle, Mother.” It was heartbreakingly simple.” Cleveland Classical

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:45:00 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Emily Marvosh performs Handel's Messiah
December 4, 2022, 3PM

Background : Miss Marvosh can be heard on two recent GRAMMY-nominated recordings: Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem with Seraphic Fire, and Prayers and Remembrances with True Concord Voices and Orchestra. She belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of artists that donates a percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. She supports Common Cause and Rosie’s Place through her performances. She holds degrees from Central Michigan University and Boston University.

Highlights:

Following her solo debut at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 2011, she has been a frequent soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society under the direction of Harry Christophers. Other recent solo appearances include the American Bach Soloists, Washington National Cathedral, and Charlotte Symphony ( Messiah ), Tucson Symphony Orchestra (Mahler’s 3rd Symphony), Chorus Pro Musica (Stravinsky’s Les Noces ), Landmarks Orchestra (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony), L’academie (Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus ), Back Bay Chorale (Bach Magnificat ), the Brookline Symphony (Elgar’s Sea Pictures ), the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe, Cantata Singers (Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis ), and the Chorus of Westerly (Dvořak Stabat Mater and Bach Mass in B Minor ).
Awards include the prestigious Adams Fellowship at the Carmel Bach Festival, the American Prize in the Oratorio and Art Song divisions, and second place in the New England Regional NATSAA competition.
Her contributions to 21st century repertoire and performance include world premiere performances with Juventas New Music and the Manchester Summer Chamber Music Festival, and in 2013, Miss Marvosh created the roles of Viviane and the Mother in the world premiere of Hugo Kauder’s Merlin with the Hugo Kauder Society. She is a founding member of the Lorelei Ensemble, which promotes innovative new music for women.

Critical Praise:

“The great singing actress Marvosh, looking like a Medea in her stunning black and white gown, is entering a stunningly golden vocal maturity. She never forced her instrument, and Christophers allowed her freedom of expression including delicious rubatos, indelible pianissimos, and some very original bluesy ornaments." The Boston Musical Intelligencer
"Alto Emily Marvosh gave an unearthly calm to “But who may abide the day of his coming?” and was beautifully plainspoken in “He was despised and rejected of men." The Boston Globe
"Yet it was Marvosh whose velvety textures and passionate delivery made for the most enchanting moments. From first appearance (“But who may abide the day of his coming”) to last (“Thou art gone up on high”), she brought not only an emotional but also spiritual acuity to her renderings. Of those, “He was despised” was utterly moving for its contemplative patience. Even when she wasn’t singing, Marvosh brought poise to her listening, smiling throughout as the choir soared over such popular landscapes as “For unto us a Child is born.” Worcester Telegram

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Maya Kherani, soprano

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 16:14:16 GMT

Soprano Maya Kherani performs Handel's Messiah
December 4, 2022, 3PM

Background : Ms. Kherani graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and certificates (minors) in Music Performance, Materials Science, and Robotics and Intelligent Systems. At Princeton, she received the Isidore and Helen Sacks Award for excellence in Music Performance and was a dancer and choreographer for Naacho South Asian Dance Company and a member and soloist in the Princeton University Glee Club. She holds a master of music degree with honors from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Professional Certificate from the Boston University Opera Institute.

Highlights:

Ms. Kherani’s numerous awards include semi-finalist in the 2020 Glyndebourne Cup, third place in the 2021 Handel Aria Competition, the 2015 McGlone Award from Central City Opera, first place and Audience Favorite at the James Toland Vocal Competition, second place at the Peter Elvins Vocal Competition the Kalvelage Award at West Bay Opera’s Holt Competition, two Encouragement Awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the top overall Barlow Award at the San Francisco Bay Area NATS competition, where she also won first place in both the Professional Art Song and Aria categories.
Current and upcoming projects include a debut at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Versailles as Drusilla/Fortuna in L’incoronazione di Poppea ; Autonoe in Sartorio’s Orfeo with Philippe Jaroussky Opéra national de Montpellier; Muffat’s Missa in labore requies with Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco; Mahler Symphony No. 4 with Vancouver Symphony; Handel’s Belshazzar , Messiah and Bach’s Mass in A major with American Bach Soloists; a world premiere project as Piper in Pay the Piper with Glyndebourne; Mukhtar in Sankaram’s Thumbprint with Portland Opera; Messiah with Boston Baroque and Portland Baroque Orchestra, Reena Esmail’s Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz (My Sister’s Voice) with Berkeley Symphony; Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera San Jose and a debut (tba) with Pacific MusicWorks.
Most recent engagements include her European debut with the Fondazione Giorgio Cini – Seminari di Musica Antica singing the modern-world première of French Baroque works from Caribbean. She then returned to sing in a follow-up program, directed by Mr. Memelsdorff and Vivica Genaux. Additionally, she sang the title role of Partenope in Opera NEO, Beatrice in Three Decembers and Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with Opera San Jose, Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera with West Edge Opera, Rosina in Cinnabar Theater, Laura Kaminsky’s Today It Rains with Opera Parallèle and Musetta in La bohème with West Bay Opera.

Critical Praise:

"Soprano Maya Kherani came out last, stunning in her red ensemble, her expressive, bell-like vocals sparkling brighter than her jewels. She demanded attention from the start, her Arioso showcasing an impressive ability to glide in and out of diminuendos. Her stable vibrato complemented the chorus, keeping the prolonged notes melodical as she graced the crowd with her dazzling smile." The Harvard Crimson
"Best of all may have been soprano Maya Kherani as Susanna. Her bright tones sparkled throughout the opera, and “Deh vieni, non tardar” in Act IV was delightful. Kherani had great chemistry with her Figaro, Isaiah Musik-Ayala. Their sense of timing of the physical humor was spot on and very funny." San Francisco Classical Voice
“From her opening ornate aria, Maya Kherani’s Partenope sailed through Handel’s effusive coloratura with gleaming precision and impassioned conviction. She dominated this production the same way an excellent Violetta commands Verdi’s La traviata .” San Diego Story

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.7

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

On November 11 & 12, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN with pianist Olga Kern.

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.7
Title: Symphony No.7, op.92, A major
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 17, 2018 with Victor Yampolsky conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: The expression “from the sublime to the ridiculous” could have applied to the 1813 concert program on which Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was premiered. It began with the new symphony that the master had touted as “one of my best” (an opinion he later maintained). The concert continued with marches written by Dussek and Pleyel for Mälzel’s “Mechanical Trumpeter.” It concluded with the orchestral version of Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory (the “battle symphony”). Contemporary reports confirm that the event was a great triumph for Ludwig van Beethoven and that the second movement of the Seventh Symphony even had to be encored.

Although the Seventh Symphony has its own unique personality, Beethoven carried over certain aspects of the Fifth and Sixth symphonies into it. From the Fifth came the motor impulse of a single driving rhythm. However, unlike the Fifth, each movement of the Seventh finds its own unique rhythm to generate themes. From the “Pastoral” Symphony, the Seventh inherits a celebration of Nature. In the Sixth, this often took the form of reflection and quiet reverence, but in the Seventh, it is a vibrant, life-affirming paean.This vibrancy is particularly apparent in the peasant round-dance character of the first movement after a lengthy slow introduction. One repetitive rhythm pervades the entire movement, generating nearly all the ideas Beethoven needs.

The second movement is based on one of Beethoven’s famous hymn-like themes, and this one suggests noble tragedy. Later, listen for brighter sections and growing complexity, leading to some of the most thrilling moments in all of Beethoven’s symphonic writing.

The sunny and exhilarating Scherzo movement comes at the right time, with a main section that features a bouncy quality and broad wit. However, a recurring contrast section stops that dance motion for a time, giving the music a magical, time-suspended quality.

Beethoven’s rhythmic impulse returns in the dance-like finale. However, it has more wildness than the first movement. Some older critics have found this to be somewhat “irresponsible” in spirit or even “terrifying.” However, Beethoven biographer J.W.N. Sullivan recognizes that here “we are in the region of pure ecstasy, a reckless, headlong ecstasy, a more than Bacchic festival of joy.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Simon's "Fate Now Conquers"

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:21:42 GMT

On November 12, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN with pianist Olga Kern.

THE STORY BEHIND: Carlos Simon's Fate Now Conquers
Title: Fate Now Conquers
Composer: Carlos Simon ( 1986- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Carlos Simon was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Atlanta, GA as the son of an African-American preacher. Gospel music was a pervasive influence in his formation as an American composer. Gospel Music’s improvisational aspect was especially important to him. At the age of ten, Simon began to play keyboard accompaniments in his father’s church, thus formally entering into the world of gospel music. As he grew older and developed his style as a composer, classical music masters, such as Beethoven and Brahms, became definite influences as well.

Simon attended Morehouse College as well as Georgia State University, earning degrees before embarking on doctoral studies at the University of Michigan. Along the way, he attained professional experience as keyboardist and musical director for rhythm and blues artists Angie Stone and Jennifer Holliday. In 2019, with doctoral degree in hand, Simon was appointed Assistant Professor in Georgetown University’s Department of Performing Arts. This position became a springboard for several commissions, awards, and honors, notably Composer-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2021. Many honors and commissions for music have followed.

Simon introduces us to his Fate Now Conquers in the following words:

This piece was inspired by a journal entry from Ludwig van Beethoven’s notebook, written in 1815:
Iliad . The Twenty-Second Book :

But Fate now conquers; I am hers; and yet not she shall share In my renown; that life is left to every noble spirit
And that some great deed shall beget that all lives shall inherit.
Using the beautifully fluid harmonic structure of the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, I have composed musical gestures that are representative of the unpredictable ways of fate. Jolting stabs, coupled with an agitated groove with every persona. Frenzied arpeggios in the strings that morph into an ambiguous cloud of free-flowing running passages depict the uncertainty of life that hovers over us.

We know that Beethoven strived to overcome many obstacles in his life and documented his aspirations to prevail despite his ailments. Whatever the specific reason for including this particularly profound passage from the Iliad , in the end, it seems that Beethoven relinquished himself to fate. Fate now conquers.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:00:09 GMT

On November 11 & 12, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN with pianist Olga Kern.

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3
Title: Piano Concerto No.3, op.37, C minor
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 26, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Lilya Zilberstein. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: Analyst Donald Tovey has remarked that Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto “is one of the works in which we most clearly see the style of his first period preparing to develop into that of his second." Ludwig van Beethoven began sketching the concerto as early as 1797 but did most of the work during 1800. However, he did not add the finishing touches until he was preparing for a concert in April 1803 (with himself as soloist), and the piano part was not even completely written out for that performance! The composer improvised a cadenza that evening but wrote one out later.

Certain aspects of this concerto, especially the first movement, hark back to earlier music. Strong comparisons have been drawn between Beethoven’s first movement and that of Mozart’s C Minor Piano Concerto, K. 491. Beethoven’s form is nearly identical to Mozart’s, and the first theme of each work bears more than a coincidental resemblance. However, Beethoven’s mood is more of an extension of his own stormy Pathétique Sonata. Predictably, Beethoven uses his themes in a novel way, and following the piano’s solo near the end, the instrument is integrated into the conclusion, adding a particularly Beethovenian power to the movement’s ending.

The Largo, on the other hand, is forward-looking. Even its first chord comes as a shock, as we sense that Beethoven has jumped to a remote key. However, this lovely, contemplative movement has a Romantic flavor. The central section even anticipates the Romantic practice of having the solo instrument accompany instruments of the orchestra, here the flute and bassoon.

To soften the shock of moving back to the original key, Beethoven engineers the first three notes of the finale so they are common to both keys. The most striking feature of this lively, tight-knit music comes well into the movement. Here, the main theme moves into a brief statement that is a fleeting, sunlit recollection of the slow movement. Soon, Beethoven changes keys again for the Presto final section, which calls for some pyrotechnics in the piano and a tumbling finish in the orchestra.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Berlioz's "Rob Roy"

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 14:17:03 GMT

On November 12, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN with pianist Olga Kern.

THE STORY BEHIND: Berlioz's Rob Roy
Title: Rob Roy
Composer: Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, cornet, three trombones, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story: In his youth and early adult years, Hector Berlioz was an avid reader. His greatest interest seems to have been adventure and action. Some of these stories, novels, and Shakespearean plays inspired him later to compose music illustrating the source or expressing his own response to it. Well known examples include concert and dramatic overtures, such as Le Corsaire (James Fenimore Cooper), Le Roi Lear (Shakespeare) and Waverley (Sir Walter Scott). Rob Roy , also by Scott, was the inspiration for Berlioz’s concert overture of the same name.

Berlioz composed the overture in 1831, by which time he had premiered the work that made him famous: his Symphonie fantastique (1830). However, he was never satisfied with Rob Roy , judging it “long and diffuse.” Yet, its material persisted, and he used one of its melodies in Harold en Italie .

The opening segments of Berlioz’s Rob Roy present us with a “hunting horn” sketch of the outdoors featuring the French horns. They are soon joined, then dominated, by strings. The unison string melody that follows is masculine and forceful. Now an underlying galloping rhythm supports new melodies and musical gestures. These gradually grow quieter, and a new, more lyrical, melody comes from a solo trumpet (or cornet) answered by the English horn. Then, more excitement brews as the strings lead the orchestra in a heroic romp that stops abruptly for a truly lyrical theme from the solo English horn and harp, punctuated by a few rude outbursts from the string section. However, the strings softly accompany a varied repeat of much of the English horn’s theme.

Softly, the strings revive the galloping character of previous music, which now Berlioz builds to support a triumphant reprise of themes. The brass instruments, naturally, are at the forefront but regularly give way to the strings when themes change. We hear snippets of a Scottish-style melody, alongside more personal Berlioz-style melo dies, as the music approaches its exciting, climactic dénouement .

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Kensho Watanabe

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Kensho Watanabe conducts OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN
November 11 at 6:30PM & November 12 at 8PM

Background: Emerging onto the international stage, Kensho Watanabe is fast becoming one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors to come out of the United States. Recently recognized as a recipient of a Career Assistance Award by the Solti Foundation US, Kensho held the position of Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2016 to 2019. During this time, he made his critically acclaimed subscription debut with the orchestra and pianist Daniil Trifonov, taking over from his mentor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He would continue on to conduct four subscription concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2019, in addition to debuts at the Bravo! Vail Festival and numerous concerts at the Mann and Saratoga Performing Arts centers. Watanabe has previously been an inaugural conducting fellow of the Curtis Institute of Music from 2013-2015, under the mentorship of Nézet-Séguin.

Recent highlights include Kensho’s debuts with the London Philharmonic and Tokyo Philharmonic orchestras, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Rhode Island Philharmonic, as well as his Finnish debut with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia. Kensho has also enjoyed collaborations with the Houston Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Brussels Philharmonic and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival and the Orchestre Metropolitain in Montreal.

2021-22 season highlights included Kensho’s return to the Sarasota Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony, as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra for subscription concerts. Notable debuts last season included the Charlotte Symphony, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Sarasota Orchestra, as well as Kensho’s Polish debut with the Szczecin Philharmonic and his Suntory Hall debut with the Tokyo Philharmonic conducting Beethoven 9.

Equally at home in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Mr. Watanabe has led numerous operas with the Curtis Opera Theatre, most recently Puccini’s La Rondine in 2017 and La bohème in 2015. Additionally, he served as assistant conductor to Mr. Nézet-Séguin on a new production of Strauss’ Elektra at Montreal Opera.

An accomplished violinist, Mr. Watanabe received his master of music degree from the Yale School of Music and served as a substitute violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2012 to 2016. Cognizant of the importance of the training and development of young musicians, he has previously served on the staff of the Greenwood Music Camp, as the orchestra conductor.

Mr. Watanabe is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with distinguished conducting pedagogue Otto-Werner Mueller. Additionally, he holds a bachelor of science degree from Yale College, where he studied molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra"

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:33:09 GMT

On October 15, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present STERLING ELLIOTT with cellist Sterling Elliott.

THE STORY BEHIND: Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra

Title : Also sprach Zarathustra, op.30, TrV 176
Composer : Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 26, 2011 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, four trumpets, three trombones, two tubas, timpani, percussion, two harps, organ and strings.

The Story:

Hardly was the ink dry on the score of Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel in 1895, when he began to sketch a new symphonic poem. Till had been one of Strauss’s most pictorial, illustrative works for orchestra, but the new piece would be inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical writings. Young Germans of Strauss’s generation had avidly read Nietzsche’s poetic-philosophical book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The book’s hero, named after the pre- Christian Persian prophet, seemed to exemplify the fin-de-siècle artistic ideals of the time: a “super-person” who is a free spirit longing after higher aspirations than his world seems to offer.

It came as no surprise that when Richard Strauss announced the subject of his new symphonic poem, a great outcry went up. Philosophy through music? Ridiculous! Yet, unknown to Strauss or anyone else, Nietzsche had confided to his journal that the nature of Zarathustra belongs “almost among the symphonies.” On the eve of Zarathustra’s premiere in December 1896, Strauss felt it necessary to clarify his position and wrote:

I did not intend to write philosophical music or portray Nietzsche’s great work musically. I meant rather to convey in music an idea of the evolution of the human race from its origin, through the various phases of development, religious as well as scientific, up to Nietzsche’s idea of the Übermensch [super-person].

As Strauss suggested, the relationship of his work to Nietzsche’s is very general. Of Nietzsche’s 80 chapter headings, Strauss chose only eight for his score, and they come in an order unrelated to Nietzsche’s book.

The famous ( 2001: A Space Odyssey ) introductory depiction of dawn has no subheading. Instead, Strauss reprints Zarathustra’s preface, which begins:

When Zarathustra was 30 years old, forsaking his home and the lake by his birthplace, he took to the mountains. There he enjoyed his loneliness, communing with his soul, and did not tire of this for ten years. But at last a change was wrought in his heart, and one morning he arose with the dawn and turned to the sun. . . .

The key of the opening is C, symbolizing the purity and simplicity of Nature. In sharp contrast to this, the first section, “Of the Otherworldsmen,” introduces the key of B (minor and later major), which represents Humankind. This key relationship is symbolically paradoxical, since B is next to C but is very distantly related to it in sound.

The ascending Nature motive from the introduction becomes transformed many times in the course of Zarathustra , but initially it occurs in the second section, “Of the Great Yearning.” The two nervously twisting themes in “Of Joys and Passions” combine in “The Dirge.” In the next section, “Of Science,” Strauss symbolizes learnedness by a fugue with a theme based on Zarathustra’s opening theme. The complex emotional content of “The Convalescent” gains relief in the rhythms of “The Dance Song” with its mocking suggestion of the super-person dancing a cabaret waltz. The final section, “Night-Wanderer’s Song,” opens with the tolling of midnight bells. A mood of hushed mystery prevails over the closing pages of the score. In the final measures comes a quiet, subtle return of the original struggle between the tonalities B (Humankind) and C (Nature). “At the end,” remarks Strauss scholar Norman Del Mar, “for all Man’s achievements and hard-won peace of mind, Nature inevitably has the last word, as Nature always will, whatever beings Earth may conjure up to dispute her sovereignty.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mason's "A Joyous Trilogy"

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 15:30:53 GMT

On October 15, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present STERLING ELLIOTT with cellist Sterling Elliott.
THE STORY BEHIND: A Joyous Trilogy
Title: A Joyous Trilogy
Composer: Quinn Mason (1996- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

Quinn Mason is pursuing a dual career as composer and conductor. He studied composition at the Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts and at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has also worked closely with such well-recognized American composers as Robert X. Rodriguez and Libby Larsen. Mason studied conducting at the National Orchestral Institute with Marin Alsop and James Ross, and also with seven others prominent in the field.

As a composer, Mason has been remarkably prolific, often working on commission. The largest part of his catalog is devoted to music for symphony orchestra. However, he is also represented in the spheres of chamber music and various wind ensembles. His music has won numerous awards, notably from the American Composers Forum, ASCAP, the Dallas Foundation, Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, and the National Flute Association. He has also dedicated some works to youth orchestras, such as the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.

Mason dedicated A Joyous Trilogy to Will White, “a friend and mentor for many years now, and one of the most joyous people I know!” About the music the composer writes that he wanted to create:

. . . a composition that was the very embodiment of happiness and cheerfulness, an accessible work that would put any listener in a good mood. The first movement, “Running” is so called because of its always-moving and seemingly never-waning energy that keeps going and going. The second, “Reflection,” is a gentle and introspective meditation featuring a solo trombone. The third, “Renewal,” picks the energy back up, but a little more spirited and zestful this time, and keeps it going to the very end, complete with dynamic and vibrant interplay between all the orchestral sections.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Elgar's Cello Concerto

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:00:09 GMT

On October 15, Tania Miller and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present STERLING ELLIOTT with cellist Sterling Elliott.

THE STORY BEHIND: Elgar's Cello Concerto

Title: Cello Concerto, op.85, E minor
Composer: Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed November 17, 2018 with Christopher Warren-Green conducting and soloist Colin Carr. In addition to a solo cello, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story:

No one who lived through World War I was the same after it ended. The world looked different, people had aged, and many prewar values now seemed irrelevant. Edward Elgar found himself in just such a state in 1919, the year in which he composed the Cello Concerto, his last major work. At that time, he and his wife lived in a cottage near Sussex. Biographer Michael Kennedy describes Elgar then: “He was an autumnal figure now, and his surroundings suited his frame of mind. He occupied himself chopping wood and making hoops for barrels and building bonfires.”

In the previous year, Elgar had composed three chamber works. Their restrained character and instrumentation no doubt had an influence on his approach to writing the Cello Concerto, so different from his Violin Concerto of ten years earlier. Donald Tovey writes that the cello work is “. . . a fairy tale, full, like all Elgar’s larger works, of meditative and intimate passages; full also of humor, which, in the second movement and finale, rises nearer to the surface than Elgar usually permits.”

In addition, the movement plan is different from anything else Elgar wrote. The first two movements connect (moderate — fast tempos) as do the last two (slow — fast tempos).

Building from a noble cello solo, the first movement’s slow introduction arrives at a solemn grandeur and then subsides to introduce the graceful, lilting main theme. Most of this movement of “autumn smoke and falling leaves” (Kennedy) is based on that melody. A brief cello solo furtively introduces the second movement’s main theme. The cello’s busy but very precise part is highlighted throughout.

The slow movement is concise in size, instrumentation, and musical material. Elgar masterfully builds an entire tragic nocturne on two phrases. A rhapsodic cello recitative (reminiscent of the concerto’s opening) forms a bridge to the highly spirited finale. The robust main theme contrasts with a second idea that to Tovey suggests “dignity at the mercy of a banana-skin.” Toward the end, reminiscences of themes from the third and first movements appear. The quietude of these sets up a last burst of the finale’s main theme, which tersely ends the concerto.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Sterling Elliott

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:00:08 GMT

Cellist Sterling Elliott performs Elgar's Cello Concerto
October 15, 2022, 8PM

Background: Sterling made his concerto debut at the age of seven by winning the Junior Division of the PYO Concerto Competition, and later the 2014 Richmond Symphony Concerto Competition and the Bay Youth Orchestra of Virginia Concerto Competition. He is currently a Kovner Fellow at the Juilliard School, where he is pursuing his mater of music degree studying with Joel Krosnick. He completed his undergraduate degree in cello performance at Juilliard in May 2021. He currently performs on a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello on loan through the Robert F. Smith Fine String Patron Program, in partnership with the Sphinx Organization.

Highlights:

Sterling Elliott is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. Already in his young career, he has appeared with such major orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony, with noted conductors Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Thomas Wilkins, Jeffrey Kahane, Bramwell Tovey, Mei Ann Chen and others. This summer, he made his Aspen Festival debut, performing the Brahms Double Concerto with Gil Shaham, and he made his German debut in Munich in May 2022, performing chamber music with Daniel Hope.

Sterling has a long history with the Sphinx Organization, where he first received second place in the 2013 National Sphinx Competition Junior Division, then won the 2014 Junior Division. In 2016, he received the organization’s Isaac Stern Award and toured with the Sphinx Virtuosi in 2018 before winning in 2019.

Sterling is a two-time alum of NPR’s From the Top where he was a recipient of a scholarship from The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and performed several concerts in Switzerland at the 2019 World Economic Forum. In spring 2022, Sterling participated in Performance Today’s Young Artist Residency, which featured educational events, interviews and a feature on the nationally syndicated radio program.

Critical Praise:

"There was nothing modest about the virtuosic performance of Sterling Elliott however, another prodigious musical talent." Courier & Press

“Elliott’s impeccable musicianship, as well as his discernible love for the music won over the audience, which responded with sustained standing applause.” ClassicsToday.com

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Tania Miller

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:30:52 GMT

Tania Miller conducts VERDI REQUIEM
May 5 at 6:30PM and May 6 at 8PM

Background: Canadian conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator. On the podium, Miller projects authority, dynamism and sheer love of the experience of making music. As one critic put it, “she delivers calm intensity . . . expressive, colorful and full of life . . . her experience and charisma are audible.” Others call her performances “technically immaculate, vivid and stirring.”

Recently named as Interim Principal Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Miller’s 22-23 season also featured debuts with the Warsaw Philharmonic, I Musici de Montreal, the New Haven Symphony and Springfield Symphony. Miller has conducted the Virtuoso Chamber Orchestra at the World Orchestra Festival in Daegu, South Korea and the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul. Ms. Miller has appeared as a guest conductor in Canada, the United States and Europe with such orchestras as the Bern Symphony Orchestra, NFM Wroclåw Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra Métropolitain de Montreal, Vancouver Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Naples Philharmonic, Hartford Symphony, Madison Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic and numerous others.

Miller was Music Director of Canada’s Victoria Symphony for 14 years, and was named Music Director Emerita for her commitment to the orchestra and community. She has distinguished herself as a visionary leader and innovator with a deep commitment to contemporary repertoire and composers, and has gained a national reputation as a highly effective advocate and communicator for the arts. Ms. Miller conducted Calgary Opera’s recent production of Lehar’s Merry Widow and conducted numerous opera productions as Artistic Director of Michigan Opera Works and guest conductor of Opera McGill in Montreal. She was Assistant Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival for four seasons, and Assistant and Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony from 2000-2004.

Ms. Miller has a doctorate and master’s degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan. Ms. Miller received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Royal Roads University, and an honorary fellowship diploma from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music for her commitment to leadership in community and music education. She was recipient of the 2017 Friends of Canadian Music award from the Canadian League of Composers for her dedication to the performance of contemporary music.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: R. Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks"

Tue, 17 May 2022 18:06:29 GMT

On May 21, Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, Nathaniel Efthimiou and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present A Joyful Future with violinist Ray Chen.

THE STORY BEHIND: R. Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Title: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks , TrV 171, op.28
Composer: Richard Strauss ( 1864-1949 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 27, 2010 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for three flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, two clarinets, D clarinet, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The Story:

Till Eulenspiegel was an actual historical character of the 14th century. His reputation for practical jokes and roguish adventures defying all authority were documented in German literature of the early 16th century. Richard Strauss originally became interested in Till as the subject of an opera. However, the 1894 failure of his opera Guntram may have soured him on the idea of a new operatic project. At the time, Strauss was enjoying considerable success as a composer of symphonic poems, so reshaping his ideas to fit that genre was natural for him. By May 1895, he had completed the score to Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks , destined to become one of his best-loved orchestral works.

Strauss’s own notations in the score guide us through the story (here translated by Norman Del Mar). The string introduction tells us, “Once upon a time there was a roguish jester.” With the two Till themes — the now famous comic-heroic horn call and the jaunty whistling theme heard in the piccolo clarinet — Strauss continues, “whose name was Till Eulenspiegel — a real scamp.” These themes return repeatedly but transformed each time.

Till’s first adventure comes with a “Hop! On horseback straight through the market women.” Till rides destructively, creating confusion and escaping “off and away in seven-league boots.” He checks to see if the coast is clear then reappears. “Dressed as a priest, he oozes unction and morality. Yet the rogue peeps out of the big toe.” Suddenly, “he is seized with a horrid premonition about the outcome of his mockery of religion.” Next comes “Till the cavalier, exchanging sweet courtesies with beautiful girls,” until he falls in love and learns that “a delicate jilt is still a jilt. He vows he will take revenge on all mankind.” Till then finds himself in the midst of learned academics. “After he has posed a few atrocious theses to the philistines, he leaves them to their fate dumbfounded.”

The final section works up to Till’s trial for blasphemy during which he is “still whistling to himself with indifference.” The sentence is passed, and Strauss portrays the execution in grisly detail. “Up the ladder with him! There, he dangles; the breath leaves his body; the last convulsion and Till’s mortal self is finished.” In an epilogue, the “Once upon a time” music returns, as if to say that this has been merely an entertaining tale.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Coleman's "Seven O'Clock Shout"

Tue, 17 May 2022 13:06:37 GMT

On May 21, Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, Nathaniel Efthimiou and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present A Joyful Future with violinist Ray Chen.

THE STORY BEHIND: Coleman's Seven O'Clock Shout

Title: Seven O'Clock Shout
Composer: Valerie Coleman ( 1970 - )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story:

Valerie Coleman is a flutist and composer. Also, she was the founder of the Imani Winds ensemble. She has developed a career as a composer, notably associated with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 2019, she composed Umoja, Anthem for Unity for that orchestra, leading to her being named by the Washington Post “One of the Top 35 Women Composers” in 2020. The previous year, her orchestral work, Umoja, Anthem for Unity was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, making Coleman the first living African-American woman composer to receive a commission from that orchestra.

Coleman is known for combining jazz with classical music. In fact, one of the albums containing her music was nominated for a GRAMMY for “Best Classical Crossover Album.”

Coleman became a composer at an early age, working with a portable organ. By age 14, she had composed three full-length symphonies. She went on to earn a double B.A. in composition and flute performance from Boston University. Her master's degree from Mannes College of Music was in flute performance.

Valerie Coleman's Seven O'Clock Shout was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2020 and written to honor frontline workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. This lively work, which treats us to a huge variety of sound colors, has become a sort of anthem of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Coleman comments, “To me, Seven O’Clock Shout is a declaration of our survival. It is something that allows us our agency to take back the kindness that is in our hearts and the emotions that cause us such turmoil. . . We cheer on the essential workers with a primal and fierce urgency to let them know that we stand with them and each other.”

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Mon, 16 May 2022 13:01:11 GMT

On May 21, Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, Nathaniel Efthimiou and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present A Joyful Future with violinist Ray Chen.

THE STORY BEHIND: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Title: Violin Concerto, op.64, E minor
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn ( 1809-1847 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 21, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Chee-Yun. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

History has determined that there were four great violin concertos composed during the 19th century — by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms. The last two pay homage to Beethoven by being in the same key as his (D major) and in other self-conscious ways. Felix Mendelssohn studiously avoided any comparison with Beethoven, either by key choice or in any other manner. His concerto is also very different from the latter two, exploring the lyrical possibilities of the violin more deeply and balancing those with restrained virtuosic display.

Mendelssohn’s concerto was born of a long and deep friendship between him and Ferdinand David, a professional violinist whom he had known since his teen years. Repeatedly, David had asked Mendelssohn for a concerto, but it was repeatedly put off due mainly to the composer’s many professional commitments in Leipzig, Berlin, and London. Finally, in July 1838, Mendelssohn wrote to David, “I would like to write you a violin concerto for next winter. One in E minor keeps running through my head, and the opening gives me no peace.” David was Mendelssohn’s concertmaster in the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, and they shared a deep spiritual and artistic bond, which the composer expressed in the same letter: “. . . May heaven permit us to succeed more and more in expressing our wishes and our inmost thoughts, and in holding fast all that is dear and sacred in art, so that it shall not perish!”

Yet the concerto was not to come to fruition for nearly seven more years. Meanwhile, Mendelssohn whittled away at it. When he showed a partly completed score to David, the violinist exclaimed, “This is going to be something great!” David himself contributed many ideas to the work. Although Mendelssohn had played the violin himself, he consulted David closely, especially concerning the extended solo (the cadenza) two-thirds through the first movement.

Finally, David gave the premiere in March 1845 at the Gewandhaus (Leipzig). Unfortunately, the overworked Mendelssohn was ill and could not conduct or even attend. Listeners were struck by the violin’s ravishing melody played right at the beginning. The cadenza is controlled virtuosity — in spirit, a blend of Spohr’s classical reserve and Paganini’s flashy display. When the orchestra re-enters with the main theme, roles are reversed with the violin accompanying the orchestra.

A single note in the bassoon joins the first movement to the second. The calm, religious character of its outer sections contrasts with an agitated central section.

Again, movements are joined, this time by a brief transition followed by flourishes in the winds and then by the violin soloist. Finally, comes the delicious main theme of the finale. Its playful, dancing elfin character may remind us of another Mendelssohn masterpiece, the music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream . In the center of the movement, the violin introduces a flowing, lyrical melody. However, the dancing elfin theme triumphs at the end, bringing the concerto to a close with what Edward Downes describes as “irresistible melodic verve and rhythmic drive.”

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso

Fri, 13 May 2022 13:00:06 GMT

On May 21, Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, Nathaniel Efthimiou and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present A Joyful Future with violinist Ray Chen.

THE STORY BEHIND: Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso

The Story:

In British music, we usually think of Gustav Holst, not Ralph Vaughan Williams, as the composer of educational music. However, there were times when Vaughan Williams was called on to write something for students, and he always responded with enthusiasm. Vaughan Williams managed to treat the modest abilities of student musicians as a challenge to his skills: to express his musical conceptions within the framework of their capabilities.

This was the case with the Concerto Grosso. Early in 1950, three English music educators approached the composer with a request for a large work for the strings program of the Rural Music Schools. The idea intrigued Vaughan Williams, and he immediately planned music that would involve three string orchestras, each of a different level of skill. According to Ursula Vaughan Williams, composing the Concerto Grosso was a project he enjoyed thoroughly. By mid-April, the work was done and was given a run-through. The official premiere took place in November at the Albert Hall. The orchestra of more than 400 players nearly filled the venue. Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, the Concerto Grosso was a resounding success. In subsequent performances and recordings, the easy (ad libitum) parts have generally been omitted, leaving the more usual Baroque concerto grosso duality: difficult concertino music pitted against moderately difficult ripieno music played by a larger group.

Musically, the Concerto Grosso takes more than its title and part distribution from older music. It opens with a brilliant, grand “Intrada,” the hallmark of Baroque opera entrances. This segues immediately to the lively and witty “Burlesca ostinata,” where open strings abound in a refrain between more melodious passages.

The Sarabande, another truly Baroque icon, was one of Vaughan Williams’s specialties, and he makes this one the centerpiece of the whole work, infusing it with the driving, passionate string lines we know from his symphonies. A lively “Scherzo” completes the 18th-century frame around the “Sarabande.” As in late Haydn and early Beethoven, the “Scherzo” is like a fast minuet, full of jovial high spirits.

Rounding out the Concerto Grosso, the “March and Reprise” movement starts off with a lively quick-march such as only a British composer can write. However, just as we are getting along with the march, Vaughan Williams resolves it into a literal reprise of the opening “Intrada.” His genius is fascinating here, since music originally signaling the beginning now feels completely right as a summing-up of the entire work. Having taken us on a tour of various moods and dance rhythms, the composer now brings us full circle, turning a grand opening into an even grander ending.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Bramwell Tovey

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:07:26 GMT

Bramwell Tovey, conductor and host
A Joyful Future
May 21, 2022 at 5PM

Background: As Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, Bramwell Tovey embarks on his third season leading the Orchestra. Since his appointment in September 2018, Maestro Tovey has collaborated closely with staff and musicians to plan for this and future seasons.

GRAMMY and JUNO award-winning conductor and composer Bramwell Tovey also serves as the newly appointed Music Director Designate of the Sarasota Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec.

Following an exceptional 18-year tenure as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony, he now serves as that orchestra’s Music Director Emeritus. Under his leadership, the VSO toured China, Korea, Canada and the United States. His VSO innovations included the establishment of the VSO School of Music, the VSO’s annual festival of contemporary music and the VSO Orchestral Institute at Whistler, a comprehensive summer orchestral training program for young musicians held in the scenic mountain resort of Whistler in British Columbia.

Since the resumption of concerts in the summer of 2021, Tovey conducted the New York Philharmonic at Bravo! Vail Music Festival, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Proms before embarking on a full schedule, including a special concert in Sarasota to mark the beginning of his tenure, followed by guest appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Helsingborg Symphony in Sweden.

In 2003, Mr. Tovey won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Composition for his choral and brass work Requiem for a Charred Skull . His song cycle, Ancestral Voices , which addresses the issue of Reconciliation, was written for acclaimed Kwagiulth mezzo-soprano Marion Newman and premiered in June 2017. His trumpet concerto, Songs of the Paradise Saloon , was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony for principal trumpet Andrew McCandless and performed in 2014 by Alison Balsom with the Los Angeles, Philadelphia and London philharmonic orchestras. A recording of his opera, The Inventor , commissioned by Calgary Opera, features the original cast, members of UBC Opera and the VSO.

Mr. Tovey was the recipient of the Oskar Morawetz 2015 Prize for Excellence in Music Performance. He was previously Music Director of Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg where he led the world premiere of Penderecki’s Eighth Symphony on the opening of the principality’s new concert hall, the Philharmonie. He won the Prix d’Or of the Academie Lyrique Française for his recording of Jean Cras’ 1922 opera Polyphème with OPL and toured with the orchestra to China, Korea, the United States and throughout Europe.

In 2013, Tovey was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of Canada for services to music.

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"

Wed, 11 May 2022 19:50:33 GMT

On May 21, Bramwell Tovey, Tania Miller, Nathaniel Efthimiou and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present A Joyful Future with violinist Ray Chen.

THE STORY BEHIND: Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man

Title: Fanfare for the Common Man
Composer: Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed at a Summer Pops concert in the mid-2000s. This piece is scored for four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba and timpani.

The Story:

Undoubtedly, more people have heard Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland than anything else he composed. This is largely due to its continual re-use for television shows. Beginning with the Omnibus series in the 1950s, the Fanfare has been heard in news specials, at the inauguration of Nixon, for specials on outer space, for the TV Centennial of the Brooklyn Bridge — and the list goes on. In addition, wide-ranging jazz and rock adaptations of the work have spanned from Woody Herman to the Rolling Stones.

The origin of the Fanfare goes back to a World War II patriotic gesture. Eugene Goosens, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, commissioned a group of American composers to write patriotically titled fanfares for brass and percussion to open each of his concerts for the 1942-43 season. Copland responded enthusiastically. He wrote,

“ I composed an introduction for the percussion, followed by the theme announced by the trumpets, and then expanding to include groups of brass. The challenge was to compose a traditional fanfare, direct and powerful, yet with a contemporary sound. To this end, I used bi- chordal harmonies that add “bite” to the brass and some irregular rhythms."

Copland had difficulty settling on a title, however, trying out at least seven (such as Fanfare for Our Heroes and Fanfare for Four Freedoms ) until he hit on the most universal: Fanfare for the Common Man . He sent the score to Goosens, who was a little puzzled, but enthusiastic nevertheless. He wrote back to Copland, “Its title is as original as its music, and I think is so telling that it deserves a special occasion for its performance. If it is agreeable to you, we will premiere it 12 March 1943 at income tax time ." (Income Tax day was March 15 at the time.)

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Nathaniel Efthimiou

Tue, 10 May 2022 13:00:37 GMT

Nathaniel Efthimiou, conductor
A Joyful Future
May 21, 2022 at 5PM

Background: Award-winning conductor Nathaniel Efthimiou is the founding Music Director of Orchestra Contempo, Interim Assistant Conductor of Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music. He was recently granted The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award and was a quarterfinalist in the 2021 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition with the London Symphony Orchestra.

In January 2022, he made a last-minute subscription debut with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, returning just three months later to conduct an American program of works by Gershwin, Price, and Gabriela Lena Frank. In 2015, he won the James Conlon Conducting Prize at the Aspen Music Festival and School where he spent two summers as a conducting fellow studying with prominent teachers such as Robert Spano, Larry Rachleff, and Hugh Wolff. In 2018, a performance he conducted of Strauss’s Don Juan with the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra was featured on American Public Media’s Performance Today. He has conducted orchestras such as the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra and the Aspen Festival Orchestra and has covered the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rhode Island Philharmonic under Steven Karidoyanes and Bramwell Tovey, respectively. In 2017, he completed an Artistic Administration internship with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, where he assisted newly appointed principal conductor, Robert Moody, and served as a member of the symphony’s artistic team. In the opera pit, he has participated in masterclasses with Nicolas McGegan and Patrick Summers, and he has assisted in productions including Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande , Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi , and Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore .

Nathaniel is a passionate advocate for new music. In October 2018, he led four performances of Tom Cipullo’s provocative operetta, After Life , with the BU Opera Institute, and in August 2016, he rehearsed and conducted Flatline by Matthew Ricketts, the 2016 Jacob Druckman Prize winner at the Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies. In collaboration with the Boston University Center for New Music, Nathaniel has stepped in to rehearse works by both student and faculty composers such as Klaus Lang and 2019 Boston University Composition Competition winner, Patrick Walker. A composer himself, Nathaniel has studied with Joel Hoffman, David Ludwig, and Georg Tsontakis. His work has been featured in composition festivals such as the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, Maine, “UPBEAT” in Milna, Croatia, and WSKG’s television program, Expressions, in Binghamton, NY.

Nathaniel holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition and a Master of Arts from Greatbatch School of Music at Houghton College. In 2020, he completed doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at Boston University, where he studied with Bramwell Tovey. He holds dual-citizenship in the United States and Finland and currently resides in Boston.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Tania Miller

Mon, 09 May 2022 13:05:51 GMT

Tania Miller, conductor
A Joyful Future
May 21, 2022 at 5PM

Background: Canadian conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator. On the podium, Maestra Miller projects authority, dynamism and sheer love for the experience of making music. As one critic put it, “she delivers calm intensity . . . expressive, colorful and full of life . . . her experience and charisma are audible.” Others call her performances “technically immaculate, vivid and stirring.”

Miller’s 21-22 season featured debuts with the World Orchestra Festival in Daegu, South Korea, concerts in Daegu, Hwaseong, and Seoul with the Virtuoso Chamber Orchestra, with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul and with Calgary Opera in Merry Widow . Other recent engagements include L’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, the Vancouver Symphony and London Symphonia; and this season’s engagements include the Vermont Symphony, Elgin Symphony and Rockford symphonies among others. Miller has appeared as a guest conductor in Canada, the United States and Europe with such orchestras as the Bern Symphony Orchestra, NFM Wroclåw Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra Métropolitain de Montreal, Vancouver Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Hartford Symphony, Madison Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic and numerous others. Maestra Miller was Music Director of Canada’s Victoria Symphony for 14 years, and was named Music Director Emerita for her commitment to the orchestra and community. She has distinguished herself as a visionary leader and innovator with a deep commitment to contemporary repertoire and composers and has gained a national reputation as a highly effective advocate and communicator for the arts. An avid writer about music and the arts, her writing has been featured in the League of American Orchestra's Symphony Magazine, Toronto’s Globe and Mail , and Better Humans . Ms. Miller last conducted the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra in November, 2019 for a program featuring William Grant Still, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

In addition to her engagement with Calgary Opera, other operatic engagements include numerous productions as Artistic Director of Michigan Opera Works ( Rape of Lucretia, Semele, Dido and Aeneas ), as Conductor of Opera McGill in Montreal ( Tales of Hoffmann, Marriage of Figaro ), as Assistant Conductor of University of Michigan Opera ( Daughter of the Regiment, L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Le Rossignol, Magic Flute ) and as assistant to Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of Eugene Onegin. She was Assistant Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival for four seasons with Bruno Weil, and Assistant and Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony from 2000-2004.

Ms. Miller has a Doctorate and master’s Degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan. Ms. Miller received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Royal Roads University, and an Honorary Fellowship Diploma from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music for her commitment to leadership in community and music education. She was recipient of the 2017 Friends of Canadian Music award from the Canadian League of Composers for her dedication to the performance of contemporary music.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Ray Chen, violin

Fri, 06 May 2022 14:36:56 GMT

Violinist Ray Chen performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
A Joyful Future, May 21, 2022, 5PM

Background: Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, Ray was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music at age 15, where he studied with Aaron Rosand and was supported by Young Concert Artists. He plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. This instrument was once owned by the famed Hungarian violinist, Joseph Joachim (1831-1907).

Highlights:

Initially coming to attention via the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) competitions, of which he was First Prize winner, he has built a profile in Europe, Asia, and the USA as well as in his native Australia both live and on disc. Signed in 2017 to Decca Classics, the summer of 2017 saw the recording of the first album of this partnership with the London Philharmonic as a succession to his previous three critically acclaimed albums on SONY, the first of which ( Virtuoso ) received an ECHO Klassik Award. Profiled as “one to watch” by the Strad and Gramophone magazines, his profile has grown to encompass his inclusion in Forbes ’ list of the 30 most influential Asians under 30, his appearance in the major online TV series Mozart in the Jungle , a multi-year partnership with Giorgio Armani (who designed the cover of his Mozart album with Christoph Eschenbach) and performances at major media events such as France’s Bastille Day (live to 800,000 people), the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm (telecast across Europe), and the BBC Proms.
He is the first musician to be invited to write a lifestyle blog for the largest Italian publishing house, RCS Rizzoli (Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta dello Sport, Max). He has been featured in Vogue magazine and is currently releasing his own design of violin case for the industry manufacturer GEWA. His commitment to music education is paramount, and inspires the younger generation of music students with his series of self-produced videos combining comedy and music.
He has appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Munich Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra Nazionale della Santa Cecilia and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Upcoming debuts include the SWR Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, and Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra. He works with conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Jurowski, Sakari Oramo, Manfred Honeck, Daniele Gatti, Kirill Petrenko, Krystof Urbanski, Juraj Valcuha and many others. From 2012-2015 he was resident at the Dortmund Konzerthaus.

Critical Praise:

"To die for. He had the kind of liquid tone that carries with it emotional depth of great intimacy." The Huffington Post
"The tone he gets is almost human in its slight graininess and glow." The Washington Post
“Colors dance, moods swing, and Chen’s artistry blazes.” The Times

Tickets start at $35! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.9 (Choral)

Wed, 04 May 2022 13:00:00 GMT

On May 7, Leonard Slatkin, Providence Singers, Talise Trevigne, Nina Yoshida Nelsen, Colin Ainsworth, Michael Dean and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 9.

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.9 (Choral)

Title: Symphony No.9, op.125, D minor (Choral)
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 10, 2010 with Larry Rachleff conducting, Providence Singers, and soloists Michelle Areyzaga, Susan Lorette Dunn, Aaron Blake and Robert Honeysucker. In addition to a chorus, a solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

The history of the composition of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is among the longest and most interesting of any of his compositions. As early as 1793, Ludwig van Beethoven conceived the idea of setting Friedrich Schiller’s Ode to Joy but did nothing about it. Nearly 20 years later, he made a note among sketches for an “overture” that read, “disjointed fragments from Schiller’s Freude [joy] connected into a whole.” But as yet, there were no musical connections. The Scherzo’s main theme became the first, appearing in a notebook of 1815, although at the time Beethoven was sketching the Cello Sonata, Op. 102. In 1817, he became serious about composing a new symphony, and he sketched the beginning of the Ninth’s first movement. However, the composer did no more until 1822, when he again addressed the first movement and set down plans for the second and fourth movements, including the beginning of the famous Ode to Joy hymn theme. The following year, the symphony crystallized completely. Beethoven finished the sketch by the end of 1823 and completed its orchestration the following February. It had taken the composer more than six years to complete his final symphony, and the total gestation period had exceeded 30 years!

The story of the Ninth Symphony’s premiere is a famous one. Because of his deafness, it was impossible for Beethoven to conduct. Instead, Michael Umlauf assumed those honors at the first performance, which took place on May 7, 1824. Beethoven had supervised rehearsals, and during the performance, he was on stage, following it with a score in his own way. Some choral singers omitted the grueling high notes, and the large orchestra could not have performed adequately. Nonetheless, the audience response was resounding. Beethoven, engrossed in his score, did not notice that the performance had ended. A soloist had to nudge and turn him so that he could see the audience applauding and waving handkerchiefs.

What to listen for: The opening of the first movement has often been identified with the Biblical Creation. In this prologue, the quivering string sounds might suggest void and chaos. Notice how the full orchestra gradually gathers itself to make these sounds into an actual theme.

We do not know whether Beethoven meant to paint the Creation, but this is certainly his most arresting instrumental opening. If Beethoven implied the world’s beginning at the outset of the movement, the final measures may intimate its end. Annotator Edward Downes suggests that the ending “seems an apocalyptic vision.”

The fourfold “hammer strokes” at the opening of the Scherzo movement become the motto for what follows. Notice how this hammer-stroke rhythm persistently returns in all sorts of musical guises. In the middle of the movement, the motto runs headlong into the Presto Trio section. Here, refreshing changes in the music give us a break before a reprise of the main Scherzo. At the movement’s ending, notice the reminiscence of the Trio one last time.

“In the slow movement, Beethoven explores melody to its inmost depths,” writes analyst Donald Tovey about the Adagio . The composer presents two themes, which he alternately varies, decorates, and caresses. Try to identify the deeply reflective first theme and yearning second one. This is one of the most expressive slow movements in all of Beethoven’s music.

In the finale, Beethoven revolutionized the symphony by transcending its previous boundaries. Symphonies were supposed to be instrumental — no voices. By combining the instrumental and vocal media, Beethoven redefined what a symphony could be: a statement of deep feeling or philosophy expressed both verbally and musically.

The movement fuses vocal and instrumental music in several ways. Notice how the baritone soloist sings his text to the music you just heard the orchestra play after the crashing introductory passage. The main idea is the famous and very melodious Ode to Joy theme, Beethoven’s setting of the humanistic/spiritual poem by Schiller. The other vocalists contribute verses in which the music differs in some ways from the original Ode theme, but somehow they are all unified. Of special interest is the last, a heroic march for tenor and chorus in which Beethoven, for the first time in a symphony (ever), brings out the “Turkish” instruments, triangle, cymbals, and bass drum.

After the complex orchestral passage, listen for the grand choral reprise of the hymn theme. Then, notice how Beethoven continues to employ the chorus in a variety of moods and textures.

The concluding section has the feeling of a summing up. Beginning with the soloists and spreading to the chorus, excitement builds twice until it can no longer be contained. For each of those moments, Beethoven regroups at a slower tempo. The third build-up bursts into the long Prestissimo ending, emphasizing Beethoven’s personal “kiss for all the world.” Listen again for the “Turkish” percussion instruments. This time they add power to the symphony’s overwhelming final pages. Now, see if you agree with the words of Edward Downes: “Altogether, the finale is a structure of emotional depth and intensity, and musical splendor past description. The symphony ranks as one of the greatest achievements of the human spirit.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Michael Dean, bass

Tue, 03 May 2022 18:30:04 GMT

Bass Michael Dean performs Beethoven's Ninth
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Lauded by the New York Times for his “strong appealing bass-baritone,” American Michael Dean has been hailed by the San Jose Mercury News as “the standout, his voice a penetrating wake-up call.” Recent highlights include Mozart’s Requiem with the Eugene Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with the Rochester Philharmonic, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem at the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Haydn’s The Creation with the Florida Orchestra and Verdi’s Requiem with the Eugene Symphony.

Highlights:

Recent highlights include a soloist performance in Mozart’s Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Eugene Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and returns to the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. He has also been a featured soloist in Messiah with the Richmond Symphony, in Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park (the latter recorded and released), Messiah with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the Milwaukee Symphony and Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Naples Philharmonic.
On opera stages, Mr. Dean has made frequent appearances with the legendary New York City Opera, where he performed the title role in Le nozze di Figaro , Leporello in Don Giovanni , George in Of Mice and Men , Papageno in Die Zauberflöte , and was seen and heard as Jason McFarlane in the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of Lizzie Borden . Other notable operatic performances include Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette with Los Angeles Opera; the title role in Don Giovanni and Silva in Ernani at the Landestheater in Linz, Austria; Le nozze di Figaro in Antwerp, Belgium; Of Mice and Men at Arizona Opera; and Colline in La bohème in Strasbourg and Berlin. Michael Dean has received high critical praise for his numerous recordings of baroque opera, including Agrippina, Ottone, Dido and Aeneas, Radamisto, Giustino and Serse .
Michael Dean is currently the Chair of Vocal Studies and Professor of Voice at The University of California, Los Angeles.

Critical Praise:

"A standout, his voice a penetrating wake-up call.” San Jose Mercury News
"A strong, appealing bass-baritone" The New York Times

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" from "A German Requiem"

Tue, 03 May 2022 13:00:04 GMT

On May 7, Leonard Slatkin, Providence Singers, Talise Trevigne, Nina Yoshida Nelsen, Colin Ainsworth, Michael Dean and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 9.

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place from A German Requiem

Title: A German Requiem , op.45, Mvt. IV ( How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place )
Composer: Johannes Brahms ( 1833-1897 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 5, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting, Providence Singers, and soloists Elizabeth Weigle and Randall Scarlata. In addition to a chorus, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings.

The Story:

It was the longest work Johannes Brahms ever wrote, and it was the first work to bring him international prominence. He named it A German Requiem to distinguish its texts and intent from the traditional Requiem Mass of the Roman Catholic liturgy. His was not a work for the dead. Rather, it was music to bring solace to the living, with words to help us all cope with the ideas of suffering and death. Brahms meant his work to have a universal message, and for that reason, he chose and coordinated quotations from the Old and New Testaments as well as from the Apocrypha. One of the composer’s few remarks concerning A German Requiem underlines his effort to give the work universal meaning: “I confess that I would gladly omit even the word German and simply put Human . . . .”

A choral-orchestral work of this magnitude and depth does not develop quickly. Brahms’s labor on it went back to the mid-1850s, when he composed a sonata for two pianos (which never appeared in that form). The slow movement of the sonata became the “funeral march” second movement of the Requiem .

The work had not yet crystallized in Brahms’s mind when, in February 1865, he received news that his mother was dying. He could not reach her before she passed away. The depression following her loss stayed with him for a very long time, and he tried to overcome it by playing and composing.

Over the next two years, the Requiem began to take shape. In December 1867, the first three movements were performed in Vienna, but by this time, Brahms was hard at work on three more movements. A full performance was presented on Good Friday of the following year at the Bremen Cathedral. Attendees of this momentous event included many of Brahms’s friends and supporters, including Clara Schumann, Joseph Joachim, and old father Brahms. The performance was a resounding success and instantly made the 35-year-old composer one of the most prominent in Germany. During the following year, it was performed 20 times in Germany. Over the next few years, audiences heard it in London, St. Petersburg, and Paris — all accepting the Requiem as a masterwork.

In the Requiem, movement IV (“How lovely is Thy dwelling place”) is unique for its sweet character as a choral song. For many listeners, this is the highpoint of the Requiem , and it is definitely the movement most often extracted for separate performance. It is a flowing choral part-song in which the chief melody is most often in the soprano part. The text is direct and personal:

How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
For my soul, it longeth, yea fainteth, for the courts of the Lord :
my soul and body crieth out, yea for the living God.
Blest are they, that dwell within Thy house : they praise Thy name evermore.

Psalm 84 vv. 1, 2, 4.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Barber's "Adagio for Strings"

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:30:06 GMT

On May 7, Leonard Slatkin, Providence Singers, Talise Trevigne, Nina Yoshida Nelsen, Colin Ainsworth, Michael Dean and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 9.

THE STORY BEHIND: Barber's Adagio for Strings

Title: Adagio for Strings
Composer: Samuel Barber ( 1910-1981 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed November 20, 2010 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for strings.

The Story:

In the years following his graduation from the Curtis Institute, Samuel Barber spent time traveling and composing in Europe under various stipends and grants. Between 1935 and 1937, he won the Prix de Rome and two Pulitzer Travel Scholarships. Barber’s stay in Rome had a far-reaching effect on his career, for it was there in 1935 that met Arturo Toscanini. Three years later, when Toscanini became conductor of the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra, he premiered two new works by Barber: the First Essay and the Adagio for Strings .

Originally, the Adagio was the slow movement of Barber’s String Quartet, written in Rome in 1936. For Toscanini, Barber adapted the Adagio for full string orchestra. Its long, mellifluous lines, lyric intensity, and heartfelt sincerity had an immediate impact on audiences and critics alike. Olin Downes wrote of the premiere, “There is an arch of melody and form. The composition is most simple at the climaxes, when it develops that the simplest chord, or figure, is the one most significant.”

Barber’s Adagio has proven durable and popular in the years since it premiered. Though certain critics have grown weary of hearing the work (“an all-purpose cultural theme song”: Martin Bernheimer, Los Angeles Times ), it continues to reach an ever-widening audience. It has also become a staple among American funeral music, beginning notably with President Roosevelt’s 1945 memorial service. At the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982, the music moved family and friends to tears. The Adagio was also introduced effectively into the film scores of The Elephant Man (1980) and Platoon (1986). On TV, the music has been heard in episodes of The Simpsons , South Park , and Seinfeld .

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:00:10 GMT

Providence Singers perform Beethoven's Ninth
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Founded in 1971, the Providence Singers, under the direction of Christine Noel, celebrates choral art through concerts of masterworks and contemporary works, creative collaborations, recordings of American choral treasures, new music commissions and education programs. In addition to an annual concert series, the Singers has made frequent guest appearances throughout the region, including annual concerts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. The Singers performed with Kronos Quartet at FirstWorks, Dave Brubeck Quartet at Lincoln Center and Newport Jazz Festival, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Haven Philharmonic, Aurea Ensemble, Brown University Chorus and New Bedford Symphony. New choral works are commissioned through the Wachner Fund for New Music. Opportunities for community education and participation include vocal workshops, concert discussions and community sings. The Providence Singers supports emerging talent through its Fassett Fellowships for young adult singers and through the annual Young Men’s Choral Festival.

Background:

Christine Noel has conducted the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and the Providence Singers in Handel’s Messiah and enjoys rich collaborations with them, having prepared the chorus for both Larry Rachleff and Bramwell Tovey. She has led the Providence Singers through world premieres, commissions and the organization's fourth commercial recording — Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living . She has served on the music faculty and as director of choral activities at Clark University, Worcester, MA, and as musical director at Trinity Repertory Company. Dr. Noel is the Founding Artistic Director of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, an award-winning choral organization for youth ages 7-18, which recently made its Carnegie Hall debut. She has conducted the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education.

An active guest conductor, festival clinician, and adjudicator, she holds a master of music and a doctor of musical arts in conducting from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Howard Jones and David Hoose. Passionate about language study, she lived in Florence, Italy, for two years, where she completed the superior level of Italian studies at the University of Florence. She also served as assistant conductor and vocal coach for Italian choirs Animae Voces and Coro Polifonico di Caricentro di Firenze. Dr. Noel holds an undergraduate degree in music education from Rhode Island College, where she was the recipient of a Ridgway Shinn Fellowship for study at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary (1998-1999).

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Leonard Slatkin

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:57:14 GMT

Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Beethoven 9
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Slatkin has received six GRAMMY awards and 35 nominations. His latest recording on Naxos, Slatkin Conducts Slatkin , features music and performances by three generations of the Slatkin family.

The 2021-22 season includes engagements with The Orchestra Now, Manhattan School of Music, SLSO, DSO, ONL, Orquestra Simfònica Illes Balears, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, MÁV Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, Russian National Orchestra in Moscow, Carnegie Mellon University, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Orquesta de València, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, and the Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore.

Slatkin has conducted many of the leading orchestras in the world. As music director, he has held posts in New Orleans, St. Louis, Washington, DC, London (with the BBCSO), Detroit and Lyon, France. He has also held conducting positions in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Cleveland.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Colin Ainsworth, tenor

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:00:17 GMT

Tenor Colin Ainsworth performs Beethoven's Ninth
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Colin Ainsworth has been praised for his “exquisite control and emotional directness” and has long distinguished himself internationally as a specialist not only with his interpretations of the major Classical and Baroque tenor roles but also by his performances in contemporary opera.

Highlights:

Having traveled the world with his unique and expressive voice, his many performances have included the title roles in Orphée et Euridice , Pygmalion , Castor et Pollux , Roberto Devereux , and Albert Herring ; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni , Tamino in Die Zauberflöte , Ernesto in Don Pasquale , Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi , Fenton in Falstaff , Tonio in La Fille du Régiment , Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles , Pylades in Iphigénie en Tauride , Renaud in Lully’s Armide , Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress , and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream . An avid supporter of new works, he has appeared in the world premieres of John Estacio’s Lillian Alling at the Vancouver Opera, Stuart MacRae’s The Assassin Tree at the Edinburgh International Festival, Victor Davies’ The Transit of Venus with the Manitoba Opera, and Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna at Sadler’s Wells in London and at the Luminato Festival.
Also a prolific concert singer, Mr. Ainsworth has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Pygmalion, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of San Francisco, with Jane Glover and the Music of the Baroque in Chicago, Mercury Baroque in Houston, Les Violons du Roy in Montreal, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
Mr. Ainsworth’s growing discography includes Vivaldi’s La Griselda (Naxos), Castor et Pollux (Naxos), Schubert Among Friends (Marquis Classics), Gloria in Excelsis Deo with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (CBC Records), the collected masses of Vanhal, Haydn, and Cherubini with Nicholas McGegan (Naxos), and the premiere recording of Derek Holman’s The Heart Mislaid which was included on the Aldeburgh Connection’s Our Own Songs (Marquis Classics). He also appears in a live DVD recording of Lully’s Persée with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Euroarts). His new disc, A Play of Passion , featuring the music of Derek Holman with Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata has just been released.

Critical Praise:

“Ainsworth has always been blessed with an unusually high, pure tenor. Now it thrills with remarkable power and expressivity.” STAGE DOOR
“Tenor Colin Ainsworth, a frequent Opera Atelier collaborator, is the star attraction in both operas, showing off his lyric voice to great effect." Toronto Star

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Nina Yoshida Nelsen, mezzo-soprano

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 13:00:07 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen performs Beethoven's Ninth
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

In 2005, Ms. Nelsen was a national finalist in the prestigious Loren L. Zachary Society Vocal Competition, and she was also a national finalist in the 2006 and 2008 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. In 2004, Ms. Nelsen won first prize in the Performing Arts Foundation Vocal Competition, the Profant Foundation Vocal Competition, and the Santa Barbara Foundation Vocal Competition. Nina makes her home in Bloomington, Indiana, where she lives with her husband, Jeff, and their sons, Rhys and Blair.

Highlights:

In the 2021-2022 season, Nina Yoshida Nelsen makes her Boston Lyric Opera debut as Mama Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana . She also makes her Bard Opera debut singing Mother Chen in Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier , with performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She then returns to Opera Santa Barbara for a double bill of El Amor Brujo and Frugola in Il Tabarro . Nina makes her Chicago Opera Theater debut singing Queen Sophine in Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus . In the spring, she sings Mama in Jack Perla’s An American Dream at Kentucky Opera and the Alto Solo in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.
In the 2019-2020 season, Nina Yoshida Nelsen made her Portland Opera debut as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly . She also performed the world premiere of Blood Moon at Prototype Festival in New York City. Nina returned to Chicago Lyric Opera to cover Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and returned to the Santa Barbara Symphony to perform Beethoven's Mass in C. In addition, Ms. Nelsen reprised the role of Khanh in Huang Ruo's Bound at The Juilliard School.
Other noteworthy recent engagements include: Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette with Opera New Jersey, Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible with Utah Festival Opera, the title role in Carmen and the role of Antonia’s Mother in Les contes d’Hoffmann with Komische Kammeroper of Munich, and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera Santa Barbara.

Critical Praise:

“Singing the role of the Aunt, Nina Yoshida Nelsen was a powerhouse. Her voice and actions convincingly expressed the emotions of abandonment—from anger to sadness to helplessness and loneliness.” Opera Wire
“As the love sick teenage page Cherubino, mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen was an absolute delight. With a fabulous voice that is gorgeously lyrical and with acting talents to match, she adds much to this production." Deseret News

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Talise Trevigne, soprano

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 13:00:09 GMT

Soprano Talise Trevigne performs Beethoven's Ninth
May 7, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Talise Trevigne studied at the Manhattan School of Music and graduated with her master’s in music. While still a student, she made her operatic début under the direction of Julius Rudel as Violetta in La Traviata and Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Aspen Music Festival.

Highlights:

Career highlights for American soprano Talise Trevigne include her celebrated portrayal in the title role Porgy and Bess at The Atlanta Opera; she returned as a TAO Company Principal Artist in Season 2020-21 as Nedda in I Pagliacci . She joined Cincinnati Symphony for her concert debut with Louis Langree and appeared at Cincinnati Opera in their Gala season opening presenting material from their upcoming production of Castor and Patience in which she soon sings the title role. Miss Trevigne played the role of Sunny in desert in for Boston Lyric Opera in their exciting new episodic opera series devised for the small screen, curated and directed by James Darrah. Previous highlights include her return appearance with CBSO for Tippett’s A Child of our Time in performances in the UK and Germany conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.
Enjoying a long collaboration with composer Jake Heggie, Ms. Trevigne sang the world premiere of his song cycle Pieces of 9/11 – Memories from Houston at Houston Grand Opera, where she also inaugurated the role of Clara in It’s a Wonderful Life . Her solo CD, At the Statue of Venus (GPR Records), written by Heggie and Glen Roven, quickly climbed to the top of the US record charts; she is also featured on Heggie’s CD release, here/after , songs of lost voices alongside Stephen Costello, Joyce DiDonato and Nathan Gunn.
Talise made her UK stage debut as June Gibbons in the world premiere of Errollyn Wallen’s The Silent Twins with Almeida Opera. She also originated the title role in the world premiere of Judith Weir’s Armida for the BBC. In 2007, she won the coveted Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for her mesmerizing portrayal of Violetta in Graham Vick’s La Traviata with Birmingham Opera and sang Gilda in Rigoletto at the Dublin International Opera Festival in 2008. In her Australian debut, Miss Trevigne appeared as The Beloved in the world premiere of Liza Lim’s The Navigator , directed by Barrie Kosky for the Melbourne International Festival, and she revived the role at the Chekhov International Arts Festival in Moscow and at the Bastille in Paris (December 2009).

Critical Praise:

“The title role is grandly embodied in the Basel production by the American soprano Talise Trevigne…The focus is on Talise Trevigne as Butterfly, who in the second part provides a wealth of vocal highlights with her nuance-rich voice.” Neue Zurcher Zeitung
“As the ingénue everyone’s in love with, Talise Trevigne lifts Nedda’s plea for freedom, “Stridono lassù,” to the rafters with sparkling coloratura flair." The Cap Times

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:00:03 GMT

On April 9, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present American Classics with pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F

Title: Piano Concerto in F major
Composer: George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed May 11, 2002 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Jeffrey Siegel. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

Many persons had thought that the Rhapsody [ in Blue ] was only a happy accident. Well, I went out, for one thing, to show them that there was plenty more where that had come from.” That was Gershwin’s retrospective on the birth of his Concerto in F, commissioned by the New York Symphony Society in the wake of the Rhapsody in Blue’s 1924 triumph. In July 1925, George Gershwin set to work on the concerto. It was the largest and most complex work for the concert stage he had yet undertaken and the first work he scored entirely by himself. (Ferde Grofé had orchestrated the first version of the Rhapsody ). Gershwin completed the first two movements during the summer. By late September, the third movement was finished, and Gershwin orchestrated the work during October and early November. The concerto’s premiere took place on December 3, 1925 with the composer at the piano and Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony. Further performances were immediately given in Washington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

Diversified audiences received the work with great enthusiasm, though the critics’ opinions were mixed. At the extreme, some critics considered the concerto to be trite, unschooled, and less original than the Rhapsody . Others felt that Gershwin had written an “interesting” adaptation of contemporary popular dances “without their banality.” A few critics were excited over the work, and one declared that Gershwin “alone of all those writing the music of today . . . expresses us.”

It is clear from the beginning that the Concerto in F will be a work dominated by rhythm, mood, and atmosphere. The first movement contains a broad variety of themes. Gershwin wrote that this movement “employs the Charleston rhythm. It is quick and pulsating, representing the young, enthusiastic spirit of American life.”

Of the slow movement, which for many listeners is the high point of the work, Gershwin noted that it “has a poetic nocturnal atmosphere which has come to be referred to as the American blues, but in a purer form than that in which they [blues] are usually treated.” The movement is cast in three large sections with a lively, rhythmic center section. The rhapsodic piano solo cadenza is particularly arresting.

Gershwin described the final movement as “an orgy of rhythms, starting violently and keeping the same pace throughout.” Through the compelling mood of the movement, Gershwin alludes to and transforms themes from previous movements. Toward the end, the first movement’s second theme is given a formal reprise. This cyclic appearance is a gesture common to both the American musical theater and orchestral concert music — the two main arenas of Gershwin’s brilliant career.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Frank's "Haillí-Serenata" (East Coast Premiere)

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:00:03 GMT

On April 9, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present American Classics with pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

THE STORY BEHIND: Frank's Haillí-Serenata

Title: Haillí-Serenata
Composer: Gabriela Lena Frank (1972- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for strings.

The Story:

The familial history of Gabriela Lena Frank has been the central motivating factor in her music. Frank’s mother comes from a Peruvian/Chinese background; her father is of Lithuanian Jewish descent. Born in Berkeley, California, her higher education as a composer took place at The University of Michigan, where she was encouraged to explore her “roots” through her music. One of Frank’s admirable achievements was the creation of a music conservatory, The Gabriela Frank Creative Academy of Music. Focusing on performance and composition, the Academy offers music education both in person and online.

Having travelled extensively throughout South America, Frank’s music often reflects her studies of Latin American folklore, incorporating poetry, mythology, and native musical styles. These she pours into a uniquely Western classical (yet personal) framework. In a note for the publication of Haillí-Serenata , she wrote:

"In October of 2011, my mother and I visited the highland city of Cajamarca, Perú, the site of the Inca Empire’s defeat by the Spanish in the northern Andes. The proud city’s mix of pre-Hispanic archeological sites with colonial religious architecture was the dignified backdrop to cantadores mestizos, or mixed-race singers, accompanying themselves on guitars while praying to ancestors. Their mix of Quechua, the indigenous language of the Incas, and Spanish is reflected in the title of this short work (Haillí means “prayer” in Quechua), a brief serenade to the past."

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra commissioned Frank to compose Haillí-Serenata in 2020. The work was to be premiered that year by the CSO. However, the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the orchestra to cancel its entire season. Haillí-Serenata was finally premiered in Chicago on December 9, 2021 by the CSO conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada. To prepare the audience, the CSO Association published an Internet interview-article with Frank written by Nancy Malitz. It is rich in Frank’s remarks regarding the work, including these:

“Haillí is not a Spanish word. It’s a Quechua word,” she explained, referring to a language of indigenous natives of the Peruvian Andes. “A haillí is an indigenous form often translated as prayer. I wanted to give my piece a bit more of that feeling because of the high emotions that were expected that [election] week, and so it is still lyrical and songful and tuneful but with a prayerful flavor.”*

“The Andes people live high in the mountains, and when you are high up, you become very conscious of breath. So the wind instruments take on an important role, and one of them, the quena, is very close to the Japanese shakuhachi flute in sound. It has similar kinds of colors, and I have always loved those sounds. My job for a piece like this, as a composer trained in the Western canon, is to use my own vocabulary to evoke non-Western sounds I want with the instruments we have, and so I have to get creative with this overlap, using what we have in common.”*

“You hear a lot of strong guitar-like sounds in Andean music, from little instruments like the ukulele and mid-size ones like a Spanish guitar, for example. And if you play my Andean music on a Western instrument, like a piano, you may not realize it culturally, but what you are hearing are those strong guitar-like sounds that evoke the strumming. So is it Andean? Not exactly. But it’s still me.”

(*Experience, in an untitled article by Nancy Malitz. © 2021 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association).

Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti, Zell Music Director, through the generous support of the Edward F. Schmidt Family Fund.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Price's Symphony No.3

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 13:00:08 GMT

On April 9, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present American Classics with pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

THE STORY BEHIND: Price's Symphony No.3

Title: Symphony No.3
Composer: Florence Price (1887-1953)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for three flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings.

The Story:

The life of Florence Price (née Smith) was filled with both joy and sorrow. Price was a prodigy, graduating high school as valedictorian at the age of 14. She hailed from near Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduation, she went on to obtain higher education in music at the New England Conservatory in Boston. She studied piano and organ, composing her first symphony and graduating with honors (1906) with a double major in organ and music education. She then studied privately with Professor/Composer George Whitefield Chadwick, who continued to be a mentor to Price for many years. Returning to Arkansas, she taught at the college level, married, and had three children (two girls and a boy).

Deeply concerned about racial oppression, the family moved to Chicago in 1927. In the North, their timing was good. New York, Chicago, and elsewhere were experiencing the “Harlem Renaissance” during the 1920s-30s. Price’s conservative neo-Romantic compositional style fit the expectations and desires of concert-hall audiences. Her Symphony No. 1 in E Minor (composed in 1931-32) won the Wanamaker competition, and the work drew the attention of Frederick Stock, conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Stock was so impressed with the work that he programmed and conducted its world premiere in 1933. Thus, Florence Price became the first Black American woman to have an orchestral work performed by a major U.S. orchestra. Price’s career was launched. She composed a total of six symphonies, other orchestral music, concertos for the piano and for the violin, many songs and vocal arrangements, choral works and arrangements, and piano music (chiefly educational).

Florence Price composed her Symphony No. 3 during 1939-40. Its premiere took place during 1940 by the Detroit Civic Orchestra, Valter Poole, conductor. The work is still being performed today. Earlier in 2021, it was heard in Stockholm, Sweden. The work is scheduled for a 2022 performance in New York’s Carnegie Hall. In Classic-Romantic fashion, Symphony No. 3 consists of four movements:

I. Andante; Allegro . The moderately paced introduction offers elements of mystery and foreboding. This mood is suddenly broken by the movement’s main body. Rapidly changing ideas soon give way to more lyrical designs, with several references to a downcast Negro spiritual. This then becomes the substance for development until interrupted by rapid, jockos’ musical ideas. Sadness again pulls the mood down, only to be interrupted by spirited motives form alternating sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwinds, and brass), which lead to the movement’s sharp conclusion.

II. Andante ma non troppo . Here is Price’s unique blend of post-Romantic style and echoes of Negro spirituals. Her harmonic style is entirely personal and intimate. In the middle of the movement, the brass section plays a few phrases in Spiritual style, echoed and developed in turn by the woodwinds and strings in the manner of a Dvořák symphony.

III. “ Juba .” The “Juba” was originally a dance brought over to the southern U.S. by African slaves. Its syncopated rhythms invited stomping, slapping, and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks: thus the popular African-American expression, “pattin’ Juba.” In addition to its direct ethnic expression, this movement is an entertaining interlude in a thus-far completely serious symphony.

IV. Scherzo. Finale. Although “Juba” stands in the position of a traditional symphonic scherzo, Price saves her actual scherzo for the cheerful, witty finale to this symphony. In fast triple-time themes and individual ideas, she constructs a superior final movement filled with ceaseless jubilance. This music (in addition to “Juba”) balances out the seriousness of the first two movements.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's Overture to "Strike Up the Band"

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 13:00:03 GMT

On April 9, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present American Classics with pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

THE STORY BEHIND: Gershwin's Overture to Strike Up the Band

Title: Strike Up the Band: Overture
Composer: George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story:

“Satirical musical shows have never been a success in America, though the time may now be ripe. Nor do Americans like to be laughed at on stage,” wrote a reviewer about the 1927 Strike Up the Band out-of-town tryout. The critic was correct, and people proved it by staying away in droves. This satire on Big Business’s influence on American foreign policy was the work of composer George Gershwin, lyricist Ira Gershwin, and playwright George Kaufman. This trio had simply written something too sophisticated. Most of the music was fine. Besides the catchy title song, the show contained an all-time Gershwin great, “The Man I Love.” The problem was mostly the book (script). In January 1930, with people feeling the aftershock of the stock market crash less than three months earlier, theater audiences were more willing to lampoon Big Business and Government than when the show first appeared. A new, more lowbrow version of Strike Up the Band opened on Broadway that month as one of the most innovative shows of the season. So successful was it that two sequels followed: Of Thee I Sing (1931) and Let ’Em Eat Cake (1933).

The story of Strike Up the Band centers on Horace J, Fletcher, “A Typical Self-Made American” and a chocolate manufacturer, who dreams he has convinced the U.S. Government to put a tariff on Swiss chocolate. In the dream, this draws Switzerland into a war. Immediately, American libraries remove seditious literature like Swiss Family Robinson from their shelves. The United States finally wins by “decoding” yodels as secret signals of the Swiss Army.

For the new version, Gershwin supplied two new songs, which both went on to become standards: “Soon” and “I’ve Got a Crush on You.” The wonderful title march tune remained intact. Many years later, Ira Gershwin revealed that, in 1927, it had taken his brother five tries to arrive at it. Ira relates that late one night, George appeared at his door in their hotel. “‘I thought you were asleep,’ I said. ‘No, I’ve been lying in bed thinking, and I think I’ve got it.’ ‘Got what?’ I asked. ‘Why, the march, of course. I think I’ve finally got it.’ ‘Come on in.’” There, George played the final version on a piano there. Ira later reflected, “The fifth try turned out to be it. Interestingly enough, the earlier four had been written at the piano; the fifth and final came to him while lying in bed.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Jon Kimura Parker, piano

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 13:00:09 GMT

Pianist Jon Kimura Parker performs Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F
April 9, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Jon Kimura Parker studied with Edward Parker and Keiko Parker, Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of British Columbia, Marek Jablonski at the Banff Centre, and Adele Marcus at The Juilliard School. After winning the Gold Medal at the 1984 Leeds International Piano Competition, Parker has gone on to become an Officer of the Order of Canada and to receive honorary doctorates from the University of British Columbia and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto.

Highlights:

Parker’s discography of a dozen albums features music ranging from Mozart and Chopin to Barber and Stravinsky. His most recent recording Fantasy , built around Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy , was described by Musical Toronto as giving “a big, clear picture window of a rich soul and great artistic depth.” His YouTube channel features a series of Concerto Chat videos, which explore the piano concerto repertoire.

Jon was recently named Creative Partner for the Minnesota Orchestra’s Summer at Orchestra Hall, serves as the Artistic Director for the Honens International Piano Competition and Artistic Advisor for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, and is on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

A collaborator in a wide variety of styles, Jon Kimura Parker has performed with Doc Severinsen, Audra McDonald, Bobby McFerrin, Pablo Ziegler, and Sanjaya Malakar. As a founding member of Off the Score he also performed with Stewart Copeland – the legendary drummer of The Police – for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary Season, featuring his own arrangements of music by Prokofiev, Ravel, and Stravinsky. In addition, he performs widely throughout North America and Europe with the Montrose Trio (together with violinist Martin Beaver and cellist Clive Greensmith).

Critical Praise:

"Mr. Parker was an insightful, energetic soloist...the audience roared in approval.” The New York Times
"The final work was the magnificent Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58. Jon Kimura Parker was the soloist. This is his first year on the faculty here, and judging from his playing and the audience’s scream of approval, he will be welcomed back anytime." Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“Absolutely top-notch music-making, as fine as one could ever expect to hear…they (the Montrose Trio) are poised to become one of the top piano trios in the world..” Washington Post

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Strauss's Suite from "Der Rosenkavalier"

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:00:06 GMT

On March 19, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Grieg's Piano Concerto with pianist Joyce Yang.

THE STORY BEHIND: Strauss's Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

Title: Der Rosenkavalier, TrV 227d, op.59: Suite
Composer: Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed February 24, 2007 with JoAnn Falletta conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta and strings.

The Story:

When Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal finished the comic opera, Der Rosenkavalier , in 1909, it was a complete departure from the intense subject matter on which they had previously collaborated. The new farcical but deeply psychological opera was, in the words of the Earl of Harewood (opera historian), “a masterpiece of pastiche, an evocation of an unrealistic, fairy-story Vienna of long ago, a brilliant tour-de-force.” For Strauss, the stylistic approach was different from anything he had tried in his orchestral or operatic works up to that time: a sort of amalgamation of Mozart and Wagner — as if that were possible.

The novel style of the score can be heard right from the Introduction played before the curtain goes up. The music implies a scene of lovemaking between The Marschallin, a noble woman on the brink of middle age, and Octavian, a youth (sung in the opera by a soprano in the manner of The Marriage of Figaro’s Cherubino).

However, in Act II, it is Octavian’s destiny to fall in love at first sight with Sophie, whom he meets when making The Presentation of the Rose . He is performing this courting ritual on behalf of Baron Ochs, a countrified, oafish nobleman who hopes to replenish his dwindling fortune with Sophie’s dowry. The Arrival of Ochs quickly draws his profile, but his character is best heard in the charming but decadent-sounding Waltzes of Acts II and III.

Octavian plays an elaborate joke on Ochs in Act III, and after Ochs’s departure, Octavian, Sophie, and The Marschallin are left alone on stage. Together, they sing the famous Trio , in which Sophie experiences a moment of awe, Octavian admits his love for Sophie, and The Marschallin bids a bittersweet farewell to her former lover. Following the Marschallin’s departure, Sophie and Octavian sing a final love Duet to a naive, folklike melody that savors of Mozart’s Magic Flute . After the couple exits, a final bit of burlesque rounds out the opera and the Suite, as a servant boy returns and quickly retrieves Sophie’s dropped handkerchief.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Nathan's "the space of a door"

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 14:00:07 GMT

On March 19, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Grieg's Piano Concerto with pianist Joyce Yang.

THE STORY BEHIND: Nathan's the space of a door

Title: the space of a door
Composer: Eric Nathan (1985- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

Eric Nathan has emerged as a prominent young American composer. His higher education includes degrees from Yale, Indiana, and Cornell universities. In addition, he has worked at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and enjoyed a fellowship (2010) at The Music Center (TMC). Presently, Nathan is on the Music Faculty of Brown University.

A major circumstance in Nathan’s career has been his association with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director, Andris Nelsons, who commissioned the space of a door in 2016 and premiered it in November of that year. Another important connection has been with Boston Modern Orchestra Project. In addition, Nathan has been honored with several fellowships and residencies.

For the title of Nathan’s ten-minute orchestral work, the composer chose a rather cryptic line from the second stanza of Samuel Beckett’s poem, “my way is in the sand flowing”:

"my peace is there in the receding mist when I may cease from treading these long shifting thresholds and live the space of a door that opens and shuts"

The initial stimulus for the space of a door came from Nathan’s first visit to Providence’s venerable Athenaeum. He writes:

"[The Athenaeum] was my starting point, providing a kind of scaffolding . . . as I filtered my musical ideas through the emotions experienced during the months working on it, including a sense of personal loss from the sudden death of one of my closest mentors, composer Steven Stucky. The piece takes a journey through a series of interconnected worlds punctuated by sections featuring massive, asynchronous textures in the strings, where each player is asked to play individually within the collective, as if a soloist. These sections are set against moments of stillness and fragility. A fast, wildly agitated section lies at the middle."

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Grieg's Piano Concerto

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:00:03 GMT

On March 19, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Grieg's Piano Concerto with pianist Joyce Yang.

THE STORY BEHIND: Grieg's Piano Concerto

Title: Piano Concerto, op.16, A minor
Composer: Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 28, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Alon Goldstein. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

Although Edvard Grieg revered Chopin and was himself dubbed “the Chopin of the North,” he looked to Schumann as a guide for the first movement of his own Piano Concerto. Beginning with the same choice of key and the explosive introduction, Grieg ran parallel to Schumann’s Piano Concerto in technical and formal matters as well. This does not mean that Grieg’s music is unoriginal. His concerto is one of the freshest-sounding heroic piano concertos of the Romantic Era. When Liszt played it through, he was enthusiastic about its originality. This was a youthful work stemming from 1868, and it formed not only the climax to Grieg’s early period but also became the longest concert work of his entire output. Despite the concerto’s widespread success, the composer was never quite satisfied with it and continued to tinker with the orchestration throughout his life. Every change, however, was an improvement.

Grieg’s vast lyrical gifts are obvious in the themes throughout the work, but themes are more folk-like in the outer movements. He constructs these in small bits, repeating the main ideas often but never becoming static. In the first movement, he works on them thoroughly. Toward the end come the brilliant piano solo and a final section cleverly formed from the movement’s introductory material.

Grieg next unfolds a three-part Adagio . The orchestra alone expresses the ravishing main theme. The piano enters in the contrasting, lighter middle section and continues by accompanying the orchestra through a reprise of the main theme.

The finale follows without a break. It has a dance-like main theme that contrasts with the lyrical innocence of the second theme. Following a dramatic section and a brief piano solo, the first theme returns in a light-hearted transformation. Grieg then tops the originality of this gesture with a slower apotheosis of the second theme that also serves as the movement’s finale. Upon playing this, Liszt is said to have jumped up from the piano exclaiming, “Splendid! That’s the real thing. . . . Keep it up, I tell you. You have what it takes — and don’t let anyone scare you.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Joyce Yang, piano

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:00:04 GMT

Pianist Joyce Yang performs Grieg's Piano Concerto
March 19, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Born in 1986 in Seoul, South Korea, Yang received her first piano lesson from her aunt at the age of four. She quickly took to the instrument, which she received as a birthday present. Over the next few years, she won several national piano competitions in her native country. By the age of ten, she had entered the School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts, and went on to make a number of concerto and recital appearances in Seoul and Daejeon. In 1997, Yang moved to the United States to begin studies at the pre-college division of the Juilliard School with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. During her first year at Juilliard, Yang won the pre-college division Concerto Competition, resulting in a performance of Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D with the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra. After winning the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Greenfield Student Competition, she performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with that orchestra at just 12 years old. She graduated from Juilliard with special honor as the recipient of the school’s 2010 Arthur Rubinstein Prize, and in 2011, she won its 30th Annual William A. Petschek Piano Recital Award.

Highlights:

She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The youngest contestant at 19 years old, she took home two additional awards: Best Performance of Chamber Music (with the Takàcs Quartet), and Best Performance of a New Work. In 2006, Yang made her celebrated New York Philharmonic debut alongside Lorin Maazel at Avery Fisher Hall along with the orchestra’s tour of Asia, making a triumphant return to her hometown of Seoul, South Korea. Yang’s subsequent appearances with the New York Philharmonic have included opening night of the 2008 Leonard Bernstein Festival – an appearance made at the request of Maazel in his final season as music director.
As an avid chamber musician, Yang has collaborated with the Takács Quartet for Dvořák – part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series – and Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet with members of the Emerson String Quartet at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Yang has fostered an enduring partnership with the Alexander String Quartet and has released three celebrated recordings with them under Foghorn Classics.
In 2020, Yang released her tenth album performing Jonathan Leshnoff’s Piano Concerto with the Kansas City Symphony (Reference Recordings) that was written for her. As a champion of new music, Yang has also premiered and recorded a world premiere discography of Michael Torke’s Piano Concerto with Albany Symphony and David Alan Miller (Albany Records). Yang’s wide-ranging discography also includes two celebrated solo discs ( Collage and Wild Dreams .) Yang also released a live-performance recording of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Denmark’s Odense Symphony Orchestra (Bridge Records.)

Critical Praise:

"Mr. Maazel led a taut performance (of Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety ), and the orchestra played this dark-hued music vividly and with a sharp edge. But the standout was Joyce Yang, who gave a knockout performance of the alternately poetic, fiery and occasionally jazz-tinged piano line.” The New York Times
"The sound is bold and modern, yet restrained. The precision of the fingerwork is astounding." BBC Music Magazine
“Her attention to detail and clarity is as impressive as her agility, balance and velocity.” Washington Post

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade"

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:09:36 GMT

On February 12, Lina González-Granados and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Scheherazade with cellist Oliver Herbert.

Title: Scheherazade , op.35
Composer: Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov ( 1844-1908 )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 18, 2014 with Daniel Hege conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story:

During the 1880s, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov labored at putting in order the works of the late Modest Mussorgsky as well as completing and orchestrating Prince Igor by the late Alexander Borodin. At this time, he also crystallized certain ideas about the true nature of his own compositional style, coming to realize that his orchestration, in his own words, “had attained a considerable degree of virtuosity and warm sonority. . . .” Given this conclusion, coupled with his ever-present interest in folklore and national musical identity (not necessarily just Russian, however), there is a natural sequence to Rimsky-Korsakov’s last three major orchestral works: Spanish Capriccio (1887), Scheherazade (1888), and the Russian Easter Overture (1888).

Scheherazade was inspired by the tales of The Arabian Nights in which the Sultan vows to take a new wife each night and have her executed the next morning. However, his latest bride, Scheherazade , succeeded in saving herself by engaging the Sultan’s interest in a series of interconnected tales. These took 1,001 nights to recount.

Originally, Rimsky-Korsakov’s portrayal of The Arabian Nights was general and atmospheric. As he stated in his autobiography, “I had even intended to label Movement I of Scheherazade — Prelude; II — Ballade; III — Adagio; and IV — Finale; but on the advice of Liadov and others I had not done so.” Thus, each movement of the suite bears the name of one of the tales.

Throughout Scheherazade , several musical themes recur. However, Rimsky-Korsakov was adamant about the generality of this “musical data.” He wrote,

"All I had desired was that the hearer, if he liked my piece as symphonic music, should carry away the impression that it is beyond doubt an oriental narrative of some numerous and varied fairy-tale wonders and not merely four pieces played one after the other and composed on the basis of themes common to all the four movements.

Nonetheless, the two ideas presented at the opening of the work do bear some later significance. These are the themes of the stern Sultan (trombones, low woodwinds, and strings in unison) and of Scheherazade (solo violin and harp). The composer used the latter as a unifying device throughout the suite, presenting it as introductions to the first, second, and fourth movements and as an interlude in the third. At the end of the work, the theme of Scheherazade and the theme of the Sultan are joined in a final moment of quiet sensuousness."

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Barber's Cello Concerto

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 13:57:30 GMT

On February 12, Lina González-Granados and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Scheherazade with cellist Oliver Herbert.

Title: Cello Concerto, op.22
Composer: Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo cello, this piece is scored for two flutes, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, two horns, three trumpets, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

Although not so collaborative as theater or film, music is surely a collaborative art. At the heart of it is the partnership between composer and performer. If an orchestra is involved, this collaboration is multiplied by the conductor and all the musicians. Then there is the matter of patronage — an alliance of audience and art. Sometimes all of these relationships operate simultaneously to give the world a marvelous new musical work. That was the case with the Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra by Samuel Barber.

At the center of the collaboration stood Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951), conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During the war years of the 1940s, he had been encouraging the work of cellist Raya Garbousova, and he felt that premiering a work by a major composer would enhance her career greatly. She agreed. Koussevitzky approached Barber about the project and obtained a commitment for the $1,000 fee from John and Anne Brown of Providence, Rhode Island. Thus, by the end of 1944, a commission was put into motion in one of the great collaborations in American music.

The composer and artist worked closely. On the models of Brahms-Joachim, Tchaikovsky-Fitzhagen, and Stravinsky-Dushkin, Barber and Garbousova consulted often on technical passages to eliminate awkwardness and make them thoroughly idiomatic. Work went slowly at first during the early months of 1945. However, with spring and summer, progress on the concerto moved along well, so that by late September, the music was essentially finished and only in need of orchestration. Garbousova worked hard to learn this challenging music, but master it she did and gave a brilliant premiere in April 1946 with Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony.

Barber builds the first movement of the concerto mainly out of three themes. Two of these are strongly rhythmic, the second of which concentrates on only a few notes. (Thus, Barber anticipated the later work of Stravinsky and that of the post-modern “minimalists.”) The third main idea is a broadly lyrical theme. We hear all of these before the soloist enters, and they become the raw material for the cello to work out. In fact, the developmental alternations and combinations of these generates the tension between soloist and orchestra so necessary to the music’s fabric. The masterful solo cadenza leads to a final reprise of the basic ideas.

Gently rocking siciliano rhythms form the backdrop of the middle movement. The ongoing cantilena of the cello is echoed in the oboe and other instruments. Barber freely develops and comments on this melody in spinning out the rest of the movement.

Energetic, yet always under control, the music of the third movement now gives the cellist a full palette of material, both technical and expressive. Certain passages verge on atonality, again creating tension to be worked out between soloist and orchestra. The final allegro section is a mixture of perpetual motion rhythm and free virtuosity. Flickering references to the first movement also appear but then disappear in the forcible drive to the finish.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Frank's "Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra"

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:01:42 GMT

On February 12, Lina González-Granados and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Scheherazade with cellist Oliver Herbert.

Title: Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra
Composer: Gabriela Lena Frank (1972- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings.

The Story:

Gabriela Lena Frank was born in Berkeley, California. Her mother was Peruvian/Chinese, and her father was of Lithuanian-Jewish heritage. Frank is a pianist-composer with a higher education from Rice University (masters) and the University of Michigan (doctorate).

Frank’s wide-ranging heritage has prompted her to passionately learn about non-Western music and instruments, and then seek the means to amalgamate them with Western musical traditions in newer directions. For example, she might elicit the sounds of Peruvian pan pipes or charango (small Andean guitar) by composing for them in special ways for orchestral instruments of European origin. Humorously, she has said, “I think the music can be seen as a by-product of my always trying to figure out how Latina I am and how gringa I am.”

A major interest of Frank’s career is the conservatory she founded in the wine country of Northern California: The Gabriela Frank Creative Academy of Music. Focusing on performance, the Academy offers music education both in person and online. Amid her expectedly rich schedule of fulfilling commissions, receiving awards, etc., one of Frank’s most treasured honors was her inclusion in The Washington Post’s 2017 list of the 35 most significant women composers in history.

About Apu, Frank has written:

"In Andean Peru, spirits are said to inhabit rocks, rivers, and mountain peaks with the intent of keeping a watchful eye on travelers passing through highland roads. The apu is one of the more well-known spirits that is sometimes portrayed as a minor deity with a mischievous side who is rarely seen. Simple folk song and a solemn prayer often successfully placate the apu to ensure safe passage through the mountains.

Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra begins with a short folkloric song inspired by the agile "pinkillo" flute, a small slender instrument that packs well into the small bags of travelers who must travel light. It is followed by the extended "haillí" of the second movement, a prayer to the apu , which flows attacca to the third movement in which the apu makes its brief but brilliant and dazzling appearance before disappearing once again into the mountain peaks."

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Oliver Herbert, cello

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 14:15:55 GMT

Cellist Oliver Herbert performs Barber's Cello Concerto
February 12, 2022 at 8PM

Background: Born in San Francisco, Oliver is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Colburn School, where he studied with Carter Brey, Clive Greensmith and Peter Wiley. Additional mentors include Pamela Frank and Dr. Ford Lallerstedt at the Curtis Institute. His competition awards include top prizes in the Lutoslawski International Cello Competition, Klein Competition and Stulberg Competition. Oliver currently plays on a Guadagnini cello that belonged to the great Italian cellist Antonio Janigro, on generous loan from the Janigro family.

Highlights:

The 2021-22 season marks the beginning of several ambitious projects, including performances of the complete Bach Cello Suites at Capital Region Classical, and the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas at Guarneri Hall in Chicago. Oliver will also be premiering a commissioned work by Chelsea Komschlies for multitrack cello and electronics, as well as exploring the music of Venezuelan composer and cellist Paul Desenne.
In June of 2020, Oliver released his debut album with pianist Xiaohui Yang, Frame of Mind: Fauré and Janáček , featuring the two cello and piano sonatas of Gabriel Fauré as well as Leoš Janáček’s Pohádka (Fairy Tale). Oliver's additional recording highlights include a release of Haydn's D Major Cello Concerto with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony.
As a chamber musician, Oliver has participated in leading music festivals including Caramoor, ChamberFest Cleveland, Krzyżowa Music, La Jolla Summerfest, Marlboro Music, Music in the Vineyards, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Ravinia, and Verbier. In the 2021-22 season, Oliver joins violinist Alexi Kenney and pianist Eric Lu for a program of Haydn, Schumann, and Schubert at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

Critical Praise:

“Herbert’s playing took on deeply moving vocal inflections in extreme ranges, from a low of unusual richness to a delicate high.” The Philadelphia Inquirer
"His virtuosity and musical instincts were on full display in Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor…Herbert displayed great maturity, always maintaining forward momentum while bringing out the unique character of each movement and its subsections…with an expansive tone, rich and full yet strikingly clear (especially in the upper register), his playing was punctuated by crisp articulation and impressive spiccato, particularly in the final Allegro. Judicious and tasteful use of vibrato allowed his incredible instrument (a 1769 Guadagnini) to project in its natural state." San Francisco Classical Voice
“As a highly experienced prize-winning artist, Herbert brings a wonderful youthful exuberance to this work (Haydn D Major Concerto) coupled with a highly sophisticated musical expression and outstanding technique in this very challenging concerto. From his opening notes it was immediately apparent that Herbert has a very vocal approach to his playing and regardless of the technical demands he makes his cello sing..” Santa Cruz Sentinel

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Lina González-Granados

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 14:00:04 GMT

Lina González-Granados, conductor
Scheherazade!
February 12, 2022 at 8PM

Background: Praised for her "attention to orchestral colors" (OperaWire) and ability to create "lightning changes in tempo, meter, and effect" (Boston Musical Intelligencer), Colombian-American Lina González-Granados has distinguished herself nationally and internationally as a talented young conductor of symphonic and operatic repertoire. Her spirited interpretations of the orchestral repertoire, as well as her dedication to highlighting new and unknown works by Latin-American composers, have earned her international recognition, most recently as the recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the Third Prize and ECHO Special Award (European Concert Hall Orchestra Association) of La Maestra Competition , and the 2020 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award.

Lina was the winner of the Fourth Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition, and became the new Solti Conducting Apprentice under the guidance of Maestro Riccardo Muti, beginning in February 2020 and continuing through June 2022. She is currently the Conducting Fellow of the Philadelphia Orchestra and has held the same position with the Seattle Symphony. In 2022, she will become Resident Conductor of Los Angeles Opera.

Her 2021-22 season highlights include returns to the New York Philharmonic and Rochester Philharmonic, as well as debuts with the National Symphony (USA), Ann Arbor Symphony, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Kristiansand Symphony, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Polish National Radio Symphony, Orquesta del Principado de Asturias, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and Tenerife Symphony. She will also lead the production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Dallas Opera.

Recent appearances include performances with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, and Filarmónica de Medellín. She has had the opportunity to work with world-renowned artists such as Yefim Bronfman, Pinchas Zukerman, Giancarlo Guerrero, Zubin Mehta, Marin Alsop and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Lina is an active and fervent proponent for the inclusion and development of new works for chamber and large orchestra, especially music from Latin-American composers. She is the Artistic Director of Unitas Ensemble, a chamber orchestra she founded that performs the works of Latinx composers, and provides access to free community performances for underserved communities. Her work with Unitas has earned her numerous community awards, most recently a Spark Boston award from the City of Boston. She has also commissioned multiple world, North-American, and American premieres, as well as the creation and release of the Unitas Ensemble album Estaciones , recorded alongside the Latin GRAMMY-winning Cuarteto Latinoamericano.

Born and raised in Cali, Colombia, Lina made her conducting debut in 2008 with the Youth Orchestra of Bellas Artes in Cali. She holds a Master’s Degree in Conducting with Charles Peltz, a Graduate Diploma in Choral Conducting from New England Conservatory with Erica Washburn, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University. Her principal mentors include Marin Alsop, Bernard Haitink, Bramwell Tovey and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.5

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:02:12 GMT

On January 22, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 5 with violinist Benjamin Beilman.

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.5

Title: Symphony No.5, op.67, C minor

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 5, 2017 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story:

Beethoven’s plans for a C Minor Symphony went as far back as 1804, four years before its completion. His sketchbook that year shows the famous first movement rhythmic idea and the earliest version of the Andante theme. Ludwig van Beethoven completed the Fifth in spring 1808 and it premiered at the famous all-Beethoven concert of December 22 of that year.

“Thus fate knocks at the door!” Beethoven reportedly declared as he pointed to the first measures of the symphony. However, the reporter was Anton Schindler, who had a vivid, Romantic imagination concerning details in Beethoven’s life. Whatever its meaning, though, the famous opening motive has become synonymous with Beethoven’s name, even among school children. The first notes are not a theme per se , but a rhythmic motto ( . . . — ) that generates much of the opening movement and appears in some guise during each succeeding movement. The singing second theme is accompanied by the motto, and soon Beethoven is exploring various patterns and extensions of the motto. A short oboe solo momentarily suspends the rhythmic drive, but this only makes the remainder of the movement more exciting. It ends with something like an epilogue, necessarily long as a climax to all the excitement the music has built up.

Beethoven may not have been by nature a composer of melodies you can whistle, and his struggle through 14 different versions of this symphony’s Andante main theme supports that idea. What he finally arrived at, however, fills the movement with an unmatched grace and nobility. This theme is in two closely related parts. The perceptive listener will recognize the motto rhythm here and there in both. Beethoven goes back through his theme three more times, and with each repetition, new enhancements and novelties are heard. So as not to bog things down (presumably), Beethoven accelerates the tempo near the end.

The Scherzo’s theme, too, is in two parts: the first mysterious and very soft; the second a blaring horn-call that vividly recalls the symphony’s motto rhythm. This terse statement leads to a rushing, expansive central section, beginning in the low strings. When the main idea returns, all is hushed, leading to a dark and restless transition to the finale.

Beethoven made history with that transition and with the explosive chords that are its target. His Fifth was the earliest symphony to join two movements without a break — the third and the fourth. The chords include the first symphonic appearance of trombones. Beethoven’s idea was to add sheer power to the full orchestra, for at the same moment he also amplifies the sound with a piccolo and a contrabassoon. If we were to title the last movement, it might be “Final Triumph,” for it is a climax to the cumulative emotional power of all that has come before. The most striking feature of the finale, however, is a brief reminiscence of the Scherzo just before the final wind-up. The dramatic effect is perfect. It gives the audience a “breather” before the onslaught of a climactic ending — concluding with an athletic Presto section, which is a fitting finish not only to the last movement but also to the entire symphony.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' Violin Concerto

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:00:15 GMT

On January 22, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 5 with violinist Benjamin Beilman.

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms 'Violin Concerto

Title: Violin Concerto, op.77, D major

Composer: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 24, 2009 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Jennifer Koh. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

“You will think twice before you ask me for another concerto!” wrote Johannes Brahms to violinist Joseph Joachim, his lifelong friend and advisor on violinistic matters. The year was 1879, and on that New Year’s Day, Joachim had just premiered Brahms’s Violin Concerto in Leipzig. The reception had not been very gratifying, partially because the violin part sounded unduly difficult and labored. That was the view of conductor Hans von Bülow, who stated that the concerto was written “ against the violin.” (Violin prodigy Bronislav Hubermann later countered with the remark that it is a concerto “ for violin against orchestra — and the violin wins.”)

As usual, Brahms had modeled the proportions — and something of the approach to solo violin treatment — on a parallel work by his transcendental idol, Beethoven. In its day, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto had also been accused of unwarranted difficulties, and early audiences often missed its profound content. Brahms placed his concerto in the key of D major, the key of Beethoven’s great work.

D major also happens also to be the key of Brahms’s Second Symphony, finished less than a year ahead of the concerto. The Violin Concerto is a companion piece to the symphony in other ways, too, notably the use of a broken chord as the basis of the opening theme. This theme in the concerto is the focus of the orchestra’s brief opening. At the entry of the violin, this theme returns but eventually gives way to others, including a gloriously sweet, song-like second theme. Following Classical tradition, Brahms leaves the long solo passage near the end of the movement (the “cadenza”) up to the performer (as Beethoven, another non-violin-soloist, had done). This concerto is virtually the last one to do so, granting an opportunity for virtuosos from Joachim to Perlman to make their own mark on Brahms’s first movement.

Brahms had originally intended two middle movements. However, he discarded them, placing there instead what he modestly called “a feeble Adagio.” Far from feeble, this is some of Brahms’s richest writing for orchestra, exploring remote keys and supporting a lovely, decorative violin line.

The finale is a Hungarian-style piece. It has a rhythmically athletic main theme and contrasting episodes (also with soloistic acrobatics) to charm the listener. Near the end, the short cadenza by the composer leads to a concluding section that first builds excitement and then, as in a Mozart opera, subsides into restrained propriety for its grand ending.

Brahms’s Violin Concerto stands as a great musical pillar near the end of the 19th century, counter-balancing the pillar of Beethoven’s great Violin Concerto from the beginning of that century. As analyst John Horton has put it:

"That Brahms should have ventured upon a Violin Concerto in D with the sound of Beethoven’s . . . in his ears was in itself an act of faith and courage; that he should have produced one . . . worthy to stand beside it, is one of the triumphs of Brahms’s genius."

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Wagner's Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:00:03 GMT

On January 22, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Beethoven 5 with violinist Benjamin Beilman.

THE STORY BEHIND: Wagner's Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Title: Die Meistersinger , WWV 96: Prelude

Composer: Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 3, 1994 with Zuohuang Chen conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp and strings.

The Story:

One evening from the balcony of my house, as I watched a fine sunset light up in glory the splendid view of “golden” Mainz and the majestically flowing Rhine, the Prelude to my Meistersinger suddenly sprang up clearly in my mind as I had once before beheld it in a troubled mood, as if it had been a distant mirage, and I proceeded to draft the Prelude precisely as it appears today . . . .

It was March 1862, and Richard Wagner had just settled in the town of Biebrich near Mainz. This was still a troubled time for him, following a long exile in Switzerland, a theatrical scandal in Paris involving Tannhäuser , and an aborted attempt to stage Tristan und Isolde in Vienna. A short stay in Venice in 1861 had not helped much, but on the way back to Vienna several ideas for the Prelude to Die Meistersinger had occurred to Wagner instantaneously and with the greatest clarity, and he immediately composed the opening section of the score. Now, established near his publisher, Schott, the entire music drama, originally conceived in 1845 as a satirical counterpart to Tannhäuser , crystallized in Wagner’s mind.

It took the composer until 1868 to complete Die Meistersinge r, but in the meantime he presented several tantalizing previews in the form of libretto readings and concert performances of the Prelude, which he had finished first. When completed, this music drama became Wagner’s only comedy and his only story featuring ordinary mortals. As Richard Sternfeld puts it, the Prelude “contains the germ of the entire musical cosmos of the opera.”

It opens with the rugged but formal theme of the guild of Mastersingers and the brassy March of the Mastersingers, based on an actual 16th-century Meistersinger melody. In contrast with these, the next section focuses on themes associated with love, the dominant musical idea being a phrase from the famous third act “Prize Song.” Following a fugato on the main Mastersinger theme, the three main themes plus a fourth are freely interwoven in a glorious climactic section presented in luxuriant counterpoint.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Benjamin Beilman, violin

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:30:02 GMT

Violinist Benjamin Beilman performs Brahms' Violin Concerto
January 22, 2022 at 8PM

Background:

Beilman studied with Almita and Roland Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago, Ida Kavafian and Pamela Frank at the Curtis Institute of Music, and Christian Tetzlaff at the Kronberg Academy, and has received many prestigious accolades including a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a London Music Masters Award. He has an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics and released his first disc, Spectrum , for the label in 2016, featuring works by Stravinsky, Janáček and Schubert. Beilman plays the “Engleman” Stradivarius from 1709 generously on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

Highlights:

In recital and chamber music, Beilman performs regularly at the major halls across the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Kölner Philharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Louvre (Paris), Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo) and at festivals he has performed at Verbier, Aix-en-Provence Easter, Prague Dvorak, Robeco Summer Concerts (Amsterdam), Music@Menlo, Marlboro and Seattle Chamber Music, amongst others. In early 2018, he premiered a new work dedicated to the political activist Angela Davis written by Frederic Rzewski and commissioned by Music Accord which he has performed extensively across the US.
Highlights of Beilman’s 2021/2022 season include performances of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge Concerto with the Indianapolis, Toledo, and Charlotte symphonies, as well as the premiere a new Violin Concerto by Chris Rogerson with the Kansas City Symphony and Gemma New. In Europe, highlights include performances with the Swedish Radio Symphony and Elim Chan, the Antwerp Symphony and Krzysztof Urbański, the Toulouse Symphony and Tugan Sokhiev, and the Trondheim Symphony and Han-Na Chan. He will also return to the BBC Scottish Symphony, and the Tonkünstler Orchestra, with whom he has recorded a concerto by Thomas Larcher.
Highlights in recent seasons include debuts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra as soloist in the Beethoven Concerto, conducted by Janowski; return engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra, both at home, and at Carnegie Hall; and his return to the London Chamber Orchestra to play-direct. In past seasons, Beilman has performed with many major orchestras worldwide including the Chicago Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle, Sydney Symphony, Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra.

Critical Praise:

"Beilman’s playing already has its own sure balance of technical command, intensity, and interpretive finesse.” The Boston Globe
"Mr. Beilman’s handsome technique, burnished sound and quiet confidence…showed why he has come so far so fast." The New York Times
“Beilman is a rare and wonderful violinist.” The Buffalo Times

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's "Messiah"

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:00:03 GMT

On December 12, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Handel's Messiah with Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director, and soloists Mireille Asselin, soprano, Annie Rosen, mezzo-soprano, John Tessier, tenor and Dean Elzinga, bass.

THE STORY BEHIND: Handel's Messiah

Title: Messiah , HWV 56

Composer: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed December 14, 2019 with Christine Noel conducting, Providence Singers and soloists Andriana Chuchman, Marion Newman, Isaiah Bell and Gregory Dahl. In addition to a chorus and solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, this piece is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, timpani, continuo, organ and strings.

The Story:
Handel settled permanently in England in 1712. He wanted to make his reputation and fortune there as an opera composer. For many years, he was successful in that endeavor, becoming the director of the Royal Academy of Music, an enterprise sponsored partially by the King for the production of Italian-style opera, Handel’s specialty. Public taste always changes, however, and Handel became the victim of the fickle crowd in 1728, when London went crazy over the first English ballad opera, The Beggar’s Opera . Little by little, the academy’s loyal subscribers lost interest in stilted Italian opera in favor of the more earthy and entertaining ballad operas, which were capturing the city’s theaters.

Handel was not the sort of composer to dabble in such lowbrow pastiches, no matter how financially successful they had become. Steadfast, he clung to his operatic enterprise, which he operated by himself. The company struggled along, producing more failures than successes. Then, during Lent in 1732, an event took place that affected the future direction of Handel’s career and permanently changed English musical history. Handel’s Esther was performed. It was the first oratorio ever given in London, and it created a real stir. That May, Handel presented six more performances of Esther , which the public received enthusiastically, in spite of his Italian singers that “made rare work with the English tongue you would have sworn it had been Welch,” according to one review.

Handel still did not give up Italian opera, however, and he continued to write new operas and revive the old ones. Each spring also brought some new (or revised) oratorio including Alexander’s Feast, Saul and Israel in Egypt . By the spring of 1741, it looked as though Handel had worn out his welcome in England. Rumors spread in London that Handel was considering moving back to The Continent. Then, in August, he received an invitation to present a concert for the benefit of Dublin’s charities. Using a libretto by Charles Jennens (author of Saul ), Handel composed Messiah between August 22 and September 14 — a period of only 24 days! The astonishing thing is that a work written in such haste should be such a consistent, peerless masterpiece. One might even speak of divine inspiration, for Handel once declared, “When I composed the Hallelujah Chorus, I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.”

The resounding success of Messiah and other Handel works in Dublin during 1741– 42 virtually inaugurated a new career for the composer, though it also had its difficulties. The London premiere of Messiah in 1743 had to be billed simply as “a new sacred oratorio,” since its title might be offensive to the puritanical element. Unfortunately, that was not all. Messiah was a failure at first, and only began to gain some success in 1750 when Handel conducted it for charity. Messiah , however, more than any other oratorio, set the trajectory for Handel’s re-emergence as a composer in England. Of course, it turned out to be the trajectory of a rocket to the stars for Handel’s future position in music and in the hearts of his listeners.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Providence Singers, Christine Noel, Artistic Director

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:00:02 GMT

Providence Singers perform Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background: Founded in 1971, the Providence Singers, under the direction of Christine Noel, celebrates choral art through concerts of masterworks and contemporary works, creative collaborations, recordings of American choral treasures, new music commissions and education programs. In addition to an annual concert series, the Singers has made frequent guest appearances throughout the region, including annual concerts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. The Singers performed with Kronos Quartet at FirstWorks, Dave Brubeck Quartet at Lincoln Center and Newport Jazz Festival, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Haven Philharmonic, Aurea Ensemble, Brown University Chorus and New Bedford Symphony. New choral works are commissioned through the Wachner Fund for New Music. Opportunities for community education and participation include vocal workshops, concert discussions and community sings. The Providence Singers supports emerging talent through its Fassett Fellowships for young adult singers and through the annual Young Men’s Choral Festival.

Background: Christine Noel recently conducted the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Providence Singers in Handel’s Messiah , and has enjoyed rich collaborations with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, having prepared the chorus for Larry Rachleff and Bramwell Tovey. She has led the Providence Singers through world premieres, commissions and the organization's fourth commercial recording — Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living . She has served on the music faculty and as director of choral activities at Clark University, Worcester, MA, and as musical director at Trinity Repertory Company. Dr. Noel is the Founding Artistic Director of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, an award-winning choral organization for youth ages 7-18, which recently made its Carnegie Hall debut. She has conducted the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education.

An active guest conductor, festival clinician, and adjudicator, she holds a master of music and a doctor of musical arts in conducting from Boston University, where she studied with Ann Howard Jones and David Hoose. Passionate about language study, she lived in Florence, Italy, for two years, where she completed the superior level of Italian studies at the University of Florence. She also served as assistant conductor and vocal coach for Italian choirs Animae Voces and Coro Polifonico di Caricentro di Firenze. Dr. Noel holds an undergraduate degree in music education from Rhode Island College, where she was the recipient of a Ridgway Shinn Fellowship for study at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary (1998-1999).

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Dean Elzinga, bass

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 18:59:18 GMT

Bass Dean Elzinga performs Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background:

A superb singer and actor, bass-baritone Dean Elzinga is regularly welcomed on concert and opera stages, often in 20th century works requiring his unique dramatic conviction and presence. He enjoyed international acclaim for Peter Maxwell Davies' fiendishly difficult Eight Songs for a Mad King, performing it in New York and Cleveland, with Jonathan Sheffer conducting the Eos and Red Orchestras, respectively. He sang the title role in Harold Farberman's A Song of Eddie and Schoenberg's Die glückliche Han d at New York's Bard Festival, and Elliott Carter's What next? at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Highlights:

Dean is among the most sought-after Beethoven No.9 basses, having performed this work with the Reading, Vancouver, Long Beach, New West, Phoenix, San Diego symphonies, Minnesota Orchestra, and Rochester and Naples philharmonics. Messiah engagements include the Toronto, Pacific, Baltimore and Ann Arbor symphonies and Florida Philharmonic. He has sung Haydn’s Creatio n with the Florida Orchestra and Amarillo Symphony, and the Mozart Requiem with the Eugene Symphony and Chautauqua Festival Orchestra.

Equally at home on the operatic stage, Mr. Elzinga's roles include Mozart’s Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen , Leporello and Méphistophélès at the Vienna Volksoper; two roles at Des Moines Metro Opera (Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progres s and the Four Villains in Offenbach's Les contes d’Hoffmann ); Nilakantha in The Pearl Fishers at Calgary Opera; Nick Shadow and Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Edmonton Opera, the Speaker in Mozart's Magic Flute with Michigan Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera and at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Leonard Slatkin. Of special note was his participation as Hagen in the Long Beach Opera’s reduction of Wagner’s Ring cycle. Conductors with whom he has worked include Christopher Seaman, John DeMain, David Lockington, Bertrand de Billy, Asher Fisch, Boris Brott, Emmanuel Villaume, Yves Abel and Maximiano Valdes.

Critical Praise:

“Bass-baritone Dean Elzinga brought an emotional heft that drew immediate focus when the Ninth Symphony turned to vocal input in its final movement, announcing that it was time to turn to joy.” The Ventura County Star
"Elzinga brought out this Schoenbergian range of outrage against tyranny with great immediacy...The performance will not soon be forgotten." The Los Angeles Times
“Friday’s performance was tight and exuberant, buoyed by first-class soloists. Bass-baritone Dean Elzinga seemed tailor-made for this kind of music, with his ringing projection and emphatic declamation.” The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

MEET THE SOLOIST: John Tessier, tenor

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:00:03 GMT

Tenor John Tessier performs Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background: On the international stages of opera, concert, and recital, Canadian John Tessier has garnered attention and praise for the beauty and honesty of his voice, for a refined style and creative versatility, and for his handsome, youthful presence in the lyric tenor repertoire. The Juno Award-winning artist has worked with many of the most notable conductors of our day including David Robertson, Leonard Slatkin, Plácido Domingo, John Nelson, Franz Welser-Möst, Emmanuelle Haïm, Charles Dutoit, Donald Runnicles, Robert Spano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Bernard Labadie.

Highlights:

John Tessier’s vibrant discography includes Mozart’s Requiem both with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and with Bernard Labadie and Les Violons du Roy, John Corigliano’s A Dylan Thomas Trilogy with Leonard Slatkin and the Nashville Symphony, Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Camille Saint-Saëns’s Henry VIII with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra and, Haydn’s The Creation with Jane Glover leading Music of the Baroque.
On the concert stage, the tenor has been heard in performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Iván Fischer and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust with the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, Mozart’s Requiem with Hervé Niquet leading the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah both with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Symphony, and Carmina Burana with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony.
In the 2020-21 season, John Tessier was engaged for performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and for a presentation of Anna Bolena at Edmonton Opera.
Performances of the 2019-2020 season included Il Barbiere di Siviglia with New Zealand Opera and Handel’s Messiah with Chicago’s International Music Foundation. He was engaged for performances of Die Fledermaus at the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Japan in a production staged by Metropolitan Opera director David Kneuss and conducted by Artistic Director Seiji Ozawa as well as for symphonic performances with the Calgary Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Bach Choir.

Critical Praise:

“Tessier has a lovely, limpid voice that carries extremely well. With its warm timbre, he seems to float to the highest notes, as in the famous aria Ah mes amis, in which he reeled off a whopping nine high Cs, completely free of strain.” Winnipeg Free Press
“John Tessier set the bar high with his flexible forward tenor…he handles Rossini’s runs with unostentatious ease, so the demanding coloratura sounds seamlessly part of a whole. More over he sings expressively and imbues honesty…” Boston Classical Review

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Annie Rosen, mezzo-soprano

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:00:14 GMT

Mezzo-soprano Annie Rosen performs Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background: Rosen was a 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions semifinalist. She holds additional awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera, and the Connecticut Opera Guild. She is a recipient of the Shoshana Foundation's Richard F. Gold Career Grant and the Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts from Yale College. Her apprenticeships included the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Lyric Opera of Chicago. A New Haven, CT native, Rosen earned degrees in musicology and performance from Yale University and Mannes College.

Highlights:

On the concert stage, Rosen enjoys a relationship with the New York Festival of Song, with whom she most recently performed as a guest alumna at Wolf Trap Opera in a tribute to Steven Blier. She was a founding member of the New York City-based chamber ensemble Cantata Profana, with whom she has performed Berio's Folk Songs , Ligeti's Nouvelles aventures , and Thomas Adès' Life Story . Some of her other recital repertoire has included chants of Hildegard von Bingen, Handel solo cantatas, song cycles by Berlioz and Shostakovich, and world premieres of Hindi and Farsi songs by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail. She is a 2021 semifinalist in the postponed Naumburg Vocal Competition for recitalists.
An aficionado of new and experimental work, Ms. Rosen joined the Lyric Opera of Kansas City's Explorations series in 2019 to present a fully staged version of Sarah Kirkland Snider's one-woman song cycle Penelope . Other fringe work has included a collaboration with L.A.-based director Annie Saunders and the International Contemporary Ensemble to help create The Wreck , a site-specific devised opera based on the poetry of Anne Sexton and the compositions of Mariana Sadovska; a fully staged interpretation of Gyorgy Kurtag's Kafka Fragments for solo voice and solo violin in New York City, which OperaNews hailed as “a flat-out triumph for its two fearless performers"; and a collaboration with the Hong Kong Ballet in Kurt Weill's Die Sieben Todsünden .
Last season, Rosen made her debut live and in HD at The Metropolitan Opera as Ankhesenpaaten/ Akhnaten , debuted with Calgary Opera as Adalgisa/ Norma , and appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall. Her last engagement of the season, Wellgunde in Wagner's complete Ring cycle with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, was canceled due to COVID-19.

Critical Praise:

"Annie Rosen gave a marvelous performance, particularly in the Handel, one I shall long remember and cherish. I was impressed with her dramatic range as a singer. While most notable in the classical repertoire, she also gave a very convincing homage to the singing style of Joan Baez in “The Silver Dagger.” Opera News
"Soprano Diana Newman and mezzo Annie Rosen, first-year Ryan Opera Center members of bright promise, had a ball with the comic shtick the director gave the silly stepsisters." Chicago Tribune

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Mireille Asselin, soprano

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:00:02 GMT

Soprano Mireille Asselin performs Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background: Mireille obtained her master of music from Yale University’s prestigious Opera Program in 2010, and was a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio (2011- 12 and 2012-13 seasons). Prior to her studies at Yale, she completed a bachelor of music at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (2007).

Highlights:

Mireille is an accomplished concert singer and recitalist and has appeared with many of North America’s major orchestras and festivals. She is also an acknowledged champion of contemporary music and has participated in a number of premieres and workshops of new compositions. Her discography includes two albums of Canadian repertoire – Ash Roses of music by composer Derek Holman on the Centrediscs label, and Inspired by Canada – Notre Pays with Marquis Classics and the Amici Chamber Ensemble. She is a core member of the Mirror Visions Ensemble and has even done film work, starring as Pamina in the feature film Magic Flute Diaries at the age of 21.
To date, Mireille has sung five seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, where she debuted as Poussette in Manon . She then made waves by jumping in as Adele for opening night of Die Fledermaus under the baton of James Levine, giving a performance that critics raved “stole the show,” hailing it as one of New York’s “most enchanting” of the season. Other assignments at the Metropolitan Opera have included covers of Valencienne in The Merry Widow , Jemmy in Guillaume Tell and Rosina in Il Barbiere Di Siviglia .
In the 2019-2020 season, she performed extensively with the Mirror Visions Ensemble in recitals across North America and her recording of Haydn’s Harmoniemesse with the Handel and Haydn Society was released on the CORO label.

Critical Praise:

“Both pieces benefited from consistently stylish singing, with Mireille Asselin… standing out among this capable ensemble cast.” The Boston Globe
“Possessed of a beautiful crystalline voice with a cool, bright middle register and clear-as-a-bell top, Asselin has a natural charm in her voice and in her bearing." New York Classical Review

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Bramwell Tovey, Handel's Messiah

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 14:00:06 GMT

Bramwell Tovey, conductor
Handel's Messiah
December 12, 2021 at 3PM

Background: As Artistic Advisor and Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, Bramwell Tovey embarks on his third season leading the Orchestra. Since his appointment in September 2018, Maestro Tovey has collaborated closely with staff and musicians to plan for this and future seasons.

GRAMMY and JUNO award-winning conductor and composer Bramwell Tovey is the newly appointed Music Director Designate of the Sarasota Orchestra. He will continue in his roles as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, Artistic Advisor to the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec.

Following an exceptional 18-year tenure as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony, which concluded in summer 2018, he now returns as the orchestra’s Music Director Emeritus. Under his leadership, the VSO toured China, Korea, Canada and the United States. His VSO innovations included the establishment of the VSO School of Music, the VSO’s annual festival of contemporary music and the VSO Orchestral Institute at Whistler, a comprehensive summer orchestral training program for young musicians held in the scenic mountain resort of Whistler in British Columbia.

With the resumption of concerts in summer 2021, Mr. Tovey has conducted the New York Philharmonic at Bravo Vail, Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and will lead the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Proms before embarking on a full schedule including a special concert in Sarasota to mark the beginning of his tenure followed by guest appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Helsingborg Symphony, Sweden.

In 2003, Mr. Tovey won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Composition for his choral and brass work Requiem for a Charred Skull . His song cycle, Ancestral Voices , which addresses the issue of Reconciliation, was written for acclaimed Kwagiulth mezzo-soprano Marion Newman and premiered in June 2017. His trumpet concerto, Songs of the Paradise Saloon , was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony for principal trumpet Andrew McCandless, and performed in 2014 by Alison Balsom with the Los Angeles, Philadelphia and London philharmonic orchestras. A recording of his opera, The Inventor , commissioned by Calgary Opera, features the original cast, members of UBC Opera and the VSO.

Mr. Tovey was the recipient of the Oskar Morawetz 2015 Prize for Excellence in Music Performance. He was previously Music Director of Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg where he led the world premiere of Penderecki’s Eighth Symphony on the opening of the principality’s new concert hall, the Philharmonie. He won the Prix d’or of the Academie Lyrique Française for his recording of Jean Cras’ 1922 opera Polyphème with OPL and toured with the orchestra to China, Korea, the United States and throughout Europe.

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's Symphony No.2

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 14:00:04 GMT

On November 13, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Romantic Rachmaninoff with pianist Natasha Paremski.

THE STORY BEHIND: Rachmaninoff's Symphony No.2

Title: Symphony No.2, op.27, E minor

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 8, 2008 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet in A, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

“To hell with them! I do not know how to write symphonies, and besides, I have no real desire to write them.” This statement by Sergei Rachmaninoff several years after writing the Second Symphony must have already come into his mind many times. His First Symphony, premiered in 1897, had been a critical failure and had plunged him into a deep depression. The Second would be a great success, but the composer could not see that as he struggled to complete his largest orchestral composition ever.

In the fall of 1906, Rachmaninoff began to draft a symphony, which he kept a secret. But when his friend, Alexander Siloti, leaked the news to the press, saying that Rachmaninoff would soon conduct the symphony’s premiere, it infuriated the composer. As he wrote in a letter of February 1907, “While I was planning to put it in ‘clean’ form, it became terribly boring and repulsive to me. So I threw it aside and took up something else.” Rachmaninoff turned again to the symphony that summer, finishing its orchestration for the immensely successful premieres in St. Petersburg and Moscow. His misgivings turned out to be unfounded. Russian concert-goers took the work immediately to their hearts, and the rest of the world soon followed.

The motive introduced at the opening in the low strings has vast consequences in the symphony, generating much of the symphony’s raw material, and appearing in every movement. The Adagio , with which this motive opens, unravels for some time until we meet the main Allegro . Unlike most symphonists before him, Rachmaninoff does not feel obliged to provide a dramatic or rhythmically marked theme to open. Instead, both of the principal themes are lyrical and long-lined. Dramatic intensity comes later, but it does not upset the smooth nature of the movement.

The second movement provides some of the symphony’s most bright and cheerful moments. The striking main theme interchanges with episodes in alternating lush, march-like, and mercurial styles. In the center comes a long, flowing reminder of the composer’s lyrical gifts.

For eloquent lyricism, Rachmaninoff reaches one of his career peaks with the Adagio , the main theme of which is among the most ravishing melodies he ever wrote. Although he presents a complementary theme immediately and reintroduces material from the first two movements, the composer knows what everyone wants and satisfies them by continually returning to and developing the main theme.

The finale opens with athletic vigor. Its main theme alternates with contrasting episodes and references to previous movements. At one point, the composer even stops everything to quote from the Adagio. Yet the exuberance of the main theme wins out, generating a long and satisfying finish to Rachmaninoff’s finest symphonic testament.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:00:02 GMT

On November 13, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Romantic Rachmaninoff with pianist Natasha Paremski.

THE STORY BEHIND: Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major

Title: Piano Concerto in G major

Composer: Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed October 15, 2011 with Michael Stern conducting and soloist Joyce Yang. In addition to a solo piano, this piece is scored for flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story:

An apocryphal anecdote relates that when George Gershwin asked Maurice Ravel to give him composition lessons, Ravel asked Gershwin how much money he was earning from music. On hearing some astonishing figure, Ravel supposedly responded, “Perhaps, I should take lessons from you! ” The meeting actually took place, but Ravel really said, “You would only lose the spontaneous quality of your melody and end by writing bad Ravel.”

In a way, Ravel did take lessons from Gershwin. Several of Ravel’s works, notably his Piano Concerto in G Major, make use of jazz rhythms, “blue” notes, and other features of American vernacular style. The first movement of Ravel’s concerto (composed in 1931) is in several respects a remarkable sequel to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and Concerto in F Major (1925). The frenetic rhythm patterns and Ravel’s “bluesy” main theme in this movement bear an uncanny resemblance to Gershwin’s adaptations of the jazz idiom.

The slow movement of the Concerto in G Major was, compositionally, one of the most difficult pieces Ravel ever wrote. He later remarked that he composed it two measures at a time, using as his inspiration Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet (K. 581). However, with its languid waltz rhythms and wandering melody, it also owes something also to Satie’s Gymnopédies and Chopin’s Nocturnes.

The American jazz idiom returns in the finale, but in a subtler, more organic way than in the first movement. This lighthearted conclusion, in the words of Edward Downes, “flies at such supersonic speed that it seems to finish before it has started.”

The witty, playful nature of the outer movements reveals Ravel’s original intention to call the concerto a Divertissement . This helps to explain the scarcity of blend between piano and orchestra. As Ravel himself commented:

A concerto can be gay and brilliant and need not try to be profound or strive after dramatic effects. It has been said of some of the great classic composers that their concertos were written, not for but against the piano, and I think this is perfectly correct.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Price's "Dances in the Canebrakes"

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 13:00:02 GMT

On November 13, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Romantic Rachmaninoff with pianist Natasha Paremski.

THE STORY BEHIND: Price's Dances in the Canebrakes

Title: Dances in the Canebrakes

Composer: Florence Price (1887-1953)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, three horns, three trumpets, two trombones, alto saxophone, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story:

Florence Price (née Smith) is a significant Black composer of concert music. Among her many other honors, Price was the first African-American woman to have a composition performed by a major orchestra.

She hailed from the area of Little Rock, Arkansas, where she graduated high school (as valedictorian) at the age of 14. Moving on to Boston’s New England Conservatory, she studied piano and organ, composing her first symphony and graduating with honors (1906) with a double major in organ and music education. Professor/Composer George Whitefield Chadwick continued to be a mentor to Price for many years. Returning to Arkansas, Florence taught at the college level, and in 1912, she married Attorney Thomas J. Price. Together they had two daughters and a son.

To escape racial oppression, the Price family moved to Chicago in 1927. There Florence began a long period of compositional activity. Notably, her Symphony in E minor won a major award and was premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock, conducting.

In 1931, the Prices divorced, and Florence soon moved in with her close friend, Margaret Bonds. At that point, Price’s most productive creative period began. In addition to orchestral, chamber, and piano music, she composed widely for the voice, leading to warm, valuable friendships with Black singers Marian Anderson and Roland Hayes. (Anderson would usually end her recitals with a Black spiritual as arranged by Price.) In 1964, Chicago honored Price (posthumously) by naming an elementary school after her.

Many of Price’s compositions focused on the Black American Experience, spanning its history from the days of slavery through the first half of the 20th century. This is the case with her three piano pieces, collectively titled Dances in the Canebrakes . A canebrake is a thicket of tall cane plants, similar to bamboo that grows at the marshy edge of a stream or lake. Canebrakes are common in the Deep South. In pre-Civil War days, when the South’s rich economy depended almost entirely on growing and processing cotton, canebrakes (wild stands of cane) had to be cleared before the adjacent land could be cultivated for cotton planting. Teams of Black slaves labored on the clearing jobs, apparently lasting several days in many cases. Thus, at night they would probably amuse themselves by singing and dancing.

Florence Price composed Dances in the Canebrakes in its original piano version in 1953, the year of her death (from a stroke). Thus, part of the work’s significance is that it was one of her last compositions. Subsequently, a more successful Black composer, William Grant Still, orchestrated the three movements of the little suite. The connection between Price and Still is unclear.

The easily heard underlying rhythms of the three “dances” were derived from stage and ballroom dances from the time of Scott Joplin (c. 1900) and earlier. The first movement, titled Nimble Feet , is a “rag.” We hear this intertwined with fragments of a cheery melody.

A “slow drag,” the dominant rhythm of the second movement, supports a dreamy melody, which is passed around various sections of the orchestra. The central musical segment is more assertive, before consolidating both moods in a final segment of music.

The word “cane” in the last movement’s title, Silk Hat and Walking Cane , may be a play on words. The predominant rhythm here is the “cakewalk,” a ballroom dance of the late 19th century. Again in three sections, the music cleverly combines the feeling of theatrical dance with fashionable ballroom dancing.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Natasha Paremski, piano Romantic Rachmaninoff

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:00:09 GMT

MEET THE SOLOIST: Natasha Paremski, piano

Romantic Rachmaninoff, November 13, 2021, 8PM.

Pianist Natasha Paremski performs Ravel's Piano Concerto in G
November 13, 2021 at 8PM

Background: Natasha began her piano studies at the age of four with Nina Malikova at Moscow’s Andreyev School of Music. She then studied at San Francisco Conservatory of Music before moving to New York to study with Pavlina Dokovska at Mannes College of Music, from which she graduated in 2007. Natasha made her professional debut at age nine with El Camino Youth Symphony in California. At the age of 15 she debuted with Los Angeles Philharmonic and recorded two discs with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Born in Moscow, Natasha moved to the United States at the age of eight, becoming a U.S. citizen shortly thereafter, and is now based in New York.

Highlights:

A passionate chamber musician, Natasha is a regular recital partner of GRAMMY winning cellist Zuill Bailey, with whom she has recorded a number of CDs. Their Britten album on Telarc debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Chart, remaining there for a number of weeks, in addition to being featured on The New York Times Playlist. She has been a guest of many chamber music festivals such as Jeffrey Kahane's Green Music Center ChamberFest, the Lockenhaus, Toronto, Sitka Summer Music and Cape Cod Chamber Music festivals to name a few.

Natasha was awarded several prestigious prizes at a very young age, including the Gilmore Young Artists prize in 2006 at the age of 18, the Prix Montblanc in 2007 and the Orpheum Stiftung Prize in Switzerland. In September 2010, she was awarded the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year.

Natasha continues to extend her performance activity and range beyond the traditional concert hall. In December 2008, she was the featured pianist in choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s Danses Concertantes at New York’s Joyce Theater. She was featured in a major two-part film for BBC Television on the life and work of Tchaikovsky, shot on location in St. Petersburg, performing excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and other works. In the winter of 2007, Natasha participated along with Simon Keenlyside in the filming of Twin Spirits , a project starring Sting and Trudie Styler that explores the music and writing of Robert and Clara Schumann, which was released on DVD.

Critical Praise:

“The confiding quality of Paremski’s rendition channeled the intensity of a young man’s love, or perhaps of a composer in love with the idea of being in love. She played the opening movement with poetic delicacy, producing a rounded tone.” Los Angeles Times
"Hers was a deeply personal Rachmaninoff Third, by turns pensive and tempestuous, warmly songful and brazenly fast." Chicago Tribune
“Natasha Paremski came, played and conquered.” Chicago Classical Review

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Kensho Watanabe, Romantic Rachmaninoff

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:00:02 GMT

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: Kensho Watanabe, Romantic Rachmaninoff, November 13, 2021, 8pm

Kensho Watanabe, conductor
Romantic Rachmaninoff
November 13, 2021 at 8PM

Upcoming highlights include Kensho’s returns to the Sarasota Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony, as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra for subscription concerts in the 2021-22 season. Notable debuts this season include the Charlotte Symphony, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Sarasota Orchestra, as well as Kensho’s Polish debut with the Szczecin Philharmonic and his Suntory Hall debut with the Tokyo Philharmonic conducting Beethoven 9.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique"

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:00:17 GMT

On October 16, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Tchaikovsky's Pathétique with violinist Jennifer Frautschi.

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky's Pathétique

Title: Symphony No.6, op.74, TH 30, B minor (Pathétique)

Composer: Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 22, 2014 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

"As you know, I destroyed a symphony that I had partly composed and orchestrated . . . for it contained little that was really fine: an empty pattern of sounds without any inspiration. . . . [Then] the idea came to me for a new symphony. This time with a program; but a program of a kind that remains an enigma to all; let them guess it who can."

Thus, Peter I. Tchaikovsky described the birth of his Pathétique Symphony in a letter of February 1893 to Vladimir Davydov, the person to whom he would dedicate the work. For years, the wildest guesses abounded concerning the hidden program. Finally, 20th-century research turned up a brief notation among Tchaikovsky’s sketches that could be dated 1892. It read:

"The ultimate essence of the plan of the symphony is LIFE . First part: all impulsive passion, confidence, thirst for activity. Must be short. (Finale DEATH — result of collapse.) Second part love; third disappointments; fourth ends dying away (also short)."

Since the composer’s letter implies that the discarded symphony did not have a program, this would appear to be a draft of the program to the Pathétique Symphony. A draft, but not the final plan, for there were revisions: The first part is not short but takes up about half the total length of the work and, arguably, the third part does not suggest disappointments.

The Adagio lamentoso emerges from the orchestral depths, mournfully forecasting the agitated first theme-complex that appears at the Allegro . The Andante second theme is one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous and most consummately beautiful melodies. Digressing from it momentarily, the theme returns glorified by a rich accompaniment. Following a development section built exclusively on earlier material, even more glorious settings of the famous theme are the heart of the final reprise.

Tchaikovsky, famous for his waltzes, makes the second movement gracefully waltz-like, but the music is in the asymmetrical 5/4 time instead of the traditional 3/4. Delicate pathétique emotion characterizes the Trio section, which allows fragments of the main waltz to bleed through before the formal reprise. As a counterbalance, Trio motives reemerge during the final coda.

The beginning of a Scherzo is gradually vanquished by a defiantly heroic march approaching from the distance. The movement proceeds as a sonata form without development. Concerning its fierce conclusion, Donald Tovey remarks:

"It would, if translated into literature, be the triumph of the real hero not the story. He might share in it at the time; but his heart will be in the mood of Tchaikovsky’s finale."

After the sheer power of the march, the movement that the composer marked “Finale” might sound more like an epilogue. It is the antithesis of Beethoven’s victorious finales. The working out of its two themes brings a climax of pathetic emotion that effectively answers questions posed in the first movement. Then, in its dying moments, the symphony returns to where it began in the depths of the orchestra.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Sibelius' Violin Concerto

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:00:06 GMT

On October 16, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Tchaikovsky's Pathétique with violinist Jennifer Frautschi.

THE STORY BEHIND: Sibelius' Violin Concerto

Title: Violin Concerto, op.47, D minor

Composer: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed January 20, 2007 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Jennifer Frautschi. In addition to a solo violin, this piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story:

"Jean can only be saved by the efforts of those closest to him; left to himself he will go to pieces. He has hobnobbed far too long and often with the dregs of Helsinki “culture” for him to be able to drag himself out of their clutches of his own free will."

These words of advice were written by the composer’s friend and benefactor, Axel Carpelan, to Sibelius’s wife, Aino. The message portrays Jean Sibelius at the height of turmoil and debauchery in 1903. On occasion during that time, the sensitive Aino actually had to drag the composer away from a tavern with the help of a friend. That way, he could sober up and try to meet his commitment to complete his violin concerto.

Little wonder, then, that Sibelius (who once dreamed of becoming a violin virtuoso) grew dissatisfied with the 1903 version of his concerto after its premiere and decided to revise it. Meanwhile, Aino had persuaded him to leave Helsinki in 1904 and move to the country villa where he would live the rest of his life. There, Sibelius’s life soon regained its equilibrium, and he went on to revise the violin concerto successfully in 1906.

The work is noted for its rhapsodic nature and technical challenges, all of which are dear to violinists. The style of themes is particularly idiomatic to the violin. In the first movement, the high, lyrical first theme contrasts with the brooding yet forceful second. Both find their way into the brilliant solo cadenza later in the movement.

In the engaging second movement, a “romance,” the melancholy theme of the opening section is set off by the even darker middle section material. This movement is known for its poignant emotional qualities.

The rondo finale is a warm, Gypsy-style movement full of bright spirits and rich, shady orchestration. The main theme was once characterized by Sir Donald Tovey as a “polonaise for polar bears.” Of course, Tovey meant it in good humor, for he went on to rank the work as “one of the three most attractive concertos ever written” and to remark, “I have not met with a more original, a more masterly, and a more exhilarating work than the Sibelius violin concerto.”

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Tower's Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 13:00:03 GMT

On October 16, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Tchaikovsky's Pathétique with violinist Jennifer Frautschi.

Title: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman
Composer: Joan Tower (1938- )
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion.
The Story:

Joan Tower has become one of her generation's most dynamic and colorful composers. Born in New Rochelle, New York, she studied piano and composition, completing her musical education at Columbia University (D.M.A., 1978). Tower has been a champion of contemporary music. In this endeavor, she co-founded the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1969 and remained its pianist until 1984. Since then, her activities in the field of composition have left her little time for performance. From 1985 to 1988, she was composer-in-residence at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as part of the Meet-the-Composer Program. There she wrote Silver Ladders , which was performed widely by other U.S. orchestras and won her the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. Other awards and grants Tower has garnered include fellowships from NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation, a Koussevitzky Foundation grant, and an award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Presently, Tower is Asher B. Edelman Professor in the Arts in the Music Department of Bard College Conservatory of Music, where she has taught since 1972.

Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman was commissioned by the Houston Symphony Orchestra as part of its Fanfare Project series. Tower's work was premiered in January 1987. It made such a deep impression that she later composed a Second Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman for Absolut Vodka and a Third Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman for the Carnegie Hall Centennial Celebrations. About her first Fanfare , Tower has written:

Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman was inspired by Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and has, in fact, the same instrumentation. The original theme resembles the theme in my piece. It is dedicated to women who take risks and who are adventurous.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Jennifer Frautschi, violin

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 13:00:04 GMT

Violinist Jennifer Frautschi performs Sibelius' Violin Concerto
October 16, 2021 at 8PM

Background: Two-time GRAMMY nominee and Avery Fisher career grant recipient Jennifer Frautschi has garnered worldwide acclaim as a musically adventurous violinist with a wide-ranging repertoire. Born in Pasadena, California, Ms. Frautschi began studying violin at age three. She was a student of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. She also attended Harvard, New England Conservatory of Music, and The Juilliard School, where she studied with Robert Mann. She currently teaches violin in the graduate program at Stony Brook University. She performs on a 1722 Antonio Stradivarius violin known as the “ex-Cadiz,” on generous loan to her from a private American foundation with support from Rare Violins In Consortium.

Highlights:

Selected by Carnegie Hall for its Distinctive Debuts series, she made her New York recital debut in Weill Hall; and as part of the European Concert Hall Organization’s Rising Stars series, debuted at ten of Europe’s most celebrated concert venues, including the Salzburg Mozarteum, Vienna Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, La Cité de la Musique in Paris, and Brussels’ Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie.
Ms. Frautschi performs regularly at Caramoor Center for the Arts, where she was first invited by André Previn as a “Rising Star” at the age of 18, during her freshman year at Harvard. Internationally, she has performed at Chanel’s Pygmalion Series in Tokyo, the Cartagena International Music Festival in Columbia, the Spoleto Festival of the Two Worlds and Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy, Pharo’s Trust in Cyprus, Kutna Hora Festival in the Czech Republic, Toronto Summer Music in Canada, St. Barth’s Music Festival in the French West Indies, and toured England with musicians from Prussia Cove, culminating in a concert in London’s Wigmore Hall. She has also premiered important new works by Barbara White, Mason Bates, Oliver Knussen, Krzysztof Penderecki, Michael Hersch and others, and has appeared at New York’s George Crumb Festival and Stefan Wolpe Centenary Concerts.

Her extensive discography includes several discs for Naxos: the Stravinsky Violin Concerto with Philharmonia Orchestra of London, conducted by the legendary Robert Craft, and two GRAMMY-nominated recordings with the Fred Sherry Quartet, of Schoenberg’s Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra [nominated for ‘Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra)’ in 2006] and the Schoenberg Third String Quartet [nominated for ‘Best Chamber Music Performance’ in 2011].

Critical Praise:

"...And speaking of “star,” where do we begin with Jennifer Frautschi? She glowed in sleeveless fuchsia, and her 1722 Stradivarius violin glowed a burnished amber in her hands. Her beautiful face yearning and imperious by turns, this Pasadena native commanded the stage with a treatment of Beethoven’s violin concerto that left this listener hoping that she makes San Luis Obispo a regular stop."

San Luis Obispo New Times

"The West Coast premiere of James Stephenson’s riveting violin concerto “Tributes” gave guest soloist Jennifer Frautschi an electric score through which to showcase her elegant and effortless playing, even in the most breathtakingly fast and intense passages." Santa Cruz Sentinel
"Frautschi, a Brookline resident, made the piece personal with an incisive tone and subtle phrasing. She was impassioned in the opening Allegro molto appassionato and tender in the Andante without turning it into an Adagio; her articulation of the scurrying Allegro molto vivace finale was exceptionally lucid." The Boston Globe

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Brahms' Symphony No.4

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 13:00:05 GMT

On September 18, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the Opening Night concert of their 2021-2022 season with mezzo-soprano Susan Platts.

Title: Symphony No.4, op.98, E minor
Composer: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 21, 2013 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings.
The Story:

During the summer of 1885 at the summer retreat of Mürzzuschlag, and just one year after completing his Third Symphony, Johannes Brahms set to work on his fourth and final symphonic essay. That year he completed only the first two movements, which he kept secret until the following summer. At that point, he wrote the finale and then the third movement. Ever skeptical of his own work, Brahms played a four-hand piano version of it for a handful of friends before releasing the orchestral score for performance. The composer himself conducted the premiere with Hans von Bülow’s Meiningen orchestra, and to Brahms’s surprise, the symphony was a success with the public.

What to listen for: One of the most powerful features of the Fourth Symphony is its economy of means. Terseness is obvious right from the first theme: a graceful, expansive musical idea built on just two notes, which Brahms turns upside down and extends to generate nearly the entire theme. After a bit, listen for a distinctive rhythmic idea in the background. It has something of a Spanish flavor. This idea becomes important later in the movement.

The opening of the second movement is also simple and economical. This movement has been placed among Brahms’s greatest orchestral statements. Listen for some subtle medieval qualities in this music. In contrast to the slower outer sections of the movement, Brahms provides a rhythmically active middle section.

The reserve and control of the first two movements are put aside in the third: rugged music that recalls the boisterous humor of Beethoven. Brahms subtly enhances the music’s joviality by adding a triangle for this movement only.

Brahms’s Fourth Symphony harks back to the 18th century in many respects. The most obvious connection is the theme for the last movement, which Brahms selected and adapted from J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 150. This is not exactly a “theme” per se, but a sequence of chords, which provides the underpinning for the musical cycle of variations that follows. As in Bach, Brahms’s variations flow organically from one to another and are organized into three large sections. Listen for the slower pastoral middle section, which provides relief from the harmonic intensity and orchestrational power of the first section. An elaborated reprise of the theme announces the forcible concluding section, which ends the symphony in a terse yet powerful final variation.

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THE STORY BEHIND: Mahler's Rückert-Lieder

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:00:05 GMT

On September 18, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present the Opening Night concert of their 2021-2022 season with mezzo-soprano Susan Platts.

Title: Rückert-Lieder

Composer: Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. In addition to a solo mezzo-soprano, this piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, oboe d’amore, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano, celesta and strings.

The Story:

An irrepressible vocal composer, Gustav Mahler wrote six groups of orchestrally accompanied songs for voice(s) and included the voice in four of his ten symphonies. His song composition often flowed into his symphonic thought; a song composed with piano or orchestral accompaniment sometimes became a symphonic movement.

In his early works (before 1900), Mahler’s chief poetic source was Brentano’s large collection of folk poetry titled Des Knaben Wunderhorn (“From the Youth’s Magic Horn,” which also become the title of a Mahler song cycle). However, beginning in 1901, his inspiration came largely from a single poet, the German romantic Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866). Over the next three years, Mahler composed ten songs on Rückert’s verse, and in 1905 he wrote to composer Anton Webern: “After Des Knaben Wnderhorn I could not compose anything but Rückert — this is lyric poetry from the source, all else is lyric poetry of a derivative sort.”

Kindertotenlieder (“Songs of the Death of Children,” 1901-1904) became Mahler’s most famous Rückert orchestral song cycle. While working on that massive masterpiece, he was also composing some individual settings of Rückert. Lacking a central idea, these songs are related by being based on the author’s own experiences and introspective explorations: the central principle underlying Mahler’s entire oeuvre. The handfuls of songs that resulted are loosely titled Five Rückert Songs , and they have often been overshadowed by the monumental Kindertotenlieder , but far from being incidental, they are some of the most beautiful, elegant, and intimately lyrical vocal music to come from Mahler’s pen.

One of Mahler’s means of achieving intimacy is his chamber-orchestra scoring. In the first two songs, we hear single winds and limited brass. Contrabasses are missing from the first song, and cellos are also tacit in the second. Another feature shared by the two songs is a murmuring perpetual counter-melody in the strings. Both also have folksong qualities. In Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder (“Do not eavesdrop on my songs”), the opening line returns like a refrain or motto. However, this occurs before the end of the first stanza, which turns the expected strophic design topsy-turvy and makes the song more like a continuous lyrical narrative.

Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft! (“I breathed a gentle fragrance”) focuses musically on enchanting folk-like vocal melody. This, in turn, becomes the foil for gently witty word-play from the poet ( linden Duft = gentle fragrance; Lindenduft = fragrance of lime) and frequent alliteration, especially on the letter “L.” A somewhat impressionistic quality pervades the music, made possible partially by the bell-like celesta combined with the harp.

Scored mainly for a wind ensemble, Um Mitternacht (“At Midnight”) is certainly the grandest and perhaps the most profound of the Five Rückert Songs . Framing each stanza with the title phrase, the poet then encapsulates one personal crisis in the four short lines. Beginning quietly (yet with slight tension), the musical style progresses gradually toward Mahler-esque symphonic nobility. The climactic moment comes at last, when the poet/composer gives over his life to God.

Of Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (“I have lost track of the world”), Mahler later wrote, “It is feeling that rises to the lips but does not pass beyond them! . . . It is my very self!” In this song, we have the clearest instance of Mahler’s autobiographical bent in the Rückert songs. For we know that he had time to compose only on vacations in the mountains, where he would trudge off daily to a small cabin far away from “the world.” The meditative quiet of this place pervades the song. In it, the introspective style has been compared with the Adagietto of the Fifth Symphony, which Mahler was composing at the time.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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THE STORY BEHIND: Montgomery's Banner

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 14:15:53 GMT

Title: Banner

Composer: Jessie Montgomery (1981- )

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, timpani, strings and string quartet.

The Story:

Composer-violinist-educator Jessie Montgomery hails from New York’s Lower East Side, where her father managed a music studio. She was, in her words, “constantly surrounded by all different kinds of music.” Thus, her own compositions have drawn from many diverse influences, such as African-American spirituals, civil rights anthems, improvisational styles, modern jazz, film scoring, etc. From those early years, she developed, chiefly as a violinist, to receive degrees from the Juilliard School and New York University. In her professional performing life, Montgomery has been a member of the Providence String Quartet and the Catalyst Quartet. The latter began as a project of the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, which creates opportunities for African-American and Latinx string players.

As a composer, Montgomery is currently the Mead Composer-in-Residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and was the resident Composer-Educator for the Albany Symphony during the 2015-16 season. In addition, she has been recognized with grants and fellowships from the American Composers Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, the Joyce Foundation, and the Sorel Organization. Her reputation has been spreading steadily, mainly in North America, beginning in New York City, Providence, and Boston, reaching out to Deer Valley, Utah; Miami Beach, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; and Toronto, Ontario.

About Banner , Montgomery writes:

Banner is a tribute to the 200th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner , [the lyrics of which were written by Francis Scott Key in 1814]. Banner is a rhapsody on the theme of The Star Spangled Banner . Drawing on musical and historical sources from various world anthems and patriotic songs, I’ve made an attempt to answer the question: “What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multi-cultural environment?

In 2009, I was commissioned by the Providence String Quartet and Community MusicWorks to write Anthem , a tribute to the historical election of Barack Obama. In that piece, I wove together the theme from The Star Spangled Banner with the commonly named Black National Anthem , Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson (which coincidentally share the exact same phrase structure).

Banner picks up where Anthem left off by using a similar backbone source in its middle section, but expands further both in the amount of references and also in the role played by the string quartet as the individual voice working both with and against the larger community of the orchestra behind them. The structure is loosely based on traditional marching band form, where there are several strains or contrasting sections, preceded by an introduction, and I have drawn on the drum line chorus as a source for the rhythmic underpinning in the finale. Within the same tradition, I have attempted to evoke the breathing of a large brass choir as it approaches the climax of the “trio” section. A variety of other cultural anthems and American folk songs and popular idioms interact to form various textures in the finale section, contributing to a multi-layered fanfare.

The Star Spangled Banner is an ideal subject for exploration in contradictions. For most Americans, the song represents a paradigm of liberty and solidarity against fierce odds, and for others it implies a contradiction between the ideals of freedom and the realities of injustice and oppression. As a culture, it is my opinion that we Americans are perpetually in search of ways to express and celebrate our ideals of freedom — a way to proclaim, “we’ve made it!” as if the very action of saying it aloud makes it so. And for many of our nation’s people, that was the case: through work songs and spirituals, enslaved Africans promised themselves a way out and built up the nerve to endure the most abominable treatment for the promise of a free life. Immigrants from Europe, Central America, and the Pacific have sought out a safe haven here and though met with the trials of building a multi-cultured democracy, continue to find rooting in our nation and make significant contributions to our cultural landscape. [At the present time,], a tribute to the U.S. National Anthem means acknowledging the contradictions, leaps and bounds, and milestones that allow us to celebrate and maintain the tradition of our ideals.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

MEET THE SOLOIST: Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 12:45:05 GMT

Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano performs Mahler's Rückert-Lieder
September 18, 2021 at 8PM

Background: British-born Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts brings a uniquely rich and wide-ranging voice to concert and recital repertoire for alto and mezzo-soprano, particularly esteemed for her performances of Gustav Mahler's works. She is a Fellow of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, which gave her the opportunity to work closely with Jessye Norman.

Highlights:

Ms. Platts’ recent opera highlights include Die Walküre with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Opera House, John Adams' Nixon in China with the BBC Symphony, as well as Britten's Albert Herring (Pacific Opera, Vancouver Opera), Erda in Wagner’s Das Rheingold (Pacific Opera) and Bernstein’s A Quiet Place(Montreal Symphony Orchestra).
Ms. Platts’ discography includes Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (chamber version) on the Naxos label, Das Lied von der Erde (full version) for Fontec Records with the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Smithsonian Chamber Players and Santa Fe Pro Musica for Dorian Records, Brahms Zwei Gesänge with Steven Dann and Lambert Orkis, and a solo disc of Lieder by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms on the ATMA label.
Ms. Platts has appeared on many distinguished art song series including Vocal Arts Society at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Ladies Morning Musical Club in Montreal, Aldeburgh Connection in Toronto, and both the Frick Collection and Lincoln Center “Art of the Song” series in New York City.

Critical Praise:

"Her voice is startlingly attractive from top to bottom, with a sure and strong upper register descending like honey to the yeasty depths of a contralto. A voice like this - there are not many - is such a pleasure to hear...radiantly persuasive..." Washington Post
"It was difficult to imagine such rich, creamy, seamlessly produced sounds coming from such a petite person. Yet it was easy to imagine why they have attracted the attention of such major orchestras as the Cleveland, the Pittsburgh and Houston Symphonies, and l'Orchestre de Paris." Toronto Star
"The dark amber tones of her mezzo soprano are substantial and yet flexible, secure and yet with an emotional vulnerability, powerful and yet not overbearing. Her musicianship, plenty of control, technique and linguistic ease is as impressive as her instrument." Globe and Mail.

Tickets start at $15! Click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 ("Emperor")

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 12:52:43 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 ("Emperor")

Title: Piano Concerto No.5, op.73, E-flat major (Emperor)

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed September 17, 2016 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Garrick Ohlsson. This piece is scored for solo piano, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

It is a truism to say that Ludwig van Beethoven changed the course of music history. However, it is another matter, and a more exciting one, to hear a Beethoven composition that actually did change history. The “Emperor” Piano Concerto is such a work.

Before Beethoven, the role of the performer was more creative than in later times. Performers were expected to improvise not only ornaments and filler passages but, in a solo concerto, also a whole cadenza (long solo near the end of the first movement). It was the performer’s job to “finish” the composition for the audience (in the same way, today, that an interior decorator finishes the work of an architect and a builder). Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto wrested that decorative privilege from the performer, who often took too much license with it anyway. In this concerto’s first movement just before the conclusion, where the soloist’s cadenza is expected, Beethoven wrote in the score, “Non si fa una cadenza, ma s’attacca subito il seguente” (“Do not play a cadenza, but immediately proceed to the following”). With those fateful words, Beethoven seized full control and forever closed what one analyst has called “the saddest chapter in the story of the concerto.” The movement continues with Beethoven’s own written-out cadenza, briefly treating the two principal themes and gradually bringing in the orchestra for a triumphant ending.

The second movement projects a nocturnal atmosphere through its song-like theme and following delicate treatments of it. At the soft, sustained ending, the finale bursts forth exuberantly. This movement has an ingenious architecture in which the main theme keeps reappearing between episodes, always growing and evolving. However, despite the analysis that such formal genius invites, the concerto’s finale is impetuous and spontaneous, written with the exhilaration and pure joy of a creative artist making a modern form out of an old one.

The “Emperor” Concerto was written in 1809, the year of the French siege and occupation of Vienna, when Beethoven’s patron and student, Archduke Rudolf, suddenly had to leave the city to protect his safety. This was the occasion of Beethoven’s Les Adieux piano sonata, dedicated to Rudolph, as was the concerto. By 1809, Beethoven had grown too deaf to perform at the piano, and perhaps for that reason the “Emperor” was his final piano concerto. Probably because of the war, the work had to wait until 1812 for its premiere. At that occasion, the press was ecstatic, calling the work “one of the most original, imaginative, most effective but also one of the most difficult of all existing concertos.” The exact origin of the nickname “Emperor” is unknown, but a story persists that a French army officer attending the premiere enthusiastically dubbed it “an emperor among concertos.”

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Single event in-person or livestream options starting at $35, click HERE or call 401-248-7000 to purchase today!

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's "March for the Royal Society of Musicians"

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 13:00:06 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's March for the Royal Society of Musicians"

Title: March for the Royal Society of Musicians, Hob.VIII:3bis

Composer: Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two flutes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

“I am Salomon from London, and I have come to fetch you. . .” These words, announced on Haydn’s doorstep in 1791, helped to determine the major events of the next four years in the life of Joseph Haydn. Haydn would actually spend two periods in London during that time, usually using Johan Salomon as his agent and concert promoter.

Private and public commissions for Haydn’s music also occurred, notably one from the Prince of Wales (heir to the royal throne). Haydn’s piece was for a traditionally large English ensemble of winds and percussion, and it premiered in early 1792. That spring the composer was commissioned to prepare another commission, this time from an old professional “guild,” the Royal Society of Musicians. Haydn merely added a full string section to his March for the Prince of Wales to create the March for the Royal Society of Musicians for orchestra. This was performed later that year. (Today, a performance of either version usually bears the Royal Society of Musicians title.)

What to listen for. The main theme is distinct for its spikey “dotted” rhythms. It returns after each alternating section, and you should be able to recognize it easily. Notice that each alternating portion is in full contrast the main theme, being smoother and using differing characteristics like instrumentation, rhythmic character, etc.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Overture from "Egmont"

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 12:00:49 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Overture from "Egmont"

Title: Egmont: op.84: Overture

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed April 13, 2013 with Larry Rachleff conducting. This piece is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

When, in 1809, Ludwig van Beethoven received a commission to compose the overture and incidental music to Wolfgang von Goethe’s tragic play, Egmont, it was a welcome opportunity. Goethe, the Shakespeare of German literature and the leading intellectual of his time, was one of Beethoven’s personal heroes. On top of that, the subject matter of Egmont rebellion and triumph over tyranny was of deep concern to the composer. That was also the theme of his opera, Fidelio, which he was struggling to revise at the time.

Count Egmont is a historical personage of the 16th century, serving in the Netherlands under King Philip II of Spain. He is loyal to the crown and to the Catholic faith, but he champions tolerance of Protestants and other non-Catholics. Egmont is entrapped, imprisoned and finally beheaded. In the final moments of the play, Egmont realizes that his death will signal a rebellion against tyranny and oppression. As he faces execution, he declares, “Defend your land! And to liberate your loved ones, give yourselves joyfully, as I have given you an example!” Goethe indicates that the play ends with a “Victory Symphony.”

Beethoven expresses the substance, but not the literal details, of Egmont in the overture. The slow introduction, with its dark and brutal minor chords and ponderous rhythm, sets the ominous tone of tragedy. The impulsive, plunging main theme might represent Egmont himself, the prophet of righteous rebellion. Beethoven transforms the rhythmic chords from the introduction into part of the second theme, here giving it a heroic tinge. Near the end, the “brutal” chords return. Just at the darkest moment, the final section unexpectedly and quietly rouses itself, very quietly at first but soon building to a glorious fortissimo. This is one of Beethoven’s finest triumphant endings, and in the play it becomes the “Victory Symphony” heard when Egmont mounts the execution block and utters his final, triumphant words.

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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THE STORY BEHIND: Montgomery’s “Starburst”

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 15:18:57 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Montgomery’s “Starburst”

On October 17, violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman and cellist Amanda Forsyth will join the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for their 75th Anniversary Virtual Gala celebration.

THE STORY BEHIND: Montgomery’s Starburst

Title: Starburst

Composer: Jessie Montgomery (1981-)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: May 5, 2019 with Edwin Outwater conducting and soloist Elena Urioste

Orchestration: This piece is scored for strings

The Story:

As a composer, Montgomery was the resident Composer-Educator for the Albany Symphony during the 2015-16 season. In addition she has been recognized with grants and fellowships from the American Composers Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, the Joyce Foundation, and the Sorel Organization. Her reputation has been spreading steadily, mainly in North America, beginning in New York City, Providence, and Boston, reaching out to Deer Valley, Utah; Miami Beach, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; and Toronto, Ontario. Montgomery’s debut record album Strum: Music for Strings (including Starburst) was released on the Azica Records label in late 2015.

Starburst was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization and premiered by its resident Sphinx Virtuosi in 2012. About it, Montgomery writes:

This brief one-movement work for string orchestra is a play on imagery of rapidly changing musical colors. Exploding gestures are juxtaposed with gentle fleeting melodies in an attempt to create a multidimensional soundscape. A common definition of a starburst, “the rapid formation of large numbers of new stars in a galaxy at a rate high enough to alter the structure of the galaxy significantly,” lends itself almost literally to the nature of the performing ensemble that premiered the work, the Sphinx Virtuosi, and I wrote the piece with their dynamic in mind.

THE STORY BEHIND: Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 16:21:27 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Grieg’s Piano Concerto

On March 13 & 14, pianist Joyce Yang will join Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for a program featuring Grieg’s Beloved Piano Concerto.

THE STORY BEHIND: Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Title: Piano Concerto, Op.16, A Minor

Composer: Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: January 28, 2012 with Larry Rachleff conducting and soloist Alon Goldstein.

Orchestration: The piece is scored for a solo piano, piccolo, two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

The Story:

Grieg’s vast lyrical gifts are obvious in the themes throughout, but themes are more folk-like in the outer movements. He constructs these in small bits, repeating the main ideas often but never becoming static. In the first movement, he works on them thoroughly. Toward the end come the brilliant piano solo and a final section cleverly formed from the movement’s introductory material.

Grieg next unfolds a three-part Adagio. The orchestra alone expresses the ravishing main theme. The piano enters in the contrasting, lighter middle section and continues by accompanying the orchestra through a reprise of the main theme.

The finale follows without a break. It has a dance-like main theme that contrasts with the lyrical innocence of the second theme. Following a dramatic section and a brief piano solo, the first theme returns in a lighthearted transformation. Grieg then tops the originality of this gesture with a slower apotheosis of the second theme that also serves as the movement’s finale. Upon playing this, Liszt is said to have jumped up from the piano exclaiming, “Splendid! That’s the real thing. . . . Keep it up, I tell you. You have what it takes – and don’t let anyone scare you.”

MEET THE SOLOIST: Joyce Yang, piano: Grieg’s Beloved Piano Concerto, March 13 & 14, 2020

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:30:23 GMT

MEET THE SOLOIST: Joyce Yang, piano: Grieg’s Beloved Piano Concerto, March 13 & 14, 2020

Joyce Yang, piano

Performs Grieg’s Beloved Piano Concerto

Amica Rush Hour Concert Series: March 13, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

TACO Classical Concert Series: March 14, 2020 at 8 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

Background: Born in Seoul, South Korea, Ms. Yang moved to the United States in 1997 to begin studies at the pre-college division of The Juilliard School with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Highlights :

Yang’s wide-ranging discography includes the world premiere recording of Michael Torke’s Piano Concerto, created expressly for Yang and commissioned by the Albany Symphony.
Yang appears in the film In the Heart of Music, a documentary about the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Joyce was featured in a five-year Rachmaninoff concerto cycle with Edo de Waart and the Milwaukee Symphony.
Joyce is a Steinway artist.

Critical Praise:

“Her attention to detail and clarity is as impressive as her agility, balance and velocity” – Washington Post
“The sound is bold and modern, yet restrained. The precision of the fingerwork is astounding” – BBC Music Magazine
“de Waart conducted Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with Joyce Yang, Silver Medalist of the 12th Van Cliburn International Competition, as the soloist … She played with a polished, pearly evenness that was remarkable for its ease up and down the keyboard” – Los Angeles Times
“Mr. Maazel led a taut performance (of Bernstein’s ‘Age of Anxiety’), and the orchestra played this dark-hued music vividly and with a sharp edge. But the standout was Joyce Yang, who gave a knockout performance of the alternately poetic, fiery and occasionally jazz-tinged piano line” – New York Times

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or call

401.248.7000

THE STORY BEHIND: Murphy’s From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat. . .

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 17:49:45 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Murphy’s From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat. . .

On March 13 & 14, pianist Joyce Yang will join Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for a program featuring Grieg’s Beloved Piano Concerto.

THE STORY BEHIND: Murphy’s From the Drum Comes a

Thundering Beat. . .

Title: From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat. . .

Composer: Kelly-Marie Murphy (1964–)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: this is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere.

Orchestration: The piece is scored for two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, piano, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

We seem to be living in an age of the emerging woman composer. In the United States, the trend made its first deep mark in 1983, when Ellen Taaffe Zwilich won the Pulitzer Prize for Music: the first woman to do so. Just a quick look over the list of recipients of the Pulitzer Prize for Music since then reveals the names of five more women composers:

1991: Shulamit Ran
1999: Melinda Wagner
2010: Jennifer Higdon
2013: Caroline Shaw
2015: Julia Wolfe

Internationally, the list of women composers who have won major awards would be much too long to publish here. Prominently, among the youngest of these, would be Kelly-Marie Murphy.

From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat . . . (1995) was Murphy’s first orchestral work, and with it she made her mark by winning a prize in the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris in 1996. Her official list of prizes currently totals 19 (1992-2018). Murphy is a well-educated (Ph.D. from University of Leeds, England) experienced composer, who spent some years working in the Washington, D.C., area. She now makes her home in Canada.

Normally, this is the place where the program annotator tries to describe the piece, to guide the audience as they listen to it, probably for the first time. Instead, here is the revealing review by Canadian music critic Peter Goddard, The Toronto Star, from June, 1998:

“. . . Take for instance Murphy’s From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat. . . , a 1996 [sic] CBC commission for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and an enormously savvy work. At 13 minutes long, it’s just the right length for a mainstream, Beethoven-friendly audience to accept. And what’s really radical about it isn’t the modern-sounding bits-the clashes coming from edgy orchestral chords rushing headlong into a timpani and drum fusillade-but the five soloist sections where you could hear the subtlety of thought behind the piece. "

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org

or call 401.248.7000

MEET THE Conductor: Tania Miller: Romeo & Juliet, February 14 & 15, 2020

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 18:14:14 GMT

MEET THE Conductor: Tania Miller: Romeo & Juliet, February 14 & 15, 2020

Amica Rush Hour Concert Series: February 14, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

TACO Classical Concert Series: February 15, 2020 at 8 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

Background: Canadian Conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator on the podium and off. She was the driving force behind new growth, innovation and quality for the Victoria Symphony, and gained a national reputation as a highly effective advocate and communicator for the arts. As curator, she distinguished herself as a visionary leader and innovator. Acknowledged for the impact and success of her tenure, she was recently bestowed with the title Music Director Emerita of the Victoria Symphony.

Highlights :

Recipient of the 2017 Friends of Canadian Music award from the Canadian League of Composers
Received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Royal Roads University in recognition of her exemplary work as a leader and for her extraordinary artistic achievements in the community.
Recipient of the 2016 Paul Harris Award from the Rotary Foundation for distinguished musical excellence and leadership.
Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music bestowed her with an Honorary Diploma in 2015 for her impact on music in Canada.

Critical Praise:

Review of Tania Miller’s last appearance with the RI Philharmonic, November 16, 2019

Review: Tania Miller commands R.I. Philharmonic with Shostakovich

by: Channing Gray, Special to The Journal

PROVIDENCE — Bramwell Tovey, the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s new conductor, had to skip Saturday night’s concert at Veterans Memorial Auditorium to undergo cancer treatment. But the orchestra ended up getting the next best thing: Tania Miller, a young Canadian conductor whose recent visits here have proved her to be an exciting musician and a perfect fit for the Philharmonic.

Her take on Shostakovich’s brooding Tenth Symphony, which closed out an evening of lesser-known selections, never failed to keep the big picture in view. The loneliness, the darkness of the vast opening movement, and the searing portrait of Soviet strongman Josef Stalin in the second were an emotional tsunami.

Shostakovich, who faced constant Soviet censorship, had not written a symphony since the end of World War II. But in 1953, just months after the death of Stalin, he sat down to pen the Tenth.

Miller, who stepped in for Tovey on two weeks’ notice, seemed so petite on the podium, but she took hold of the epic score and led the audience on a journey they won’t soon forget.

But the breaking news of the night was the appearance of pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, an audience favorite at the Newport Music Festival years ago. She brought with her Tchaikovsky’s rambling, episodic Second Piano Concerto, which I’ve never heard live.

Tchaikovsky actually wrote three piano concertos, but the last two have been overshadowed by the popular, and overplayed, B-Flat Minor.

There were some tender moments in the lyrical middle movement, where McDermott teamed up with concertmaster Charles Dimmick, and she brought more than a bit of glitter to the concluding section.

But try as they might, McDermott and Miller just couldn’t pull the opening movement together. It’s music in fits and starts, where every few pages the orchestra would stop and McDermott would plow through unimpressive solos cobbled together from scales and a few alternating chords.

Not inventive, imaginative music, in other words. And McDermott was unable to do much to change that with what amounted to a dutiful interpretation.

As for the obligatory encore, she tore into the Prelude from Bach’s Second English Suite, sounding quite frantic at first, but eventually relaxing and making the intricate music sing.

Miller opened the evening with another unfamiliar offering, the African American composer William Grant Still’s “In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy.’” The score, chosen as a Veterans Day tribute, is laced with harmonies that sound like spirituals and made a nice change of pace from tired Italian opera overtures.

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or call

401.248.7000

THE STORY BEHIND: Copland’s Appalachian Spring

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:30:04 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Copland’s Appalachian Spring

On February 14 & 15, cellist Johannes Moser will join Tania Miller, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for a romantic Valentine’s Weekend program.

THE STORY BEHIND: Copland’s Appalachian Spring

Title: Appalachian Spring: Orchestral Suite

Composer: Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: February 25, 2012

Orchestration: The piece is scored for piccolo, two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and trombones, harp, piano, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

By 1943, Aaron Copland had attained a considerable reputation as a ballet composer with Billy the Kid and Rodeo to his credit. Those works had also helped to establish him as an accessible composer of what many people considered to be the sound of American music, which evokes the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. It was natural, then, that choreographer Martha Graham should come to Copland that year with a commission from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation and a scenario set in rural Pennsylvania of the early 19th century. Copland accepted the commission and completed the ballet the following spring.

The original version of Appalachian Spring (title from a poem by Hart Crane) was scored for only 13 instruments and premiered in Washington, D.C., alongside works by Hindemith and Milhaud in October 1944. Copland’s music was an immediate success, and the following May, Graham’s company danced it in New York. In 1945, Appalachian Spring won for Copland not only the New York Music Critics Circle Award for dramatic music that season, but also the Pulitzer Prize in music.

Copland arranged the ballet as a continuous suite for full orchestra, which the New York Philharmonic premiered in October 1945. That version, which preserves most of the music of the original ballet, is the form in which we usually hear Appalachian Spring today.

According to notes by Copland himself, there are eight distinct sections:

1. Very slowly. Introduction of the characters, one by one, in a suffused light.

2. Fast. Sudden burst of unison strings . . . starts the action.

3. Moderate. Duo for the Bride and her Intended—scene of tenderness and passion.

4. Quite fast. The revivalist and his flock. Folksy feelings—suggestions of square dances and country fiddlers.

5. Still faster. Solo dance of the Bride—presentiment of motherhood. Extremes of joy and fear and wonder.

6. Very slowly (as at first). Transition scenes reminiscent of the introduction.

7. Calm and flowing. Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her Farmer- husband. There are five variations on a Shaker theme. The theme, sung by a solo clarinet, is called “Simple Gifts.”

8. Moderate. Coda. The Bride takes her place among her neighbors. . . . Muted strings intone a hushed, prayer-like passage. . . . The close is reminiscent of the opening music.

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or call 401.248.7000

THE STORY BEHIND: Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No.1

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 18:47:32 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No.1

On February 14 & 15, cellist Johannes Moser will join Tania Miller, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for a romantic Valentine’s Weekend program.

THE STORY BEHIND: Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No.1

T itle: Cello Concerto No.1 in A Minor, Op.33

Composer: Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: April 11, 2015 with soloist Alban Gerhardt

Orchestration: In addition to a solo cello, the work is scored for two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

At age 37, Camille Saint-Saëns was a productive, crusading composer. He was determined to resuscitate the true spirit of French music, which he viewed as having become stagnant and sterile under the heavy influence of Wagner. Not that Saint-Saëns was entirely anti-German. In fact, that year (1872) under the pen name of Phémius, he began writing music criticism favoring Germanic composers Handel and Liszt alongside his particular French favorites, Rameau and Gounod. His own music also showed strong traces of the German symphonic school, since there was no real French symphonic tradition at the time.

One of Saint-Saëns’s most concise yet most important contributions to the symphonic idiom is his Cello Concerto in A Minor, written the same year he took up the pen as Phémius. It is a work that makes effective, occasionally showy, use of the solo cello without ever degrading the part with empty virtuosity. It is a tightly knit work as well, written in three compact movements that connect without pause. The music has a thematic economy: The first movement’s main theme returns prominently in the finale and then is transformed into a new theme. Continuous form, thematic recursion and transformation—these are Lisztian techniques that Saint-Saëns adapts expertly.

The first movement immediately introduces the main theme, a melody of flaring arabesques that shows off the cello well. A second, sustained theme contrasts sharply, and both themes play important roles in the movement’s working-out.

The middle movement is an Allegretto in minuet rhythms. Scored chiefly for muted strings, the movement allows the solo cello to outline the dance in delicate gestures. In place of a Trio section, the composer gives the cello a short, restrained solo cadenza (the only one in the concerto). A reprise of the minuet follows, but more vividly colored and more romantic.

Creeping in quietly, the original main theme announces the opening of the finale. A gradual dynamic build leads to the cello’s entrance on the theme, which is rhapsodically spun out, leading soon to a second theme. This, however, is a subtle transformation of elements from the minuet theme and the main theme. The rise and fall shape of the minuet theme joins the twisting motion and triplet rhythms of the main theme to generate a new idea. Later in the movement, just before the restatement, the cello plays a particularly effective high scale. A full, quick-tempo coda in a major key gives the cello some brilliant scale passages and rounds out the work. Musicologist/conductor Donald Tovey summed up this concerto with the remark that it is “pure and brilliant without putting on chastity as a garment, and without calling attention to its jewelry at a banquet of poor relations.”

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or call 401.248.7000

MEET THE SOLOIST: Johannes Moser, cello: Romeo & Juliet, February 14 & 15, 2020

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 19:24:46 GMT

MEET THE SOLOIST: Johannes Moser, cello: Romeo & Juliet, February 14 & 15, 2020

Johannes Moser, cello

Performs Saint-Saens’s Concerto for Violincello, No.1

Amica Rush Hour Concert Series: February 14, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

TACO Classical Concert Series: February 15, 2020 at 8 p.m. at The VETS, Providence

Background: Johannes began studying the cello at the age of eight and became a student of Professor David Geringas in 1997. A voracious reader of everything from Kafka to Collins, and an avid outdoorsman, Johannes is a keen hiker and mountain biker in what little spare time he has.

Highlights :

He was the top prize winner at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, in addition to being awarded the Special Prize for his interpretation of the Rococo Variations.
In 2014 he was awarded with the prestigious Brahms prize.
Plays on an Andrea Guarneri Cello from 1694 from a private collection.
In the 2019/20 season, performed two world premieres of Cello Concertos by Andrew Norman with the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Gustavo Dudamel and Bernd Richard Deutsch’s with the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich conducted by Yutaka Sado

Critical Praise:

“One of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists” – Gramophone Magazine
“His tone was big and warm where needed, and he proved himself capable of some Rostropovich-like wild abandon…he was consistently eloquent.” – The Telegraph
“Johannes Moser gave a superb recital Friday night…It helps that he has a brilliant technique, a darkly rich tone, and a deeply felt musicianship. But Moser adds an expressive face and body language that adds flavor to his visual appeal. He’s fun to watch.” – The Daily Gazette

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or call

401.248.7000

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 20:06:53 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet

On February 14 & 15, cellist Johannes Moser will join Tania Miller, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra for a romantic Valentine’s Weekend program.

THE STORY BEHIND: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet

Title: Romeo and Juliet: Fantasy Overture

Composer: Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: December 7, 1991, with Marin Alsop conducting

Orchestration: The piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, four bassoons, two horns, three trumpets, tuba, harp, timpani, percussion and strings.

The Story:

During the Romantic era, Shakespearean plays captured the imagination of several major composers. This tendency was felt not only in the opera house, but also in the concert hall. In the late 1830s, Berlioz had composed a “dramatic symphony” based on Romeo and Juliet, and in 1869, Peter I. Tchaikovsky turned his hand masterfully to a programmatic orchestral piece based on that famous tragedy.

To purchase tickets visit tickets.riphil.org or

call 401.248.7000

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart’s Symphony No.41 (Jupiter)

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:37:52 GMT

THE STORY BEHIND: Mozart’s Symphony No.41 (Jupiter)

On January 25, violinist Karen Gomyo will join Bramwell Tovey, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform a special program featuring music composed by Wolfgang A. Mozart.

Title: Symphony No.41 in C Major, K.551 (Jupiter)

Composer: Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756–1791)

When was the last time the Rhode Island Philharmonic played this piece: November 10, 2001

Orchestration: This piece is scored for on flute, two each of oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story:

During the summer of 1788, life was not going well for Mozart. Despite the successes of The Marriage of Figaro in Vienna (1786) and Don Giovanni in Prague (1787), Mozart’s lack of income had reduced him to begging money from his friend, a textile merchant named Michael von Puchberg. During June and July, he wrote four letters to Puchberg continually asking for loans and making blue-sky promises of repayment as soon as his music started making money again.

Unfortunately, Mozart’s sincerity was much greater than his prospects. Through the summer, he composed diligently. In the remarkably short period of about two months, he composed three symphonies (the last in C major), which would prove to be his “final great trilogy.” These have become a Mozartian mystery. What occasion did he have in mind for performing these sublime works?

Some lighthearted relief comes in the form of the Menuetto. The main section’s grace and charm are suitably complemented by the dry wit of the trio section.

After Mozart’s death, the C Major Symphony was nicknamed Jupiter. Another sobriquet was “symphony with a fugue-finale.” The finale is not actually a fugue but a sonata form containing fugato (fugue-like) sections built on the five themes of the exposition: (1) the opening four-note theme; (2) the fanfare-like theme that immediately follows it; (3) the rising transition motive leading to (4) the sonata form’s “second theme” in a related key; and (5) a short, spiky countertheme to (4). Mozart’s method in the exposition is to present a fugato passage on a theme soon after it is first introduced. The development section concentrates almost exclusively on theme (2) in both the original form and inverted. The main body of the recapitulation is abbreviated and non-fugal, no doubt to allow for the full impact of the coda, the famous grand fugato that combines all five themes at once. Each is heard in every register—a heady kaleidoscope of “quintuple counterpoint.” This final passage is the crowning glory of this work—and perhaps of all Mozart’s symphonic works.